These WebToSave ads are normally shown in one of two ways: they are either on a screen that is shown while the software is being installed or they will be embedded in the software's user interface. If you've recently noticed a proliferation of adware popping up on your screen you may have also spotted that the adverts you are seeing are suspiciously similar to products or services you've recently been looking at online. That's because WebToSave software is designed to monitor which websites you are looking at so that they can show you ads that are tailored towards your interests or requirements - thus increasing the chances of you clicking on them. And spending some of your hard earned cash.
Advertising supported software like this is considered to be legitimate when this customization function is packaged or bundled with an existing program. In many cases, a software developer will utilize WebToSave as a means of recouping his or her costs accrued during the development stage. The plus for you and me is that this often encourages the developer to provide the original program either for a reduced rate, or even for free. The other bonus is that by generating income from advertising, the developer will not only maintain the program but continue to offer upgrades too.
Some developers offer two variations of a newly developed program: the original advertising supported model and another version which comes with WebToSave adware but gives you the option of registering with it to upgrade to an advert-free rendition.
So why do so many end users get so upset about WebToSave? This is because WebToSave is often synonymous with spyware. Not only do you have the monitoring aspect of adware to contend with, which many people feel uncomfortable about, but chances of you downloading a more malicious form of adware are unfortunately, all too high.
Spyware is a lot sneakier than adware - which is obviously easy to spot if you have it on your computer - but there is still a fair amount of contention surrounding the whole issue of adware and spyware. Spyware is overwhelmingly downloaded or installed on your PC without your assent but there is somewhat of a gray area when it comes to just exactly what you should be made aware of when you're installing something. For example, adware is usually mentioned in an End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) because its authors do not view it as malicious. However because this is not regulated, there are no guidelines governing what does and doesn't need to be disclosed when it comes to installing bundled programs.
The problem is that when something is so open to interpretation it really does come down to whether you view WebToSave merely as an annoyance, as something that could possibly do you harm - or as something as potentially as dangerous as a full blown virus. My advice is to remove it from your computer as soon as possible. WebToSave ads are very annoying, they pop up on pretty much every website promoting various products and websites. What is more, it's usually installed as an add-on, so your web browser might crash sometimes or eve slow down.
To remove WebToSave and stop annoying ads, please follow the steps in the removal guide below. If you have any questions, please leave a comment down below. Good luck and be safe online!
Written by Michael Kaur, http://delmalware.blogspot.com
WebToSave Ads Removal Guide:
1. First of all, download anti-malware software and run a full system scan. It will detect and remove this infection from your computer. You may then follow the manual removal instructions below to remove the leftover traces of this malware. Hopefully you won't have to do that.
2. Remove WebToSave related programs from your computer using the Add/Remove Programs control panel (Windows XP) or Uninstall a program control panel (Windows 7 and Windows 8).
Go to the Start Menu. Select Control Panel → Add/Remove Programs.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Control Panel → Uninstall a Program.
If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for "control panel".
Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control panel from there.
3. When the Add/Remove Programs or the Uninstall a Program screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and remove the following:
- WebToSave
- and any other recently installed application
Simply select each application and click Remove. If you are using Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, click Uninstall up near the top of that window. When you're done, please close the Control Panel screen.
Remove WebToSave related extensions from Google Chrome:
1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.
2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove WebToSave, MediaPlayerV1, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.
If the removal option is grayed out then read how to remove extensions installed by enterprise policy.
Remove WebToSave related extensions from Mozilla Firefox:
1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Tools → Add-ons.
2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to remove WebToSave, MediaPlayerV1, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.
Remove WebToSave related add-ons from Internet Explorer:
1. Open Internet Explorer. Go to Tools → Manage Add-ons. If you have the latest version, simply click on the Settings button.
2. Select Toolbars and Extensions. Click Remove/Disable button to remove the browser add-ons listed above.