Grand Explorer
Grand Explorer is a browser hijacker that exhibits typical intrusive behavior while adding its unique quirks. Beyond altering your web browser settings and redirecting searches, it can autonomously open your browser, launching new tabs and pages, often without explicit user permission. This can occur even when your browser is closed, making its presence all the more disruptive. Although primarily an annoyance, the activities of Grand Explorer could lead to potentially harmful consequences. It may direct users to unsafe websites or phishing scams, raising security concerns. Such unsolicited actions also signify a breach in your system’s defenses, potentially inviting other forms of malware. Users should exercise caution, staying vigilant during software installations and regularly reviewing browser settings to maintain a safe browsing experience.
How to delete Grand Explorer?
To delete Grand Explorer, you must make sure to uninstall any suspicious apps in the Apps & Features list in your system’s settings. However, this is usually not enough to fully delete Grand Explorer, so you should also check other parts of your system for traces of the hijacker that must be removed.
What is Grand Explorer program?
The Grand Explorer program is unwanted software that infiltrates the browser and makes unauthorized changes to its settings. The Grand Explorer program isn’t damaging to the system or the user’s data, but is still considered a threat due to the potential risk of exposing the user to unsafe and malicious online content.
Grand Explorer software
The Grand Explorer software is categorized as a browser hijacker and it employs a sly distribution strategy. Commonly, it infiltrates systems via software bundles or through misleading links and attachments, blending in with legitimate content to deceive users. Once installed, it manipulates browser settings and creates files in various system locations. A known instance is the DDD8CC.exe file located in the C:\Users\Boris\AppData\Local\Temp folder. Deleting this Grand Explorer software file is crucial to the removal process, yet it’s not sufficient for full elimination, given the hijacker’s ability to spread throughout the system. Understanding these distribution tactics and keeping a vigilant eye on system files is essential. It’s always recommended to custom-install software and routinely monitor system folders for unfamiliar files to counter such threats.
What is Grand Explorer?
The Grand Explorer browser hijacker represents a significant risk to user systems. Its activity is not just limited to browser manipulation and creating unsolicited tabs and pages. By redirecting users to potentially unsafe websites, it exposes the system to further malware threats. Moreover, its ability to create files like DDD8CC.exe in various system directories like C:\Users\Boris\AppData\Local\Temp underscores its pervasive nature. These Grand Explorer files could serve as a gateway for more profound system compromise, such as attacks from Trojans or Ransomware. Additionally, by tracking your online activities, it can breach your privacy, possibly leading to personal data leaks. Such threats underline the importance of vigilance when installing software and the need to regularly check and cleanse system directories of unfamiliar or suspicious files.
Grand Explorer PC
Avoiding future encounters with rogue software like the Grand Explorer PC hijacker starts with a robust understanding of safe online practices. Primarily, be cautious with software downloads. Opt for trusted sources and avoid clicking on pop-up ads or suspicious links. During installation, choose the ‘custom’ or ‘advanced’ option to prevent unwanted bundled applications. Regular system and software updates are also essential, as they often include security improvements. Additionally, to stay away from hijackers like Grand Explorer, PC users need to implement strong privacy settings on your browser and consider using a browser extension that can detect and block harmful websites. Finally, regularly backing up your data is another best practice, as it ensures you won’t lose essential files if you need to clean your system.
SUMMARY:
| Name | Grand Explorer |
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Danger Level | Medium (nowhere near threats like Ransomware, but still a security risk) |
| Symptoms | Changes made to the browser’s interface, including added elements such as toolbars, buttons, plug-ins, a new homepage and default search engine. |
| Distribution Method | Spam messages, clickbait ads, other browser hijackers or similar pieces of advertising software, and program bundles. |
| Detection Tool | Some threats reinstall themselves if you don't delete their core files. We recommend downloading SpyHunter to remove harmful programs for you. This may save you hours and ensure you don't harm your system by deleting the wrong files. |
*Source of claim SH can remove it.
