Get Rid Of Those Annoying Browser Toolbars With Toolbar Cleaner for Windows

It's unfortunate but understandable that freeware software tends to want to install a 'life-improving' toolbar. Toolbars are, at best, very annoying. They also have a tendency to infringe on your browser's viewing area, slow down your PC and your web browsing. However the freeware applications that the toolbars come with can be very useful and the developer of the freeware is able to earn some income via the toolbar he or she is helping to distribute. Also the installation of the toolbar is nearly always an optional step even if it's not always very obvious how to opt out.

Thankfully there's now a way of quickly cleaning your system of all those pesky toolbars using the Toolbar Cleaner program.

Toolbar Cleaner is a really useful little program that goes beyond the basics of clearing your browser of bulky, and often advert infested toolbars. Toolbar Cleaner allows you to remove toolbars from both Firefox and Internet Explorer. It also supports managing extensions for Google Chrome, where some toolbars may lie. Other browsers are not included as they are rarely victim of forced BHOs and other hijacks.

As with other freeware programs Toolbar Cleaner will give you the option to install a 'helpful' program named Anti-Phishing Domain Advisor. It will also ask to change your home page to My Start. My advice here: deselect or untick both.
The interface is simple, effective, and the following two screens is all there is to the interface. You’ll see a full list of toolbars for IE and Firefox, and then add-ons and extensions for both (as well as Chrome).

Here you can see me selecting the two Complitly entries for removal. To remove them simply check the box beside the entries you want to get rid of. From there, click the Remove Selected  oolbar(s)/BHO(s) button. It could take a minute to complete its task but really is as simple as that. Oh and you’ll need to be sure your browser is not actively running while you perform the operation.

Make sure you also check the Windows Startup tab just to the right of the Browsers tab as its another opportunity to find and remove BHOs and other toolbars or browser attachments.

The Options button offers features like removing confirmation messages or the information popup. If you run across an entry in the list that you’re unsure of, do a Google search to find out more about it.

Toolbar Cleaner will work on Windows 8 Pro, Windows 7, Windows Vista and XP. Download Toolbar Cleaner from here.