Name | VitalBrowserHelper |
Type | Adware, PUP |
Short Description | Administers intrusive advertisements |
Symptoms | Slow PC; Background process in Windows Task Manager; Advertisements |
Distribution Method | Bundling or by clicking on an ad |
Detection tool | Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected By VitalBrowserHelper |
Users have reported seeing advertised content brought by a potentially unwanted program(PUP) on their computers, called VitalBrowserHelper. There are several ways to install this unwanted program, and after it is situated on the computer, it cooperates with third-party sites to display advertised content. The program itself is harmless. However, its publishers have explicitly mentioned that they hold no responsibility if any harm may come to the user’s PC via third-party advertising. They also suggested that third-party sites may employ various tracking technologies in order to display targeted advertisements and all of these plus its detection as a PUP by a particular anti-malware software point out to the recommendation of its removal.
VitalBrowserHelper – How Did I Get It?
There are several different methods for installing this application. It is available via a direct download from its site by clicking on an ad or bundled downloads. Bundling is a very common marketing strategy because it is very effective. Most third-party sites that offer various free programs, widely used worldwide may bundle other applications on demand. The downside of this is that some third party sites disregard any what so ever warnings regarding whether or not those programs are harmful or not. And most antivirus only detects directly malicious threats to the PC, not programs that are ad-supported and directly harmless.
More About VitalBrowserHelper
VitalBrowserHelper is advertised as a helpful software that will in a way improve user experience by displaying relevant content based on user preferences. The app developers, claim in its website VitalBrowserHelper.com that this program will show the best possible deals regarding what it is they are looking for on the web and hence save them money. This may be true, some relevant results may be displayed. But what users are not aware of is that the software may also display advertisements from third-party websites that may either be a scamming ones or infect user PCs with different malware. Given that into consideration, here is VitalBrowserHelper’s policy, regarding tracking technologies and third-party sites collecting user data:
As seen the program disclaims any liability in case a related problem occurs, however, it does not take any responsibility when third-parties are involved. This means that the user may become a victim of:
- A malicious site that infects his PC with trojans, viruses, worms, clickers, downloaders, spam viruses for social networks and others.
- A scam involving a scareware message saying his PC is infected with a virus and asking to call a fake tech support number that eventually asks for huge fees to fix the issue.
- A fraud involving fraudulent retail stores that have no actual inventory and only drop ship the product (buy it from another vendor cheaper) or do not send any products and just collect financial data upon online purchasing.
Once run on your desktop, the program situates an active executable process in the Windows Task Manager. It may be the one administering ads, and the is a likelihood that it may send out different user information to foreign domains with the purpose of identifying user interests and displaying ads based on those. The user may not immediately but eventually start seeing advertisements. Those could be in various forms:
- Highlighted texts on the sites he/she visits.
- Intrusive Pop-up ads timed to pop-up at the exact moment and location before a user click. Those are specially designed for fast-clickers.
- Site banners – the app may take over banner spaces on various places the user often visits.
What is more, when a scan has been run, the application was detected by an advanced anti-malware scanner as a potentially harmful adware program that may be indirectly dangerous to the user PC and there were several different files and settings modified by it. What is more, the app is advertised as a browser add-on. However, no browser add-ons associated with it were detected in any of the following browsers:
→Google Chrome
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Opera
Removing VitalBrowserHelper from Your Computer
In case you have decided to delete this application manually from your computer, you should make sure you follow the instructions for manual removal below. However, since the app may leave some settings or objects still on the user PC after manual removal, it is highly advisable to be rid of it, using an advanced anti-malware program. It will automatically rid you of any associated objects from your computer and protect it from any intrusions that the adware may have already caused on your PC.
Step 1: Remove/Uninstall VitalBrowserHelper in Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps to remove that program. No matter if you are using Windows 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 get left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, mistakes 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:
Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall VitalBrowserHelper.
Step 2: Remove VitalBrowserHelper from your browser
Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu
Select VitalBrowserHelper and click “Remove”
After VitalBrowserHelper is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.
Select VitalBrowserHelper to remove, and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected toolbar, and some additional toolbars might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.
After VitalBrowserHelper has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ in the top right corner and start it again.
Open the drop menu by clicking on the sprocket icon in the top right corner.
From the drop menu select ‘Preferences’
In the new window select ‘Extensions’
Click once on VitalBrowserHelper
Click ‘Uninstall’
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall VitalBrowserHelper. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the VitalBrowserHelper will be removed.
Step 3: Remove VitalBrowserHelper automatically by downloading an advanced anti-malware program.
To clean your computer you should download an updated anti-malware program on a safe PC and then install it on the affected computer in offline mode. After that you should boot into safe mode and scan your computer to remove all VitalBrowserHelper associated objects.
- Guide 1: How to Remove VitalBrowserHelper from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of VitalBrowserHelper from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove VitalBrowserHelper from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase VitalBrowserHelper from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall VitalBrowserHelper from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove VitalBrowserHelper from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate VitalBrowserHelper from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove VitalBrowserHelper from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove VitalBrowserHelper





Step 2: Uninstall VitalBrowserHelper 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:



Step 3: Clean any registries, created by VitalBrowserHelper 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 VitalBrowserHelper there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:



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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Get rid of VitalBrowserHelper from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall VitalBrowserHelper 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:
- 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 VitalBrowserHelper 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:
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 VitalBrowserHelper files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as VitalBrowserHelper, 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove VitalBrowserHelper 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
Erase VitalBrowserHelper 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
Uninstall VitalBrowserHelper 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
Remove VitalBrowserHelper 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 VitalBrowserHelper will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate VitalBrowserHelper 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.