0 Remove malware that adds "trackid" at the end of your search (Uninstall Guide)

Trackid parameters might be added at the end of your search results by certain adware and PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Your web browser may add similar parameters as well, so it's not necessarily a security threat but if you ran into this problem I recommend checking your computer for malware because it might be infected. Potentially Unwanted Programs are computer software programs that normally find their way on to your computer via a bundle. What that means is that they are often packaged with another software program that you are downloading. They're a bit of a double act – despite the developer or owner of the original software quite possibly not knowing that their product is coming with an unwanted added extra! Some PUPs are bundled with adware. There are many adware programs out there. Some of them have spyware modules others don't. The difference is how adware and PUPs authors want to display ads on your computer. If they want to display very targeted ads on your computer they need to know what you are searching for and what kind of websites you are visiting. In order to track such information that add trackid parameter at the end of each and every search query you make. It could be "trackid=sp-006" or something like this.

You may think that you are immune to downloading a Potentially Unwanted Program – let's say you're not in the habit of downloading candy crushing, fruit collecting game apps and you certainly don't download content from adult websites – but we hate to be the bearers of bad news because in actual fact, it doesn't makes an iota of difference what or where you're downloading. That is because no matter how reputable a developer is even the most widely known programs can come bundled with a PUP and add Trackid at the end of your search results.

This is not an altogether practical situation, for of course, we all need certain software programs in order to work or play, and many of us can't live without games and other applications on our laptops, so what are you meant to do if you need to download something? Especially if even trusting the developer means you could still be left open to the risk of installing a PUP.

Thankfully there are methods of protection that you can put in place, and there are things you can do that mean you can still download and install apps, new software and upgrades – but without leaving yourself vulnerable to the curse of the Potentially Unwanted Program. Here are a few suggestions of how to protect your computer:

• Always read End User License Agreements when you're downloading anything. PUPs are normally always mentioned in the agreement and you'll be able to check or uncheck boxes accordingly to avoid downloading them with the program that you do actually want.
• Limit the chances of downloading anything nasty by first opening the program you want to download in a sandbox. This software tells you beforehand what actions the program wants to perform and stops it from making any changes on your computer. You can then decide whether you want to move the program out of the sandbox and onto your PC - or delete it.
• Make sure you always have the most up to date version of any programs that you are running on your machine. That includes the aforementioned Adobe suite of products, as well as iTunes, Skype and all those other programs many of us use without stopping to consider they could be causing a security lapse by being out of date.
• Install the latest security patches from Microsoft to further bolster your operating system’s security. This will help to stop PUPs infecting you through a 'drive by' installation.

To remove "Trackid" parameter and related malware from your computer, please follow the steps in the removal guide below. If you're using Chrome make sure your default search engine and home page were not modified. What you should do first is check search engine and Google sync settings. Clearing these might solve the problem. For more information, please read this and this. If you still have "trackid" after browser reset then follow 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

Trackid Adware 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 Search Trackid adware 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:

• LyricsSay-1
• Websteroids
• BlocckkTheAds
• HD-Plus 3.5
• 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 Trackid adware related extensions from Google Chrome:

1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.



2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove BlocckkTheAds, LyricsSay-1, Quiknowledge, 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 Trackid adware related extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Tools → Add-ons.



2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to remove BlocckkTheAds, LyricsSay-1, Quiknowledge, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.



Remove Trackid adware 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.