How to remove Trojan.Downloader [Virus removal guide]

If you find that antivirus software detects Trojan.Downloader then you need to know that a malware, a potentially unwanted application (PUA) or an adware (also known as ‘ad-supported’ software) get installed on your machine. The Trojan.Downloader is a form of malicious software. It is not a virus in the “general meaning” of this word. The Trojan.Downloader will not delete or damage your files, it is created in order to download and install other harmful apps such as spyware, adware and PUPS (potentially unwanted programs) onto your personal computer. So, you’d better to remove this malware ASAP. Here, in this post below, you can found the helpful steps on How to get rid of Trojan.Downloader from your computer for free.

The Trojan.Downloader malware is not a virus, but the virus behaves similarly. As a virus hides in the system, changes system settings and blocks them from changing. Also this malware can install additional web browser extensions and modules that will inject advertising banners within the Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Firefox’s screen. Moreover, the Trojan.Downloader may install web browser hijacker that once started, will change the browser’s start page and search provider. Even worse, the malware can collect a wide variety of user info about you such as what web-sites you are opening, what you are looking for the Internet and so on. This user info, subsequently, may be transferred third party companies.

The Trojan.Downloader usually hijacks only the Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and MS Edge by modifying the internet browser’s settings or installing a harmful extensions. Moreover, possible situations, when any other internet browsers will be hijacked too. The malware will perform a scan of the system for web-browser shortcut files and modify them without your permission. When it infects the web-browser shortcuts, it’ll add the argument like ‘http://site.address’ into Target property. So, each time you open the web browser, you’ll see an unwanted web page.

We recommend to get rid of the Trojan.Downloader as soon as you found this problem, as it can load various malicious software on your personal computer. The few simple steps below will assist you to remove Trojan.Downloader. What is more, the tutorial will help you remove other malicious apps like undesired toolbars and browser hijackers, which can be installed onto machine along with this malware.

How to remove Trojan.Downloader

In most cases the Trojan.Downloader requires more than a simple uninstall through the use of Microsoft Windows Control panel in order to be fully uninstalled. For that reason, our team made several removal ways that we’ve combined in a detailed tutorial. Therefore, if you’ve the Trojan.Downloader virus on your computer and are currently trying to have it deleted then feel free to follow the guidance below in order to resolve your problem. Read this manual carefully, bookmark or print it, because you may need to close your web-browser or reboot your computer.

To remove Trojan.Downloader, follow the steps below:

1. How to remove Trojan.Downloader virus without any software
   • Delete potentially unwanted programs through the Microsoft Windows Control Panel
   • Remove Trojan.Downloader from Google Chrome
   • Get rid of Trojan.Downloader from FF by resetting web browser settings
   • Get rid of Trojan.Downloader from Internet Explorer
   • Fix internet browser shortcuts, modified by Trojan.Downloader
   • Remove unwanted Scheduled Tasks
2. Remove Trojan.Downloader virus with free software
   • How to automatically get rid of Trojan.Downloader virus with Zemana Anti-malware
   • Scan your computer and delete Trojan.Downloader malware with Hitman Pro
   • Run Malwarebytes to get rid of Trojan.Downloader virus
3. How to stay safe online
4. Where the Trojan.Downloader virus comes from
5. Finish words

How to remove Trojan.Downloader virus without any software

These steps to get rid of Trojan.Downloader malware without any applications are presented below. Be sure to carry out the step-by-step tutorial completely to fully remove the Trojan.Downloader virus that can give a remote malicious hacker access to your machine.

Delete potentially unwanted programs through the Microsoft Windows Control Panel

Some PUPs, browser hijacking apps and other unwanted software may be removed by uninstalling the freeware they came with. If this way does not succeed, then looking them up in the list of installed software in Microsoft Windows Control Panel. Use the “Uninstall” command in order to delete them.

It will open the Windows Control Panel as on the image below.

Next, click “Uninstall a program”
It will show a list of all software installed on your system. Scroll through the all list, and remove any suspicious and unknown software. To quickly find the latest installed apps, we recommend sort apps by date in the Control panel.

Remove Trojan.Downloader from Google Chrome

Reset Google Chrome settings is a easy way to delete the browser hijackers, harmful and ‘ad-supported’ extensions, as well as to restore the internet browser’s search engine, startpage and new tab page that have been modified by Trojan.Downloader.

First start the Google Chrome. Next, press the button in the form of three horizontal dots ().

It will display the Google Chrome menu. Choose More Tools, then click Extensions. Carefully browse through the list of installed extensions. If the list has the plugin signed with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guide: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.

Open the Google Chrome menu once again. Further, click the option called “Settings”.

The web browser will display the settings screen. Another solution to display the Google Chrome’s settings – type chrome://settings in the browser adress bar and press Enter

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the “Reset” section is visible, as shown on the image below and press the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.

