If you often need to convert various document files, you might consider adding Download Office Tools to your Chrome browser. However, if you have never heard of this extension, and it’s still there on your browser, it is clear that the application reached and entered your computer uninvited. That’s one of the reasons Download Office Tools is called a potentially unwanted program. It doesn’t mean it’s a malicious infection, but when a program is not wanted, there’s no need to tolerate it. Therefore, remove Download Office Tools from your browser today, and forget all about it.
One thing we have to understand about such apps is that they have multiple ways to reach your computer. For example, Download Office Tools has an official homepage, and you can easily reach it through downloadofficetools.com. However, the extension is also available via the Chrome Web Store, and it since the Chrome Web Store is an official Chrome page for browser extensions, it makes it seem that Download Office Tools is a reliable application, right?
Aside from that, Download Office Tools could also come with other freeware applications when you download something from a file-sharing website. There are tons of websites out there that distribute freeware, but the installers you download from those sites tend to bundle several applications in one, and users often do not notice that because they breeze through the installation, no questions asked.
If you have recently installed some new applications from a third-party source, and then suddenly your default search engine was changed to query.hconvertmyvidsnow.com, the chances are that the app you downloaded had Download Office Tools in its setup.
So, you can already see that Download Office Tools modifies your browser’s settings. It changes the new tab and homepage settings, and then redirects all of your search queries into its own “search engine,” but you will soon see that you eventually land on the Yahoo! Search page. Of course, it doesn’t mean that Yahoo! Search is associated with this application. Such apps often employ well-known search engines to make them look more reliable. As a result, the potentially unwanted programs end up displaying modified search results because they change the browser settings, and please note that it has nothing to do with the search engine that the extension employs.
For the most part, the side effects of Download Office Tools are more annoying than dangerous. You will probably see links to commercial websites that will be related to your likes and preferences. Download Office Tools can provide you with such links because it collects information on your web browsing habits. When you add this extension to your browser, it explicitly states that it “reads your browsing history.” Technically, this is necessary to provide you with the best customer service out there, but some of your personal web browsing patterns could be exposed to a number of online marketing campaigns. So, don’t be surprised to see an increase in commercial ads you see online once Download Office Tools is added to your browser.
If you do not need this extension and it reached you accidentally, you can just remove Download Office Tools from Chrome via the main settings menu. Our team would recommend restoring your browser’s settings to default because you need to get rid of all the modifications imposed by this app.
Afterward, invest in a powerful antispyware tool to perform a full system scan. Since it is highly possible that you have a lot of unwanted apps on-board, you need to find them all and remove them at once. Finally, if you have further questions about this issue, feel free to drop us a comment.