How to remove FriendsChecker Ads (Virus Removal Guide)

FriendsChecker is an adware program that displays pop-up ads, advertisement banners and sponsored links within Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome.
Unfortunately, some free downloads do not adequately disclose that other software will also be installed and you may find that you have installed FriendsChecker without your knowledge.FriendsChecker is advertised as a program that will allow you to check your friends status on Facebook. Though this may sound like a useful service, the FriendsChecker program can be intrusive and will display ads whether you want them to or not.

The FriendsChecker adware infection is designed specifically to make money. It generates web traffic, collects sales leads for other dubious sites, and will display advertisements and sponsored links within your web browser.
FriendsChecker it’s technically not a virus, but it does exhibit plenty of malicious traits, such as rootkit capabilities to hook deep into the operating system, browser hijacking, and in general just interfering with the user experience. The industry generally refers to it as a “PUP,” or potentially unwanted program.

FriendsChecker is an ad-supported (users may see additional banner, search, pop-up, pop-under, interstitial and in-text link advertisements) cross web browser plugin for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome, and distributed through various monetization platforms during installation. FriendsChecker is typically added when you install another free software (video recording/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation this adware program. When you install these free programs, they will also install FriendsChecker as well. Some of the programs that are known to bundle FriendsChecker include “Youtube Downloader HD”, “Fast Free Converter”, “Video Media Player 1.1” and “DVDX Player 3.2”.
When installed, FriendsChecker will display advertising banners on the webpages that you are visiting, stating that they are brought to you by “Ads by FriendsChecker“.

FriendsChecker may also display pop-up advertisements, in-text ads and and as you browse Internet, it will show coupons and other deals available on different websites.
The justification for FriendsChecker Ads according to its author, is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user.

You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this FriendsChecker adware. 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.

How to remove FriendsChecker pop-up ads (Virus Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove FriendsChecker pop-ups from your computer, and any other adware program that may have been installed during the the setup process.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.
STEP 1: Uninstall FriendsChecker program from your computer
STEP 2: Remove FriendsChecker Ads from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome
STEP 3: Remove FriendsChecker Ads from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome with AdwCleaner
STEP 4: Remove FriendsChecker virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
STEP 5: Double-check for the FriendsChecker adware infection with HitmanPro

STEP 1 : Uninstall FriendsChecker program from your computer

In this first step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious program that might be installed on your computer.

1. To uninstall the FriendsChecker program from Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, click the Start button, then click on the Control Panel menu option.
   
   If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for “control panel” .Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control Panel from there.
   
2. When the Control Panel window opens click on the Uninstall a program option under Programs category. This option is shown by the arrow in the image below. If you are using the Classic View of the Control Panel, then you would double-click on the Programs and Features icon instead.
   
3. When the Programs and Features or the Uninstall a Program screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and uninstall FriendsChecker, SafeSaver, DP1815, Video Player, Convert Files for Free, Plus-HD 1.3, BetterSurf, Trusted Web, PassShow, LyricsBuddy-1, YFriendsChecker 1.2, Media Player 1.1, Savings Bull, Feven Pro 1.1, Websteroids, Savings Bull, HD-Plus 3.5 and any other recently installed unknown program from your computer.
   To view the most recently installed programs, you can click on the “Installed On” column to sort your program by the installation date. Scroll though the list, and uninstall any unwanted or unknown programs.
   
   Depending on what program has installed the FriendsChecker adware infection, the above program may have a different name or not be installed on your computer. If you cannot find any unwanted or unknown programs on your machine, then you can proceed with the next step.

If you are having issues while trying to uninstall the FriendsChecker program, you can use Revo Uninstaller to completely remove this unwanted program from your machine.

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STEP 2: Remove FriendsChecker Ads from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome

If you are still experiencing issues with the FriendsChecker pop-up ads in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, we will need to reset your browser to its default settings. This step needs to be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

Remove FriendsChecker Ads from Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the gear icon  (Tools for Windows XP users) at the top (far right), then click again on Internet Options.
   
2. In the Internet Options dialog box, click on the Advanced tab, then click on the Reset button.
   
3. In the Reset Internet Explorer settings section, check the Delete personal settings box, then click on Reset.
   
4. When Internet Explorer finishes resetting, click Close in the confirmation dialogue box and then click OK.
5. Close and open Internet Explorer.

Remove FriendsChecker Ads from Mozilla Firefox

1. 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.
   
2. Click the Reset Firefox button in the upper-right corner of the Troubleshooting Information page.
   
3. To continue, click Reset Firefox in the confirmation window that opens.
4. Firefox will close and be reset. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish

Remove FriendsChecker Ads from Google Chrome

1. Remove FriendsChecker extensions from Google Chrome.
   Click the Chrome menu   button on the browser toolbar, select Tools and then click on Extensions.
   
2. In the Extensions tab, remove the FriendsChecker, SafeSaver, DP1815, Video Player, Convert Files for Free, Plus-HD 1.3, BetterSurf, Media Player 1.1, PassShow, LyricsBuddy-1, YFriendsChecker 1.2, Media Player 1.1, Savings Bull, Feven Pro 1.1, Websteroids, Savings Bull, HD-Plus 3.5 any other unknown extensions by clicking the trash can icon.
   Basically, if you have not installed an extensions then you should remove it from your web browser.
   If you cannot remove the FriendsChecker extension, and under the trash can you can see the “Installed by enterprise policy” text, then you will need to follow our “Remove Installed by enterprise policy extension from Chrome” guide.
   

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STEP 3: Remove FriendsChecker adware from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome with AdwCleaner

The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer and web browser for the FriendsChecker malicious files, browser extensions and registry keys, that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge.

1. You can download AdwCleaner utility from the below link.
   ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download AdwCleaner on your computer)
2. Before starting AdwCleaner, close all open programs and internet browsers, then double-click on the AdwCleaner icon.
   
   If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.
3. When the AdwCleaner program will open, click on the Scan button as shown below.
   
   AdwCleaner will now start to search for the FriendsChecker malicious files that may be installed on your computer.
4. To remove the FriendsChecker malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the Clean button.
   
5. AdwCleaner will now prompt you to save any open files or data as the program will need to reboot the computer. Please do so and then click on the OK button. AdwCleaner will now delete all detected adware from your computer. When it is done it will display an alert that explains what PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) and Adware are. Please read through this information and then press the OK button. You will now be presented with an alert that states AdwCleaner needs to reboot your computer.
   Please click on the OK button to allow AdwCleaner reboot your computer.

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STEP 4: Remove FriendsChecker virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free uses industry-leading technology to detect and remove all traces of malware, including worms, Trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware, and more.
It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware works well and should run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

1. 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)
2. When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the setup process.
   
3. On the Scanner tab,select Perform quick scan and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer.
   
4. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for FriendsChecker malicious files as shown below.
   
5. When the Malwarebytes scan will be completed,click on Show Result.
   
6. 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.
   

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STEP 5: Double-check for the FriendsChecker adware infection with HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti virus software, firewalls, etc.). HitmanPro is designed to work alongside existing security programs without any conflicts. It scans the computer quickly (less than 5 minutes) and does not slow down the computer.

1. You can 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)
2. 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.
   
   
3. HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for FriendsChecker malicious files as seen in the image below.
   
4. 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 this malicious files.
   
5. Click Activate free license to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
   

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Your computer should now be free of the FriendsChecker adware infection. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the PRO version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future, and perform regular computer scans with HitmanPro.
If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove FriendsChecker adware from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.