Winmoreprize is yet another browser hijacker that uses persistent moves to drive users' traffic to predetermined websites
Winmoreprize is a browser-based app that delivers fake messages about valuable prizes to redirect its victims to sponsored sites. Unfortunately, there is no prize at the end of this redirect cycle and the only thing you get is the danger of being infected with adware,[1] another hijacker, or a similar infection. This scammy page typically promotes iPhone and Samsung smartphones, gift cards, and similar prizes that can be achieved after answering the given questionnaire.
However, this scheme is rather used to swindle users' personal information than collect answers to specific questions. Besides, it can seriously affect the performance and speed of your IE, Firefox, and Chrome web browsers, so there is no need to postpone a full system scan and virus removal from the system.
| Name | Winmoreprize |
|---|---|
| Type | Adware |
| Category | Potentially unwanted program |
| Symptoms | Delivers intrusive advertisements, causes redirects to sponsored sites, tricks people into taking the part in fake surveys |
| Distribution | Software bundles, deceptive ads, suspicious websites |
| Possible danger | Can lure people into revealing their personal information; can redirect to infected sites |
| Elimination | Use anti-malware tool to get rid of any potential threats and clean the system |
| System repair | The system can be damaged, so rely on FortectIntego |
Winmoreprize.com has already been mentioned in numerous security forums by users complaining about its intrusive behavior, never-ending redirects, advertisements, and similar adware-related symptoms. According to them, this threat is persistent and remains on the system when you try to change various browser settings. Additionally, it makes your system slow and keeps redirecting to various insecure sites.[2]
From first sight, the alert displayed by suspicious pop-ups may look legitimate because it includes logos from well-known companies and eye-catching titles. It states that the user only needs to answer three questions within one minute or so to get the wanted prize and there are only ten people who got this opportunity to win.
Unfortunately, there are many scams related to this one, including Account.confirmprize.com or Google Prize scam. None of them has even helped victims to receive the desired prize. Additionally, keep in mind that such PUPs tend to alter system settings without the user's approval.
Typical symptoms include:
- changed appearance of your browser;
- added bookmarks, extensions, or toolbars;
- advertisements injected on commonly visited sites;
- ads promoting rogue software or tools appear out of nowhere;
- each click on the browser or pop-up window redirects to commercial content-filled websites.
As you can see, there is no need to ignore the threat hiding in your system. To remove Winmoreprize for good and prevent more serious issues, researchers[3] advise downloading FortectIntego or another PC repair tool that will also fix your Registry after unauthorized changes. Unfortunately, but in most cases, it is not enough to reset your affected browsers to get rid of this threat completely.
Scan the system entirely using your reliable anti-malware or one of our suggestions provided below to perform a full san for security purposes or even the proper Winmoreprize removal. Later on, change your passwords if you have already provided your personal details in the questionnaire. Finally, note that cybercriminals can send you more spam than previously. Be very careful with every email you receive to your inbox.
Software bundles and deceptive websites have been actively used to distribute questionable programs
Anything on the internet can be possibly malicious and dangerous;[4] you need to pay more attention to every activity online. Clicking on redirects, visiting online gambling sites, or even getting your software from questionable sources may lead to cyber threats on the system.
You shouldn't click on a random advertisements or get optimization tools from non-legitimate websites. P2p services also are not recommended use. Always choose Advanced or Custom options to avoid additional installations and de-select unwanted programs from the list when you get the opportunity to do so.
Keep your applications up-to-date so no deceptive advertisement or fake updater can to lure you into purchasing dubious tools. Download and use anti-malware tools more frequently, so you can keep your device safe.
Use anti-malware tools for the job f clearing cyber threats
There are no signs that the Winmoreprize virus runs on the system when you check background processes in the Task Manager, but this PUP can seriously affect your browsing online and the overall use of the PC. To determine if there are any malicious programs on the system, pay attention to browser changes and redirects to questionable sites.
While dealing with Winmoreprize removal, you may need to reboot your computer system to Safe mode before a full scan. For that, perform these steps:
- Click start and enter msconfig.exe into the command line and click on it;
- Select Boot, and put ticks under Safe boot and then under Network;
- Click OK and Restart buttons.
Now you should remove all suspicious entries from Task Manager. Finally, disable any questionable extensions, toolbars, and similar add-ons on the affected web browser. A full guide explaining how to do that is provided below the article.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
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