Content Explorer Virus

What is Content Explorer?

The Content Explorer application claims to enhance users' Internet browsing experience by enabling quick and easy content discovery. This app provides access to Wikipedia and other popular sites after highlighting text on any web page. While this functionality may seem legitimate, this program is categorized as adware or a potentially unwanted application.

 Content Explorer adds no real value and generates intrusive third party ads ('Ads by Content Explorer' and 'Content Explorer Shopping'), including for example, banner, text, and pop-up advertisements. Clicking ads displayed by this app can result in high-risk malware infections.

As well as generating deceptive ads, this bogus program tracks users' Internet browsing activity by recording IP addresses, unique identifier numbers, operating systems, browsers, search queries, browsing history, and other software and hardware information.

This unwanted tracking can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. At time of research, this adware was distributed via deceptive free software 'download clients' designed to trick users into installing Content Explorer without their consent. To avoid damage caused by poorly-programmed adware, eliminate this potentially unwanted application from your Internet browser/s.

Content Explorer is similar to other adware, which infiltrates browsers via freeware downloads. Examples include Deeal, HomeTab, Boost, and SaveOn. These browser extensions claim to enhance users' Internet browsing experience, however, they only diminish browser performance and cause intrusive ads.

To avoid installation of these potentially unwanted applications, express caution when downloading and installing free software. Today, most freeware download websites employ deceptive 'download clients' to monetize their free services.

Download clients are small programs, which manage the download process of the chosen free software and offer download of advertised browser plug-ins together with the chosen freeware. To avoid adware infections, users should decline installation of any promoted browser extensions.

In addition, when installing downloaded free programs, choose the 'Advanced' or 'Custom' installation options - this will reveal any bundled adware listed for installation. Internet users who observe ads generated by Content Explorer should use this removal guide to eliminate this potentially unwanted program from their Internet browser/s.

Deceptive free software installers used in Content Explorer adware distribution:

Content Explorer adware generating intrusive online ads:

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Quick menu:

• What is Content Explorer?
• STEP 1. Uninstall ContentExplorer application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Content Explorer bundled plug-ins from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Content Explorer bundled add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Content Explorer bundled extensions from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove Content Explorer extension from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Content Explorer adware removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window: look for "ContentExplorer", select this entry and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program (which causes Content Explorer ads), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove Content Explorer ads from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed browser add-ons and remove them. Note that by default, there should be no browser extensions.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the content explorer shopping ads, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Tools" and click on "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed (potentially unwanted) browser add-ons and click the trash can icon.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the content explorer shopping ads, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window remove any recently-installed add-ons. Note that by default, the extensions list in Firefox is empty.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with content explorer shopping ads removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....

In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the content explorer shopping ads, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.

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