FileConvertor browser hijacker - How to remove

FileConvertor is one of those browser viruses that gets installed as an add-on promising helpful features that are supposed to make your online experience much easier yet once it gets inside the computer, it starts behaving strangely, interrupting with your browsing on the World Wide Web, altering search settings, changing homepage and placing tons of ads before allowing you to access relevant results. Just like that FileConvertor extension puts itself under unfavorable circumstances and drives its victims into looking for methods of removal.

The company behind FileConvertor is an infamous Tightrope Interactive Inc., which is known for other browser hijackers, such as Getofficex.org, Search Tab New, Search Private and etc. Therefore it’s not surprising that this extension is not the most trustworthy either. FileConvertor’s offered services for changing data formats might seem like a wonderful all-in-one tool, which can come in handy for routine tasks, but in reality, this application simply redirects users to the pdf.live website, instead of offering their unique converter. There is no need to risk your privacy, safety, and security by installing such product that gives you as much as you can get yourself by simply ‘googling’. We advise removing FileConvertor immediately because it is a browser hijacker, which will do nothing good for you or your computer. 

Is FileConvertor extension malicious

Like we mentioned in the introduction, at first sight, FileConvertor plugin lures users in for its amazing qualities of converting various formats for free and in one spot. This is one of the most popular utility services that people are seeking online and by knowing that, crooks use the existing demand to proliferate their malicious browser hijacker. This is also seen in other kinds of malware, such as PDFKing, Pdf2DocPro, PdfConverter.pro, and others. According to the Similarweb.com, the most infected countries at the moment are India, United States, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Canada, yet reports of FileConvertor browser hijacker come from other regions as well.

Fileconvertor.org browser hijacker

FileConvertor is definitely not a trustworthy plugin, especially because it changes your homepage, the search engine to Yahoo, new tabs and flood your search results with aggressive advertising, which at times can lead to other computer virus installers, since the creators don’t care what to display to their users as long as the third-parties pay them. Such major browser changes are not beneficial to people but are essential for FileConvertor hijacker to successfully generate revenue.

Once FileConvertor browser hijacker installs as an extension, it runs malicious scripts that ensure the authorization to control user’s browser and post whatever crooks want without getting caught or having to fit the norms. Then by applying some online marketing techniques, for example, PPV/PPA/PPC, traffic distribution, sponsorships, and Affiliate links, FileConvertor virus makes the best out of the situation and builds its profit by using the unaware users and their search habits. But clicking on the shady links is not the worst it can happen, this add-on also tracks data and browsing history and shares it with other third-parties, therefore nothing that you put online through the compromised browser is private anymore.

We highly suggest you not risking your accounts being hacked, bank account emptied and online identity stolen, just to have file converter redirecting links on your homepage. The best you can do in this situation is to remove FileConvertor browser hijacker and cleanse the system with anti-malware tool before it’s too late.

How did FileConvertor browser hijacker infect your browser

File Convertor browser hijacker has a couple spreading techniques that it uses in order to attack users’ machines, and none of them are very that reputable. Very often online surfers experience redirects to various FileConverter virus subdomains which eventually lead to either Chrome Web Store or directly initiate extension’s set up in Mozilla. These multiple sibling domains (sug.getfileconvertor.org, ext.getfileconvertor.org, fileconverter-services.getfileconvertor.org, rda.getfileconvertor.org, ip2.getfileconvertor.org) are all over the internet camouflaged as ads, promotions or hyperlinks especially on questionable content sites. Despite increasing the traffic to their page, crooks rely on the user to install the FileConvertor plugin by falling for the convincing description so the success rate is not the best.

What really allows FileConvertor browser hijacker to flourish is Bundling. Developers pay some free software redistributing vendors to compile this add-on as a recommended app, which automatically gets added to the system with some other main program unless the user opts out from it in the Advanced setup mode. Since we are used to skipping through Setup Assistants without much attention, we don’t notice additional potentially unwanted applications which sometimes are packed to install by the default, and in the end, we get so surprised when we see strange software like FileConvertor in the browser. This is why getting programs only from original sources and running installers in Custom mode is crucial to avoid PUPs.

How to remove FileConvertor virus

Because of the restrictions applied by Mozilla and Chrome browsers, malicious extensions have to be very careful in order to pass through the security, therefore hackers try to match the legitimate add-on requirements the best they can, not to raise the suspicion. This comes in handy when removing FileConvertor browser hijacker because it has the ‘Remove’ button just like any other plugin. However, at times, the hijacker can alter additional processes and reinstall after its elimination again, or be brought back by another malware, which may be inside the PC/Mac, therefore combining manual removal with automatic anti-spyware security tool seems to be the best option in order to get rid of FileConvertor virus permanently.

fileconvertor addon removal from Chrome and Mozilla

Once you’re done deleting FileConvertor browser hijacker from your search provider, go ahead and install a malware removal program of your choice and run a full system scan so it could figure out if the computer is fully clean or it needs additional steps. We rely upon Spyhunter applications for hunting down and removing viruses from the infected systems. These tools have large malware databases and sophisticated skills to complete the cleaning processes and ensure that no dangerous leftovers are hiding to continue their deeds.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Download Spyhunter for Malware detection
(Win)

Note: Spyhunter trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions,

Download Combo Cleaner for Malware detection
(Mac)

Note: Combo Cleaner trial provides detection of parasites and assists in their removal for free. limited trial available, Terms of use, Privacy Policy, Uninstall Instructions, Refund Policy ,

Delete FileConvertor browser hijacker from Chrome and Mozilla

Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to get rid of FileConvertor browser hijacker from Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Although extension uninstalling technique is no different than any other plugin’s, these guidelines will come in handy if for some reason you will get stuck. If they are still too challenging to do, feel free to just trust your FileConvertor virus issue to malware removal software.

TopHow To remove FileConvertor browser hijacker from Google Chrome:

  • Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
    Extensions
  • Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
    Remove extensions
  • Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
    Open settings
  • Select Manage Search engines
    Manage search engines
  • Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
    Delete search engines
  • Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
  • If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
    Set pages
  • Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
    Delete start pages

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

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

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

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

How To remove FileConvertor browser hijacker from Firefox:Top

  • 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).
    Select add-on
  • Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything FileConvertor browser hijacker 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.
    Remove add-on
  • If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
    Restore default
(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to File Convertor, 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.
    Help button
  • ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
    Troubleshooting
  • Click on theReset Firefox button.
    Refresh firefox
  • Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
    Refresh firefox approve
If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *