Easy Directions Finder is a browser extension developed by Mindspark Inc. for Google Chrome. This extension offers users quick access to popular websites for navigation and evens. While at first glance this might look useful, keep in mind that this extension has been marked as a Browser Hijacker by several anti-virus applications.
When installed EasyDirectionsFinder will record your browsing history, visited links, clicked URL-s, and viewed products. This data is later forwarded/sold to Mindspark's ad network and used to better target ads to users.
While browsing the internet with this extension installed (it does not have to be enabled) you will see additional injected ads, sponsored links, and pop-up ads throughout your browsing sessions.
Due to its information mining behavior and aggressive ad injections, it is recommended to remove this extension from your computer.
About Browser Hijackers
Browser hijacking is a type of unwanted software, often a web browser add-on or extension, which causes modifications in web browser’s settings. Browser hijackers are capable of doing more than just modifying homepages. In general, browser hijacking is utilized for earning advertising revenue from forced ad mouse clicks and site visits. While it may seem naive, all browser hijackers are dangerous and thus always classified as security risks. When the malware attacks your laptop or computer, it starts to mess things up a whole that slows your system down to a crawl. In the worse case, you may be pushed to deal with serious malware threats as well.
How one can know whether the web browser is hijacked?
The common symptoms that suggest having this malicious software on your computer are: the browser’s home page is modified; you find yourself regularly directed to some other webpage than the one you actually intended; the default web browser settings have been modified and/or your default search engine is altered; unsolicited new toolbars are added to your web browser; your internet browser displays endless pop-up ads; web pages load slowly and often incomplete; you can’t navigate to certain webpages, like computer security software related sites.
So how does a browser hijacker infect a computer?
Browser hijackers may use drive-by downloads or file-sharing networks or an e-mail attachment in order to reach a targeted PC. They could also be deployed via the installation of an internet browser toolbar, add-on, or extension. A browser hijacker could also come bundled up with some freeware that you unintentionally download to your PC, compromising your internet security. Some of the most popular hijackers are EasyDirectionsFinder, Babylon Toolbar, Conduit Search, Sweet Page, OneWebSearch, and CoolWebSearch.
Browser hijacker removal tips
Some browser hijacking could be easily reversed by discovering and eliminating the corresponding malware software through your control panel. Sometimes, it can be a tough task to discover and eliminate the malicious component since the associated file will be running as part of the operating system process. Moreover, browser hijackers could modify the Computer registry therefore it can be quite tough to restore all the values manually, especially when you’re not a very tech-savvy individual.
Industry experts always suggest users eliminate any malware including browser hijacker with an automatic removal tool, which is better, safer, and quicker than the manual removal solution. SafeBytes Anti-Malware could counter persistent browser hijackers and give you active PC protection against all types of malware. Together with the antivirus tool, a PC optimizer, such as SafeBytes Total System Care, can help you in deleting all related files and modifications in the computer registry automatically.
How To Get Eliminate Malware That Is Preventing Antivirus Downloads?
Malware could cause many different types of damage to computers, networks, and data. Some malware sits in between the computer and the internet connection and blocks a few or all sites that you really want to visit. It will also prevent you from adding anything to your PC, particularly anti-virus applications. So what to do when malicious software prevents you from downloading or installing Safebytes Anti-Malware? There are a few actions you can take to get around this issue.
Boot your computer in Safe Mode
If any malware is set to load immediately when Microsoft Windows starts, getting into Safe Mode could very well block the attempt. Since only the minimal programs and services launch in Safe Mode, there are hardly any reasons for conflicts to happen. Below are the steps you should follow to start into the Safe Mode of your Windows XP, Vista, or 7 computers (check out Microsoft site for directions on Windows 8 and 10 computers).
1) At power on, press the F8 key while the Windows splash screen starts to load. This will conjure up the “Advanced Boot Options” menu.
2) Choose Safe Mode with Networking with arrow keys and hit ENTER.
3) Once you get into this mode, you should have an internet connection again. Now, utilize your internet browser normally and go to https://safebytes.com/products/anti-malware/ to download and install Safebytes Anti-Malware.
4) After the software program is installed, let the diagnostic scan run to remove trojans and other malware automatically.
Switch over to an alternative web browser
Web-based malware can be environment-specific, targeting a specific web browser or attacking particular versions of the browser. If you seem to have malware attached to Internet Explorer, then switch to an alternate browser with built-in security features, such as Chrome or Firefox, to download your preferred antivirus program – Safebytes.
