WebBar Virus - How to remove

WebBar is a third-party program that adds a web search bar to the top of your desktop. It can be useful in some ways, but it does have a few problems. One is that it sometimes gets installed without the user’s knowledge or agreement. Another is that it messes with internet search results in a way that earns in the label “adware”.

It’s not recommended to use WebBar on your computer. WebBar’s installer is detected by antivirus programs as Malicious, Adware, Unwanted, and Unsafe: Virustotal.com. Its executable is also detected as Adware: Virustotal.com.

About WebBar in short:

Threat type	Adware, browser hijacker.
Problems and issues	It is installed without permission, it changes browser settings, it displays unwanted ads.
How WebBar is installed	Downloaded from the internet, bundled with unrelated programs, installed by other programs.
How to remove WebBar	Uninstall it manually, check for malicious apps with antivirus programs (Spyhunter, Malwarebytes, others).

Why is WebBar detected as malware?

WebBar is an interesting toolbar: it sticks to your desktop, to the upper edge, and stays there all the time. Its gimmick is that it allows you to quickly search one of a few sites right from the desktop, without having to open a browser that would take up a lot more of the screen. You might like WebBar as it has something unique about it.

But WebBar has a few problems:

• it can arrive on computers included in the installers of other programs, resulting in unexpected installation,
• it may display intrusive ads, promote certain websites, and collect a lot of user information,
• it is generally disliked by the community.

For these reasons, WebBar is considered to be a PUP – potentially unwanted program. PUPs are not dangerous, but they might use shady installation tactics and get installed without permission. Some may also accuse WebBar of being adware for showing unwanted advertisements.

WebBar installed without permission

If you downloaded and installed it yourself, then this is not a problem for you. You consented to having this toolbar installed. It provides unique features that you may find valuable.

But some people find WebBar on their computers even though they did not install it. How can this happen?

WebBar gets installed with adware bundlers, such as InstallCore or InstallIQ. Bundlers basically allow for ads to be displayed inside installers.

• Bundlers are used by some developers of free software to make money from their programs.
• In addition, many freeware download sites spread adware. These sites wrap the programs that they host in adware bundlers. It’s recommended to avoid download sites.

WebBar shows ads and redirects

If WebBar is running on your computer, you might have used it to search the web. If yes, then you might have noticed that it delivers search results a little different from your usual ones: it only returns search results in Yahoo and Bing. Such a bizarre limitation – to exclude more popular search engines like Google.

Some of the sites it offers may display a few too many ads in your search results. Yahoo is pretty infamous for doing that. This can create a negative experience in terms of usability and privacy.

If you’re curious why WebBar does this, it’s likely to manipulate users’ browsing habits and force them to visit sponsored sites.

Don’t underestimate malicious browsers and browser extensions – they have the power to manipulate traffic:

A malicious toolbar product […] will hijack a user’s browser to visit thousands of pages to generate ad-revenue whether the user is actively using the computer or if the computer is in “hibernate” mode. The fake browser activity is done invisibly so even when a user is on the computer, they cannot see the activity happening. The malicious product, or malware/adware, cannot operate if the computer is fully shut-down.

How to remove the WebBar virus

It can be distressing to find an unfamiliar, unwanted toolbar at the top of your desktop. Luckily, you can uninstall WebBar like any other program, from your Control Panel or the Settings -> Apps and features page.

Other browser hijackers, such as AnytimeAstrology virus or QuickWeatherTracker, only infect a browser by getting installed as a browser extension. They only affect one browser at a time. But WebBar is a desktop program, a much more powerful type of software.

If WebBar arrived in a bundler, then it’s possible that so did other potentially unsafe programs. So, besides uninstalling WebBar manually, it’s helpful to do an antivirus scan. Antivirus programs like Spyhunter, Malwarebytes, and others can detect other adware and potentially unwanted programs if there are any on your computer.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Instructions for WebBar removal

How to remove WebBar virus using Windows Control Panel

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

Delete WebBar Virus from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the WebBar virus 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.

TopRemove malicious extensions from Internet Explorer

• Press on the Gear icon→Manage Add-ons.
  
• Go through Toolbars and extensions. Remove everything related to WebBar Virus and items you do not know that are made not by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle or Adobe.
  
• Close the Options.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to WebBar virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Press on the Gear icon->Internet Options.
  
• Choose the Advanced tab and click on the Reset button.
  
• Select a “Delete personal settings” checkbox and click on the Reset button.
  
• Click on the Close button on the confirmation box, then close your browser.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

TopRemoving WebBar Virus 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 WebBar virus. Click on the trash bin icon next to WebBar Virus 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 WebBar virus, 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 WebBar Virus 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 WebBar 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to WebBar Virus, 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 WebBar Virus 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 WebBar virus. Click on the "Remove" icon next to WebBar Virus 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.

TopRemoving WebBar virus from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the WebBar Virus. Remove all other unknown or suspicious entries too. If you are not sure whether you need the extension or not, you can simply uncheck the Enable check-box to disable the extension temporarily.
  
• Restart Safari.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to WebBar virus, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the 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.

Manual removal