How to Remove Best File Converter (Browser Hijacker/PUP)

What is Best File Converter? And how does it work?

Best File Converter is a browser extension that allegedly allows users to convert various file formats into a PDF format. Its interface contains quick links to popular sites. As useful as this browser toolbar may look, it’s not really what it seems to be as security experts found out that it’s actually a browser hijacker that could hijack your browser’s settings the instant it gets installed. In fact, it is created by Polarity Technologies Ltd. – a company notorious for developing browser hijackers and unwanted programs.
If installed, it will quickly change the default new tab page, homepage and the search provider to its own settings without your consent. This kind of behavior is common for browser hijackers. As a result, whenever you browse the internet, you will experience sudden redirects to suspicious websites. Apart from redirects, you will also see tons of ads from banners, in-text links to pop-ups and many others. Some of them could even reroute you to unknown and questionable websites that may contain malicious programs or content that could harm your computer. It was also determined that like other browser hijackers, the Best File Converter is also capable of tracking down your browsing activities so it can collect data. It may include your IP address, search queries, websites you’ve visited, ads clicked and other browsing-related information. The collected data may be used and shared with third parties in order to deliver you with more ads. Needless to say, instead of improving your browsing, Best File Converter only ruins it.
How is Best File Converter distributed online?
Questionable programs like Best File Converter can be found in free sharing sites as a part of software bundles where along with other unknown programs, it is added in the optional components. This is why installing software bundles is quite tricky since you could end up installing not just one but lots of programs in a single installation. To prevent this from happening, you need to use the Advanced or Custom setup instead of the standard one as it lets you get rid of any additional programs that may have been added in the package before you proceed with the installation.
Make sure to follow the removal instructions provided below to delete Best File Converter from your browser and computer.
Step 1: The first thing you have to do is to close the browser infected with Best File Converter. And if you can’t close it manually, you can close it using the Task Manager instead. Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys and open the Task Manager.
Step 2: Next, look for the process of your browser, right click on it and select End task or End process to close it.
Step 3: Afterwards, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and press Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Step 4: From the list of programs installed, look for any programs that could be related to Best File Converter or any suspicious program you don’t remember installing under the list of installed programs and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.

Step 5: Edit your Hosts File.

Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
Go to System32/drivers/etc.
Open the hosts file using Notepad.
Delete all the entries that contain Best File Converter.
After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.

Step 6: Now you have to flush the DNS cache of your computer. To do so, right click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator). From there, type the “ipconfig /flushdns” command and hit Enter to flush the DNS.
Step 7: After that, restart your computer and then open your browsers and reset them back to their default state.
Google Chrome

Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
After that, click on Settings.
Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
Now restart Google Chrome.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
Select Options and then move to the General menu.
Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section and then restart the browser.

Internet Explorer

Launch Internet Explorer.
Next, click the wrench icon for Settings.
Then click Internet Options.
After that, go to the Advanced tab.
From there, click the Reset button. This will reset Internet Explorer’s settings to their default condition.
Now click OK to save the changes made.
Restart your computer.

Step 8: Hold down Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer.
Step 9: Navigate to the following directories and look for suspicious files associated to the browser hijacker such as the software bundle it came with and delete it/them.

%USERPROFILE%\Downloads
%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
%TEMP%

Step 10: Close the File Explorer and empty the contents of Recycle Bin.
Refer to the advanced instructions given below to ensure the removal of this browser hijacker from your computer as well as all the file residues it left behind.
Perform a full system scan using [product-code]. To do so, follow these steps:

Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot it.
After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.

To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit
Windows will now load the Safe Mode with Networking.
Press and hold both R key and Windows key.

If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
Type in the URL address, [product-url] in the Run dialog box and then tap Enter or click OK.
After that, it will download the program. Wait for the download to finish and then open the launcher to install the program.
Once the installation process is completed, run [product-code] to perform a full system scan.