How To Remove Total Privacy Hijacker

Total Privacy: Simple Uninstall Guide

Total Privacy is promoted as a useful tool that improves users’ privacy when web surfing, especially on Google Chrome browser. However, it is indeed a browser hijacker which once gets installed, makes changes to browser’s settings to promote search.wiseghostapp.com- a fake search engine. It sets this URL as the new search tool, homepage, and new tab page without asking for your approval. Moreover, this hijacker also installs various suspicious extensions, toolbars, plug-ins etc. on the browser to prevent the settings from being restored. It mainly enters the targeted computers using deceptive tactics and hence, often considered as a potentially unwanted program (PUP).

Total Privacy Provides Altered Search Results:

When your system gets infected with Total Privacy hijacker, each time you open a new tab/window, or type something into the URL bar, you are redirected to search.wiseghostapp.com. This fake search tool is not able to deliver results by itself, so it usually reroutes to Yahoo. However, the search results you obtain are still not organic as they are filled with ads and sponsored links that are placed right at the top. During the presence of this nasty hijacker in your work-station, you are bombarded with numerous intrusive ads all the time which interrupts your web sessions badly.

Ads by Total Privacy are in multiple formats such as coupons, deals, offers, banners, pop-ups, discounts etc. They are based on pay-per-click scheme and earn revenues for the developers when clicked. Nonetheless, they often redirect users to pre-defined websites that could be malware-laden, scam/phishing, deceptive, fake tech support and so on. And thus, it is important to avoid interacting with these adverts no matter how eye-catching or useful they look. Continuous appearances of these adverts downgrade the browsing performance. Even the simplest sites take more than usual time to open.

Browser hijackers like Total Privacy are capable of tracking users’ web activities and collecting data relating to browsing habits and preferences. It can gather search queries typed, URLs visited, IP addresses/ geolocations, webpages viewed, personally identifiable details, and so forth. These details are then sold to third-parties and even cyber offenders and can be utilized for the creation of personalized ads tailored to users’ interests, and making fraudulent transactions or unauthorized purchases. And thus, this perilous hijacker may lead to severe privacy issues, identity theft and huge monetary loss issues. So, Total Privacy removal should not be delayed from the work-station.

Ways To Spread Total Privacy:

Some potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) have official sites from where they can be downloaded. They can be also spread via annoying ads which when clicked, execute scripts to download/install program without users’ approval. Nonetheless, the most common technique to distribute such intruders is software bundling in which these browser hijackers or adware are pre-packed together with regular software in a single installer. When users download the freeware from third-party site and then perform rushed installation process (ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.), they end up with infecting their PCs with such threats.

A tip to avoid such intrusions is to always select the Custom or Advanced settings to install new software. These options provide you complete control over the incoming downloads and allow you to opt-out the unwanted components from the list. Moreover, stay away from suspicious ads and links that usually appear while web surfing as you never know what pages they might take you to. But at the moment, you must remove Total Privacy from the computer as soon as possible.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove Total Privacy:

Remove the related items of Total Privacy using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing Total Privacy issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (Total Privacy) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to Total Privacy removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter. In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to Total Privacy still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove Total Privacy plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”. Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in Total Privacy removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete Total Privacy (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications. Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.