I wrote this article to help you remove WebDiscover Virus. This WebDiscover Virus removal guide works for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

WebDiscover is an alternative search provider. According to the description on its official website, getdiscoverbrowser.com, the program integrates features and settings from Google Chrome into a convenient search tool. WebDiscover is a desktop application. The search is powered by Bing. You might get the impression that WebDiscover is reliable and useful. In reality, it is neither. As security analysts, it is our duty to warn you about the hidden threats. Malware experts have categorized the program as a browser hijacker. The activity of this software exposes both you and your computer to security risks.

WebDiscover is available for download from its official website. There is a link to the application’s executable which is titled Discover_Setup.exe. If you have not acquired the program, its presence in your system could surprise you. There is a logical explanation. A couple of dark patterns are used to maximize the distribution rate of the hijacker. The preferred method is bundling. The rogue tool can hitch a ride with another program by latching to its executable. When you launch the wizard of the download client, you will have the option to proceed with the presets or state your preferences. The settings will be listed along the installation steps. When installing a given program to your computer, take the time to read its terms and conditions. Note that freeware, shareware and pirated utilities are risky in general because they do not have a protected license.

The other propagation vector used to spread WebDiscover is spam emails. The payload of the shady program can be merged with an attached file. Text documents, images, zip archives and compressed folders are the usual hosts. The containing file can execute the download and install of the hijacker when accessed. We advise you to handle your in-box messages with caution. Spammers can be quite tricky. The sender may describe the appended file as an important document, like a receipt, a bill, an invoice, a recommended letter, a fine, a form or a subpoena. You can check whether a given email is reliable by proofing the available contacts.

When WebDiscover gets installed to your computer, it will penetrate your web browser and edit its internal settings. The insidious program can affect most browsing clients, including Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Your homepage and default search provider will be reset. The hijacker uses a custom engine to generate sponsored results. The main way for the covert program to make proceeds for its developers is by supporting third party content. This is the actual purpose of WebDiscover.

The hijacker does not limit the promotional activity to custom search results. The more prominent mechanism is in fact advertisements. WebDiscover displays different kinds of ads which showcase offers for a wide diversity of consumer goods. The formats include pop-ups, pop-unders, freebies, coupon boxes, in-text links, comparison, transitional, interstitial, contextual, floating and inline ads. The product palette consists of garments, technological devices, accessories, gardening equipment, furniture, interior and exterior decorations, games, toys and other items. To get users interested, the hijacker provides bargain deals for high quality goods. Note that the sponsored platforms do not go through a scan. Any given ad could link to a dangerous domain.

The other major threat around WebDiscover is connected to personal security. The hijacker is set to track your online sessions and collect information from your web browser. The rogue program can access your browsing history, IP address, geographic location, demographic details, email account, telephone number, residency, ID number, cookies, keystrokes, user names, passwords and financial credentials. The owners of the hijacker can sell your private data on the darkweb without acquiring your permission. The developers of WebDiscover have conveniently opted out of responsibility for security-related issues. The program is a product of WebDiscover Media, a company from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Any problems you may encounter will be your burden alone.

WebDiscover Virus Removal

Before starting the real removal process, you must reboot in Safe Mode. If you are familiar with this task, skip the instructions below and proceed to Step 2. If you do not know how to do it, here is how to reboot in Safe mode:

For Windows 98, XP, Millenium and 7:
Reboot your computer. When the first screen of information appears, start repeatedly pressing F8 key. Then choose Safe Mode With Networking from the options.

For Windows 8/8.1
Click the Start button, next click Control Panel —> System and Security —> Administrative Tools —> System Configuration.‌

Check the Safe Boot option and click OK. Click Restart when asked.
For Windows 10
Open the Start menu and click or tap on the Power button.

While keeping the Shift key pressed, click or tap on Restart.

Here are the steps you must follow to permanently remove from the browser:

Remove From Mozilla Firefox:

Open Firefox, click on top-right corner , click Add-ons, hit Extensions next.

Look for suspicious or unknown extensions, remove them all.

Remove From Chrome:

Open Chrome, click chrome menu icon at the top-right corner —>More Tools —> Extensions. There, identify the malware and select chrome-trash-icon(Remove).

Remove From Internet Explorer:
Open IE, then click IE gear icon on the top-right corner —> Manage Add-ons.

Find the malicious add-on. Remove it by pressing Disable.

Right click on the browser’s shortcut, then click Properties. Remove everything after the .exe” in the Target box.

Open Control Panel by holding the Win Key and R together. Write appwiz.cpl in the field, then click OK.

Here, find any program you had no intention to install and uninstall it.

Run the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar and choosing Start Task Manager.

Look carefully at the file names and descriptions of the running processes. If you find any suspicious one, search on Google for its name, or contact me directly to identify it. If you find a malware process, right-click on it and choose End task.

Open MS Config by holding the Win Key and R together. Type msconfig and hit Enter.

Go in the Startup tab and Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer.

Still can not remove WebDiscover Virus from your browser? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.