How to remove Grand Explorer
To try and remove Grand Explorer quickly you can try this:
- Go to your browser’s settings and select More Tools (or Add-ons, depending on your browser).
- Then click on the Extensions tab.
- Look for the Grand Explorer extension (as well as any other unfamiliar ones).
- Remove Grand Explorer by clicking on the Trash Bin icon next to its name.
- Confirm and get rid of Grand Explorer and any other suspicious items.
If this does not work as described please follow our more detailed Grand Explorer removal guide below.
If you have a Windows virus, continue with the guide below.
If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.
If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.
If you have an iPhone virus, please use our iPhone Virus Removal guide.
Some of the steps may require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.
Next, Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).
The first thing you must try to do is look for any sketchy installs on your computer and uninstall anything you think may come from Grand Explorer. After that, you’ll also need to get rid of any processes that may be related to the unwanted app by searching for them in the Task Manager.
Note that sometimes an app, especially a rogue one, may ask you to install something else or keep some of its data (such as settings files) on your PC – never agree to that when trying to delete a potentially rogue software. You need to make sure that everything is removed from your PC to get rid of the malware. Also, if you aren’t allowed to go through with the uninstallation, proceed with the guide, and try again after you’ve completed everything else.
- Uninstalling the rogue app
- Killing any rogue processes
Type Apps & Features in the Start Menu, open the first result, sort the list of apps by date, and look for suspicious recently installed entries.
Click on anything you think could be linked to Grand Explorer, then select uninstall, and follow the prompts to delete the app.
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, click More Details (if it’s not already clicked), and look for suspicious entries that may be linked to Grand Explorer.
If you come across a questionable process, right-click it, click Open File Location, scan the files with the free online malware scanner shown below, and then delete anything that gets flagged as a threat.
After that, if the rogue process is still visible in the Task Manager, right-click it again and select End Process.
It’s possible that Grand Explorer has affected various parts of your system, making changes to their settings. This can enable the malware to stay on the computer or automatically reinstall itself after you’ve seemingly deleted it. Therefore, you need to check the following elements by going to the Start Menu, searching for specific system elements that may have been affected, and pressing Enter to open them and see if anything has been changed there without your approval. Then you must undo any unwanted changes made to these settings in the way shown below:
- DNS
- Hosts
- Startup
- Task
Scheduler - Services
- Registry
Type in Start Menu: View network connections
Right-click on your primary network, go to Properties, and do this:
Type in Start Menu: C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Type in the Start Menu: Startup apps
Type in the Start Menu: Task Scheduler
Type in the Start Menu: Services
Type in the Start Menu: Registry Editor
Press Ctrl + F to open the search window
- Delete Grand Explorer from Chrome
- Delete Grand Explorer from Firefox
- Delete Grand Explorer from Edge
- Go to the Chrome menu > More tools > Extensions, and toggle off and Remove any unwanted extensions.
- Next, in the Chrome Menu, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data > Advanced. Tick everything except Passwords and click OK.
- Go to Privacy & Security > Site Settings > Notifications and delete any suspicious sites that are allowed to send you notifications. Do the same in Site Settings > Pop-ups and redirects.
- Go to Appearance and if there’s a suspicious URL in the Custom web address field, delete it.
- Firefox menu, go to Add-ons and themes > Extensions, toggle off any questionable extensions, click their three-dots menu, and click Remove.
- Open Settings from the Firefox menu, go to Privacy & Security > Clear Data, and click Clear.
- Scroll down to Permissions, click Settings on each permission, and delete from it any questionable sites.
- Go to the Home tab, see if there’s a suspicious URL in the Homepage and new windows field, and delete it.
- Open the browser menu, go to Extensions, click Manage Extensions, and Disable and Remove any rogue items.
- From the browser menu, click Settings > Privacy, searches, and services > Choose what to clear, check all boxes except Passwords, and click Clear now.
- Go to the Cookies and site permissions tab, check each type of permission for permitted rogue sites, and delete them.
- Open the Start, home, and new tabs section, and if there’s a rogue URL under Home button, delete it.
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