SportsHero

SportsHero was tested by our specialists who decided to categorize it as a potentially unwanted program (PUP). Users should understand that all the software does is places a couple of links to web pages related to sports. It is most likely that the primary goal of the application is to promote Search.mysearch.com. Despite that it might look completely harmless, the search engine could inject results with third-party advertising. Since the ads might redirect you to web pages that the software’s developers do not review, they could be dangerous to the system. Therefore, if you downloaded the application without knowing such possible risks, it might be better to erase it before anything goes wrong. To help you with the removal part, our researchers prepared instructions that will allow you to get rid of SportsHero manually.

Users might download the PUP while clicking pop-up ads that redirect them to sporthero.thewhizmarketing.com. The website offers you to download a browser extension compatible with Google Chrome. When you click the download button, the browser should inform you that the application can “read and change all your data on the websites you visit” and “manage your apps, extensions, and themes.” Perhaps, these are the standard warnings, but since the software is considered as unreliable, it might be unwise to give it such rights.

If you downloaded the extension without checking if it is safe to use, you probably did not realize that it could change a couple of browser preferences. Once installed the PUP should be visible on the Google Chrome’s extensions menu. The add-ons description on the browser says that SportsHero “will keep you up to date with the latest sports news from your Chrome new tab!” In reality, the application might hijack your homepage, new tab page, or default search engine. To make these changes, the PUP could modify data called Preferences and Secure Preferences that is located in the %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default directory. As a result, the browser should open Search.mysearch.com each time the user launches it.

The search engine should not be considered reliable since it might inject results with ads, sponsored links, and other suspicious content. Moreover, there is a chance that some of the ads could redirect you to untrustworthy web pages. The websites might belong to the PUP’s third-party partners, so SportsHero creators would not be responsible if you receive any harm while visiting such sites. According to our researchers, some of the web pages could be risky, because they might contain malware, e.g. Trojans, viruses, ransomware, etc. Also, third-party ads could lead you to sites that promote adware, PUPs, suspicious toolbars, and other similar software.

Furthermore, in addition to the new search engine, users should also notice a new address bar under the search bar. It contains links to football, baseball, basketball, and World Sports News web pages. If you visit such sites every day, the links might seem useful. However, it would be better to reach them without the help of SportsHero. For example, you could add favorite links to the Google Chrome’s bookmarks.

It is your choice if you want to use the suspicious application, but since it is not an irreplaceable piece of software, it does not seem that it is worth to be kept on the system. If you do not want to take any chances with SportsHero, it would better to delete it. As we promised earlier, there is a removal guide at the end of the article. It will show you how to erase manually all data created by the PUP. There is also another way to eliminate the application. If you are an inexperienced user, you may want to consider installation of a security tool. A trustworthy antimalware tool would allow you to perform a full system scan. During it, the software should detect SportsHero or other possible threats on the computer. Once the scan is over, all that remains to do is to click the deletion button and the threats would be eliminated.

Remove SportsHero from the system

1. Press Win+E to launch the Explorer.
2. Locate these paths one by one:
   %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\%PROFILE ID%\Extensions
   %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\%PROFILE ID%\Extensions
3. Find folders named as kgokkpinadgklmekoepdbegcgpkiifde, right-click each folder separately and select Delete.
4. Navigate to %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
5. Locate and remove the listed data: chrome-extension_kgokkpinadgklmekoepdbegcgpkiifde_0.localstorage, chrome-extension_kgokkpinadgklmekoepdbegcgpkiifde_0.localstorage-journal.
6. Go to %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
7. Search for files titled as Preferences and Secure Preferences, right-click them separately and click Delete.