SweetIM Toolbar is a browser hijacker, which is promoted via other free downloads, and once installed it will change your browser homepage and default search engine to search.sweetim.com.
SweetIM got on your computer after you have installed another free software or add-on that had bundled into their installer this browser hijacker.
For example, when you install vPlay, you will also agree to change your default browser homepage and default search engine to search.sweetim.com.
However, when you uninstall vPlay from your computer, your web browser’s default settings will not be restored. This means that you’ll have to remove SweetIm from your favorite web browser manually.
You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this SweetIm. Be very careful what you agree to install.
Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.
SweetIM Toolbar – Virus Removal Instructions
STEP 1 : Uninstall SweetIM Toolbar from your computer
We need to uninstall SweetIM for Messenger, SweetPacks Toolbar for Internet Explorer and Update Manager for SweetPacks from your computer.
- To uninstall SweetIM Toolbar program from your computer, click the Start button, then select Control Panel, and if you are using Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 ,click on Uninstall a program. (Add or Remove Programs for Windows XP)
- Search for SweetIM for Messenger, SweetPacks Toolbar for Internet Explorer and Update Manager for SweetPacks, then double click on each one to uninstall it.
The SweetIM uninstaller will start and you’ll need to follow the prompts.Please note that at some point SweetIM will ask you if you want to keep their homepage and search engine,when this will happen please select NO.
STEP 2 : Remove the SweetIM Toolbar residual damage from your browser
Remove SweetIM Toolbar from Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the gear icon
![[Image: icongear.jpg]](http://malwaretips.com/images/removalguide/icongear.jpg)
(Tools for Windows XP users) at the top (far right), then click again on Internet Options.
- In the Internet Options dialog box, click on the Advanced tab, then click on the Reset button.
- In the Reset Internet Explorer settings section, check the Delete personal settings box, then click on Reset.
- When Internet Explorer finishes resetting, click Close in the confirmation dialogue box and then click OK.
- Close and open Internet Explorer again.
Remove SweetIM Toolbar from Mozilla Firefox
- At the top of the Firefox window, click the Firefox button, go over to the Help sub-menu (on Windows XP, click the Help menu at the top of the Firefox window), and select Troubleshooting Information.
- Click the Reset Firefox button in the upper-right corner of the Troubleshooting Information page.
- To continue, click Reset Firefox in the confirmation window that opens.
- Firefox will close and be reset. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish
Remove SweetIM Toolbar from Google Chrome
- Remove SweetIM Toolbar extensions from Google Chrome.
Click the Chrome menu
on the browser toolbar, select Tools and then click on Extensions.
In the Extensions tab, remove (by clicking on the Recycle Bin) the SweetIM for Facebook and SweetPacks Chrome Extension extensions from Google Chrome.
- Set Google Chrome default search engine from search.sweetim.com to google.com.
Click the Chrome menu button, then select Settings and click on Manage search engines in the Search section.
In the Search Engines dialog that appears, select Google and click the Make Default button that appears in the row.
Next, search for search.sweetim.com in the Search Engines list and click the X that appears at the end of the row.
- Change Google Chrome homepage from home.sweetim.com to its default.
SweetIM Toolbar has modified your Google settings to open their webpage whenever you start your browser, so we will need to revert this change.
Click the Chrome menu button, then select Settings and click on One the New Tab page in the On Startup section.
![[Image: Change Google Chrome homepage to its default]](http://static.malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/on-startup-Chrome-default.jpg "Change Google Chrome homepage to its default")
STEP 3: Remove SweetIM Toolbar registry keys with AdwCleaner.
- You can download AdwCleaner from the below link.
ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download AdwCleaner on your computer) - Before starting this utility, close all open programs and internet browsers.
- Double click on adwcleaner.exe to run the tool.
- Click on Delete, then confirm each time with Ok.
- Your computer will be rebooted automatically. A text file will open after the restart.
- NEXT, double click on adwcleaner.exe to run the tool.
- Click on Uninstall, then confirm with yes to remove this utility from your computer.
STEP 4: Run a computer scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
- You can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free from the below link, then double click on it to install this program.
MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free) - When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the setup process. DO NOT make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware checked, then click on the Finish button.
![[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen]](http://static.malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/malwarebytes-installation.jpg "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen")
- On the Scanner tab, select Perform quick scan and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer.
![[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Quick Scan]](http://static.malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/malwarebytes-quick-scan.jpg "Run a Quick Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware")
- Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer as shown below.
