Hfileconversionnow.com - How to remove

Hfileconversionnow.com is a new tab replacer. It hijacks the browsers of those who install the File Conversion Now add-on. There are a few problems with Hfileconversionnow.com: its features are lacking, its usability is poor, it’s full of links to clickbait, and it may be able to show notification pop-ups to spam even more ads.

It would be best to get rid of File Conversion Now and reclaim your home page from Hfileconversionnow.com so that it can’t influence your web browsing anymore.

About Hfileconversionnow.com:

Type of threat	Adware, browser hijacker.
Ads by Hfileconversionnow.com	Links to ad-filled sites, search redirects, data logging, pop-up notification ads.
Installation	Bundling with free apps, advertising online, promotions by adware and other hijackers.
Removing Hfileconversionnow.com	Find and remove malware (with Combo Cleaner for Mac, Spyhunter for PC, etc.), disable or remove suspicious browser extensions, block unwanted notifications, restore browser settings.

Hfileconversionnow.com is adware

Hfileconversionnow.com is a site that replaces some people’s home page in their browser. It does that is through a browser add-on called File Conversion Now.

A browser is a program that displays webpages. Browser add-ons are little apps that change how the browser works. Some are very useful, like ad-blockers, password managers, and dark mode. Others allow you to download videos or compare prices when online shopping.

Some, like File Conversion Now, exist purely to advertise to users. Here’s how it does that:

• Replaces the home page with Hfileconversionnow.com. This does not help Hfileconversionnow.com’s features – but it does help it mess with the user’s searches and browsing.
• The new home page has a search box that only leads to Yahoo.com. The user has no choice for which search site is used.
• Hfileconversionnow.com features five links to related (same owner) clickbait sites. These sites are mostly made up of ads by RevContent and Adblade. In other words, they waste people’s time to show them more advertisements.
• File Conversion Now also leads to notification ads: little pop-ups in your browser that appear regardless of what site you’re on.
• As a browser add-on, File Conversion Now gets access to your browsing history. Hfileconversionnow.com can see your search queries and other activities. Browsing data is used to improve advertisement targeting.

I make it seem like Hfileconversionnow.com is nothing but ads and tracking. That’s not entirely true: Hfileconversionnow.com also features links to various file converter sites. But that’s not a function of File Conversion Now; these are links. Hfileconversionnow.com is incredibly low effort, relying completely on other sites to work. It’s also very inconvenient to use, asking users to open a new tab, then open another new tab, be exposed to third-party trackers and ads, etc.

Hfileconversionnow.com is just bad all around: bad for usability, bad for privacy, and bad for user choice and browser cutomization.

How File Conversion Now spreads

So, if Hfileconversionnow.com is all that bad, why have over 400,000 people installed the add-on? And why does Hfileconversionnow.com receive 2 million visitors each month? It doesn’t seem well-liked, the only two reviews of File Conversion Now on the Chrome Web Store are one-star complaints.

Bundling

One way to install File Converter Now is to get it bundled with another program. Some apps have their installers wrapped in a setup wizard or a bundler that also includes optional offers. So, people might download and install a free application only to be offered during setup: “hey, want to enhance your browser?”, “how about this backup app?”, “secure your browsing!”. All these offers are pre-agreed to and they are only displayed to those who use custom or advanced installation options.

Installing wrapped apps by following the default settings can result in a bunch of junkware getting installed. These optional offers are included because their owners pay for each successful installation. Considering that Hfileconversionnow.com is made by Eightpoint Technologies, it would not be unusual for it to use this method to find users.

Advertising

Deceptive advertising is another possibility. Hfileconversionnow.com can be found on Pdfconverterguru.com. We can look at web traffic analytics sites to find out more.

It’s estimated that Pdfconverterguru.com is advertised on file download sites and other sites where you either search for something or download something. It is very common for such sites to display ads by making the Download button open a new tab with an ad in it.  It’s not a coincidence that Pdfconverterguru.com’s brightest feature is the “Continue” button. If people end up on it and don’t read the text, they might install File Conversion Now without meaning to. Especially those who aren’t very experienced or confident with a computer.

It is important to realize that many websites use deception and manipulative, misleading design to get their visitors to click on more ads. Sites make money from ads, after all.

A mix of the two

Often, a browser hijacker, such as Smart Searching Tab or Hide My History, promotes related browser hijackers. They do this through notification ads or through quick and seamless redirects from one installation page to another. Search hijackers and alternative search engines also show ads for browser hijackers like Hfileconversionnow.com.

The point is, if a person’s browser is already hijacked, then they will have to deal with more hijackers being pushed on them.

Not to mention all the other low-quality ads that come with browser hijackers: fake Norton “expired subscription” ads, get-rich-quick schemes, shady supplements, and ads that open sites with even more ads.

How to remove Hfileconversionnow.com

Here are the things people need to do to get rid of Hfileconversionnow.com and related browser hijackers:

• Remove or disable all bad browser add-ons.
• Find and remove all malware from the computer.
• Block notifications from unwanted websites.
• Check browser settings and restore their new tab, homepage, and search engine preferences.

File Conversion Now needs to be removed from the browser and so do other suspicious add-ons. More specific instructions for managing add-ons can be found below, in the last section. Remove bad add-ons and disable suspicious ones.

Use an anti-malware app, such as Combo Cleaner for macOS, Spyhunter for Windows, and others to check the computer for malware, bundlers and wrappers.

Next, notifications. If Pdfconverterguru.com, Hfileconversionnow.com, Thenewscentral.org, or other sites are showing pop-ups in the browser, they can be stopped by changing some browser settings.

• Go to your notification settings:
  • Chrome – type “chrome://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
  • Edge (Chromium) – type “edge://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
  • Firefox – open Settings, Preferences, Privacy & Security, scroll down to Permissions, and click on Settings next to Notifications.
• Scroll until you see a list of “Allowed” sites. These are the sites that can send notifications to the browser.
• Press the button next to each of them and then click “Block”. This prevents any new notifications from being sent by the sites.

Review browser settings. Set your preferred search engine, home page, etc.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Restore browser settings

TopHow To remove Hfileconversionnow.com 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 Hfileconversionnow.com, 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 Hfileconversionnow.com 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 Hfileconversionnow.com, 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 Hfileconversionnow.com 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 Hfileconversionnow.com 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 Hfileconversionnow.com, 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.