Dictionary.com Toolbar
What is Dictionary.com Toolbar?
The DictionaryBoss Toolbar installs into your Internet browser and allows you to search the Internet with Ask, a potentially unwanted program that changes and redircts all of your search results as well as DNS errors, and modifies your home page to ask.com or some other webpage. Ask.com automatically becomes your default search service which hijacks all your search requests as well as tracks your Internet surfing behavior to send you targeted advertising.
About (from Ask.com)
Ask Toolbar lets you perform a search from wherever you are on the Web. It's free to download and fits right in your browser. No matter what site you're visiting, simply go to the Ask Toolbar already in your browser, and type in your search. Additional features include map information, the latest headlines, financial s... Read more
Overview
The most used version is 1.17.7.0, with over 98% of all installations currently using this version. Upon installation and setup, it defines an auto-start registry entry which makes this program run on each Windows boot for all user logins. The program adds a toolbar to Microsoft Internet Explorer. A scheduled task is added to Windows Task Scheduler in order to launch the program at various scheduled times (the schedule varies depending on the version). The main program executable is GenericAskToolbar.dll. A vast majority of those who have this installed end up removing it just after a couple weeks. The software installer includes 7 files and is usually about 2.18 MB (2,283,520 bytes). SaUpdate.exe is the automatic update component of the software designed to download and apply new updates should new versions be released.
- Possible malware installed by this program
- Automatically starts with Windows
- Loads into the web browser
- Connects to a server over the Internet
- Typically distributed through a pay-per-install bundle
- May modify the web browser's home page
- Many experts agree, if you don't use it you should remove it!
Warning, multiple anti-virus scanners have detected possible malware in Dictionary.com Toolbar.
| updater.exe (31b522014fc560c122cdfa72d47ca940) has been flagged by the following 2 scanners: |
| Anti-Virus software | Version | Detection |
| Baidu-International |
4.0.3.1486 |
PUA.Win32.AskToolbar.81 |
| ESET-NOD32 |
8.10201 |
a variant of Win32/Bundled.Toolbar.Ask.G |
Dictionary.com Toolbar has been found to be bundled with 3rd party software. If you have not purposefully installed this, you should be safe uninstalling it.
Program details
URL: help.ask.com/link/portal/30015/30018/Article/1/How-do-I-remove-the-Ask-com-Toolbar
Help link: about.ask.com/en/docs/about/index.shtml
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\Ask.com\
Uninstaller: MsiExec.exe /X{86D4B82A-ABED-442A-BE86-96357B70F4FE}
(The Windows Installer is used for the installation, maintenance, and removal.)
Estimated size: 2.18 MB
Files installed by Dictionary.com Toolbar
| Program module: | GenericAskToolbar.dll |
| Name: | Toolbar |
| Ask Toolbar |
| Path: | C:\Program Files\Ask.com\GenericAskToolbar.dll |
| MD5: | e5c4e4b11d40d272c1be19d5fc4d7832 |
| The Ask Toolbar is a web-browser add-on that can appear as an extra bar added to the browser's window and/or menu. It is often installed (sometimes without warning) during the installation of other software. Ask.com has entered into... |
Additional files:
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precache.exe
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SaUpdate.exe
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UpdateTask.exe
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(Malware detected) updater.exe (by Ask) - Updater (Ask Updater)
Behaviors exhibited
Internet Explorer BHO
- GenericAskToolbar.dll is installed in Internet Explorer as a BHO (Browser Helper Object) under the name 'Ask Toolbar' with the class of {D4027C7F-154A-4066-A1AD-4243D8127440} (Ask Toolbar BHO).
Internet Explorer Toolbar
- GenericAskToolbar.dll is loaded as Internet Explorer Toolbar with the name 'Ask Toolbar' with the class of {D4027C7F-154A-4066-A1AD-4243D8127440}.
Internet Explorer URL Search Hook
- GenericAskToolbar.dll loads into IE as a URL Search Hook named 'UrlSearchHook Class' with a class of {00000000-6E41-4FD3-8538-502F5495E5FC} in order to redirect unknown URL searches.
Internet Explorer Web Browser
- GenericAskToolbar.dll installs an IE Web Browser in Internet Explorer named 'Ask Toolbar' with a class of {D4027C7F-154A-4066-A1AD-4243D8127440}.
Scheduled Task
- UpdateTask.exe is scheduled as a task named 'Scheduled Update for Ask Toolbar' (runs daily at 2:30 AM).
