Internet Toolbars

by porkchop on Jun.30, 2009, under Internet Topics

Look at this browser full of toolbars you can barely see the actual webpage

Internet Toolbars is the most annoying thing to have on a web browser, not only does it slow down your browser at launch and browing speed, it also is a kind of spyware tool, that is legal, since you accepted the agreement to install it. What Internet Toolbars do, is that they record information, such as what site’s you have visited, email addresses, etc, and use that information for marketing purposes for the companies that own the toolbar. And all this is completely legal, since you agree to install the toolbar, and accept the license agreement, so it’s not marked as spyware or caught by spyware scanners and virus scanners. The most scary part about toolbars, is that it comes in most freeware ap’s, such as Virus scanners that are free like AVG for example, and spyware scanning software, The thing I don’t like about this is that they are defeating there purpose on what they are fighting against, and that is keeping peoples information private. Unfortunately this is there way of making money, they get paid to put these toolbars into the programs and on your browser. This makes the software free of course, which is the great thing about it. So I recommend when installing freeware software to NOT install the toolbars that come with it, read every screen prompt when installing, of course it happens to some people, even me in the past, when in a hurry you accidentally missed a tickmark and you get the toolbar. Fortunately it is easy to remove toolbars from a webbrowser and I will show you how below.

How to Disable a Toolbar in Internet Explorer

Open Internet Explorer
Right click on a empty part of the toolbar
This will display all the toolbars installed with tickmarks, untick to hide the toolbar
Now close Internet Explorer and go to add/remove programs under start, control panel, add/remove programs look for the toolbar name and click uninstall. Just as if you were uinstalling a program on your computer.

How to Disable a Toolbar in FireFox

Open Firefox
In the menu up top, Click Tools (Shot Cut ALT+T) then add-ons (short cut ALT+A) to get to this quickly on your keyboard go ALT and T then ALT and A
A list will appear, find the toolbar and click uninstall

What if I can’t find the Toolbar as you mentioned in your Instructions on how to remove them?
If this happens then its most likely spyware then, and in this case you must use a spyware scanner to remove them, check the downloads section of this site (top right) to download spyware cleaners, I recommend all of them under the spyware cleaner section, update and run scans, this should find the spyware and clean and uninstall the toolbars that are hidden. This is very bad, if this is the case, I would remove them as soon as possible, and change your passwords on all your accounts, email, etc, since it most likely logged your keystrokes (everything you typed into the browser is logged and sent to the person running the spyware program)

Also note I added a download section to this site with useful programs such as anti-virus and spware scanner programs, all free, I made it because I always install most of those programs, and it takes time having to look everyone of them up on google.