Wisdom Toolbar
What is Wisdom Toolbar?
Wisdom Toolbar is an ad-supported (users may see additional banner and in-text link advertisements) cross web browser plugin for Internet Explorer (BHO) and Firefox/Chrome (plugin) and distributed through various monetization platforms during installation. The browser extension includes various features that will modify the default or custom settings of the browser including the home page, search settings and in some cases will modify Internet Explorer's load time threshold, place a lock file within Firefox to prevent competing software from changing its settings as well as disable the browser's Content Security Policy in order to allow for cross site scripting of the plugin.
What the toolbar does:
- Changes the default search engine in your web browser's built-in search box.
- Changes the default home page of your web browser.
- Adds alternative "page not found" functionality.
- Enable search from the address bar of your web browser.
- Allows software updates of the application once a new version is released.
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
- Automatically starts with Windows
- Integrates into the web browser
- Connects to the Internet
- Typically distributed through a pay-per-install bundle
- Injects advertisements unassociated with the underlying web page
- Hijacks the web browser's home page
- Most users and experts agree, you should remove it!
Wisdom 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: 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: 3.63 MB
Files installed by Wisdom 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 Wisdom Toolbar?
You can uninstall Wisdom 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 Wisdom 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 Wisdom 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 Wisdom 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.
HOW IT STARTS
Automatically starts? Yes
(Found in the run registry)
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USER ACTIONS
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Uninstall it 84%
Keep it 16%
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MOST USED OS
~99%
Windows 7
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Geography
100.00% of installs come from the United States
Which countries install it?
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