The Google Chrome will display the confirmation prompt as on the image below.

You need to confirm your action, click the “Reset” button. The browser will start the task of cleaning. When it’s finished, the browser’s settings including search engine, newtab and home page back to the values that have been when the Chrome was first installed on your system.

Get rid of Trojan.Downloader from Firefox by resetting web browser settings

If your FF internet browser is infected by Trojan.Downloader or an unknown search engine opens results for your search, then it may be time to perform the web-browser reset.

First, run the Firefox and click button. It will display the drop-down menu on the right-part of the web browser. Further, press the Help button () like below.

In the Help menu, select the “Troubleshooting Information” option. Another way to open the “Troubleshooting Information” screen – type “about:support” in the internet browser adress bar and press Enter. It will display the “Troubleshooting Information” page as shown on the screen below. In the upper-right corner of this screen, click the “Refresh Firefox” button.

It will show the confirmation prompt. Further, click the “Refresh Firefox” button. The FF will begin a process to fix your problems that caused by the Trojan.Downloader virus. When, it’s finished, click the “Finish” button.

Get rid of Trojan.Downloader from Internet Explorer

If you find that IE web browser settings such as newtab, startpage and search provider having been modified by Trojan.Downloader malware, then you may restore your settings, via the reset browser procedure.

First, start the Internet Explorer, then click ‘gear’ icon . It will display the Tools drop-down menu on the right part of the browser, then click the “Internet Options” like below.

In the “Internet Options” screen, select the “Advanced” tab, then click the “Reset” button. The Microsoft Internet Explorer will display the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” dialog box. Further, click the “Delete personal settings” check box to select it. Next, click the “Reset” button as shown on the image below.

After the process is done, click “Close” button. Close the IE and restart your computer for the changes to take effect. This step will help you to restore your internet browser’s new tab page, home page and search engine by default to default state.

Fix internet browser shortcuts, modified by trojan

Important to know, most anti-malware applications which are able to remove Trojan.Downloader virus, but unable to detect and recover modified shortcut files. So, you need to fix the desktop shortcuts for your MS Edge, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome internet browsers manually.

Right click on the web-browser’s shortcut file, click Properties option. On the Shortcut tab, locate the Target field. Click inside, you will see a vertical line – arrow pointer, move it (using -> arrow key on your keyboard) to the right as possible. You will see a text “http://site.address” which has been added here. Remove everything after .exe. An example, for Google Chrome you should remove everything after chrome.exe.

To save changes, click OK . You need to clean all internet browser’s shortcuts. So, repeat this step for the Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

Remove unwanted Scheduled Tasks

If an annoying web-page opens automatically on Windows startup or at equal time intervals, then you need to check the Task Scheduler Library and delete all the tasks that have been created by the Trojan.Downloader virus.

Press Windows and R keys on the keyboard together. This opens a prompt that titled as Run. In the text field, type “taskschd.msc” (without the quotes) and press OK. Task Scheduler window opens. In the left-hand side, click “Task Scheduler Library”, as on the image below.

In the middle part you will see a list of installed tasks. Please select the first task, its properties will be open just below automatically. Next, click the Actions tab. Pay attention to that it launches on your personal computer. If you are not sure that executes the task, check it through a search engine. If it is a component of the malicious program, then this task also should be removed.

Having defined the task that you want to remove, then click on it with the right mouse button and choose Delete like below.

Repeat this step, if you have found a few tasks that have been created by the Trojan.Downloader. Once is finished, close the Task Scheduler window.

Remove Trojan.Downloader virus with free software

If you’re unsure how to remove Trojan.Downloader virus easily, consider using automatic trojan removal apps that listed below. It will identify the Trojan.Downloader malware which can send information about your personal computer to a remote malicious hacker and get rid of it from your system for free.

How to automatically get rid of Trojan.Downloader virus with Zemana Anti-malware

Zemana Anti-malware highly recommended, because it can search for security threats such adware and viruss which most ‘classic’ antivirus apps fail to pick up on. Moreover, if you have any Trojan.Downloader malware removal problems which cannot be fixed by this utility automatically, then Zemana Anti-malware provides 24X7 online assistance from the highly experienced support staff.

Now you can install and use Zemana to remove Trojan.Downloader from your system by following the steps below:

Click the following link to download Zemana AntiMalware setup file called Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup on your PC system. Save it on your Desktop.

Start the installer after it has been downloaded successfully and then follow the prompts to install this tool on your PC.

During install you can change some settings, but we suggest you do not make any changes to default settings.

When installation is complete, this malicious software removal utility will automatically run and update itself. You will see its main window as displayed below.