![[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for SweetIM Toolbar]](http://static.malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/malwarebytes-scan.jpg "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for SweetIM Toolbar")
- When the Malwarebytes scan will be completed, click on Show Result.
![[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan results]](http://static.malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/malwarebytes-scan-results.jpg "Malwarebytes when the system scan has completed")
- You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has detected.Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image. Make sure that everything is Checked (ticked) and click on the Remove Selected button.
![[Image:Malwarebytes removing malware]](http://static.malwaretips.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/malwarebytes-virus-removal.jpg "Click on Remove Selected to get rid of SweetIM Toolbar")
STEP 5: Run a computer scan with HitmanPro
- Download HitmanPro from the below link, then double click on it to start this program.
HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro) - HitmanPro will start and you’ll need to follow the prompts (by clicking on the Next button) to start a system scan with this program.
- HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for malware, as seen in the image below.
- Once the scan is complete,you’ll see a screen which will display all the infected files that this utility has detected, and you’ll need to click on Next to remove these malicious files.
- Click Activate free license to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
Wow!! This worked so well for me. Especially the registry cleaning section. I would have never been able to do this on my own without your assistance. Thank you!!!!! You brought my computer back to life! God bless you!!
Thank you so much for this easy to understand tutorial. It worked perfectly and the SweetIM crap is off my computer and running SO much better!
stelian please help, in step one ,controll panel-programs-programs and features there is nothing with sweetim listed should i just continue with step 2,
Hello Dave,
Please keep in mind that this program may have a different name on your computer….Check again what programs do you have installed on your computer, and if you find any unknown or unwanted program, remove it from your computer.
If you can’t find any, you can go ahead with the next steps, as Adwcleaner should remove these files from your computer.
OMG. Thank you so much. Ive been dealing with that piece of s. for a long time.
Awesome. They got away hehe
great! it helped, thank you very much.
Just one more point. those evil sweetIM files continue to download their brothers whilst you are scanning for malware. These can be missed if installed on part of the disk which has already been scanned. So first update your malware scanning program (I used spybot) and then IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECT THE INTERNET before scanning and deleting the sweetIM and any other suspiciuos files.
The latest update of spybot worked, but a week ago it could not delete some of the sweetIM files it detected.
You still have to reverse the settings in your browsers, as you describe: skybot can’t do that for you.
thank you, i was about to smash my computer because of this fung malware. really really thanks, keep it up the good work.
Thank you for so good and helpful instructions you are providing us.
super!! thank you so much!!!!
THANKYOU!!! i tried the first few tips, life resetting the home page, and deleting the program, but that pesky thing just would not go away, i was about to smash my computer before i found this. thankyou.
Thank you thank you!!
Wanted to thank you for getting rid of Sweetim. It came “bundled” with the free Hamster Zip Archive software still being touted on CNET. Yes, CNET is offering a link to download a program infested with malware. I manually removed most of Sweetim. MalwareBytes, surprisingly didn’t find the remnants. Your instruction to download SearchReset did the trick for me. Thanks!
Great tutorial – like most guys :-) – I did not follow your directions fully the first time. After that *&##%% sweetim came back – I followed each and every step. Gone – hopefully – for good.
I wasted 4 hours before I found you. Oh, happy day!!! Thanks heaps.
Thanks a bunch, picked up mine from hxxp://epubreader.info/ despite having unchecked everything asking to install it. Haven’t dealt with with a program this invasive in a while, nice to have a step by step guide. Keep up the good work!!
Thanks for generously posting this. Clear and concise. Have had to clean both my daughter’s XP devices because of this crap. What loaded it? BTW I am going to post this on my radio show (www.internetadvisor.net) website for my listeners.
Hello Foster,
It’s good to read that your comptuer issue got solved! This program is usually bundled with other free downloads… Smile packs,video convertors and other usless software like that!
Stay safe and next time opt-out any additional installs!
Thanks for this tutorial. What a pain in the butt. I’ve needed Alcohol 120% Trial and it came with it from website that looked like a legit download website. Bastards.
Also forgot to say that Avast Free didn’t detect anything.
Ah last thing – there was one more that came with it and it was called StrongVault. haven’t checked yet, but i hope it has been removed too.
Thank you for the post! Helped me remove this annoying thing from my Chrome.
Thank you! Managed to get rid of that crap!! I was totally lost before…
Thank you!!
You are greet! I have finished Step3. And will finished the next steps. Your instructions are very helpful.
