Should I remove Web Companion?
What percent of users and experts removed it?
19% remove it81% keep it
What do people think about it?
(click star to rate)
How common is it?
Global Rank #746
United States Rank #710
Reach 0.9139%
(Not enough data to show 30 day installation trends)
Uninstallation trends (last 30 days)
Lifespan of installation (until removal)
< 7.29 days
215.04 days >
Average installed length: 112.99 days
Versions
| Version | Distribution |
| 4.9.2159.4024 |
0.22% |
|
| 4.9.2146.4004 |
0.03% |
|
| 4.8.2078.3950 |
0.07% |
|
| 4.8.2021.3909 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.7.1993.3887 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.7.1987.3881 |
0.04% |
|
| 4.6.1974.3869 |
0.04% |
|
| 4.5.1957.3838 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.4.1950.3825 |
0.02% |
|
| 4.3.1934.3766 |
0.02% |
|
| 4.3.1930.3764 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.3.1917.3743 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.3.1915.3724 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.3.1908.3686 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.3.1880.3651 |
0.03% |
|
| 4.3.1865.3518 |
0.24% |
|
| 4.3.1864.3517 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.2.1857.3498 |
0.10% |
|
| 4.2.1849.3485 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.2.1846.3481 |
3.89% |
|
| 4.2.1840.3460 |
0.47% |
|
| 4.2.1839.3455 |
0.01% |
|
| 4.2.1824.3425 |
0.58% |
|
| 4.1.1815.3380 |
0.02% |
|
| 4.1.1813.3374 |
0.17% |
|
| 4.1.1808.3370 |
1.50% |
|
| 4.0.1780.3335 |
2.95% |
|
| 4.0.1777.3330 |
0.46% |
|
| 4.0.1767.3319 |
0.23% |
|
| 4.0.1763.3314 |
0.16% |
|
| 4.0.1753.3301 |
0.01% |
|
| 3.2.1725.3256 |
0.21% |
|
| 3.2.1708.3237 |
0.22% |
|
| 3.2.1705.3235 |
0.04% |
|
| 3.1.1602.3093 |
0.18% |
|
| 3.0.1581.3057 |
0.18% |
|
| 2.4.1558.3001 |
1.60% |
|
| 2.3.1551.2994 |
0.43% |
|
| 2.3.1548.2988 |
0.21% |
|
| 2.3.1528.2969 |
1.35% |
|
| 2.3.1521.2957 |
0.31% |
|
| 2.3.1514.2916 |
0.06% |
|
| 2.3.1507.2892 |
0.19% |
|
| 2.3.1500.2879 |
0.03% |
|
| 2.3.1499.2879 |
0.02% |
|
| 2.3.1486.2872 |
0.01% |
|
| 2.3.1479.2868 |
3.52% |
|
| 2.3.1475.2862 |
0.07% |
|
| 2.3.1471.2857 |
1.49% |
|
| 2.3.1461.2844 |
0.11% |
|
| 2.3.1460.2843 |
0.05% |
|
| 109 versions |
Other programs by Lavasoft
Web Companion
What is Web Companion? (from Lavasoft)
Web Companion secures your browser’s settings against unauthorized changes and acts as a buffer between your browser and malicious sites. For a better, safer and lighter web experience, Ad-Aware Web Companion compliments your antivirus and browser’s protection against the latest and freshest malware and attacks – by fl... Read more
Overview
Web Companion is a software program developed by Lavasoft. The most common release is 4.2.1846.3481, with over 33% of all installations currently using this version. During setup, the program creates a startup registration point in Windows in order to automatically start when any user boots the PC. Upon being installed, the software adds a Windows Service which is designed to run continuously in the background. Manually stopping the service has been seen to cause the program to stop functing properly. It adds a background controller service that is set to automatically run. Delaying the start of this service is possible through the service manager. 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 primary executable is named Lavasoft.AdAware.dll. The setup package generally installs about 58 files and is usually about 11.75 MB (12,316,583 bytes). Relative to the overall usage of users who have this installed on their PCs, most are running Windows 10 and Windows 7 (SP1). While about 53% of users of Web Companion come from the United States, it is also popular in Germany and United Kingdom.
Program details
URL: www.Lavasoft.com
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\lavasoft\web companion\application
Uninstaller: "C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Web Companion\Application\Installer.exe" --uninstall
Estimated size: 11.75 MB
Files installed by Web Companion
| Program module: | Lavasoft.AdAware.dll |
| Name: | AdAware |
| Path: | C:\Program Files\lavasoft\web companion\application\Lavasoft.AdAware.dll |
| MD5: | 422f03919e6c08f9cff4d58aeff7cbbe |
Additional files:
-
Installer.exe - Web Companion Installer
-
AASearchCompanion.exe - Search Companion
-
WebCompanion.exe - Web Companion
-
WebCompanionExtensionIE.dll - Powered by Lavasoft Malware URL Blocker technology, Ad-Aware Web Companion proactively protects you against malicious websites by identifying the bad guys before you ever visit them. When you visit a website that contains malware, Ad-Aware Web Companion will instantly alert you of the threat and blo
-
WebCompanionInstaller.exe
-
WebCompanionWebUI.exe - WebCompanion
-
Interop.LavasoftTcpServiceLib.dll - Assembly imported from type library 'LavasoftTcpServiceLib'.
-
Interop.IWshRuntimeLibrary.dll - Assembly imported from type library 'IWshRuntimeLibrary'.