Now click the “Scan” button . Zemana Anti Malware program will scan through the whole system for the Trojan.Downloader trojan. This process may take some time, so please be patient. When a threat is detected, the count of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the checking is finished.

After Zemana Free has completed scanning, Zemana Free will open a list of all threats detected by the scan. Make sure all threats have ‘checkmark’ and click “Next” button.

The Zemana Anti Malware will get rid of Trojan.Downloader and other malware. When that process is finished, you can be prompted to restart your system to make the change take effect.

Scan your computer and delete Trojan.Downloader malware with Hitman Pro

Hitman Pro is a portable program which requires no hard install to scan for and remove Trojan.Downloader trojan. The program itself is small in size (only a few Mb). Hitman Pro does not need any drivers and special dlls. It’s probably easier to use than any alternative malicious software removal utilities you’ve ever tried. Hitman Pro works on 64 and 32-bit versions of Windows 10, 8, 7 and XP. It proves that removal utility can be just as effective as the widely known antivirus programs.

Installing the HitmanPro is simple. First you’ll need to download HitmanPro on your personal computer from the following link.

When downloading is finished, open the directory in which you saved it and double-click the Hitman Pro icon. It will start the Hitman Pro tool. If the User Account Control prompt will ask you want to open the program, click Yes button to continue.

Next, click “Next” . HitmanPro tool will begin scanning the whole PC system to find out Trojan.Downloader and other malicious software. While the HitmanPro utility is scanning, you can see number of objects it has identified as being infected by malware.

Once the checking is finished, a list of all threats found is prepared as shown in the figure below.

All found items will be marked. You can remove them all by simply press “Next” button. It will show a dialog box, press the “Activate free license” button. The Hitman Pro will start to remove Trojan.Downloader. After the clean-up is done, the tool may ask you to restart your machine.

Run Malwarebytes to get rid of Trojan.Downloader virus

You can get rid of Trojan.Downloader trojan automatically with a help of Malwarebytes Free. We recommend this free malicious software removal tool because it can easily remove browser hijacker infections, adware, potentially unwanted apps and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and registry entries.

Download MalwareBytes from the link below.

When the downloading process is complete, close all windows on your personal computer. Further, open the file named mb3-setup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as displayed below, click the “Yes” button.

It will open the “Setup wizard” which will help you install MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) on the personal computer. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.

Once install is complete successfully, press Finish button. Then MalwareBytes Free will automatically start and you can see its main window as shown in the figure below.

Next, click the “Scan Now” button to perform a system scan for the Trojan.Downloader. This process can take some time, so please be patient. While the MalwareBytes AntiMalware is checking, you can see how many objects it has identified either as being malware.

Once that process is finished, MalwareBytes Anti Malware will display a list of detected threats. Once you’ve selected what you want to remove from your machine press “Quarantine Selected” button.

The MalwareBytes Free will remove Trojan.Downloader and add items to the Quarantine. After finished, you may be prompted to restart your machine. We recommend you look at the following video, which completely explains the process of using the MalwareBytes to get rid of hijackers, ‘ad supported’ software and other malware.

How to stay safe online

Use ad-blocker application such as AdGuard in order to stop ads, malvertisements, pop-ups and online trackers, avoid having to install malicious and adware browser plug-ins and add-ons that affect your personal computer performance and impact your system security. Surf the Net anonymously and stay safe online!

Installing the AdGuard is simple. First you’ll need to download AdGuard on your Microsoft Windows Desktop by clicking on the following link.

Once the download is complete, double-click the downloaded file to start it. The “Setup Wizard” window will show up on the computer screen as displayed in the figure below.

Follow the prompts. AdGuard will then be installed and an icon will be placed on your desktop. A window will show up asking you to confirm that you want to see a quick guidance as shown on the image below.

Click “Skip” button to close the window and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial that will assist you get to know AdGuard better.

Each time, when you start your personal computer, AdGuard will start automatically and stop pop-up advertisements, as well as other harmful or misleading web sites. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, that is located on your desktop.

Where the Trojan.Downloader virus comes from

Most often, the freeware installation package includes third-party software such as this Trojan.Downloader. So, be very careful when you agree to install anything. The best way – is to select a Custom, Advanced or Manual setup mode. Here disable all bundled software in which you are unsure or that causes even a slightest suspicion. The main thing you should remember, you don’t need to install any optional apps which you do not trust! The only one thing I want to add. Once the free software is installed, if you uninstall this software, the Trojan.Downloader will not be removed. This must be done by yourself. Just follow the instructions above.

Finish words

Once you have complete the step-by-step guidance shown above, your system should be free from Trojan.Downloader virus. Unfortunately, if the step-by-step tutorial does not help you, then you have caught a new malware, and then the best way – ask for help in our Spyware/Malware removal forum.