How to remove WebExplorer Browser?

WebExplorer is an unwanted program that may appear in your browser. You did not likely expect its appearance and will surely dislike its effects. WebExplorer brings different advertisements into your browser like tens of other unwanted programs. In that post, I will explain how to eliminate that disgusting program.

What is a WebExplorer?

WebExplorer Browser Adware

WebExplorer Browser Adware

After being injected in your browser, that PUP changes your browser’s Home page. After that, it manipulates browser configuration files, allowing the virus to show you promotions. Those promotions appear wherever, and their amount is massive. The developers of WebExplorer gain money by showing these ads. Nothing is worse when the free app you need shows you the ads; such apps often offer to pay once to remove ads. Meanwhile, WebExplorer is not demanded at all. It offers no functionality which may be noted as “useful” or “demanded”. People need neither an “advanced toolbar” (a useless thing) nor a “professional start page” (filled with ads). But these effects are not the only ones. The danger of that unwanted program is much bigger than you can expect.

Is the WebExplorer legit & safe?

Like any other adware, WebExplorer is not dangerous itself. Changes it implements into your web browser and system settings can be reverted in several easy steps. A much bigger danger hides in the ads it shows to you.

Adware maintainers do not care about the safety of the ads they show. They perform outlaw activity, so legit companies will barely take an advertising contract from such crooks. Hence, all ads you see are offered by dubious companies who do not care about the malevolency of advertisers. Of course, some of such companies are the same malware distributors, and the ads they publish will lead to malware downloading.

Adware activity effect

The sign of adware presence

How did I get that unwanted program?

As I have mentioned, unwanted apps are mainly spread through software bundling. Some users state PUP after clicking the banner, but most injection cases were through the bundled apps.

Software bundling is widespread among virus developers. Users who hack the programs to make them usable without purchasing a license approve any offer to include another program in the pack because they are gaining money in such away. Check precisely the installation window for signs like “Advanced installation settings” or so. The ability to switch off the malware installation often hides under such items.

Bundled programs installation

Example of bundled programs installation

How to remove the WebExplorer from my PC?

WebExplorer is not very hard to remove manually. However, deleting it from the web browser is not a full removal. It makes several changes to the configuration files of your web browser, adds tasks to the Task Scheduler, and makes different manipulations with networking settings. All these changes must be reverted correctly to the original state. In another case, you will suffer from unexpected networking problems.

    Gridinsoft Anti-Malware during the scan process
  • Standard scan checks the logical disk where the system files are stored and the files of programs you have already installed. The scan lasts up to 6 minutes.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan results
  • When the scan is over, you may choose the action for each detected virus. For all files of WebExplorer malware, the default option is “Delete”. Press “Apply” to finish the malware removal.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware - After Cleaning

Reset browser settings to default

Manual method of browser reset

To reset Edge, do the following steps:
  1. Open the “Settings and more” tab in the upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose the “Reset settings” option:
  2. Reseting the Edge browser
  3. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating the settings which will be reverted to original:
For Mozilla Firefox, do the next actions:
  1. Open the Menu tab (three strips in the upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Troubleshooting information”:
  2. The first step to revert Mozilla Firefox
  3. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option:
  4. The second step of Firefox restoration
    After choosing this option, you will see the next message :
    The last step for Firefox
If you use Google Chrome
  1. Open the Settings tab, and find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab, choose the “Reset and clean up” button:
  2. browser reset
  3. In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults”:
  4. browser reset
  5. Finally, you will see the window, where you can see all the settings which will be reset to default:
  6. browser reset
Opera can be reset in the next way
  1. Open the Settings menu by pressing the gear icon in the toolbar (left side of the browser window), then click the “Advanced” option and choose the “Browser” button in the drop-down list. Scroll down to the bottom of the settings menu. Find there “Restore settings to their original defaults” option:

  2. After clicking the “Restore settings…” button, you will see the window where all settings, which will be reset, are shown:

References

    French

    About the author

    Wilbur Woodham

    Technical writer covering malware detections, unwanted programs, and browser-based threats. Wilbur turns research notes into step-by-step guides that Windows users can follow safely.

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