Pinaview extension frequently enters the browser without the user’s knowledge or consent. The perpetrators of this site hijacker are employing a covert intrusion strategy, which is frequently carried out through software packages. However, Pinaview Google Chrome extension is categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) or a misleading search engine. Security specialists also discovered that this attack stemmed from the same family of adware as SearchDataNet, SearchEngineLibrary, and so on.
There is no reality to the widespread belief that Pinaview extension and all hijackers are computer viruses, despite the fact that this belief is shared by the majority of computer users. Because they are not computer viruses, browser hijackers are less dangerous hazards. In actuality, Pinaview won’t meddle with computer operations or infect system files. Be aware that Pinaview’s existence can violate a user’s online privacy by gathering a variety of data related to online activity. It can record user location (IP address or country of origin), search terms, favorite websites, and user location.
Once Pinaview extension has collected enough data from the browser, users are now the focus of aggressive advertising. When the adware detects that the user is engaged online, excessive pop-up advertising, redirection, and push notifications will appear on the browser. Aside from being annoying, an overabundance of advertisem*nts slows down internet connections and can occasionally cause internet software to break.
The capacity of the redirection coming from Pinaview to send the browser to dubious websites that could lead to further malware or adware infection is what makes them more concerning. Therefore, it is strongly advised that Pinaview be removed right now for the benefit of user privacy and online security. As indicated, use the methods on this page to locate and remove hazardous Pinaview-related objects after conducting a comprehensive scan of your computer with a reliable anti-malware program.
Pinaview Removal Procedure
Below is a systematic instruction that is very useful in getting rid of the potentially unwanted program (PUP) from compromised Windows computer. Aside from removing the malicious browser extension, this guide is also helpful in deleting internet hijacker and pop-ups.
In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.
Remove Pinaview from the PC by executing the steps below.
- 1. Run a Combo Cleaner scanner.
- 2. Uninstall Pinaview from Windows.
- 3. Remove Pinaview browser extensions.
- 4. Scan the PC for adware using AdwCleaner.
- 5. Run the final scan using Sophos Home Antivirus.
- 6. Fixing the Homepage and Search Engine.
Step 1 : Scan the PC with Combo Cleaner
Combo Cleaner is a trusted computer security and optimization tool equipped with a powerful virus and malware detection engine. Thisprogram can get rid of browser hijacker like Pinaview through this procedure.
1. Download the application from the following page:
Download Combo Cleaner
2. Save the file to your preferred location.
3. Double-click the downloaded file CCSetup.exe and install with the default settings.
4. At the end of the setup process, click Finish to run Combo Cleaner.
5. The tool will update the database file; please wait for this process to complete.
6. To begin checking for threats like Pinaview, click on the Start Scan button. Wait for this scan to finish.
7. At the end of the scan process, click on Remove all threats to delete Pinaview, including all harmful objects from the computer.
To fully optimize the features of antivirus and privacy scanners, users may have to upgrade to the premium version.
Please continue with the succeeding removal procedures if you are comfortable manually getting rid of the browser hijacker and malicious items linked to it.
Step 2 : Uninstall Pinaview from Windows
1. On your keyboard, pressWindows Key + R. Type the appwiz.cpl command and click OK.
2. The Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in a chronological manner, with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on the 'Installed On' column.
3. Select Pinaview or a recently installed suspicious entry from the list.
4. Click on Uninstall to remove it from the Windows system.
Step 3 : Delete Pinaview Browser Extension
Most adware and unwanted programs use an application called a "browser extension" to be able to take over the settings of internet applications. Therefore, we highly recommend checking and removing the extension that is closely related toPinaview. If it is not present, look for and delete any suspicious browser extension.
Google Chrome
Remove Pinaview extension from Google Chrome
1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. Input the strings below in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
chrome://extensions
3. Look for Pinaview or a relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome.
Microsoft Edge
RemovePinaview from Microsoft Windows and Edge Browser
1. On your keyboard, pressWindows Key + R. Type the appwiz.cpl command and click OK.
2. The Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in a chronological manner, with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on the 'Installed On' column.
3. Select Pinaview or a recently installed suspicious entry from the list.
4. Click on Uninstall to remove it from the Windows system.
IfPinaview is still present on the browser and unwanted homepage and pop-ups persist, another option is to remove the hijacker from the browser settings.
5. Open the Microsoft Edge program.
6. Input the following string in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
edge://extensions/
7. Look for and Remove or Disable entries forPinaview from the Installed Extensions area.
8. You may now close the window and restart the Microsoft Edge browser.
Mozilla Firefox
Uninstallthe Pinaview extension from Mozilla Firefox
1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type or copy and paste the strings below in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
about:addons
3. Click on Extensions from the sidebar menu.
4. Look for an entry that pertains to Pinaview and Disable or Remove it from the browser using the options button.
Opera
Remove Pinaview extension from the Opera Browser
1. Open the Opera internet browser program.
2. In the address bar, type or copy and paste the text below. Press Enter on your keyboard.
opera://extensions
3. Find the malicious extension and then, click on Remove button to delete it from the Opera browser.
Step 4 : Scan with AdwCleaner and Reset Chrome Policies
In addition to the procedure, we suggest scanning the computer with AdwCleaner tool. Possibly, there are some traces of Pinaview on the browser that were not deleted during the preceding steps. This tool will scan the computer and check for presence of malicious applications.