Install security software on a flash drive
Another option is to create a portable antivirus program onto your USB flash drive. Abide by these steps to run the anti-malware on the infected PC.
1) Download the anti-malware on a virus-free computer.
2) Plug the pen drive into the clean PC.
3) Run the setup program by double-clicking the executable file of the downloaded application, with a .exe file format.
4) Select the USB stick as the location for saving the software file. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
5) Now, insert the USB drive into the infected computer.
6) Run the Safebytes Anti-malware directly from the pen drive by double-clicking the icon.
7) Run Full System Scan to detect and clean-up up all sorts of malware.
SafeBytes AntiMalware Overview
If you’re looking to purchase anti-malware for your laptop or computer, there are plenty of brands and packages for you to consider. A few are very good ones, some are ok types, while some are just fake anti-malware applications that will damage your computer themselves! You need to purchase a product that has obtained a good reputation and detects not just viruses but other sorts of malware too. While thinking about reliable applications, Safebytes AntiMalware is certainly the strongly recommended one.
Safebytes is among the well-established computer solutions companies, which provide this complete anti-malware tool. Using its outstanding protection system, this tool will quickly detect and remove most of the security threats, including adware, viruses, browser hijackers, ransomware, PUPs, and trojans.
There are numerous wonderful features you’ll get with this security product. Here are some of the good ones:
Best AntiMalware Protection: With its enhanced and sophisticated algorithm, this malware elimination tool can detect and eliminate the malware threats hiding in the computer system effectively.
Live Protection: SafeBytes offers totally hands-free real-time protection and is set to observe, prevent and eliminate all threats at its very first encounter. It’ll regularly monitor your pc for hacker activity and also gives end-users superior firewall protection.
SuperSpeed Scanning: Safebytes Anti-Malware, with its enhanced scanning engine, provides extremely fast scanning that can promptly target any active internet threat.
Website Filtering: SafeBytes provides an instant safety rating about the pages you’re going to check out, automatically blocking dangerous sites and making sure that you are certain of your online safety while browsing the net.
Low CPU Usage: SafeBytes is a lightweight and easy-of-use antivirus and antimalware solution. As it uses low computer resources, this program leaves the computer power exactly where it belongs: with you.
24/7 Live Professional Support: You may get high levels of support 24/7 if you are using their paid version.
Overall, SafeBytes Anti-Malware is a solid program since it has plenty of features and can detect and eliminate any potential threats. You can be sure that your computer will be protected in real-time once you put this software to use. So if you’re searching for the absolute best malware removal tool out there, and if you don’t mind paying out a few bucks for it, go for SafeBytes Anti-Malware.
Technical Details and Manual Removal (Advanced Users)
If you do not wish to use a malware removal software and like to remove EasyDirectionsFinder manually, you could possibly accomplish this by going to the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu in the Control Panel and delete the offending program; in cases of browser plug-ins, you may uninstall it by going to the browser’s Add-on/Extension manager. You’ll likely also want to reset your browser.
Finally, examine your hard drive for all of the following and clean your Windows registry manually to remove leftover application entries after uninstallation. But bear in mind, editing the registry is often a hard task that only advanced computer users and professionals should attempt to fix the problem. Moreover, some malicious programs have the capability to defend against its deletion. Completing this task in Safe Mode is advised.
Files:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\EasyDirectionsFinderTooltab
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\EasyDirectionsFinderTooltab
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Sync Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
%UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
Registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\EasyDirectionsFinder
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\EasyDirectionsFinder
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\easydirectionsfinder.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs\Default\extensions.settings, value: pjclebnjamlmkpgapopafeniobfnlllf
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\easydirectionsfinder.dl.myway.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage\easydirectionsfinder.dl.tb.ask.com
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\[APPLICATION]\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall..Uninstaller
EasyDirectionsFinderTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer
When opened you will be greeted with general settings window. These are settings for power toys themselves, Here you can check for updates, change the looks of power toys, run it on system startup and run them as administrator. Set them up so they best suit your needs.
The color picker will let you as the name suggests pick colors, it will sample colors from running applications and windows, snap their values, and place them in the clipboard. A useful application if you are working as a graphic designer, want to create some cool word document, or just want to compare the difference between colors.
