PackageTracer Toolbar - How to remove

PackageTracer is a browser extension that promises a useful function but makes changes beyond what is needed for it to deliver. PackageTracer offers to make it easy to track shipments, but it goes ahead and changes the search engine, tracks private information, and tries to install additional privacy-beaching extensions.

PackageTracer is not a computer virus, but it can be considered potentially unwanted software (PUP) and a browser hijacker, and thus an example of mild malware.

The problems with PackageTracer

Shady distribution method

PackageTracer has been promoted using software bundling, that is, it’s been included as an optional (or hidden, if the bundle is implemented dishonestly) application with another program.

Bundling is not seen as a good thing, or as something that trustworthy software vendors do. Software bundling is combining promoted applications with the installation of the desired software. Even when the promotional software is benign, it’s seen as a breach of trust between the client and the vendor. A lot of people rush through installation or do not mess with the custom settings, which is how they might end up unwittingly installing unwanted programs. This is actually known as one of the main ways that malware can be installed.

So, the fact that PackageTracer itself bundles Search Extension by Ask with is cause for suspicion. Even without the optional Ask extension, PackageTracer is associated with live.tb.ask.com, among other websites — you can see this in the extension’s permissions as declared to Chrome.

Privacy breaching and advertising

This extension, PackageTracer, requires permission to read people’s browsing history and PackageTracer’s developers use that and other information that they manage to collect (location, gender, language, hardware and software, and the exact queries that were typed into their search box) for superior targeted advertising.

PackageTracer places a search bar in the middle of the new tab page that leads to a search engine which earns revenue for displaying ads to visitors. This is mentioned in the description of the extension as “The PackageTracer™ extension also offers convenient web search”. A lot of people felt like this was not enough warning to know that PackageTracer would have their search settings changed so drastically.

The overabundance of ads in PackageTracer’s search engine (MyWay, int.search.myway.com) substantially hurts the browsing experience. Not only does PackageTracer shove a multitude of ads on top of actual search results any time when the query can possibly be interpreted as wanting to buy something, but even simple questions have at least one ad on top, adding small frustrations to trying to find relevant information.

Not just distracting — ads can even be malicious. Professional, good quality ad networks are able to recognize malicious ads and remove them, but even they sometimes have a few slip through. The poorer quality (or the more greedy) the ad network is, the more likely they are to serve malicious ads to regular internet users. Examples of dangerous ads include phishing sites, scams and pyramid schemes, or even malware-hosting pages.

As for privacy, PackageTracer’s privacy policy seems to say that users’ online profile (the information that has been collected about them, but that technically isn’t associated with their legal identity) can be shared with third parties, which also puts your online security at slight risk: the more information is known about you, and the more people have it, the more likely it is to be leaked. In the worst case, cybercriminals could use it for targeted phishing attacks.

Poor quality product

From PackageTracer’s description:

Now you can easily track all your incoming and outgoing shipments, manage your online purchases and organize electronic receipts!

This extension configures your New Tab page to PackageTracer™ to provide these features.

Mindspark Interactive Network, the company which developed PackageTracer, has a portfolio bursting with clones that all look and function the same:

• a search bar in the middle — it leads to a search engine which injects ads into results,
• a toolbar at the top, which has a few links to professional websites that fit the theme of the extension,
• sometimes — an online tool or more links below the search bar.

You can look at FreeShoppingTool, EverydayMemo, FreePDFCombiner, or almost any other Mindspark product. Very few have any real, specifically developed features, and even they monetize people’s searching for information.

How to remove PackageTracer

PackageTracer can be removed by going into your browser settings.

The extension shouldn’t be able to reinstall itself, but if it happens that it keeps coming back, then another program must be infecting your computer. It would be causing other problems, too, like excessive pop-up ads and redirects when using the browser. If you are experiencing this, you can scan your computer to check if any malware is found. Use a professional antivirus program, for example, Spyhunter, Combo-Cleaner, or another one that you trust. If there is any malware found, you can uninstall it manually, or let the antivirus do it.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Uninstall PackageTracer

How to remove PackageTracer Toolbar using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like PackageTracer Toolbar 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 PackageTracer Toolbar . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make PackageTracer Toolbar 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 PackageTracer Toolbar from macOS

Delete PackageTracer Toolbar from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the PackageTracer Toolbar 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.

TopHow To remove PackageTracer Toolbar from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• 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.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to PackageTracer Toolbar, 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.
  
• 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.

How To remove PackageTracer Toolbar 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).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything PackageTracer Toolbar 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.
  
• 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to PackageTracer Toolbar, 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.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.

How to remove PackageTracer Toolbar from Microsoft Edge:Top

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

• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.

• Click on the three-dot menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings

• Select Privacy and Services and scroll down. Press on Address bar.

• Choose Manage search engines.

• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list: open the three-dot menu and choose Remove.

• Go back to Settings. Open On start-up.
• Delete malicious search websites at Open specific page or pages by opening the three-dot menu and clicking Delete.

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

• Click on Edge's menu button and select Settings. Click on the Reset Settings button on the left.
• Press the Restore settings to their default values option.

• 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.

How to remove PackageTracer Toolbar from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall PackageTracer Toolbar and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

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

• Click on 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.