Startup File (All Users Run)
- updater.exe is loaded in the all users (HKLM) registry as a startup file name 'Updater.exe' which loads as "C:\Program Files\Ask.com\Updater\Updater.exe".
Network connections
- updater.exe connects to a23-67-250-91.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com (23.67.250.91 port 80).
Resource utilization averages
Show technical details
| updater.exe |
| Memory: | 3.98 MB | |
| Total CPU: | 0.0001011287% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00004446% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00005667% | |
How do I remove Dictionary.com Toolbar?
You can uninstall Dictionary.com Toolbar from your computer by using the Add/Remove Program feature in the Window's Control Panel.
- On the Start menu (for Windows 8, right-click the screen's bottom-left corner), click Control Panel, and then, under Programs, do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall a Program.
- Windows XP: Click Add or Remove Programs.
- When you find the program Dictionary.com Toolbar, click it, and then do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall.
- Windows XP: Click the Remove or Change/Remove tab (to the right of the program).
- Follow the prompts. A progress bar shows you how long it will take to remove Dictionary.com Toolbar.
- If for some reason uninstallation fails, please install Microsoft's uninstall fixer utility which will help fix problems with programs that can't be uninstalled at support.microsoft.com.
How do I reset my web browser?
If your web browser homepage and search settings have been modfied by Dictionary.com Toolbar you can restore them to their previous default settings.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer and click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click Reset. Select the Delete personal settings check box if you would also like to remove search providers, Accelerators and home pages. When Internet Explorer finishes applying default settings, click Close, and then click OK.
- The changes will take effect the next time you open IE.
Mozilla Firefox
- At the top of the Firefox window, click the Firefox button, go over to the Help sub-menu and select Troubleshooting Information.
- To continue, click Reset Firefox in the confirmation window that opens. It will close and be reset.
- When it's done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish and Firefox will open.
Google Chrome
- Open Chrome and click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
- Select Settings. In the "Search" section, click Manage search engine. Check if (Default) is displayed next to your preferred search engine. If not, mouse over it and click Make default. Mouse over any other suspicious search engine entries that are not familiar and click X to remove them.
- When the "Show Home button" checkbox is selected, a web address appears below it. If you want the Homepage button to open up a different webpage, click Change to enter a link.
- Restart Google Chrome.
OS VERSIONS
Win 7 (SP1) 63%
Win 7 3%
|
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HOW IT STARTS
Automatically starts? Yes
(Found in the run registry)
|
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USER ACTIONS
 |
Uninstall it 68%
Keep it 32%
|
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Windows
Which Windows OS versions does it run on?
| Windows 7 |
66.13% |
|
| Windows Vista |
20.97% |
|
| Windows XP |
12.90% |
|
Which OS releases does it run on? |
| Windows 7 Home Premium |
52.46% |
|
| Windows Vista Home Premiu... |
19.67% |
|
| Microsoft Windows XP |
13.11% |
|
| Windows 7 Professional |
8.20% |
|
| Windows 7 Ultimate |
3.28% |
|
| Windows 7 Starter |
1.64% |
|
Geography
88.89% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
| United States |
88.89% |
| Canada |
3.03% |
| Australia |
2.02% |
| United Kingdom |
2.02% |
| Hong Kong |
1.01% |
| Mexico |
1.01% |
| Israel |
1.01% |
| Malaysia |
1.01% |
PC manufacturers
What PC manufacturers (OEMs) have it installed?
| Dell |
29.63% |
|
| Hewlett-Packard |
27.78% |
|
| Toshiba |
7.41% |
|
| Acer |
7.41% |
|
| ASUS |
7.41% |
|
| Sony |
5.56% |
|
| Sahara |
3.70% |
|
| Samsung |
3.70% |
|
| Lenovo |
3.70% |
|
| American Megatrends |
1.85% |
|
| Gateway |
1.85% |
|
Common models |
| TOSHIBA Satellite A665 |
3.45% |
|
| HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook ... |
3.45% |
|
| Micro-Star MS-7501 |
1.72% |
|
| LENOVO 7454CTO |
1.72% |
|
| HP-Pavilion BS048AV-ABA p... |
1.72% |
|
| Hewlett-Packard Presario ... |
1.72% |
|
About Ask.com
Ask focuses on search traffic through various methods, the number being installation of its toolbars through a lot of bundle and rebrand programs.
Publisher URL: www.ask.com