But to get back to the installation; why would a software developer who has a program that is technically speaking NOT malware need to install it covertly? If you're anything like me, it probably makes you wonder about the software developer's intentions. Does that mean that Websaver is actually dangerous? Should we be more worried about them than we already are? And should we regard them as another form of malware – even if their creators claim they're not?
Knowing that Potentially Unwanted Programs exhibit a rather clandestine method of installing themselves on your computer, it is tempting to dismiss them as malware – and then panic. But in actual fact the majority of PUPS including Websaver don't cause you any real harm – for example they won't steal your login information, passwords or private data, they won't charge you money to retrieve e files and data that they've corrupted or deleted and they don't have any designs on your bank account or identity. Therefore we might have to conclude, that Potentially Unwanted Programs are not malware. That then begs the question: what actually are they?
Potentially Unwanted Programs are called as such thanks to the manner in which they are installed. The somewhat curious 'potentially' part of their name comes from the fact that PUPs are a genuine program – purely because they do have a use. Websaver are designed to hijack and replace your current home page and install bogus web browser extension called WebbSaver in order to display ads "Brought by websaver". However, it remains potentially unwanted because, in most cases, you did not consciously make the decision to download the program, instead having it foisted on you by the developer. And that there is the main difference with malware which has been designed with the sole intention of causing havoc on your computer or scamming you out of money or data.
So while there is a fair bit of ambiguity about Websaver the one thing that is a given is that having one installed on your computer is a real nuisance. Well the fact is you probably don't need a strange new extension, browser or home page and might feel resentful that yours has been hijacked. In addition to this, these new add-ons are nothing but a way for Websaver software developers to redirect your searches and send you, not to the website you want to visit, but to a site that the developer wants you to visit and also display annoying ads on your computer.
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
Websaver 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 Websaver 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:
- Websaver
- GoSave
- deals4me
- SaveNewaAppz
- 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 Websaver related extensions from Google Chrome:
1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.
2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove webbsaver, deals4me, 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 Websaver related extensions from Mozilla Firefox:
1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Tools → Add-ons.
2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to remove webbsaver, deals4me, MediaPlayerV1, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.
Remove Websaver 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.