Do you know what Mountains is?
What a silly question. You clearly know what a mountain is, and you can probably even draw it without too much difficulty. However, here we’re talking about a potentially unwanted program called Mountains. It’s a very generic name for a program, and it might go unnoticed for a while, but there’s something special the way this application is distributed, so we feel obliged to tell you more about it. There are also manual removal instructions at the bottom of this entry, so don’t hesitate to apply them.
First, this potentially unwanted program is very good at proving that it is not a malicious infection. It has a page on the Chrome Web Store, and that is enough to convince many that the application is benign. The Chrome Web Store page says that this add-on shows “new beautiful mountain picture on every new tab.” So, in a sense, this application should help you customize your Chrome style with “beautiful mountain views.” It also shows that there are over 1000 users who have added this extension to their browsers. However, it is not clear whether they added Mountains through the official Chrome Web Store page, or if they were forced to add it through random redirects.
Our research team encountered the redirect that pushes users into adding Mountains to their browser. The address for the redirect is mountainsext.store, and this redirect displays a fake morning about memory overload. The redirect pop-ups on the browser window when a user clicks anywhere on a website that supports the redirect. Then the redirect says that you have to “Free up some memory urgently, your computer is overloaded!” However, clicking the Free memory button eventually adds Mountains to the browser. Needless to say, that doesn’t “free memory” in any way. You only end up with an extension that modifies your browser’s settings.
Mountains screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
Like most of the similar extensions, Mountains require permissions to “replace the page you see when opening a new tab,” and to “change your search settings to mountainsext.store.” Now, although the page on the Chrome Web Store makes the add-on seem harmless, it’s clear that the application is highly intrusive, and it has certain undesirable features. What’s more, it is very likely that you can “catch” it accidentally, and if you never planned to have Mountains (sounds nice, doesn’t?), you clearly need to remove it through and through.
Now, why is it so important to get rid of potentially unwanted applications? What if they provide some useful functions? Well, that’s highly doubtful. Also, why would Mountains need to read your browsing history if it’s only there to provide you pretty backgrounds? It’s more than obvious that the application is bound to indulge in online marketing tactics after it has collected enough information on your web browsing habits. Of course, it’s not anything inherently malicious, but you can never know what kind of content you could be exposed to, so that’s something you have to take into consideration.
Also, it is very likely that your browser can provide you with a built-in function that can give you pretty backgrounds, and there’s no need to use something like Mountains. Not to mention that if Mountains really engages in commercial advertisements, the extension clearly isn’t sophisticated enough to review them before they reach you. Imagine if cybercriminals make use of this extension and deliver some dangerous links to you. A malicious infection could be only a click away! Of course, such a course of events is not very likely, but we shouldn’t take any risks.
All in all, when you don’t want an app, you don’t want it. So, if you didn’t want to install Mountains, you need to remove it right now. Resetting your browser to default would do the job for you immediately. And if you are worried about other potential threats that could have been installed on your computer, you can run a full system scan with the SpyHunter free scanner. Should more dangerous programs be found, terminate them automatically with a security tool of your choice, and then safeguard your system from other similar intruders in the future. If you need more guidelines on that, please drop us a comment.
How to Remove Mountains
- Open Chrome and press Alt+F.
- Click Settings on the drop-down menu.
- Scroll down and click Advanced.
- Click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Press Reset settings to complete.
In non-techie terms:
Mountains might seem like a harmless application that give you beautiful Chrome backgrounds, but it is a potentially unwanted program. It usually enters computers uninvited, and it could collect a lot of information about your browsing habits before you manage to remove it. Do not wait, delete Mountains today, and then look for other potential threats by scanning your system with a licensed antispyware tool. Do not hesitate to ask for assistance if you find the task too challenging.