After the Color Picker is activated, hover your mouse cursor over the color you would like to copy and left-click the mouse button to select a color. If you want to see the area around your cursor in more detail, scroll up to zoom in. The copied color will be stored in your clipboard in the format that is configured in the settings (HEX by default). The editor lets you see the history of picked colors (up to 20) and copy their representation in any predefined string format. You can configure what color formats are visible in the editor, along with the order that they appear. This configuration can be found in PowerToys settings. The editor also allows you to fine-tune any picked color or get a new similar color. Editor previews different shades of currently selected color - 2 lighter and 2 darker ones. Clicking on any of those alternative color shades will add the selection to the history of picked colors (appears on the top of the colors history list). Color in the middle represents your currently selected color from the history of the colors. By clicking on it, the fine-tuning configuration control will appear, which will let you change the HUE or RGB values of the current color. Pressing OK will add newly configured color into the history of the colors.
FancyZones is a window manager utility for arranging and snapping windows into efficient layouts to improve the speed of your workflow and restore layouts quickly. FancyZones allows the user to define a set of window locations for a desktop that are drag targets for windows. When the user drags a window into a zone, the window is resized and repositioned to fill that zone. When first launched, the zones editor presents a list of layouts that can be adjusted by how many windows are on the monitor. Choosing a layout shows a preview of that layout on the monitor. The selected layout is applied automatically.
Only 3 options here but maybe some are important to you. This extension lets you enable SVG file preview in File Explorer, enable Markdown preview, and enable SVG thumbnails. Turn on each one you might need.
Image Resizer is a Windows shell extension for bulk image-resizing. After installing PowerToys, right-click on one or more selected image files in File Explorer, and then select Resize pictures from the menu. You can specify your own sizes if you want, you can resize when dragging files, you can overwrite files or make new copies of new sizes, and many more options. A very useful tool I am sure plenty of users can use since this eliminates the need for pictures or any other image application for common resizing tasks.
The PowerToys Keyboard Manager enables you to redefine keys on your keyboard. For example, you can exchange the letter A for the letter D on your keyboard. When you select the A key, a D will display. You can also exchange shortcut key combinations. For example, the shortcut key, Ctrl+C, will copy the text in Microsoft Word. With the PowerToys Keyboard Manager utility, you can exchange that shortcut for ⊞ Win+C). Now, ⊞ Win+C) will copy text. If you do not specify a targeted application in PowerToys Keyboard Manager, the shortcut exchange will be applied globally across Windows. PowerToys Keyboard Manager must be enabled (with PowerToys running in the background) for remapped keys and shortcuts to be applied. If PowerToys is not running, key remapping will no longer be applied.
PowerRename is a bulk renaming tool that enables you to:
PowerToys Run is a quick launcher for power users that contains some additional features without sacrificing performance.
PowerToys Run features include:
This guide uses PowerToys to display common keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows ⊞ key. Windows key keyboard shortcuts can be used while the guide is being shown and the result of those shortcuts (active window moved, arrow shortcut behavior changes, etc) will be displayed in the guide. Releasing the Windows ⊞ key will make the overlay disappear. Tapping the Windows ⊞ key will display the Windows Start menu.
Hey, you made it till the end, thank you for reading and I hope to see you soon. 
When the settings window opens, choose DEVICES on it.
Once the device window opens, click once on printers and scanners, and on the right window go to the bottom and uncheck Let windows manage my default printer.
Unchecking that box will let Windows know that we do not wish anymore for him to set our default printers according to their use. Once the checkbox is clear go up to your printer list and click on the printer you wish to use as the default one. I will choose Microsoft Print to PDF as my default printer and click on it. Once the printer is clicked option menu will appear.
When the option menu appears under the printer name, click on Manage which will take you to the printer management screen. When you are on the manage screen, click on the Set as default button, and you are done.
Task View feature inside Windows 11 is actually a great feature, letting you quickly view open windows and virtual desktops. How Task view itself could be reached with keyboard shortcut combination of ⊞ WINDOWS + TAB some users will prefer this way of using it and thus button on the taskbar is something you do not want or need.
There is a very easy way to remove mentioned button and I will show you how to do it.
Right-click the taskbar button itself and click on Hide From Taskbar.
That’s it, you have done it.
Now in order for you to bring it back if you change your mind, you will have to do some extra steps but it is nothing difficult.
Right-click on the taskbar and click on Taskbar settings, you will be lead to Personalization > Taskbar.
Inside locate Taskbar Items and switch Task View to ON, you will see the Task View button right away showing itself again. 
The first step is to right-click anywhere on the taskbar (in empty space) and choose Taskbar settings
Once the taskbar settings are opened, find Widgets and click on the switch on the far right to turn it off, immediately no more information will be shown on the taskbar and it will be free again. And that is all there is to it. 