Do you know what ProPDFConverter is?
If you notice that your browser homepage has changed and ProPDFConverter appears instead of your preferred or set homepage, chances are you have installed a questionable free program recently. It is possible that not your targeted free software was actually questionable but the source where you downloaded it off of and the package it came in. Of course, there have been thousands of users who seem to have installed this questionable browser extension knowingly, too. Still, it does not make this new Mindspark product a reliable tool. As a matter of fact, our researchers say that this application is a potentially unwanted program, or PUP. But taking it lightly could be a mistake. This PUP is capable of gathering information about your online activities and using this to manipulate the content you may see on its search results pages. All in all, we advise you to remove ProPDFConverter from your PC. Please read on to find out why we believe that this is the best you can do now.
The biggest problem with this PUP is that it can be distributed in free software bundles or by unsafe third-party pop-ups as well. This means that you may install it while not even knowing necessarily what you are doing. Let us explain. When you are installing a bundle, you may simply choose the quick installation option, which would mean that you may not be notified about the full content of your package and the browser setting changes that may occur. But even if you were to go for the custom option, there is a chance that such changes and additional programs would be concealed so that you would install them all by default. This is why it is important that you also read the license agreement before installing such a bundle because it may actually reveal what your package contains.
It is possible that you want to download a particular free application, however, you choose the wrong website to download it from. Maybe you land on a suspicious freeware page or a torrent site, and you download more than you "bargained for." But you may also drop such a package after clicking on corrupt third-party ads on suspicious websites normally associated with online betting, gaming, file-sharing, and dating. Such a bundle can carry PUPs and malicious software installers as well. This is how a lot of unsuspecting users infect their system with adware threats, browser hijackers, ransomware programs, keyloggers, and more. Please note that when your system is infected it is more vulnerable and can be exposed to more infections. This is why it is essential that you employ a trustworthy online malware scanner right after you delete ProPDFConverter from your computer.
ProPDFConverter screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Of course, you can also install this PUP directly from official sources like propdfconverter.com/index.jhtml, the promotional webpage, and chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/propdfconverter/ebmaoobbcnbgkgigiamgnadajdkemkfp, the Chrome web store page. It seems that thousands of people have used these channels to install this tool so far. Still, we do not recommend that you keep it on board but let us tell you why.
When you are installing this PUP, it sets its featured search page as your new homepage and new tab page. This toolbar offers you quick links to document conversion pages as well as to a dictionary and a thesaurus, which may be considered as useful by many. You can also find a row of popular thumbnail links below the main search box and below that, file conversion links again. Even if these conversions work properly, you can always bookmark such pages without risking exposure to questionable third-party content.
This PUP uses the search.myway.com search engine to show you results, which is considered to be unreliable since it can display manipulated results that could contain possibly unreliable third-party ads and sponsored content as well. Clicking on such contents could put your system security at risk since you could drop further infections behind your back or be scammed by being redirected to fake websites run by cyber criminals. No wonder why we think that you should remove ProPDFConverter if you want to restore your system security.
Please follow our guide below if you would like to eliminate this annoying PUP yourself. This may take a few minutes tops even if you are not an advanced user. Remember that this may be the least dangerous threat on your computer but not the only one possibly. Thus, it is essential that you make sure that your system is all healthy and clean so that you can feel secure while using your computer. If you need help with this, we suggest that you install a trustworthy anti-malware program like SpyHunter so that you can automatically defend your PC against all kinds of known threats.
ProPDFConverter removal from Internet Explorer
Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 8.1/Windows 10
- Tap Win+R and type control panel. Press the Enter key.
- Open Uninstall a program.
- Select the application and choose Uninstall.
Windows XP
- Access the Start menu and pick Control Panel.
- Click Add or Remove Programs.
- Select the application and click Remove.
Remove ProPDFConverter from other browsers
Google Chrome
- Tap Alt+F and select Settings.
- Scroll down the page and click Advanced.
- Scroll all the way down again and click Reset.
- Press Reset in the confirmation window.
Mozilla Firefox
- Tap Alt+H and choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Press Refresh Firefox.
- Press Refresh Firefox again in the confirmation window.
In non-techie terms:
ProPDFConverter is a new browser extension that has caught our researchers' attention. This tool is actually a new member in the questionable Mindspark family of potentially unwanted programs. We have seen very similar tools in the past months that also offered file conversions, such as .doc into .pdf and vice versa. This application provides you with a number of quick links to popular websites, too, as well as a search engine that we do not trust, either. You should not use this page, which can appear as your homepage and new tab page in your major browsers, because you may end up on manipulated search results pages. This means possible exposure to potentially harmful web content, such as third-party ads and links. We recommend that you remove ProPDFConverter as soon as you can. It may be time for you to protect your PC with a powerful and reliable anti-malware program.