If you install new programs on a regular basis, make sure you download them from official websites only. Free software applications that are hosted on third party pages are often bundled with such additional applications as Shop To Win Toolbar. It is an adware program that actually has its own home page at shoptowin.com. If you access the website, you will be confronted with a big amount of commercial content that is not 100% safe. It proves that Shop To Win Toolbar is a potentially unwanted application that should be removed from your computer as soon as possible.
To give Shop To Win Toolbar some credit, it is definitely not a dangerous computer infection. Some users do install it willingly with intention to save on your spending online, as the application offers various coupon deals on a number of popular online shopping malls. It should be pointed out, however, that Shop To Win Toolbar is not a toolbar, it is a browser plug-in that is compatible with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox web browsers.
Once you have Shop To Win Toolbar installed, it will offer you free entries to the Daily $500 and the End of Year $100.000 sweepstakes for every $5 that you spend on the affiliated websites. However, the question is how many times you will be exposed to potentially dangerous content during these shopping sessions.
The reason why computer security researchers are concerned about Shop To Win Toolbar is that the application is associated with FreeCause Toolbar which in turn is a potentially unwanted application from Conduit group. This connection only solidifies our suspicion that Shop To Win Toolbar is a potentially unwanted program as well.
Potentially unwanted programs are not malware infections, but they are applications that any security-minded user would not want to have on his/her computer. Such applications often display third party content that cannot be reviewed or trusted 100%. Also, the programs can be easily exploited by malevolent third parties for corrupted content distribution. The possibilities are low, but it is not uncommon for such programs as Shop To Win Toolbar to get used in malware distribution networks.
Hence, to avoid various potential threats you should remove Shop To Win Toolbar from your computer. Luckily, that is easy to do manually via Control Panel, and once manual removal is complete, the plug-ins are automatically removed from your browsers as well. Nevertheless, since Shop To Win Toolbar might have arrived with other potentially unwanted applications, you should also scan your computer with a security tool of choice, to make sure that all the unwanted and perhaps dangerous files are deleted for good.
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In case you need any further assistance with application removal, or you have any questions on computer security in general, do not hesitate to leave us a comment.