GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar

Posted by Max Lehmann on June 23, 2015

What is GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar?

GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar is a recently released malicious browser extension that has been developed by the Mindspark Interactive Network, a company responsible for releasing numerous bad toolbars and other malicious software that collects information about the user. So, we suggest that you remove this toolbar, for the sake of your personal security. GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar is a potential security risk that you can easily avoid by following our removal guide below. But if you want to know more information about it, please read the full article. test test test Download Removal Tool100% FREE spyware scan and
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Where does GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar come from?

It is an age old tradition for malware developers to approach the distributers of freeware and offer them a slice of the profits made from whatever activities the malware is made to do. So, it is no surprise that GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar is also distributed via software bundles. But in the case of Mindspark, it also distributes malware, such as GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar using a dedicated website. We at Anti-spyware-101.com do not promote malicious software, but you have to be aware that this particular toolbar is distributed on a website, called Gardeningenthusiast.com. In any event, there is nothing to see on the website as it only features pictures of gardening activities and advertising slogans claiming that all of the gardening website links are provided to you for free. And of course a big, green download button.

How does GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar work?

Indeed, the toolbar is just a cluster of various gardening-related website links that you can bookmark yourself, since all browsers these days have this function. In any case, it features links to websites, such as Gardendesign.com, Rodalesorganiclife.com, Bhg.com, and a few others. But it must be said that some of the websites contain commercial advertisements that you should be cautious of. The toolbar consists of several categories, such as Publications, How-Tos and Tips, Virtual Garden Planers, and Garden Guides. But they all seem to feature similar information, so there is no thematic distinction between the categories.

However, the main reason why you should get rid of GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar is the fact that after installation is changes the main homepage and the default search engine for a custom Ask.com engine. You will be able to distinguish this custom search engine from its main website that features links to popular websites, such as Facebook and Youtube. The search engine uses browser cookies to collect information about your browsing and search history, and send it to Mindspark for analysis. We believe that this is done to make customized search results that favor specific websites that can be unreliable. Therefore, we recommend that you remove GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar at your earliest convenience.

How do I remove GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar?

You can do it by going to the Control Panel and removing it from the program list. But, you might not always find GardeningEnthusiast Toolbar among the list of programs installed on your computer. If that is the case, do not be alarmed, just proceed to the next step. After you have done that go to the browser’s list of extensions and remove the toolbar. Now your PC should be free of this malicious program, but if not, then try using our recommended anti-malware scanner. Feel free to leave a comment of a question in the comment section below.