PlayFirst Toolbar
What is PlayFirst Toolbar?
PlayFirst Toolbar is an Ask.com (Ask Partner Network) Toolbar that will provide limited web browser functionality but will modify the user's home and search pages and providers to an Ask.com managed partner search engine.
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
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 main program executable is updater.exe. A vast majority of those who have this installed end up removing it just after a couple weeks. The setup package is about 2.18 MB (2,288,128 bytes) when donwloaded. updater.exe is the automatic update component of the software designed to download and apply new updates should new versions be released.
- Automatically starts with Windows
- Loads into the web browser
- Connects to a server over the Internet
- Many experts agree, if you don't use it you should remove it!
Program details
URL: sp.ask.com/toolbar
Help link: about.ask.com/en/docs/about/index.shtml
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\ask.com\assets\oobe
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 PlayFirst Toolbar
| Program executable: | updater.exe |
| Name: | Updater |
| Ask Updater |
| Path: | C:\Program Files\ask.com\updater\updater.exe |
| MD5: | 6ea1bf3f6e6b0613351411a3eb6b85a2 |
| Ask Updater runs in the background of Windows and automatically starts up when your PC boots. It checks for software udpates and automatically downloads and installs them if found.
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Behaviors exhibited
Startup File (All Users Run)
- updater.exe is loaded in the all users (HKLM) registry as a startup file name 'ApnUpdater' 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: | 3.68 MB | |
| Total CPU: | 0.0091227712% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00551148% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00361129% | |
| CPU cycles/sec: | 1,896,826 | |
| Switches/sec: | 3 | |
| I/O reads/min: | 26 Bytes | |
How do I remove PlayFirst Toolbar?
You can uninstall PlayFirst 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 PlayFirst 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 PlayFirst 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 PlayFirst 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.
PC BRAND OF CHOICE
100%
Hewlett-Packard
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HOW IT STARTS
Automatically starts? Yes
(Found in the run registry)
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USER ACTIONS
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Uninstall it 63%
Keep it 37%
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Geography
80.00% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
| United States |
80.00% |
| Netherlands |
20.00% |
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