What is Express Find?
How do you know if you've encountered Express Find and is it really something that you should be concerned about? At its simplest, it is adware that comes in the format of software. This software is downloaded onto your computer and will then show you adverts of the developer's choosing.
It is everywhere and comes in varying degrees of annoyingness! From simple Express Find ads on a website to pop-up adverts that refuse to go away no matter how many times you click on them to close them, adware can be virtually impossible to avoid.
Most variants of this adware is downloaded onto your computer when you install, open or download another program, an app or a file. The adware will be surreptitiously bundled with the download and will be automatically installed when you run the other program.
What does it do – apart from showing you adverts?
So why all the fuss about Express Find if it is simply a form of online marketing – albeit it a rather irritating one? The problem is that it installs a component on your computer which tracks your online browsing habits – meaning it monitors which websites you are looking at. This then allows the adware's developer to show you adverts that are more akin to your interests, or what they perceive to be your interests. The main issue is that this component, because it is working hard to track what you're doing and then relay this data back to the developer, is taking up valuable resources on your operating system, subsequently slowing your CPU down, and your Internet connection too – which it is using to transit the data it has collected about you.
It can also hijack your web browser, then redirecting you to websites that the developer wants you to visit instead of the search terms or URL you have typed in. Clearly that is something that would try the patience of a saint!
How do you stop Express Find from installing itself on your computer?
Crucially, you need to make sure you always read the End User Licensing Agreement (EULA) properly before you install or download anything. And that includes software, applications, files, tools – everything! In particular, you need to be alert when downloading free software as this is the biggest culprit for being bundled with adware. EULAs do actually tell you what is being installed – even if it is adware – so it really does make sense to read them properly and make sure you know exactly what you're downloading.
To remove Express Find 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
Express Find 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 Express Find 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:
- Express Find
- 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 Express Find related extensions from Google Chrome:
1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.
2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove Express Find, MediaPlayerV1, Gosave, 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 Express Find related extensions from Mozilla Firefox:
1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Tools → Add-ons.
2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to remove Express Find, Gosave, MediaPlayerV1, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.
Remove Express Find 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.