FileConvertOnline Hijacker - How to remove

FileConvertOnline is the name of a browser hijacker that adds file conversion functionality to your browser’s new tab page. It’s called a browser hijacker because this add-on also makes a few unwelcome settings changes during the installation, such as changing the default search engine.

Not everyone installs FileConvertOnline, but it’s easy to recognize it once it has been installed:

• The new new tab page has completely replaced whatever you had set previously.
• The MyWay, Ask search engines are used to display search results.

There are ways in which FileConvertOnline can be a little dangerous, such as reducing your productivity and not protecting your privacy enough. After all, it and Ask, which is bundled on Chrome, can read your browsing history and all search queries. It’s not the only such extension — there is Mapsnow.co, Getofficex.org, StreamingTime, which can all look useful and practical to have on your browser, despite really being just a type of adware.

How FileConvertOnline infects your computer

FileConvertOnline is a browser hijacker, which is a type of unwanted software that’s not as dangerous as malware but still detected as a threat by a lot of security software. It exists mostly to promote the MyWay and Ask search engines and give their ads an audience. Mindspark and Ask are actually partners and owned by the same owner, so it makes sense that their products are being distributed together.

Mindspark, the developers of FileConvertOnline, often use misleading ads and redirects to acquaint people with their browser extension. This can manifest in random redirects to their page, without you even clicking on anything intentionally. It’s normal that the idea of a file converter on your browser would appear attractive.

Adware that’s already installed on your computer could also result in a FileConvertOnline installation. Adware viruses often disguise as utilities, hiding in plain sight while manipulating your browsers to display ads to you.

Bundles also promote FileConvertOnline and though technically they often warn you about the optional installations and give you a chance to refuse, many, many people still end up with unwanted programs thanks to bundlers.

What this means is that, if you installed FileConvertOnline, your computer is at risk of having a few more suspicious and unwanted programs.

What FileConvertOnline does

FileConvertOnline has a service for converting various file types between each other. This includes saving images as doc or Pdf files, converting Pdfs to docs, and turning images into Pdf documents. This might seem useful to someone who has to do a lot of such file type conversions regularly, but FileConvertOnline is really not a great choice:

• The conversion happens online, so it takes a while.
• There is a size limit, making FileConvertOnline useless for large files.
• Online conversion means that the files are saved on a server for 24 hours, so if you’re converting some very private files, just be careful.
• Most of what FileConvertOnline does, you can do with the same programs that allow you to use those files — just with more options.

FileConvertOnline does things like recognize text in an image and convert that to a document, though it’s not very precise, so you’d have to review everything afterward. This functionality is something that exists in the more advanced Pdf readers and if you need it often, your best bet is getting one of those programs.

FileConvertOnline is not even good at converting Pdf files to docs. Normally, you’re not meant to edit Pdfs but if you do that, those programs I mentioned exist. They give you many options about how to recognize text and images; a file converted with improper options can be more tedious and time-consuming to organize than just copying the text from the Pdf manually. FileConvertOnline doesn’t offer you any settings that you could control, which makes it useless for any serious work.

Dealing with the size limit can be tedious. And, of course, uploading private files to some online server is not a great idea. If your files have important information, you probably don’t want it to leak to anyone.

Uninstall FileConvertOnline hijacker

Depending on how FileConvertOnline was installed on your browser, the removal process can be either very easy or quite difficult. Normally, removing it like normal, as shown in the below guide, should work just fine. But if it doesn’t, there must be a program lurking on your computer and thwarting your efforts. In that case, an aggressive protection program like Malwarebytes (Mac and PC), Spyhunter (PC), or Combo-Cleaner (Mac) would be able to catch and quarantine it.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove FileConvertOnline using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like FileConvertOnline Hijacker install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to FileConvertOnline . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make FileConvertOnline Hijacker easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

How to remove FileConvertOnline from macOS

Delete FileConvertOnline Hijacker from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the FileConvertOnline app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopRemove malicious extensions from Internet Explorer

• Press on the Gear icon→Manage Add-ons.
  
• Go through Toolbars and extensions. Remove everything related to FileConvertOnline Hijacker and items you do not know that are made not by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle or Adobe.
  
• Close the Options.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to FileConvertOnline, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Press on the Gear icon->Internet Options.
  
• Choose the Advanced tab and click on the Reset button.
  
• Select a “Delete personal settings” checkbox and click on the Reset button.
  
• Click on the Close button on the confirmation box, then close your browser.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopRemoving FileConvertOnline Hijacker from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to FileConvertOnline. Click on the trash bin icon next to FileConvertOnline Hijacker or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to FileConvertOnline, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopRemoving FileConvertOnline Hijacker from Firefox

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything FileConvertOnline related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to FileConvertOnline Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove FileConvertOnline Hijacker from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to FileConvertOnline. Click on the "Remove" icon next to FileConvertOnline Hijacker or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.

TopRemoving FileConvertOnline from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the FileConvertOnline Hijacker. Remove all other unknown or suspicious entries too. If you are not sure whether you need the extension or not, you can simply uncheck the Enable check-box to disable the extension temporarily.
  
• Restart Safari.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to FileConvertOnline, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari.
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.