The Idle Buddy is a suspicious program that infects computer systems. Since it is designed to cause a lot of adverse impacts that seriously disrupt system security, it is recommendable to consider its complete removal as soon as possible. Once started on your device, Idle Buddy becomes able to perform significant changes that affect both browser and system settings. Afterward, it could start generating annoying advertisements based on your interests and what’s worse use PC resources to mine for digital cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Monero and Dash. Such behavior makes this undesired program adware and miner at the same time. On top of this, Idle Buddy was reported to prevent affected users from uninstalling it by following the regular uninstall steps.
This guide will present more details on this annoying app and show you how to get rid of Idle Buddy once and forever.
Threat Summary
| Name | Idle Buddy |
| Type | Malware |
| Short Description | A suspicious undesired program that alters important settings without your permission. Aims to compromise commonly used web browsers and start collecting data for advertising purposes. Uses system resources for cryptocurrecncy mining. |
| Symptoms | Your preferred web browser is inundated with lots of annoying advertisements. Your browser and PC are slower. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Idle Buddy. |
Idle Buddy – Methods of Distribution
The malicious program Idle Buddy is likely to gain access to your computer and browser without asking you for permission. Since unwanted apps like Idle Buddy are often spread via software bundles, you might have unnoticeably installed it along with any desired third-party application.
Most of the times infections of this kind are incorporated into the installers of various supposedly useful free apps that are available on the net. Unfortunately, in an attempt to trick users into infecting their devices added extras, developers of third-party apps rarely disclose properly all installer’s components.
Sometimes the information may be hidden in the Advanced/Custom configuration step as users prefer to follow it once in a blue moon. So what we recommend you is to select it every time you decide to install a new app on your machine. Once you reveal the information about all additional components incorporated into the installer you can easily opt out their installation and prevent your system from being affected by nasty virus apps like Idle Buddy.
IdleBuddy – More Details
Idle Buddy is a malicious app that belongs to two malware categories. On one hand, it is classified as [wplinkpreview url=”https://sensorstechforum.com/adware-malicious-advanced-techniques/”] adware due to its capabilities of modifying web browsers’settings. Soon after it applies the changes it starts spamming you with lots of annoying targeted advertisements and sponsored content. The nasty app which is often called a virus by affected users may affect the main settings of almost all popular web browsers including those of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Opera and Safari.
One of the main goals of Idle Buddy virus is to obtain sensitive information from your browser so it can then use it for the delivery of ads based on your personal interests. To complete that goal, the undesired program may activate various tracking technologies and harvest details like:
- Visited URLs and websites
- Browser’s home page
- Search queries
- Search queries on the visited web pages
- Type of used browser
- Operating system type
- Internet protocol (IP) address
- Geographic location
- The domain name of current Internet service provider (ISP)
- Diagnostic information which describes how their Services are operating on the system
Apparently, to improve ad targeting, Idle Buddy virus may be collecting both personally and non-personally identifiable information. At worst some details about your browser and system may be disclosed to bad actors on dark web markets. As a result, they may attempt to exploit present system/browser vulnerabilities and deliver severe malware directly on your PC.
Like in case of infection with typical adware, infection with Idle Buddy, leads to an increased number of intrusive advertisements in and out of the affected web browser. For the sake of your security, it is advisable to avoid clicking on all the banners, pop-ups, pop-unders, in-text links, etc. that you see. Some of them may land on compromised web pages that deliver other malware on your PC.
On the other hand, Idle Buddy acts like [wplinkpreview url=”https://sensorstechforum.com/bitcoin-miner-virus-detect-remove-it/”] a miner virus. So as long as it is running on your PC, it may be using the CPU and GPU resources of your PC in order to mine for specific cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Monero and Dash. In other words, the undesired program may be generating coins to its owners while damaging your computer. This, in turn, could lead to permanent hardware damages.
On top of all mentioned issues, Idle Buddy hides in your programs under a different name so that you are less likely to find and uninstall it. As reported it is often using the name “work group inc”. Yet another file that is associated with IdleBuddy application is ibservice.exe.
