AnonymizerGadget

AnonymizerGadget is a questionable application that promises to be "the fastest proxy application on Earth" but strangely enough, it runs under a different name on its own promotional page ("NotToTrack"). Our research shows that the name by which we identify this potentially unwanted program (PUP) is indeed the name it uses when it spreads via freeware bundles. Since it is more likely to install this PUP this way, there is no doubt that there could be malware infections on your computer as well. We have discovered that this questionable program could be a simple way to trick users into buying a real web proxy software. However, before we share the details with you, we advise you to start playing with thought that you may need to remove AnonymizerGadget from your system if you want to keep it safe.

There is some likelihood that you might find the official website, nottotrack.com, that promotes this PUP under its original name: "NotToTrack." Although this is a one-page site, you can find three download buttons to make sure you do not miss them. When you click on this button, however, you may be surprised because the download could get blocked right away as your browser or your security tool would detect the installer as a potential threat. Now, this should be enough for a security-minded user not to want to install this PUP or if you have it already, this could make you want to delete AnonymizerGadget right away. But this is not all, of course.

It is much more likely that you let this PUP on board by installing a freeware bundle that you download after clicking on a corrupt link or a third-party advertisement. You need to understand the potential danger in clicking on third-party contents in general. Even more so, when your computer is infected with malware, such as adware programs and browser hijackers. These infections can present to you questionable third-party ads and links embedded in websites or search results. Another way for you to encounter such contents is to land on a suspicious website while searching the net for a free program to download. You need to be very cautious every time you are viewing unfamiliar websites because you may easily click on content that could pose a threat to your virtual security. For example, you can drop a bundle of adware threats, browser hijackers, Trojans, keyloggers, and more, or you can open malicious websites on new tabs or in new windows and you could be scammed. All in all, if you have this bundled version, you should not hesitate to run a full-system malware scan right after you delete AnonymizerGadget from your system.

This PUP is supposed to be a web proxy program that offers you allegedly free proxies to use; however, we have found that these may not even function. If you want full functionality, obviously, you have to purchase the full version. Interestingly enough, when you land on the purchase page (nottotrack.com/pay.php), you will find that you are actually paying for a VPN application called Hideman (hideman.net). If you visit the official Hideman site, you will see a very similar if not identical page resembling the AnonymizerGadget purchase page. As you can see from these pages, you can buy this PUP for $9 per month. In all fairness, we must mention that Hideman is a real and legitimate VPN software. Nevertheless, we assume that this PUP was created to sort of promote this other software.

Another issue with this questionable application is that when you close it, the process does not really disappear. This means that it could do anything in the background without your knowledge. The only way you can make sure that it is not operating anymore is to open your Task Manager and kill the process called "Anonymizer Gadget." Since this useless program autostarts with Windows, you will always have to close it if you want to feel safe. In fact, we suggest that you remove AnonymizerGadget as soon as possible to be on the safe side.

After you kill the process in Task Manager, you need to run its uninstaller via Control Panel. Unfortunately, this will not delete AnonymizerGadget in its entirety. In order to make sure that no leftovers remain, you also need to bin a few folders. We have prepared step-by-step instructions for you as usual. Please use them if you want to put an end to this infection manually. But do not forget about the possible more dangerous and worse threats on your system either. If you do not want to hunt them down one by one manually, we recommend that you use a proper anti-malware application, such as SpyHunter. It is also very important that you keep all your drivers and programs up-to-date frequently, to prevent cyber criminals from accessing your computer.

Remove AnonymizerGadget from Windows

Windows XP

1. Open the Start menu and go to Control Panel.
2. Pick Add or Remove Programs.
3. Click on the application and press Remove.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

1. Press Win+R and type control panel. Click OK.
2. Select Uninstall a program.
3. Click on the application and press Uninstall.

Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10

1. Press Win+Q and type uninstall a program. Hit Enter.
2. Click on the application and press Uninstall.

Remove leftovers

1. Press Win+E.
2. Bin the following folders if found:
   %PROGRAMFILES%\AnonymizerGadget
   %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\AnonymizerGadget
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\AnonymizerGadget
   %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\AnonymizerGadget
   %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\AnonymizerGadget
   %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\AnonymizerGadget
   %USERPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\AnonymizerGadget
   %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\AnonymizerGadget
   %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\AnonymizerGadget
3. Empty your Recycle Bin.