What is Pagefinder?
Pagefinder promises to help you “access popular sites instantly,” and although you might think that this Google Chrome extension can be convenient, we want to warn you that it was classified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) by our malware research team at Anti-Spyware-101.com. It is most likely that Chrome users are introduced to this program via pop-ups, misleading links, and using redirection. Without a doubt, if you are ever introduced to an unfamiliar program in a strange manner, you should automatically become suspicious. If you decide that the program you are introduced to is just too good to pass up, you need to do research, and it is possible that you have stumbled upon this article exactly because of that. If you have not installed the extension yet, we suggest that you forget about it. If you have installed it already, you should definitely continue reading because the information we have gathered might make you want to remove Pagefinder.
How does Pagefinder work?
Just like most Google Chrome-compatible extensions, Pagefinder was previously available at the Chrome web store, at chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pagefinder/dfpeedheaalbnbmclibgcgeehgdlmjnl. At the time of research, this link no longer worked, and it is possible that the administrators took it down, which would be the perfect sign that the extension cannot be trusted. Despite this, it is possible that the extension could still be promoted using third-party sources. For example, if you decide to download a free video converter, and Pagefinder comes bundled with it, you might install it without thinking much about it. The extension might also sound pretty useful. The Chrome web store installer was supposed to inform users that the extension could read the browsing history and change your data on websites after installation. This alone could make some Chrome users decide to remove the suspicious PUP from their browsers. Of course, if third-party sources are used, no warnings about the gained privileges might be introduced, and that is why it is always best to trust official and reputable sources.
After installation, Pagefinder can change the default search provider on the Google Chrome browser to barosearch.com/search?s=chbspagfid&q={searchTerms}. At the time of research, this search engine redirected to searchnewworld.com/search/search2.html, and the modified Bing Search results were shown. PUPs that hijack search tools are known to switch things around, and so Pagefinder could redirect you to other search engines and use other reputable providers (e.g., Google or Yahoo) to expose you to the modified results. What are modified search results? These are results that are taken from well-known search providers but are also adjusted to include the links that the creator of the hijacker or the PUP wants you to see. Most likely, these would be sponsored links that the creator of the PUP might earn money for based on the pay-per-click marketing system. Unfortunately, it is always possible that malicious parties could pay off unreliable advertisers to promote links to malicious and scam websites too. Therefore, whenever searches are redirected or modified, trusting them is risky.
How to remove Pagefinder
Based on its official description, Pagefinder does not sound like a highly useful tool. It promises to help you access the websites you want, but that is what browsers are for. If you want to see quick-access buttons to your favorite websites on the browser, you can always bookmark the pages. Overall, it looks like the extension might have been created for the sole purpose of exposing you to a third-party search engine and also online ads. All things considered, you want to think carefully if this is the extension you want installed on your web browser. If it is not, we have a guide that will help you remove it. Use the instructions below to delete Pagefinder and also clear browsing data. If you cannot delete the potentially unwanted program yourself, you might be able to successfully employ an anti-malware program. Although the extension is not classified as malware by our research team, the right program will be able to recognize the suspicious add-on as a potential threat.
Removal Instructions
- Launch Google Chrome.
- Enter chrome://extensions/ into the address bar.
- Remove the undesirable extension.
- Enter chrome://settings/clearBrowserData into the address bar.
- Choose the time range and mark the boxes.
- Click Clear data and then restart the browser.
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