But the annoyance doesn’t stop here. Even when you uncover its disguise and navigate to the uninstall step, you will still be unable to delete Idle Buddy once and forever. During our research, we identified that all the Uninstall setup of the program could do is keep saying that it didn’t uninstall Idle Buddy successfully. So, unfortunately, when you reach the uninstall window shown below it won’t resolve the problem with the annoying Idle Buddy app.
The good news is that if you complete all steps from the removal guide below, you will delete Idle Buddy from your infected PC and prevent it from causing all mentioned harmful issues.
How to Remove Idle Buddy Completely
The steps listed below will help you remove Idle Buddy virus completely from affected Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, and Safari browsers and restore their settings. You will also find how to remove the nasty program from your Windows system. For the removal, you could follow either manual or automatic approach. Since Idle Buddy is known to be a persistent threat, we recommend you to consider the completion of both the manual and automatic approaches. With the help of an advanced anti-malware tool, you can not only locate and eliminate all leftovers but also keep your system protected from future malware attacks.
Gergana Ivanova
Highly motivated writer with 5+ years of experience writing for ransomware, malware, adware, PUPs, and other cybersecurity-related issues. As a writer, I strive to create content that is based on thorough technical research. I find joy in the process of creating articles that are easy to understand, informative, and useful. Follow me on Twitter (@IRGergana) for the latest in the field of computer, mobile, and online security.
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- Guide 1: How to Remove Idle Buddy from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Idle Buddy on Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove Idle Buddy in Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase Idle Buddy from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall Idle Buddy from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove Idle Buddy from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate Idle Buddy from Internet Explorer.
- Guide 8: Disable Idle Buddy Push Notifications in Your Browsers.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
About the Idle Buddy Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Idle Buddy how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.
How did we conduct the research on Idle Buddy?
Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the Idle Buddy threat is backed with VirusTotal https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
References
1.Browser Redirect – What Is It?
2.Adware Is Malicious, and It Uses Advanced Techniques to Infect
3.The Thin Red Line Between Potentially Unwanted Programs and Malware
4.The Pay-Per-Install Affiliate Business – Making Millions out of Adware
5.Malicious Firefox Extensions Installed by 455,000 Users Blocked Updates
How to Remove Idle Buddy from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Idle Buddy
Step 2: Uninstall Idle Buddy and related software from Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 3: Clean any registries, created by Idle Buddy on your computer.
The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Idle Buddy there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
1. Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.
2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.
3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.
Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Step 4: Scan for Idle Buddy with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.
2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
3. After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.
4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.
Video Removal Guide for Idle Buddy (Windows).
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Get rid of Idle Buddy from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Idle Buddy and remove related files and objects
1.Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3.In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Idle Buddy:
4.Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5.In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Idle Buddy. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.
Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Idle Buddy. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove Idle Buddy via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Idle Buddy. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 2: Scan for and remove Idle Buddy files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Idle Buddy, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Video Removal Guide for Idle Buddy (Mac)
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Remove Idle Buddy from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2:Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Erase Idle Buddy from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Uninstall Idle Buddy from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Remove Idle Buddy from Safari.
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Idle Buddy will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups
Eliminate Idle Buddy from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.
Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Remove Push Notifications caused by Idle Buddy from Your Browsers.
Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome
To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:
Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.
Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:
Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:
Step 4: Open “Notifications”:
Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:
Remove Push Notifications on Firefox
Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.
Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":
Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”
Stop Push Notifications on Opera
Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.
Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.
Step 3: Open Notifications:
Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):
Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari
Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.
Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".
Idle Buddy FAQ
What is Idle Buddy?
The Idle Buddy threat is adware or browser redirect virus. It may slow your computer down siginficantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.
The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.
What are the symptoms of Idle Buddy?
There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:
Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and has poor performance in general.
Symtpom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.
Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.
Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.
Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.
If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts reccomend that you check your computer for viruses.
What types of Unwanted Programs are there?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to do if I have a "virus" like Idle Buddy?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most adware or unwanted program threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them from your browser and computer. One reccomended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you. There are many anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter is one of the reccomended anti-malware apps, that can scan your computer for free and detect any viruses, tracking cookies and unwanted adware apps and eliminate them quickly. This saves time when compared to doing the removal manually.
How to secure my passwords and other data from Idle Buddy?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our website, where you can also ask any questions and comment underneath the articles about your computer problems. We will try to respond as fast as possible.
