PDFPros Ads and Redirects - How to remove

PDFPros is a notification-spamming search hijacker. This add-on to your browser is supposed to help you convert your various files to the PDF format, which can be useful in some circumstances. However, PDFPros is not a great tool to use, considering that it behaves like adware and tries to change your browsing habits in order to monetize your time.

PDFPros hijacking your Chrome browser is simple to recognize by a handful of signs:

• The line “Search PDFPros or type a URL” is in the omnibox
• The new tab page is missing the usual search bar in the middle.
• The green-and-black icon of PDFPros is visible next to the address bar.
• Possibly, notification pop-ups from install.pdfpros.info show up, advertising some dubious content.

The extension does warn users about changing the default search, though no explanation as to why. While installing it, you get a list of the privileges that PDFPros has:

• Read and change your data on all pdfpros.com sites, .pdfpros.com, and pdfpros.com
• Read your browsing history
• Change your search settings to: feed.pdfpros.com

What’s wrong with PDFPros?

Besides the fact that you probably don’t need a specific program for converting documents to Pdf since most programs allow users to export files as Pdf, and PDFPros requires you to upload your personal files to someone’s remote server. To list a few of the problems with this extension:

• Excessive permissions.
• Unwanted settings changes unrelated to the functions of the add-on.
• Pop-up ads pushed by PDFPros’ website.
• Browsing habits tracked.
• Use of malware for distributing.

Some of these, like excessive permissions, are signs of malicious extensions, together with the lack of reviews in the Web Store (this indicates dishonest quasi-inline installation of PDFPros), and the poor reputation of the extensions’s developer: PDFPros seems to be developed by Linkury/WebCoApps, a company already responsible for  dozens of other search-hijacking browser extensions.

Not everyone who is seeing the pop-up ads necessarily has the extension installed — they might have accepted the notifications accidentally — and not everyone who installed PDFPros will see the notifications. The pop-ups are undeniably annoying and distracting, but worse than that, they promote restricted content that is potentially harmful, often misleading, and usually uninteresting.

Ads are also a part of the search engine that PDFPros sets as your default — Yahoo. Lots of browser hijackers promote Yahoo and show its results for your queries; the result pages often have quite a lot of ads.

How is PDFPros distributed?

Like I said, most people don’t install PDFPros on their own — they don’t find it manually. Some versions of this add-on can’t even be accessed without the direct link to the store. So, the people behind PDFPros promote it in other ways.

AdsTerra, an ad-network that’s infamous for working with malicious advertisers, even allowing ransomware to be distributed through their ads — it delivers a lot of traffic to PDFPros.com. The installation site of the add-on can also be reached thanks to adware programs and other notification-spamming webpages. Links to PDFPros in social media and email messages can lead you to the site, too — be careful of unsolicited messages with shortened URLs.

There is a possibility that PDFPros was installed by a bundler, too. It might be the most popular method for spreading potentially unwanted programs, such as Cultsearch.pw.

Some other hijacker also spread by telling you that you need to install an extension to find out the result for a one-time query, like Package Tracker Online.

How to remove PDFPros

Getting rid of the search redirect can be done simply by removing the extension. That does mean that the shortcut to the pdf converter won’t work anymore, but you can still access the conversion website if you like it. You can remove PDFPros from Chrome by right-clicking its icon and choosing the “Remove from Chrome” option.

Access your browser settings to stop the pop-up ads from install.pdfpros.info: Menu -> Settings -> Settings -> Advanced -> Privacy and Security -> Content settings -> Notifications. Find PDFPros in the list of the sites that are allowed to send you notifications, click the menu, choose Block.

Scan your device with an antivirus tool, such as Spyhunter (WIndows), to make sure that no adware is present on your device because sometimes malicious ads proliferate through adware rather than specific websites. Additionally, make sure that your browser and other software has all the security updates installed. Up-to-date software, a strong antivirus program, and common sense should protect you from some of the worst malware online.

Automatic Malware removal tools

TopRemoving PDFPros Ads and 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 PDFPros Ads and Redirects. Click on the trash bin icon next to PDFPros Ads and 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 PDFPros Ads and Redirects, 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.