Do you know what Desktop Weather Channel is?
When weather is unpredictable, it would be nice to know what kind of weather one can expect in advance. This is where Desktop Weather Channel and other similar apps might become useful. However, it should be pointed out that our security researchers categorize this application as a potentially unwanted program (PUP). A PUP is a type of application that may have a few useful functions, but it is more often than not that users do not know how they enter their systems. In other words, if you did not intend to install this application on your computer, you should remove Desktop Weather Channel right now.
This program is a browser extension that is compatible only with Chrome. Aside from showing local weather, it may also display third-party ads that would hinder your web browsing process. This is probably the main security concern associated with this application. It is not something extremely dangerous, but it still could lead to particular security issues that might result in severe consequences. That is why computer users are encouraged to terminate all the potentially unwanted applications from their computer as soon as they detect them on their computer.
Desktop Weather Channel screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
As far as this browser extension is concerned, it has an official website via desktopweatherchannel.com. It means that the application certainly does not have a malicious nature because it does not try to hide itself. If we were to check out the main website, we could see that this app allows you to “see current temperature”, and a “5 day weather forecast.” It might seem like a pretty good deal, but the point is that there are a lot of official apps offered as part of the operating system that might provide you with the same function. So it is questionable whether Desktop Weather Channel is really that necessary.
However, here you would say that you did not visit the official website, and you did not download the application on your own. That is completely understandable because the homepage is not the only distribution source used by Desktop Weather Channel. As it is very often with other similar PUPs, this application can come in software packages with other freeware programs. Such software bundles are often hosted on file-sharing websites. You probably visit such sites quite often without even realizing the potential security risks you face when you download software from such pages.
What’s more, when you download a software package with a third-party installer, it should be possible to avoid adding Desktop Weather Channel to your browser if you go through the installation process step by step. But users tend to skip most of the steps because they want to install some program ASAP. As a result, this weather app and other (!) potentially harmful programs get installed on your computer as well, and then you get taken by surprise when they pop up on your screen. And as you already know, it might seem that these programs appear out of nowhere, but it is you who downloaded and installed them (even if you were not aware of that).
Disregarding whether Desktop Weather Channel lives up to its promises or not, you should take into consideration the fact that the application displays third-party ads. It is already rather disturbing that it requires your location’s data (to display local weather information), but the program also claims that it “may allow third parties to server advertisements and provide analytics services in connection with” its website and product. These third parties “may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information about your use of” their services. The information that these third parties may collect about you includes “your IP address, device identifiers, software and hardware information, browser information, time zone, and usage information.” In a sense, Desktop Weather Channel could collect this data for marketing purposes.
When this happens, there is a chance that the collected information could be exploited by malevolent third parties. Of course, that is not a very common occurrence, but you should not take your chances. If you want to avoid malware infection and potential data leak, you should prevent such apps from collecting your data. Thus, it is for the best to remove Desktop Weather Channel as soon as possible.
How to Remove Desktop Weather Channel
- Press Win+R and enter regedit. Click OK.
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Google\Chrome\Extensions.
- Delete the pkpnnpepdfaiilcelopnjonhhgknpfon entry.
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall.
- Delete the {5EBD6C82-6919-450A-9B0B-F0E98108957C} entry.
- Exit Registry Editor and press Win+R. Type %LOCALAPPADATA% and click OK.
- Go to Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions.
- Delete the pkpnnpepdfaiilcelopnjonhhgknpfon folder.
In non-techie terms:
Desktop Weather Channel must have entered your computer accidentally when you download it bundled with other freeware applications. Although this program can display the weather conditions in your area, it is also vulnerable to third-party exploitations, and that could result in severe computer security problems. Thus, it is for the best to remove Desktop Weather Channel from your system and protect it from various threats by investing in a licensed antispyware tool.