BTW,after reboot my computer when I finished Step 3, I input these words very slowly. Is there any problem?
hpfei
You are a life saver!!
Wonderful!
also @ michelle, you need to run the task manager (CTRL+SHIFT+ESC or right click the taskbar) and stop the sweetim process.
it’s reasonably obvious which one it is, but I forget the name, sorry.
I know this as I had the same issue, and it twigged in my brain to do that.
I have scanned wih Norton,Malwarebytes,Housecall and still have this crap on my PC,what do I do next.I uninstalled using Revo and Contol Panel and still have it on IE.Firefox is Ok but I wouls like to get shut.
Hello Gil,
Did you reset IE as seen on step 2?Did you run adwcleaner as seen on step 3?
Where exactly do you see Sweetim…. Startup page?Search engine? or toolbar?
Hey!
I managed to find the folder on my computer and delete most of the stuff in it, but now i am left with a few things that it refuses to let me delete. It says that i do not have permission to do so when i am the administrator on the computer. I made all the changes on google chrome that you said i should, but if I open a new tab it goes to a strange search engine even though i made google my default search engine.
Please help!
Hello Michelle,
Open Google Chrome, click on the Google button (those 3 lines in the top right) and select Settings.
In the “On Startup” field select “Open New Tab page” ……… http://i.imgur.com/RMuc6.jpg
This should fix your problem! :)
Thanks brother, I Am Very Greatfull To You.
very helpful. thnx
thanks your instructions are very helpful
Thanks bro it’s very detail and helpful
I have a problem. when I try to uninstall via the control panel I get a message flasing up asking if I want the program (the one I am trying to delete) to make changes to my computer, when I click no it just goes back to the uninstall control panel, any ideas. Marcus
Hello Marcus,
What changes is ti trying to make??
I have the same problem as him. By clicking uninstall, windows tries to remove it but SweetIM overrides windows and tries to install the program again. When i click close, the windows installer doesnt carry on uninstalling.
Hello Jeremy,
That’s really strange….Can you please download Revo Uninstaller Free and try to remove this program with it.
Worked perfectly! Thanks for the help!
This kind of malware is really frustrating, and for a person who has limited knowledge about how to deal with it your program solved my problem with SweetIM.
Thank you very much.
Bob
Your Sir are a legend who warrants the up most of praise. Thank you for providing me with the knowledge to crush that Jammy bastard.
Thanks so much for your detailed instructions. I had been fighting with this damn malware (with a trojan) for almost a week. Now it’s all gone.
Good explanations! I finally managed to remove that shit.
Thanks a lot.
Thank you sooooooooo much !
Finally this fu****** shit had been removed, and your explanations are so simple, functionnal…
Thanks again !
Thanks soo much!!!
Thank you! That was horrendous. SweetIM my ass. More like SweetFUpMyComputerTar.
Fantastico!!! problema risolto
un milione di grazie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You!!!
Thank you!
Mum and dads computer is now clean
Also a Barca fan!! Thank you so much for your easy to follow detailed instructions, I am finally rid of the annoying sweetim! Merry Christmas!
Thank-you!!!
Just wanted to say thanks for the advice, nothing found from malwarebytes or hitman pro, so hopefully I’m clean
Thanks a lot!
Awesome!Dude you freakin rock!!
Very helpful information – thank you!
I also used the Advanced System Protector by SysTweak and cleaned out the items found manually, for instance by renaming .exe into .removed_exe
tnx for all
Thank you so much this stupid program driving me crazy…
Happy days!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks you !!!!
the beastly thing is gone. thank you. *
Yesss!! Finally I got rid of this shit. Oh happy day:)
Why does this continue…. someone should remove sweetim from the internet!!!!!!!! Remove the source remove the problem!
thank you sooooo much!!! you are a life saver
Thank you very much for your detailed explanation. I am also the sufferer of this sweetim. i have followed your detailed notes and removed.
I did everything as instructed thne the malware scan and then Hitman but still Sweetim search page opens instead of my Google Home page. This will open on hitting the home icon but the sweetim still is there??
Hello John,
Please follow this guide to set back your homepage: http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95314
Any other problems?
Thank you,I’ve tried 1.000 times to get rid of this toolbar!Good job Stelian!
Thanks, you save my life ((:
Great guide!!Thank you!
Thanks, spent all day trying to get rid of the final bit of sweetpacks, Hitmanpro did the job……
Thank you for your clear instructions!!
Thanks . This clearest and complete guide ! Super