Uninstall My Utility Box (Browser Hijacker/PUP)

What is My Utility Box? And how does it function?

My Utility Box is a browser extension designed for Google Chrome browser. This browser extension is developed by Polarity Technologies Ltd. – a company known for producing browser hijackers and unwanted programs. It is promoted as a program that offers “easy access to utility apps right from your new tab page”. This program might seem useful because of the free “utility apps” it offers users however you have to consider the fact that it is categorized as a browser hijacker and a potentially unwanted program (PUP). This does not come as a surprise since this program is created by Polarity Technologies Ltd after all.
Once a dubious program is installed, it will quickly modify the settings of the Chrome browser such as the new tab page and home page. In its interface, it includes several links to websites which are not affiliated with Polarity. And once you start using this program, it will also monitor your online activities so it can collect various information from you like your IP address, OS version, websites visited often, ads clicked, search queries and many more. The information may be shared with third parties and might be used for nefarious purposes. Clearly, My Utility Box won’t do wonders for your privacy, instead, it poses a threat. Moreover, even if you don’t install this program, this could still end up on your computer if you’re not careful enough in installing freeware or shareware. This is one of the reasons why My Utility Box is considered to be a browser hijacker as it can hijack your computer without you knowing.
How is My Utility Box distributed over the web?
My Utility Box is distributed in the Chrome Web Store. Aside from that, it was also found to be spreading among software bundles in peer-to-peer networks. This dubious program is added as an optional program in a software package where it stays hidden unless you select the Custom or Advanced installation setup rather than the standard one. So if you want to stir clear of any browser hijackers and other unwanted programs, you can do so by using the recommended setup as well as reading the program’s legal documents like Privacy Policy, EULA, etc.
Use the set of instructions prepared below to uninstall My Utility Box from your computer.
Step 1: Launch the Google Chrome browser and click the wrench icon. Afterward, click on Tools from the drop-down menu and select Extensions.

Step 2: Under the Extensions tab, select My Utility Box extension and other suspicious browser extensions related to it and then click on the Trash icon.

Step 3: Click on Remove button from the confirmation dialog box.

Step 4: Reset Google Chrome. To do that, click the three stripes icon located at the upper-right corner of your screen. And then select Settings.

Step 5: under Settings, look for Show advanced settings at the bottom of the page and click on it.

Step 6: Then click on the Reset browser settings button.

Step 7: After that, a dialog box pops up, click the Reset button to Reset Chrome.

Step 8: After you reset Chrome, enable the Phishing and Malware Protection in Chrome to prevent ad-supported programs like My Utility Box from infecting your computer again in the future. To do that, click Settings once again.

Step 9: Select the Show advanced settings again.

Step 10: Go to the Privacy section and check the Enable phishing and malware protection option.

Step 11: Restart Google Chrome.
Step 12: Tap the Win + R keys to open Run and then type in appwiz.cpl to open Control Panel to uninstall any suspicious program related to the adware.
Step 13: Look for My Utility Box under the list of installed programs. Once you’ve found it, uninstall it.

Step 14: Close the Control Panel and tap the Win + E keys to open File Explorer. Navigate to the following directories and look for the hijacker’s installer like the software package it came with as well as other suspicious files and delete them.

%USERPROFILE%\Downloads
%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
%TEMP%

Step 15: Close the File Explorer and empty the Recycle Bin.
Follow the advanced steps below to completely get rid of My Utility Box and any files it may have created on your computer upon its installation.
Perform a full system scan using Advanced System Repair Pro. To do so, follow these steps:

Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot
After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.

To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit
Windows will now load the SafeMode with Networking.
Press and hold both R key and Windows key.

If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
Type in the URL address, http://advancedsystemrepair.com/ASR_Installation.exein the Run dialog box and then tap Enter or click OK.
After that, it will download Advanced System Repair Pro. Wait for the download to finish and then open the launcher to install the program.
Once the installation process is completed, run Advanced System Repair Pro to perform a full system scan.