ConverToPDF Redirects - How to remove

ConverToPDF is a browser add-on that changes the home page and takes over internet search. Although it could be argued that ConverToPDF helps users convert files, all that it really does is provide links to other converter sites. So, overall, it is quiet useless and disruptive. Not to mention, ConverToPDF visitors seem to have also visited other malicious websites, which is concerning – it could mean that those people’s browsers are infected with adware worse than just ConverToPDF.

In short about ConverToPDF:

Classification	Adware, browser hijacker.
How ConverToPDF changes the browser	Changes the home page, provides links to file converter sites, advertises other browser extensions, sends search queries to Yahoo.
Installation problems	Unintentional installation, related browser hijackers being promoted.
How to remove ConverToPDF	Find all the suspicious items on your device manually and with the help of anti-malware apps, such as Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Windows, and others, uninstall ConverToPDF and other suspicious apps and browser extensions.

About ConverToPDF

Unhelpful browser add-on

ConverToPDF is a browser add-on. A browser add-on is a little app made to be attached to a web browser. Examples include spellcheckers, password managers, and video downloaders. ConverToPDF is supposed to be for viewing, editing, and converting PDFs.

The way that ConverToPDF helps you convert PDFs is by replacing your home and new tab pages. Seems unnecessary, doesn’t it? ConverToPDF offers to convert Doc to PDF, PDF to DOC, PDF to image, as well as to view PDFs and merge multiple ones into a single file. For that, it posts five hyperlinks to Cloudconvert.com, Freepdfconvert.com, Pdfonlinereader.com, Convertio.co, and Sejda.com.

This is so inconvenient. ConverToPDF takes over your home page so that it can put a button there that opens another website.

A normal online converter would just perform everything without needing you to click all those buttons and learn to use a bunch of different sites. A good online converter certainly wouldn’t take over your home page and would all be contained within the add-on pop-up. But, clearly, ConverToPDF is not made with a good user experience in mind.

Search redirects

After all, if ConverToPDF doesn’t hijack your new tab page, how will it interfere with your searches? It’s a Yahoo redirect virus. Whether you used Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or another search engine to perform your searches, ConverToPDF replaces it with Yahoo. ConverToPDF is a bad PDF converter but a great Yahoo search toolbar.

No wonder, then, that ConverToPDF is made by Aztec Media, the same company that’s behind Search4Moviex, MoviesFanatic, FootballScores24, and many other shady browser add-ons. ConverToPDF is nothing new.

How hijackers get installed

Related malware

As you can see in the picture above, ConverToPDF offers to install BlpSearch – in my case, it was SearchBits, but it could also have been Wise Search. These browser add-ons change your search settings, which means that they get access to your browser’s address bar.

I looked at web analytics for Convertopdf.com, the site on which you can install ConverToPDF. Based on the estimates on analytics sites, we can make a few assumptions:

• Those who arrive on Convertopdf.com often come from pirating, filesharing, torrenting sites.
• People who visit Convertopdf.com also visit sites where other browser hijackers can be installed, like Seen on Screen and TinyChill.
• I also saw a few notification spammer addresses, such as Topflownnews.com, which could mean that notification spammers promote ConverToPDF.

Torrenting sites and notification spammers promote junkware all the time, so when ConverToPDF is associated with them, that’s bad for its reputation. It implies that ConverToPDF was rejected by the more reputable sites – and there must be a reason for that.

Bundling

It is also possible that ConverToPDF finds users by hiding inside the installers of various free apps. You download a program from a freeware download site, install it, and suddenly, your browser is hijacked and a bunch of unfamiliar apps are installed. This is called bundling.

How to remove ConverToPDF

Removing ConverToPDF should be very simple – right-click on its icon, click Remove, and you’re done. Or do it from browser settings as described in the instructions below. Considering ConverToPDF’s ties with various malicious extensions and websites, it’s important to check your device for other infections. If there are any and they’re allowed to stay, they can cause more adware infections.

Anti-malware apps, like Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for PC, and others, can detect potentially unwanted programs and remove them. Combine theses scanners with a manual review to check your computer and make sure it doesn’t have any malicious apps on it.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Remove browser add-ons

TopRemoving ConverToPDF Redirects 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 ConverToPDF Redirect. Click on the trash bin icon next to ConverToPDF Redirects 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 ConverToPDF Redirect, 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 ConverToPDF Redirects 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 ConverToPDF Redirect 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 ConverToPDF Redirects, 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 ConverToPDF Redirects 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 ConverToPDF Redirect. Click on the "Remove" icon next to ConverToPDF Redirects 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.