What is the Creative Toolbars virus (Hijacker)?
The Creative Toolbars virus is a term for malware referred to as Creative Toolbars malware and is categorized as a browser hijacker citing that Creative Toolbars (creativetoolbars.com) changes internet browser settings without permission of the computer user. The Creative Toolbars virus changes browser settings such as the home page, default, managed, and provided search engine, as well as browser shortcuts of popular internet browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer, and also installs a BHO, or browser attachment (add-on, extension, toolbar) titled Creative Toolbars, as well as associates with third-party browser attachments and software, including adware and spyware. This causes infected intenret browsers to start up on search.creativetoolbars.com and redirect to search.creativetoolbars.com when attempting to search the web using the browser’s address bar.
Creative Toolbars, referred to as the Creative Toolbars hijacker is similar to Certified Toolbar because Creative Toolbars primarily infects a computer system and attaches to internet browsers without consent or knowledge. Creative Toolbars may bundle with third-party software including freeware, shareware, codecs, and torrents, and malware such as adware, additional browser hijackers, and spyware. It has been noted that removing a third-party browser add-on or extenion has stopped an itnernet browser from redirecting to search.creativetoolbars.com (and vice versa concerning third-party search engines such as Delta Search).
Search results displayed on the Creative Toolbar search results page (http://search.creativetoolbars.com/) are likely sponsored though some results are realistic. It should be noted that many of the sponsored search results on search.creativetoolbars.com may link to suspicious, malicious, and “spam” websites. Some of these websites in search results peddle unethical software when prompted to search for “botcrawl.”
If you are infected with Creative Toolbars malware, also referred to as Creativetoolbars malware, and are redirecting to search.creativetoolbars.com and other unwanted websites, or expericning other symptoms of malware, please use our free Creative Toolbars removal insttructions further below to remove Creative Toolbars and stop your internet browser from redirecing to the Creative Toolbars Search Engine and other unwanted and malicious search engines.
How does Creative Toolbars malware infect a computer?
The Creative Toolbars malware, or Creative Toolbars add-ons and Creative Toolbars extensions cannot be downloaded from creativetoolbars.com as Creative Toolbars is not a legitimate browser attachment for Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. The image below shows that the primary Creativetoolbars.com domain only displays sever connectivity information.
Creative Toolbars malware primarily bundles with third party software and unethical downloads that involve entrapping internet users to terms they would never agree with if presented with properly. Downloads may include software and files such as freeware, shareware, codecs, and torrents, or even legitimate downloads from third-party websites. Websites such as download.com often include third-party software and privacy invading malware with their downloads in order to generate an unethcal source of income.
How to remove Creative Toolbars malware
- Uninstall Creative Toolbars malware – Use the correct Creative Toolbars malware uninstall procedures (2 options)
- Scan computer for malware – Scan for and remove additional malware infecting your computer
- Automatically repair browser settings – Automatically remove Creative Toolbars browser settings and uninstall Creative Toolbars software
- Manually remove Search.creativetoolbars.com homepage
- Manually remove Search.creativetoolbars.com search engine
1. Uninstall Creative Toolbars malware (2 options)
Creative Toolbars has been reported to be difficult to uninstall using, therefore two separate instructions to uninstall Creative Toolbars has been detailed.
Option 1: Windows Uninstall (Manual Uninstall)
1. Access Windows Start Menu and navigate to the Control Panel.
2. Click Uninstall a program or Add and remove a program (depending on your version of Windows).
3. In the list of installed programs search for Creative Toolbars and other suspicious third party programs. Uninstall Creative Toolbars and unwanted software by double clicking the program’s icon, or highlight the program in the list and click the Uninstall button/tab.
Option 2: CCleaner by Piriform (Automated Uninstall)
CCleaner by Piriform
CCleaner can be used to uninstall stubborn Creative Toolbars browser software if the software has proven to be difficult. CCleaner is notorious for removing similar malware such as Conduit.
1. Install the free or paid version of CCleaner by Piriform and run the program.
2. Once installed, navigate to Tools > Uninstall tab and locate Creative Toolbars software in the list. To automatically uninstall Creative Toolbars software click Run Uninstaller.
2. Scan computer for malware (Automated removal)
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware can be used to detect and remove additional and/or third-party malware from your computer system, including malware that may be responsible for symptoms of the Creative Toolbars virus.
1. Install the free or paid version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware software.
2. Once Malwarebytes is installed, run the program. If you are using the free version of Malwarebytes you will be prompted to update the database, please do so.
3. Open the first tab labeled “Scanner” and select the Perform full scan option. Click the Scan button to perform a full system scan. Malwarebytes will automatically detect malware infecting your computer system.
4. Once the full system scan is complete, Malwarebytes may prompt a message stating malicious objects were detected. Select the malicious objects and click the Remove Selected button to completely remove the malicious files from your computer (the image below shows a file that is NOT selected).
3. Automatically repair browser settings (Automated repair)
CCleaner by Piriform
CCleaner can also be used to repair internet browser settings and stop your browser from redirecting to https://www.search.creativetoolbars.com and other websites, such as start.creativetoolbars.com, and third-party domains.
1. Install the free or paid version of CCleaner by Piriform and run the program.
2. Once installed, run the program and navigate to Cleaner > Windows/Applications and click the Analyze button. Afterwards, click the Run Cleaner button on the bottom right of the program interface.
3. Next, navigate to Tools > Startup and search through each tab starting from windows, internet explorer, etc., all the way to Content Menu, for additional suspicious entries and click Disable and Delete once anything is found. Look for anything that may be suspicious or contain “Creative” or “Toolbar” in the title or filename.
4. Manually remove Search.creativetoolbars.com homepage
- In Mozilla Firefox navigate to Tools > Options or click Firefox in the top left corner and click Options > Options. Under the General tab remove search.creativetoolbars.com from the “Home Page:” field and replace it with your preferred home page URL.
- In Microsoft Internet Explorer navigate to Tools >Internet Options. Remove search.creativetoolbars.com from the Home Page field and replace it with your preferred URL.
- In Google Chrome click the customize icon (wrench or 3 bars) and navigate to Settings.Click “Set pages” under the On startup option. Remove search.creativetoolbars.com and replace it with your preferred URL.
5. Manually remove Search.creativetoolbars.com search engine
- In Mozilla Firefox, click the small search magnify glass near the search box (not url/search field) and click “Manage Search Engines…”. Remove the search.creativetoolbars.com search engine from the list of search providers by highlighting the selections and clicking remove.
- In Microsoft Internet Explorer navigate to Tools > Manage Add Ons > Search Providers and remove the search.creativetoolbars.com search engine from the list.
- In Google Chrome, click the customize icon (wrench or 3 bars) and navigate to Settings > Manage search engines… click the X next to search.creativetoolbars.com to remove it as your search engine.
Please note, If www.search.creativetoolbars.com is set as Google Chrome’s default search engine, add (or select) a new search engine (such as Google.com) and select the new search engine as the default search engine, then remove search.creativetoolbars.com by clicking the X next to it.
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