ReadingFanatic virus - How to remove

MyWay or Mindspark interactive network has come up with another ‘helpful’ browsing enhancing tool called ReadingFanatic. This software developer is a real and official marketing company, which has been active for years, although the majority of their advertising techniques are negatively rated by many cybersecurity specialists. That is why it’s no surprise that the Reading Fanatic is just like most MyWay’s products it is just another browser hijacker.

ReadingFanatic, as its official website claims, is supposed to provide the access to tons of free downloadable eBooks in various formats and to exchange the paperback books with other reading enthusiasts. All this sounds like a perfect add-on for someone who loves literature, however, it’s just another targeted tactic to lure in unsuspecting users to install the malicious toolbar which will spam with sponsored ads and collect personal information for third-parties.

Although you might have installed this extension voluntarily, we advise you to not continue using it anymore, cause while browser hijackers are one of the easiest threats to deal with (they only change the browser settings altering the displayed results and search engine) they can actually open the path for more serious parasites like ransomware, trojans, worms and etc, that end up compromising the whole PC.

How does Reading Fanatic virus work

ReadingFanatic presents itself as a useful add-on for the browser, which gives you plenty of free ebooks and other great features for book lovers. Online surfers that never came across any malware are tricked and download the extension expecting the promised features but instead, they soon experience the troubles they have not thought about.

After ReadingFanatic adds itself as an extension, quickly with malicious scripts, changes the default settings of the main browser to its own. It alters the homepage, search engine and every new tab to http://hp.myway.com/readingfanatic/ttab02/index.html. No matter how hard you will try to reset the previous settings, you won’t be able to because MyWay has already set itself as the one and only search provider and main page you will be using.

Once you start using ReadingFanatic’s occupied browser you will experience lots of ads, promotions, banners, pop-ups, redirects to services and more products and etc. This way Mindspark will earn their revenue by benefiting from referrals, pay-per-clicks, sponsors and etc. The more people they get to click on ads and the more computers they infect then it means that more companies will want to work with them to push their products and create a traffic to their websites.

Moreover, ReadingFanatic virus tracks your search queries, visited websites, uploaded data, credit card information, browsing activity, basically anything and everything you enter into your browser, and later sells it for third-parties. They also allow some Third-parties to post ads for infected users independently, that is why you can never be sure if any of these banners don’t hide any more serious viruses.  

These malicious features are what makes ReadingFanatic and other Mindspark creations like AnytimeAstrology, pconverter.com, GetFlightInfo malicious, but in order to avoid lawsuits company displays many warnings about the accessed data, permissions and etc. before the install and also in their EULA.

How ReadingFanatic gets into your computer

Unlike some other browser hijackers that only infect the computers using sneaky methods bundling with other shareware, freeware, e.g. Polarity’s and Airfind’s creations, Mindspark is a well-known advertising company that has more tricks upon their sleeve to spread their products, which are also less malicious, but more deceptive for users.

MyWay tries to distribute their browser enhancers by creating a really attractive appearance. That is why the ReadingFanatic has an official website where you can download the extension voluntarily: https://www.readingfanatic.com/index.jhtml. ReadingFanatic also distributes extensions in the Chrome, Safari, Mozilla online stores.

And of course apart from the legal distribution, to increase the user numbers even higher, ReadingFanatic browser hijacker sometimes is bundled as an Optional/Additional program with some free software you can get from websites like download.com, cnet.com, Softonic and etc. Read more about the worst freeware pages on makeuseof.com.

What methods can be used to remove ReadingFanatic virus

The browser hijacker like ReadingFanatic is fairly easy to get rid of if you do it soon after infection. for that you can simply run a scan with the anti-spyware tool and the program should completely remove the parasite without leaving a trace, all you need to do afterward is to simply reset your preferred settings for your browser.

We advise using Malwarebytes, Spyhunter or Combo(mac). You can also try other programs if these do not work for you, just make sure that the software you are installing is a legitimate program and not Mindspark affiliated PUP which will give you more troubles than you currently have. We can see our reviewed products section to read about the anti-malware security programs.

Automatic Malware removal tools

If you feel confident enough with your IT skills or don’t feel like installing another software, you can simply try removing the ReadingFanatic by uninstalling it from the Control Panel and deleting the browser extension from your default browser. In the Eula, Mindspark suggest that such removal should be sufficient enough to delete its product from the compromised machine, but just in case we advise people to still run a scan as a prophylaxis to make sure that MYWAY is not trying to leave some malicious parts which would later renew the infection.

“Manual

How to remove ReadingFanatic using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Reading Fanatic 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 ReadingFanatic virus . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make ReadingFanatic 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 ReadingFanatic virus from macOS

Delete ReadingFanatic from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the Reading Fanatic 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 ReadingFanatic virus 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 Reading Fanatic, 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 ReadingFanatic virus 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 ReadingFanatic virus 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 Reading Fanatic, 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 ReadingFanatic virus 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 Reading Fanatic, 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 ReadingFanatic virus from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall Reading Fanatic 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 ReadingFanatic virus, 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.