Stop www_getwindowinfo from Popping up and Bothering Browsers

Generality of www_getwindowinfo

www_getwindowinfo is a recent item rages on browsers (Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox) to totally interrupt surfing experience:

1. www_getwindowinfo tab would opens itself in the middle of the searching.
2. The malicious item increases in frequency to hijack browsers.
3. Most search results are redirected to www_getwindowinfo instead.
4. After the appearance of this item, it takes longer to load a web page.

It has been reported a lot that the item installs onto people’s browsers/computers without knowledge. Actually, as a web application, www_getwindowinfo can be loaded onto a machine when some freeware/shareware is installed by users. The applications found to be bundled with the redirector are:

• Toolbar
• Browser hijacker/redirector
• Adware
• Third party programs, freeware and shareware particularly

It is hard to block www_getwindowinfo in first place since it sometimes even comes embedded into software without any mention that it is there. All we can do, apart from using extra attention when installing software, is to learn the way to remove such application as soon as possible before further harms are triggered. Keep reading to find out the potential dangers and the effective way to remove it. Any help request will be gladly answered if you start a live chat window here to contact VilamTech Online Support.

 

Is www_getwindowinfo Virus?

The answer is absolutely no. There’s no vicious attribute code found by security companies, which is the exact reason why anti-virus programs fail in detecting www_getwindowinfo, let alone removing it.

Though www_getwindowinfo is not technically a virus, the potential dangers should be worthy of your attention and the industry refer to such program as PUP (potentially unwanted program). In general, the potential dangers mainly come from its loose structure, the techniques it adopts. According to the VilmaTech Research Lab, www_getwindowinfo tab stops showing when another browser is open. As soon as the other browsers are closed out, the problem instantly shows up. This unveils the loose structure which means that bug can be readily exploited by infections lurking on the Internet.

If one keeps updating virus and the related knowledge, one should know that BHO and JS techniques are always involved in building web page; with slight modification, BHO helps in frequent autorun and JS ensures that www_getwindowinfo is always quested. Once the PUP is taken advantage by virus, the two techniques will be utilized maliciously to guarantee permanent settlement in the first place and record any in-put information including log-in credentials. Money loss and identity theft is a matter of time.

Since security utilities are not going to help remove www_getwindowinfo, manual method is highly recommended. Below is the thread to follow up. If you are not that knowledgeable in this area and need assistance according to your concrete situation, please do feel free to get help by starting a live chat window here.

 

Follow Manual Thread to Remove www_getwindowinfo

Step1. remove the extension created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.

Internet Explorer

1. Access Internet Explorer’s Tools menu and click on Manage add-ons.
2. It is recommended to inspect ‘Toolbars and Extensions’ and ‘Search Providers’ respectively to locate and remove the extension(s) created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.
   

 
Mozilla Firefox

1. Click on Mozilla Firefox icon to select Tools.
2. Navigate to Options to inspect ‘Add-ons’ and ‘plugins’ panel respectively.
3. Use ‘Never Activate’ button to remove the extension(s) created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.
   

 
Google Chrome

1. Press the spanner icon in the upper right to select “Tools”.
2. Browse to ‘Extensions’ to locate the extension(s) created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.
3. Use the dustbin icon to remove it/them.
   

 
Opera

1. Expand Opera menu to select Extensions.
2. Navigate to “Manage Extensions” and to inspect all the listed extensions there.
3. Click “Uninstall” button to uninstall the extension(s) created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.
   

 
Safari

a.

1. Expand Safari Menu for Preferences.
2. Hit on Glims/Extension to remove the extension(s) created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.
   
3. Please then select Help under Safari Menu for Installed Plug.
4. Next enter into “open Ins & list” to remove the related extension(s).

 
b.

1. Quit Safari.
2. Click on hard disk icon and access Library folder to enter into “Plug-ins”; remove the extension(s) created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.
   
3. Also click on hard disk icon to access home folder and enter into Library folder; remove the extension(s) created when www_getwindowinfo firstly appeared.

(Tip: remove the plug-in you recently added, you may need to enter the administrator account name and password.)
 
 
Step2. show hidden items to remove temp files and the ones generated by www_getwindowinfo.

a. show hidden items.

Windows 7/XP/Vista

1. Enter into ‘Control Panel’ to select “user accounts and family safety”.
2. Please then double click on ‘Folder Options’ to hit on its View tab.
   
3. Check ‘Show hidden files and folders’ and non-tick ‘Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)’.
4. Press ‘OK’ button will show you all the hidden items.

 
Windows 8

1. Double click on Windows Explorer on Start screen.
2. Tap View tab to tick ‘File name extensions’ and ‘Hidden items’ options.
3. Press ‘OK’ button will show you all the hidden items.
   

 
Mac OS X

1. Click on Finder Launchpad icon to select Utilities and access Terminal window thereafter.
   
2. Copy and paste the following line in the black window:
   

   defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

3. Please then press Return button.
4. Next copy and paste the following line into the terminal window:
   

   killall Finder

5. Press Return button will show you all the hidden items.

 
b. remove temp files.

Windows
navigate to the following directories and remove all the files and folders:

C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Local Settings\Temporary Internet File

Mac OS X
To remove temp files, Mac users should access Terminal again and use command to perform the execution.

1. type
   

   cd ~/Library/Logs
   sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/*

   and press Return button.

2. type
   

   rm -rf ~/Library/Safari/Downloads.plist
   cd ~/Library/Caches
   sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/*

   and press Return button.

 
c. remove the files dropped down by www_getwindowinfo.

(tip:

• it is no need for Mac users to execute this step.
• One should arrange the files by day to filter out the related items.)

%Program Files%\Common Files\
C:\Windows
C:\Windows\System32
C:\Users\[your username]\Documents\
C:\users\user\appdata\local\
C:\Program Files\

 
 

The Purpose of www_getwindowinfo

Nowadays, web applications like www_getwindowinfo are created to acquire people’s online whereabouts for product promotion or help generate income out of it. To frequently hijack browser, www_getwindowinfo will not only intercept and accumulate huge traffic but also get hold of online whereabouts. In such case, its maker or the online operators who buy such information from www_getwindowinfo’s maker will get to know where to put ads or load programs for promotion and more potential business.
 

Tips on Removing www_getwindowinfo

Complete Removal

As what has been made clear in the preceding paragraphs that www_getwindowinfo’s loose structure can contribute to unknown infiltration by virus. Should it be the case, one should remove the additional virus along with the PUP so as to safeguard your computer.

Besides, it is impossible to list out all the files you need to remove generated by www_getwindowinfo as the dropped-down files can vary according to the length of time you’ve been harassed by www_getwindowinfo and the system installed. This requires certain level of computer skills and knowledge to perform correct and complete removal.

If one does leave the innocuous ones behind, one might suffer from error or unstable CPU in the future to influence the PC performance badly.
 

Defragment

Here’s a quick way offered by VilmaTech Online Support to help clear up most of the meaningless items generated by www_getwindowinfo. The video below will show you how:

 

Published & last updated on May 28, 2014 by Erik V. Miller