1. Follow the link below to download the tool called AdwCleaner.
Download AdwCleaner
2. When the download has completed, please close all running programs on the computer, especially browsers affected by Pinaview.
3. Browse the location of the downloaded file anddouble-clickonadwcleaner.exeto start running the tool.
4. If Windows displays a prompt saying, "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" click Yes to proceed.
5. On the AdwCleaner dashboard, click on Settings.
6. While in the Settings window, please turn On the Reset Chrome Policies and Reset IE Policies.
7. Go back to the Dashboard and click the Scan Now button.
8. AdwCleaner searches the computer for malicious programs, extensions, plug-ins, adware, and any items that may be associated with Pinaview.
9. CleanorRemoveall suspicious and harmful items identified after the thorough scan.
10. AdwCleaner will then prompt an option to run another repair, which will reset Winsock and other settings. Please click the Run Basic Repair button.
11. A message will appear stating that "All processes will be closed..." Please click Continue.
12. After the cleanup procedure, rebooting the computer is required to finalize the removal of Pinaview as well as other detected threats.
Step 5 : Run the Final Scan Using Sophos Home Antivirus.
To remove Pinaview automatically, scanning the computer with this powerful virus and malware removal tool is recommended. This scanner does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware; it is also effective in discovering browser hijacker like Pinaview.
1. Please click on the link below to download the program.
Download Sophos Home
2. After downloading, locate the file SophosInstall.exe in the Downloads folder.
3. Install by double-clicking on the file.
4. If it prompts "Do you want to allow this app to make changes on your device?" please click Yes.
5. Next, it will display the Terms and Conditions page. Click the Install button to begin.
6. Run the installation with the default settings. Please note that an internetconnection is required in order to download important updates.
7. After finishing the installation, you must login to the dashboard. If you already have a Sophos account, please login. Otherwise, please enter your details and click on the Create Account button.
8. Once you are in the Sophos Home console, click the Scan button to start checking the computer for Pinaview components.
9. Scanning may take a while; please wait for this process to finish.
10. After scanning the computer, Sophos Home will start cleaning or deleting files infected with Pinaview.
11. You may now close Sophos Home. The computer is now free from Pinaview, as well as associated malware and viruses.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated Pinaview browser hijacker. However, if you find that there are still remnants of the malware, please proceed to the next steps below.
Step 6 : Fixing the Homepage and Search Engine
Google Chrome
Remove Pinaview from the homepage and search of Chrome
1. Open the Google Chrome browser. Type or copy and paste the following on the address bar. Then, press Enter on the keyboard:
chrome://settings
2. Go to the left sidebar and click On Startup.
3. Select "Open a specific page or set of pages" in the right panel.
4. Locate the unwanted Homepage URL, click on More Actions icon (3-dot), and select Remove or Edit.
5. If you choose Edit, enter the desired web address as your home page, replacing Pinaview. Click Save.
6. To set the default search engine, go to the left sidebar, and this time, select Search Engine.
7. Click on the Manage search engines and site search button in the right panel.
8. Find the unwanted Search Engine in the list. Click on More Actions icon, and then click Delete.
9. Go back to the left side bar and click Search Engine.
10. In the right panel, choose a valid entry from the "Search engine used in the address bar."
You can now restart the Google Chrome browser to see if the unwanted homepage and search engine related to Pinaview are gone.
Microsoft Edge
Get rid of Pinaview from the homepage of Edge Browser
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer.
2. In the address bar, type or copy and paste the string below, then press Enter on the keyboard:
edge://settings/startHomeNTP
3. Go to the "When Edge Starts" area. Under the "Open these pages" section, click More Actions (3-dot).
4. Select Edit to open the Edit Page window.
5. Input your desired address to replace the homepage settings of Pinaview.
6. Click the Save button. You may now restart Microsoft Edge browser.
Mozilla Firefox
Delete Pinaview from the homepage and search of Firefox.
1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser on your computer.
2. Type or copy and paste the following on the address bar, then press Enter on the keyboard:
about:preferences
3. Click Home in the sidebar area.
4. Under "Homepage and new windows", you may choose Firefox Home (Default) or Custom URLs.
5. If you chose Custom URLs, input the desired URL to replace Pinaview settings.
6. To configure the default search engine, select Search in the left sidebar to display the settings.
7. Under the "Default Search Engine" list, please select a legitimate one (i.e., Google).
8. Scroll down to "Search Shortcuts" and select an unwanted search engine.
9. Click on the Remove button to delete the unwanted search engine. You may now restart the Mozilla Firefox browser.
Opera
Remove Pinaview from Opera's homepage and search.
1. In the address bar of Opera browser, type or copy and paste the text below. Press Enter on your keyboard.
opera://settings/searchEngines
2. Scroll down to the "Search Engine" section and find your desired name (i.e. Google Search)
3. Click on the ellipses icon (3-dot) and select Make Default.
4. In the same section, click the ellipses icon of the unwanted search engine and select Delete to remove the malicious search engine from the Opera browser.
5. Go back to the Basic section and scroll down to the "On Startup" section.
6. Find the unwanted homepage address, click its ellipses icon (3-dot), and choose between Remove or Edit.
7. If you choose Edit, enter the desired web address as your homepage, replacing Pinaview. Click Save.