-
Interop.SHDocVw.dll - Assembly imported from type library 'SHDocVw'.
-
Interop.Shell32.dll - Assembly imported from type library 'Shell32'.
-
Lavasoft.SearchProtect.Repositories.dll - SearchProtect.Repositories
-
Lavasoft.CSharp.Utilities.dll - Lavasoft.CSharp.Utilities
-
Lavasoft.PUP.Management.dll - Lavasoft.PUP.Management
-
Lavasoft.SearchProtect.Business.dll - SearchProtect.Business
-
Lavasoft.adblocker.dll - Lavasoft.adblocker
-
Lavasoft.SearchProtect.WinService.exe - SPWindowsService
-
Lavasoft.SysInfo.dll - Lavasoft.SysInfo
-
Lavasoft.SmartAssemblyUI.dll - UICustomization
-
Lavasoft.SearchProtect.Service.Logger.dll - ServiceLogger
-
Lavasoft.Utils.SqlLite.dll - Utils.SqlLite
-
ICSharpCode.SharpZipLib.dll (by ICSharpCode.net) - #ZipLibrary (SharpZipLibrary unlabelled version)
-
Lavasoft.Automation.dll - Automation (Lavasoft.Automation)
-
Lavasoft.SearchProtect.WcfService.dll - SPWcfLib
-
Lavasoft.AdAware.dll - AdAware
-
log4net.dll (by The Apache Software Foundation) - log4net (Apache log4net for .NET Framework 2.0)
-
Lavasoft.Utils.dll - Utils
-
Ad-Aware Web Companion.exe
-
Lavasoft.IEController.dll
-
LogicNP.EZShellExtensions.dll
-
SmartAssembly.ReportException.dll
-
SmartExceptionsCore.dll
Behaviors exhibited
3 Scheduled Tasks
- Ad-Aware Web Companion.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{0195D08A-282E-4316-AC5C-0C9D5C2FC7E8}' (runs on registration).
- WebCompanion.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{B9B2559A-1F16-4795-A5CF-40B0060553DF}' (runs on registration).
- WebCompanionInstaller.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{189A2292-4923-48D4-AC13-9E62F04C0CE1}' (runs on registration).
Scheduled Task (Boot/Login)
- WebCompanion.exe is automatically launched at startup through a scheduled task named 1.
Service
- Lavasoft.SearchProtect.WinService.exe runs as a service named 'IE Search Set' (SearchProtectionService).
2 Startup Files (User Run)
- WebCompanion.exe is loaded in the current user (HKCU) registry as an auto-starting executable named 'Web Companion' and executes as C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Web Companion\Application\WebCompanion.exe --minimize.
- AASearchCompanion.exe is loaded in the current user (HKCU) registry as an auto-starting executable named 'Ad-Aware Search Companion' and executes as C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Web Companion\Application\AASearchCompanion.exe.
Startup File (All Users Run)
- WebCompanion.exe is loaded in the all users (HKLM) registry as a startup file name 'Web Companion' which loads as C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Web Companion\Application\WebCompanion.exe --minimize.
How do I remove Web Companion?
You can uninstall Web Companion 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 Web Companion, 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 Web Companion.
HOW IT STARTS
Automatically starts? Yes
(Found in the run registry)
|
|
USER ACTIONS
 |
Uninstall it 19%
Keep it 81%
|
|
|
GLOBAL RANK
 #746
|
Windows
Which Windows OS versions does it run on?
| Windows 10 |
58.57% |
|
| Windows 7 |
37.82% |
|
| Windows Vista |
2.17% |
|
| Windows XP |
1.43% |
|
| Windows Server 2003 |
0.01% |
|
Which OS releases does it run on? |
| Windows 10 Home |
24.08% |
|
| Windows 7 Home Premium |
18.61% |
|
| Windows 8.1 |
15.33% |
|
| Windows 7 Professional |
9.11% |
|
| Windows 7 Ultimate |
8.55% |
|
| Windows 10 Pro |
8.17% |
|
Geography
52.89% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
| United States |
52.89% |
| Germany |
16.32% |
| United Kingdom |
4.67% |
| France |
3.20% |
| Italy |
2.39% |
| Australia |
2.11% |
| Canada |
1.78% |
| Netherlands |
1.57% |
| Spain |
0.77% |
| Austria |
0.69% |
| DZ |
0.64% |
| Sweden |
0.51% |
| India |
0.50% |
| Brazil |
0.48% |
PC manufacturers
What PC manufacturers (OEMs) have it installed?
| Hewlett-Packard |
29.61% |
|
| Acer |
19.01% |
|
| Dell |
16.73% |
|
| ASUS |
10.22% |
|
| Lenovo |
7.02% |
|
| Toshiba |
5.85% |
|
| Medion |
4.80% |
|
| GIGABYTE |
3.18% |
|
| Samsung |
2.81% |
|
| Intel |
0.78% |
|
Common models |
| HP 15 Notebook PC |
6.58% |
|
| ASUS All Series |
5.33% |
|
| HP Pavilion g6 Notebook P... |
3.70% |
|
| HP Pavilion 15 Notebook P... |
3.65% |
|
| HP Pavilion dv6 Notebook ... |
2.96% |
|
| HP Pavilion dv7 Notebook ... |
2.90% |
|
About Lavasoft
Lavasoft is a development company that produces anti-spyware software, most known for Ad-Aware.
Publisher URL: www.lavasoft.com