Word Surfer (WSR) Adware

What is Word Surfer?

Word Surfer is a bogus application identical to Clever Search, WordAnchor, WordShark, and other apps. According to the developers, Word Surfer significantly improves the Internet browsing experience by enabling users to search and translate text directly from the visited webpage

- "Word Surfer is an ad-supported software utility that makes searching and translating information you find online easy. Take any text you see online, highlight it, and Word Surfer will show the Wikipedia and Bing results in an in-page window."

This functionality may appear legitimate and useful, however, Word Surfer is categorized as adware and a potentially unwanted program (PUP) due to its rogue behavior. After Word Surfer stealthily infiltrates Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox, it tracks Internet browsing activity and delivers intrusive online advertisements.

Word Surfer displays various intrusive online advertisements including price comparison, in-text link, and coupon. Most are marked as 'Ads by WSR'. To display these advertisements, Word Surfer employs a virtual layer allowing placement of third party graphical content on any website visited.

The generated ads do not originate from the visited website and conceal underlying content, thereby diminishing the Internet browsing experience - users must continually avoid clicking the ads. Furthermore, some may redirect to rogue sites containing infectious content, and thus, clicking them can lead to further computer infections.

Additionally, Word Surfer monitors users' Internet browsing habits. This application collects various software and hardware information that is, according to Word Surfer Privacy Policy, not personally identifiable.

This statement is false. Information such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, geographic location, language settings, time zone, and browsing data (websites visited, pages viewed, Internet search queries, cookies, web beacons, etc.) might indeed contain personally identifiable details.

This data is later shared with third parties and could be misused to generate revenue, consequently resulting in serious privacy issues or even identity theft. If you are concerned with your privacy and Internet browsing safety, eliminate this adware immediately.

Word Surfer Privacy Policy statement regarding data sharing:

In addition to the uses described above, we also share, transfer, or license your user and use information to third parties to store and analyze the data, provide search results and associated advertising, provide hosting services and customer support services.

Word Surfer is identical to previous variants. As regular adware, it is also very similar to other applications of the same type. There are hundreds of examples (such as GamerForest, Coupoon, Wander Burst, etc.) that claim to enhance the Internet browsing experience.

Despite this, adware-type apps never deliver their promises to enable useful features. Apps such as Word Surfer are developed to generate revenue by delivering advertisements (via the 'Pay Per Click' - PPC - advertising model) and collecting personally identifiable information (which is later shared with third parties and used to generate revenue). These applications are useless to the user.

How did Word Surfer install on my computer?

Word Surfer, and most other adware, is distributed using a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling' - stealth installation of potentially unwanted programs with regular software.

Many users do not express enough caution when downloading and installing software - they skip some/all of the procedure steps, unaware that rogue apps such as Word Surfer are usually hidden within 'Custom' or 'Advanced' settings section. Therefore, by rushing installation, users inadvertently install Word Surfer or other similar apps.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The software download procedure should be performed with great caution - closely inspect each step and decline all offers to install additional apps. Furthermore, applications should be installed using the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' options, rather than 'Quick' or 'Regular' - this will reveal any unrecognized third party software listed for installation and allow you to decline it.

Word Surfer adware generating intrusive online ads ('Ads by WSR'):

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Quick menu:

• What is Word Surfer?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Word Surfer application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Word Surfer adware from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove WSR ads from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove 'Ads by WSR' from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove WSR ads from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Word Surfer 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 "WordSurfer", select this entry and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program that causes Word Surfer ads, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove WSR ads from Internet browsers:

At time of research, Word Surfer did not install its browser plug-ins on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox, however, it was bundled with other adware. Therefore, you are advised to remove all potentially unwanted browser add-ons from your 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 suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by wsr, 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 menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, select these entries and click the trash can icon.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by wsr, 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 plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click "Extensions", in the opened window, remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with ads by wsr 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 ads by wsr, 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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