Do you know what GrandBurst is?
GrandBurst could hijack user’s browser, but our specialists are more worried about the unreliable advertisements it might provide its users with. As a result, instead of classifying it as a browser hijacker, the application was identified as adware. Apparently, the promoted content may lead to third-party web pages, and there are no guarantees such websites could not be malicious. Therefore, if you do not want to encounter such content and risk the system’s safety, it might be for the best to get rid of the application. We realize the task could be too complicated for users who are not so experienced, so we are placing a removal guide below the text. It will tell users how to eliminate the adware step by step. Nonetheless, reading the article first might be useful as well if you ever come across a similar threat, so before you erase GrandBurst we encourage you to read some more.
Software like potentially unwanted programs, browser hijackers, or adware such as GrandBurst is often distributed with bundled setup files. However, it does not mean the application gets installed without your permission. In some cases, users simply accept programs without realizing it. For instance, it could happen for those of you who do not read the terms on the setup wizard. When users launch bundled installers, they should provide not only the main application’s terms and conditions but also additional suggestions of other software. Meaning, it is up to you to notice the suggestions and deselect the unwanted ones.
GrandBurst screenshot
Scroll down for full removal instructions
GrandBurst works as a browser extension, and it may change your search engine, homepage, or new tab page with home.grandburst.com. The site includes a search box, and according to the software’s Terms of use, the extension might integrate third-party content while users use this search engine. To be more precise, this content may “include advertising, or advertising-supported search results, which will be displayed to you if you use the Extension’s search box or click on content from the search results.”
Of course, the adware’s creators take no responsibility for the displayed ads, which means they might come from various sources and it is possible that some of them could be dangerous. To give you an example, these advertisements could lead you to websites created for malicious purposes. For example, to advertise other suspicious extensions or distribute malware, such as Trojans, viruses, ransomware, etc.
Another thing we learned about GrandBurst is that “by installing the Extension, you authorize the Extension to automatically, and without further notice to you, download and install upgrades, updates, new versions,” and so on. This means the application could download new versions of adware without your consent. Since the software is considered to be unreliable and its advertisements could cause you trouble, we do not think it is a good idea to allow it to update itself or download any other programs without asking the user’s permission.
All things considered, the application does not seem to be so useful and it might even make your system vulnerable to threats. Consequently, our specialists advise against its usage and if you choose not to take any risks with this adware, we encourage you to erase it from Google Chrome. As we said in the beginning, the removal guide is just a little below the text. By following it you should be able to get rid of the adware’s data manually, but if looks too complicated there is one more option. You could acquire a legitimate antimalware tool, scan the system with it and detect GrandBurst automatically. After the scanning process, the security tool should provide you with a removal button that would erase all identified threats at once.
Delete GrandBurst from Google Chrome
- Press Windows Key+E and search for this path: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
- Locate a folder called mllhnlpgjighmgnmcjabealfmihkmjhi, right-click it and press Delete.
- Find the provided path: %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
- Locate the other folder called mllhnlpgjighmgnmcjabealfmihkmjhi, right-click it and press Delete.
- Search for this location: %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
- Locate data called Preferences and Secure Preferences, right-click these files separately and choose Delete.
- Empty the Recycle bin.
Remove GrandBurst from different Google Chrome profiles
- Press Windows Key+E and search for these locations:
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\{Profile.*}\Extensions
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\{Profile.*}\Extensions - Find folders titled as mllhnlpgjighmgnmcjabealfmihkmjhi, right-click them and select Delete.
- Look for these paths:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage - Locate the following data and remove it:
chrome-extension_mllhnlpgjighmgnmcjabealfmihkmjhi_0.localstorage-journal
chrome-extension_mllhnlpgjighmgnmcjabealfmihkmjhi_0.localstorage - Empty the Recycle bin.
In non-techie terms:
GrandBurst is a suspicious application that might not only hijack the browser, but also show you dangerous advertising content. It is compatible only with Google Chrome, and once it appears, the browser should load the software’s website instead of your previous homepage site. It provides users with a search box, links to popular web pages, custom wallpapers, etc. Thus, it might look like a rather attractive application, but nothing of this should matter when the software’s usage could expose the computer to threats. This is why we advise removing the adware either with the instructions provided above or with a legitimate security tool.