How to remove Readingfanatic Toolbar from the Computer?
About: Readingfanatic Toolbar is a malware that is categorized as a browser hijacker. This program adds its home page, new tab and a search engine in the web browser. It adds hp.myway.com and search.myway.com to as the home page and search engine respecti... Read Morevely. It displays ads and pop-ups to generate ad revenue for its associated partners and sponsors. Remove Readingfanatic toolbar from the system to keep your system risk free. Less
| Browser Hijacker | How to remove Readingfanatic Toolbar from the Computer?
How to remove Readingfanatic Toolbar from the Computer?
What is Readingfanatic Toolbar?
ReadingFanatic toolbar is an extension for web browsers that indulges in self promotion as an easy way to read online books for free in your web browser. This malicious program is categorized as a browser hijacker because it changes the web browser settings to carry out its activities.
Readingfanatic toolbar application is created by Mindspark Interactive. They have developed many similar apps and browser extensions that claim to enhance the user’s experience. However, these apps generate ad revenue for its developers and have no practical use at all for the user.
Readingfanatic toolbar can be directly downloaded from its domain page or from the app store. Direct download from the domain page happens less often as other methods are popular to propagate this browser hijacker. These methods include software bundling, spam email attachments, torrents or suspicious links etc. to distribute it.
Readingfanatic Toolbar – Threat Behavior
After intruding into the system, Readingfanatic toolbar alters the web browser settings and adds its own home page, new tab and a search engine. All user queries are tracked and user choices are collected to display customized ads to lure the user into clicking them.
The search engine redirects the user to pages which are promoted by Readingfanatic toolbar. The users see moderated results for all their searches. The main goal of Readingfanatic toolbar is to generate revenue through pay per clicks on the ads displayed by it. More the number of clicks mean more amount of money generated for the developers.
The pop-up ads promote the services of its associated partners and sponsors. These pop-ups are intrusive and cause annoyance. The user should be aware that these kinds of toolbars do not add any new functionality to the web browser.
Readingfanatic toolbar collects user’s activity data to display customized ads. This data can be sold by the hackers to third parties, who can cause harm to the user by using this information.
The users should be careful when installing third party software because suspicious programs like readingfanatic toolbar are bundled within the setup. The users should always go through the Custom/Advanced Settings when installing any software to uncheck the unnecessary added software from being installed on the system.
How Did Your System Get Infected?
The cybercriminals use various strategies for malware distribution which include –
Software Bundling: Software bundling is the process in which a malicious program is distributed with other free software, to get an unnoticed entry into your computer system. When a user installs a free application, the malicious programs gains a front door entry with the free application, the user has downloaded. Thus, it is a good idea to keep an eye on the installation screens while installing these free applications.
Infected Storage Devices: Your system can also get infected by using removable media such as USB hard drives and jump drives without scanning them with an anti-virus.
Spam Emails – Spamming is the most economic and common method used for the distribution of such malware. The targeted users get genuine looking emails which contain .doc, .txt, and other similar attachments. These attachments can be named as anything which can grab the user’s attention and triggers him/her to open the attachment. As soon as the user opens this attachment, the malware infects the user’s computer system.
Malicious Websites or Malevolent Advertisements: The malicious websites are the ones which are created just for promoting the malware infections. Such websites include but are not limited to porn sites, torrent sites and other free downloading platforms. By visiting such websites, the adware infects the user’s computer without permission. Fake advertisements and updates like Flash player and windows updates which ask the user to update to the latest version are a few examples. When the users click on such links, their computer system gets infected. That is why, it is highly recommended to resist clicking on such links. Also avoid clicking on advertisements offering free stuff such as Win an iPhones, cars or free overseas trips etc.
Threat Summary
Name – Readingfanatic Toolbar
Category – Browser Hijacker
Browsers Affected – Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge
Targeted Operating Systems – Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.0/8.1, Windows 10
Symptoms – Changes the search engine to search.myway.com and the homepage and the new tab to hp.myway.com
How to remove Readingfanatic toolbar from the system?
Remove Readingfanatic Toolbar from the system immediately to stop these intrusive ads and pop-ups from being displayed in your web browser. To delete Readingfanatic toolbar from the system completely, the steps specified below should be followed in the given order to remove this browser hijacker completely without leaving behind any residual files.
Note: Before we begin, try to remember how the extension got downloaded on your computer system. Generally, these programs come bundled with free applications that we download off the internet. It is a good practice to locate and uninstall such programs while removing the Browser Hijacker/ Extensions.
