So what is buildathome.info and why can it cause your computer to embark upon a go-slow? Let’s take a look at the basics. It serves advertisements, that's all. The web page itself isn't malicious but it may redirect you to misleading or malicious website if you click on infected ads. What is more, some ads can be truly embarrassing, for example "Like Asian Women?" dating ads. So, even though the web page isn't malicious it may cause serious problems both malware and social. Besides, it's a clear sign that your computer is infected; otherwise you won't see embarrassing ads. Adware that causes those pop ups, for example "Coupon Companion", will either be running in the background on your computer or working as a plug-in on your web browser. What is more, this adware monitors your computer usage; what websites you visit and so forth, and then uses this knowledge to compile a personal profile on you. Sounds a little scary doesn’t it, but what adware is doing is collecting information about you so that the company behind it can tailor make their advertising especially for you. How thoughtful of them!
But how does this tie in with your computer running like it was manufactured in 1984? Well programs like Coupon Companion can use up a lot of your computer system’s resources which in turn makes your machine super slow as it struggles to handle all the added extras it’s suddenly had installed on it. Adware can also be responsible for inexplicable errors such as your browser or programs crashing all the time.
Buildathome.info is not a virus as such but it can be incredibly annoying and even, in the worst case scenarios, just as dangerous. The problem is that not an awful lot of PC users know much about adware, what it is, what it does and why their computer has suddenly become a real pain to use. It is even more problematic if you use a dial-up modem as adware will keep your modem so preoccupied downloading adverts that it won’t have time to even think about you and the websites you might want to visit!
So why should you care about having adware installed on your computer? Well apart from being a nightmare to use, wasting your time with its excruciatingly slow operating speed and constant crashes, as mentioned, adware’s purpose in life, or rather the people behind the adware, is to target you with so-called ‘relevant’ adverts. These take the form of pop-up windows which in themselves are annoying but it is the consistency with which you are bombarded with them that can cause the real frustration. A lot of the time the ‘targeting’ goes out the window too and as well as seeing adverts that may be loosely related to a website you visit on a frequent basis, say gardening products, you’ll also be inundated with ads of a more unsavory nature such as for gambling websites, dodgy weight loss methods and yes, even adult content websites – some of them containing highly suspicious material.
So how does buildathome.info find its way onto your computer? Well, parents listen up because if you have children you may well find that they are the (unwitting) culprits. A lot of adware comes packaged with those innocent looking freebie games that you download or play on the internet. This isn’t the only way it can be installed though; downloading peer to peer files, clicking on links in spam email and even downloading reputable software can all leave you with adware installed on your machine.
What if you’re not sure if you have it installed on your computer? It is actually quite easy to tell if you have unknowingly downloaded something containing buildathome.info and if you experience any of the following then you may well have a problem:
- Lots of annoying pop-up adverts (especially ones of a dubious nature)
- Your browser redirects you to a website of its own choosing and not the one you tried to visit
- Your browser keeps changing your starting home page or search engine to one you’ve never seen or used before
- Your computer is running much more slowly than before, keeps crashing or freezing or experiences other ‘weird’ issues
Written by Michael Kaur, http://deletemalware.blogspot.com
buildathome.info removal instructions:
1. First of all, download recommended anti-malware software and run a full system scan. It will detect and remove this adware infection from your computer. You may then follow the manual removal instructions below to remove the leftover traces of this adware. Hopefully you won't have to do that.
2. Remove buildathome.info related programs from your computer using the Add/Remove Programs control panel (Windows XP) or Uninstall a program control panel (Windows 7 and Windows 8).
Go to the Start Menu. Select Control Panel → Add/Remove Programs.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Control Panel → Uninstall a Program.
If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for "control panel".
Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control panel from there.
3. When the Add/Remove Programs or the Uninstall a Program screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and remove the following:
- Coupon Companion
- FindLyrics
- Sweetpacks
- DefaultTab
- Webcake
- and any other recently installed application
Simply select each application and click Remove. If you are using Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, click Uninstall up near the top of that window. When you're done, please close the Control Panel screen.
Remove buildathome.info pop-ups from Google Chrome:
1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.
2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove the following extensions:
Remove buildathome.info pop-ups from Mozilla Firefox:
1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Tools → Add-ons.
2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to the following extensions. If you can't find the Remove button, then simply click on the Disable button.
Remove buildathome.info pop-ups from Internet Explorer:
1. Open Internet Explorer. Go to Tools → Manage Add-ons. If you have the latest version, simply click on the Settings button.
2. Select Toolbars and Extensions. Click Remove/Disable button to remove the browser add-ons listed above.
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