Frugalshark.com is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that is mysteriously installed on the computer after downloading free software from suspicious websites. Once installed, Frugalshark.com modifies the web browser settings and replaces the existing home page, new tab page, and search engine. Consequently, Frugalshark.com will try to display ads on the browser as many as possible. Ads will appear in different forms such as pop-up ads, banners, promotional surveys, or coupons.
Frugalshark.com gets dangerous when web user clicks on the advertisements it offers. Ads from Frugalshark.com are usually links of questionable sites, unwanted programs, or fake software updates. Apart from that, clicking ads can possibly redirect the web user into compromised sites that may pose more risks and infections. Because of these reasons, it is not recommended to click any ads when the browser is infected with Frugalshark.com. Such action can result in computer infections that can lead to severe issues later on.
The malicious operations on the browser can diminish web users browsing experience. The hijacked browser cannot be able to generate precise search results. Instead, it will present web user into unreliable sources providing irrelevant search results. The main point is, Frugalshark.com will never bring any advantage to web user. The presence of Frugalshark.com on the computer can only bring risks and issues. In order to prevent further implications, web user must remove it permanently from the computer.
As mentioned earlier, Frugalshark.com comes installed along with freeware. Therefore, web user should be cautious about choosing programs for installation. Make sure that the program is not incorporating any malicious software like Frugalshark.com. In addition, web user should check closely while downloading and installing freeware.
Frugalshark.com Removal Procedure
Below is a systematic instruction that is very useful in getting rid of the potentially unwanted program (PUP) from compromised computer.
In order to totally eliminate the threat, it is vital to follow the process in exact manner.
Stage 1: Delete Browser Extension
Most adware and unwanted programs are using a program called browser extension to be able to take over the settings of internet applications. Therefore, we highly recommend to check and remove the extension that is closely related to Frugalshark.com.
Remove Frugalshark.com Extension from Google Chrome
1. Open Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Find Frugalshark.com, Access Your Coupons, or relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome.
Uninstall Frugalshark.com Extension from Firefox
1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type about:addons in the address bar and press Enter on keyboard.
3. Choose Extensions on sidebar menu.
4. Look for object that is pertaining to Frugalshark.com or Access Your Coupons, and remove it from the browser.
Remove Frugalshark.com Add-ons from Internet Explorer
1. Open Internet Explorer program.
2. Go to top Menu and click Tools. Then, select Manage Add-ons from the drop-down list.
3. Look for and Remove or Disable entries of Frugalshark.com from Toolbars and Extension and Search Providers section.
4. Close the window and restart Internet Explorer.
If Frugalshark.com is still present on the IE browser, another option is to remove the adware from Windows Control Panel.
5. Press Windows Key + R and then, type appwiz.cpl command.
6. Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in chronological manner with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on ‘Installed On‘ column.
7. Select Frugalshark.com, Access Your Coupons, or recently installed unwanted entry. Then, click on Uninstall to remove it from Windows system.
Stage 2: Scan and Delete Adware with AdwCleaner
In addition to the procedure, we suggest scanning the computer with AdwCleaner tool. Possibly, there are some traces of Frugalshark.com on the browser that was not deleted during the preceding steps. This tool will scan the computer and check for presence of malicious applications.
1. Follow the link below to download the tool called AdwCleaner.
Click here to download AdwCleaner (this will open a new window)
2. When the download has completed, please close all running programs on the computer especially browsers affected by Frugalshark.com.
3. Browse the location of the downloaded file and double-click on adwcleaner_Ver.exe to start running the tool. Then, click on Scan button.
4. AdwCleaner searches the computer for malicious programs, extensions, plug-ins, adware, and any items that may be associated to Frugalshark.com.
5. Clean or Remove all suspicious and harmful items identified after the thorough scan.
6. After the cleanup procedure, rebooting the computer is required to finalize the removal of detected threats.
Stage 3: Scan the Computer with Sophos Virus Removal Tool
Lastly, we will scan the computer with a multi-function security program. This will inspect the computer for possible presence of virus, malware, rootkit, adware as well as unwanted homepage like Frugalshark.com.
1. Download Sophos Virus Removal Tool from the link below. Save the file on your computer where you can easily access it.
Sophos Virus Removal Tool Download Link (this will open a new window)
2. Once the download completes, browse the location of the file. Double-click to run the program and begin the install process. If Windows prompts for User Account Control, please click Yes to proceed.
3. On first windows of installation wizard, click Next to continue. Then, it will display the program’s License Agreement. You need to Accept the terms in order to proceed.
4. On succeeding windows, click Next or Continue to carry on with the installation. After completing the installation process, Launch Sophos Virus Removal Tool.
5. Internet connection is required when running this scanner in order to download important updates. Make sure that everything is up-to-date to effectively remove malicious program like Frugalshark.com.
6. Click the button to carry out the Scan. This will check the system for presence of malicious objects, malware, and viruses. The tool reveals items that were found linked to Frugalshark.com and other suspicious entities. Be sure to remove all identified threats.
Option: Alternative Method to Clean Up Internet Browser from Frugalshark.com
Not all adware and PUP’s are the same. Some cannot be removed by deleting relevant extensions and codes. On this instances, resetting the browser to default configuration is the only best solution. If Frugalshark.com is still bothering you after completing all the steps above, please execute the procedures below to reset the settings of affected browser program.
Use Chrome Clean Up Tool to Delete Frugalshark.com
1. Open Google Chrome application.
2. Type this strings in the address box: chrome://settings/ and then, press Enter on keyboard.
3. Scroll down and expand Advanced settings area.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page until you see Reset and Cleanup section.
5. Click on Clean Up Computer. On next page, please click FIND to proceed.
This feature of Google Chrome aims to find harmful software and remove it instantly. If unable to delete Frugalshark.com, the other option is to Reset Google Chrome settings to its original defaults. Just go back to previous page (Clean Up Computer) and reset the settings. See more details on this page.
Reset Mozilla Firefox to Default
If Mozilla Firefox is affected by Frugalshark.com and procedures above were not helpful, we suggest that you carry out these steps. This process can fix the issue by restoring Firefox browser to default factory state. Most browser data will be affected but not bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, and internet cookies. Extensions and other installed plug-ins maybe deleted by this function. Therefore, if you wish to remove specific extension only, please see manual add-on removal from this link.
1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and type the following in the address bar: about:support
2. Browser will be directed to a page of Troubleshooting Information. You will notice a section on upper-right corner of the screen stating ‘Give Firefox a Tune Up‘. Click the Refresh Firefox button.
3. Confirmation window will pop-up, click Refresh Firefox to continue.
4. The reset process will automatically close the browser and proceed with the restoration. Next, it will display a list of restored data. Frugalshark.com should be gone by now. Click Finish to close the current window and open a fresh window of Mozilla Firefox.