Windows XP
Click on the “Start” button on the bottom left corner of your screen. A Start menu will be displayed as shown below. From this menu select the option that reads “Control Panel”.
In the window that will be displayed, click the option “Switch to classic view”.
This will display all the options/icons available to you. From the displayed icons, click on the icon that reads “Add or Remove Programs”.
Select the “Uninstall a program” option from the “Programs” category. A list will populate on the screen displaying all the programs.
Select the programs related to Readingfanatic toolbar and click on the Uninstall button.
Windows 7/Vista
Right click on the “Start” button located at the lower left corner of the screen. From the Start menu, click on “Control Panel”.
The “Control Panel” Window will be displayed on the screen. Click on “Uninstall a Program” option from the “Programs” category.
The “Programs and Features” window will be displayed on the screen. A list will populate on the screen displaying all the programs.
Scroll though the list of programs and select the programs related to Readingfanatic toolbar and then click on the “Uninstall” button.
Windows 8/10
Right click on the “Windows logo” on the lower left side of the computer screen. From the drop down menu, select and click on “Control Panel”.
The “Control Panel” window will be displayed. From this window select “Uninstall a program” option form the “Programs” category.
A list will populate on the screen displaying all the programs.
Select the programs related to Readingfanatic toolbar and click on the “Uninstall” button.
In the confirmation box, click on the box that reads “OK” to save changes.
Left click on the Organize button on the Windows Explorer. A drop down menu will appear.
On this menu left click on the option that reads “Folder and search options” as shown above. A folder options dialogue box will appear.
On the View tab under the Advanced settings, Check the option that reads “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” and uncheck the option that reads “Hide protected operating system files“.
Click on the “OK” button to save your changes. This will make all the hidden files and folders visible to you.
Windows 8 and 10
On the file explorer toolbar, click on the View
In the Show/hide section, Click on the “Hidden items” checkbox.
Click on the options button.
Under folder options, click on the “View” tab.
Uncheck the “Hide protected operating system files” option.
Open Google Chrome and click on the three vertical dots ( ) i.e.Menu option which are located at the upper right corner of the Chrome Window.
Find and click on More tools from the drop down menu that is displayed & select Extensions or you can open a Chrome window and type “chrome://extensions” in the address bar.
Check the developer mode option which is located opposite to extensions heading on the top of the Chrome window. By enabling the developer mode, additional details and option related to all the installed extensions will be displayed. One of the details that will be displayed is the ID. ID is the folder name created by the extension at the location “C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions”.
Locate the extension you want to uninstall or delete. Copy and paste the folder name opposite to the ID Tag of that extension into a notepad file. In this case the folder name is “bmmbajpcfedaechekcachdldkdfaalbf”
Now, uncheck the enabled option next to the extension in question. Make sure you also click the trash icon to delete the extension from the browser. It is important to note that even after uninstalling and deleting the extensions from the browser, the extension might not uninstall properly. Thus, it is a good practice to make sure that we have deleted the folder as mentioned in step 3.
Make sure that you have made the hidden files and folders visible.
Open My Computer and go to “C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions”. Now, look for folder with the name as specified in Step 4 i.e. “bmmbajpcfedaechekcachdldkdfaalbf”. Delete the folder if present.
Close and reopen the browser. It is also advisable to restart your computer once done.
Mozilla Firefox
Open Mozilla Firefox, click on three horizontal lines ( ) at the top right corner of the Firefox Windowand select the Add-ons option.
On the Add-onsmanger page, select and click on the Extensions tab as shown below.
Find the extensions related to Readingfanatic toolbar and click on the remove button.
In addition, try to remember how the extension got downloaded on your computer system. If this extension was bundled with some other software, then make sure to delete that as well.
Internet Explorer
Open Internet Explorer, Click on the Gear icon ( ) which is at the top right corner of the Internet Explorer Window.
From the newly appeared dropdown menu, click on the option that reads Manage Add-ons.
A new window will appear on the screen. On this window choose the option that reads Toolbar and Extensions. Under the Show option, select the option that reads “All add-ons”. This option will allow you to see all the browser extensions.
Select the Extension related to Readingfanatic toolbar and click on the Disable button which is at the bottom right of the computer screen.
Apple's Safari
On your Mac Desktop, click on the option that reads “Safari”.
A drop down menu will appear as shown below. From this menu chose the option that reads “Preferences”.
The Preferences window will appear on the screen, where the list of all your safari extensions will be shown.
On the list displayed at the left side of the screen, select the Extension you want to uninstall.
Click on the Uninstall button to get rid of the extension.
Open Google chrome and click on the three vertical dots () located on the top right corner of the Chrome Window.
From the Drop down menu that appears, click on the “Settings”. A new browser tab will open up, displaying all the settings.
Now, we will make changes to the appearance section. Under the “Appearances” section, we will enable the “Show Home Button” option. You can select New Tab page or can add Google or any of your preferred browsers under the “Show Home Button” option.
After this, we will go to the “Search Engine “section.
Here, make Google or any of your preferred browsers as your default browser in the drop-down menu under the option “Search engine used in the address bar”.
After this click on Manage Search Engines. Now you can remove Other Search Engines that were added by the browser hijacker. Simply click the three vertical dots () and select the option “Remove from list”.
You can make Google or any other preferred browser as your Default Search Engine by clicking the three vertical dots () and clicking on the “Make default” option.
At the end, we will go to the section “On Startup”. You can select the “Open the New Tab page” or can “Continue where you left off”. If you want to open a specific page or set of pages, select the option “Open a specific page or set of pages” and remove any pages added by the browser hijacker by clicking on the three vertical dots () and selecting “Remove”.
Then, add Google or any of your desired URL in “Add a new page” option under the “Open a specific page or set of pages”.
This is a very important step and we would like you to pay very close attention here. This step has to be repeated with all the shortcuts to the browser that you can locate; like your desktop, start menu and the shortcut pinned to your taskbar. Right click on the shortcut and a context menu will appear. On this menu select the last option that reads Properties.
A Google ChromeProperties Dialogue box will appear as below. Replace whatever is there in the text box next to the label Target with the following: Make sure that inverted commas are included.“C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe”
Click OK at the end to save the changes.
Mozilla Firefox
Open Mozilla Firefox and click on the three horizontal lines () i.e. Open Menu located on the top right corner of the Firefox Window.
From the drop down menu that is displayed, we have to right click on the () Options to open the window.
Now, we will click Search, under the given options that are displayed in the left corner of the screen.
You can choose Google or any of your preferred browsers as your default search engine to use in the address bar and search bar.
Then, you have to go to the () General and under “startup” section to make sure that Firefox is your default browser.
At the end, we have to add Google or your preferred URL in the box given under Home Page.
After this, you have to right click on the browser shortcuts that you can locate like your desktop, start menu and taskbar to which the application is pinned. A context menu will appear. On this menu select the last option that reads Properties.
A Firefox Properties Dialogue box will appear as below. Replace whatever is there in the text box next to the label Target with the following: Make sure that inverted commas are included.“C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe”
Click OK at the end to save the changes.
Internet Explorer
Open Internet Explorer and click on the gear icon ()which is at the top right corner of the Internet Explorer Window.
From the Drop down menu that appears, click on the “Manage add-ons” A new browser tab will open up, displaying all the add-on types.
Now, we will click on the “Search Providers” option from the list of options displayed on the left hand side of the screen. Then we will click “Find more search providers” option given at the lower left corner of the Manage add-ons
This will open an Internet Explorer Gallery; from here you can add Google search or any of your preferred add-ons as your default browser.
Next, you are required to go to the “Manage add-ons” window and click on the “Search Providers” option under the Add-on Types.
Here, you can enable Google Search or any of your preferred browsers as your default browser in the list of search providers.
At the end, we will click on the gear icon ()which is at the top right corner of the screen and select “Internet Options” from the drop-down menu.
A new window will open displaying the Internet options. In the “Internet Options” window, add Google or any of your desired URL under the Create Home Page option and click OK.
After this, you have to right click on the browser shortcuts that you can locate like your desktop, start menu and taskbar to which the application is pinned. A context menu will appear. On this menu select the last option that reads Properties.
An Internet Explorer Properties Dialogue box will appear as below. Replace whatever is there in the text box next to the label Target with the following: Make sure that inverted commas are included.“C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe”
Click OK at the end to save the changes.
Tips to prevent your computer system from getting infected
Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like Hitman Pro and 360 Total Security so that it remains safe.
Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.
The researchers at Virus Removal Guidelines are dedicated to track down the latest vulnerabilities which may infringe your system security. Our team of expert performs a detailed research about every malware infection before educating our users about the same.
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) i.e.Menu option which are located at the upper right corner of the Chrome Window.
) at the top right corner of the Firefox Window and select the Add-ons option.
) which is at the top right corner of the Internet Explorer Window.
) i.e. Open Menu located on the top right corner of the Firefox Window.
) Options to open the window.
