DirectionsBuilder Toolbar

The description on the website where DirectionsBuilder Toolbar is distributed might make an impression that by installing the application you will receive a tool capable of giving free directions, helping you to plan particular routes, providing you with bus and train schedules, etc. Sadly, the truth about this applications shows up only after the installation. What you receive is a suspicious search engine that might hijack the browser and quite many links leading to web pages with maps, route planning tools, and so on. These bookmarks may seem useful, but the fact is that anyone could create them, so there is no need to install any software, especially when it is unreliable. DirectionsBuilder Toolbar was categorized as a potentially unwanted program and as you realize it happened not without reason. If you continue reading the text, you will learn more about the threat, and below the article, you can find the deletion instructions too.

It is known that DirectionsBuilder Toolbar’s official website called directionsbuilder.com/index.jhtml is also the main source of its distribution. The site encourages users to click the download link and “get free directions.” Therefore, we would not be surprised if users acquire the PUP while hoping to get an actual tool with which they could plan their trips, create routes, check bus or train schedules, and so on. As we said in the beginning; instead users get bookmarks leading to web pages providing lots of different services and products. Perhaps, you could find some useful web pages among them that you did not know already, but in exchange, you have to keep a suspicious application and so risk the system’s security.

The PUP is installed on the computer as an add-on. It is compatible with Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Even though the software could have different names on different browsers (e.g. on Google Chrome it could be called simply DirectionsBuilder, while on Internet Explorer the application might be named as DirectionsBuilder Internet Explorer Homepage and New Tab) its working manner should be more or less the same. The main changes after the extension is installed, are the mentioned new bookmarks and replaced browser preferences, e.g., homepage, new tab, page or even default search provider. We would advise you to go back to the usual settings not only because these changes may annoy you, but because the PUP’s search engine might be unreliable.

The words next to the search button say: enhanced by Google. Does it mean the search results will be the same as if you were using google.com? Disappointingly, there is a chance the application could modify results before displaying them to the user. For instance, the threat may inject them with pop-ups, sponsored links, banners, and other advertisements belonging to its third-party partners. These ads might be not only annoying to the user but also potentially dangerous to his system. That is because some of the ads could originate from web pages that are not reliable.

As you see, such content could be clickable, so if you interact with third-party ads, you might be redirected to the websites they come from. There, users may encounter similar threats to this PUP, e.g., adware, browser hijackers, and so on. If you were redirected to a malicious site, you could accidentally infect the system with Trojans, viruses, worms, and other harmful applications. We do not say these scenarios will definitely happen to you, but there is such a chance, and it is important to know the risks before deciding whether it is worth to keep DirectionsBuilder Toolbar.

If you do not see DirectionsBuilder Toolbar as a tool, you cannot live without we recommend not to take any risks with it and erase it from the computer. Users who want to eliminate it manually should carefully follow the instructions placed below since the removal process might be both long and complicated. In fact, it might be a better idea to check the instructions first and only then decide how to delete the PUP. After all, users can get rid of it with a reliable antimalware tool as well provided they are willing to acquire it. A trustworthy security tool could guard your computer against similar threats or malware. Thus, by downloading it, you will not only eliminate DirectionsBuilder Toolbar but also secure the system.

Erase DirectionsBuilder Toolbar from browsers

Internet Explorer

1. Press Win+R.
2. Type Regedit, and click OK.
3. Look for the exact same location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
4. Right-click value name called Start Page and select Modify.
5. Replace value data (http://hp.myway.com/directionsbuilder/ttab02/index.html) with a website you like and click OK.
6. Search for the same path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
7. Find a key called DirectionsBuilderTooltab Uninstall Internet Explorer, right-click it and click Delete.
8. Look for the provided directory: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\DOMStorage
9. Find keys called directionsbuilder.dl.myway.com and www.directionsbuilder.com, right-click them separately and press Delete.
10. Close the Registry Editor.
11. Press Win+E.
12. Navigate to these paths separately:
    %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data
    %LOCALAPPDATA%
13. Find folders called DirectionsBuilderTooltab, right-click them and select Delete.
14. Close the Explorer.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Press Win+E.
2. Go to the same directory: %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{user profile}\extensions
3. Search for a file called _hoMembers_@free.directionsbuilder.com, then right-click it and select Delete.
4. Find this particular path: %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{user profile}
5. Find a file called prefs.js.
6. Open it with Notepad.
7. Look for the same line: user_pref(“browser.startup.homepage”, “http://hp.myway.com/directionsbuilder/ttab02/index.html”).
8. Replace the link (http://hp.myway.com/directionsbuilder/ttab02/index.html) with a website you prefer.
9. Press Ctrl+S and close the document.
10. Again find %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{user profile} path and erase a folder called DirectionsBuilder_ho.
11. Exit the Explorer.

Google Chrome

1. Press Win+E and locate these directories:
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
   %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
2. Search for folders named as dojjkecigfkngmeclcjoijjeemgippmi, right-click them separately and press Delete.
3. Search for this specific path: %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
4. Find files with these titles: Preferences, Secure Preferences, right-click the one by one and select Delete.
5. Close the Explorer.

Remove DirectionsBuilder Toolbar from other Google Chrome profiles

1. Open the Explorer.
2. Navigate to the following directories separately:
   %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\{unique user profile}\Extensions
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\{unique user profile}\Extensions
3. Find folders named as dojjkecigfkngmeclcjoijjeemgippmi, right-click them separately and press Delete.
4. Go to the listed directories separately:
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage
   %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage
5. Find and remove the listed files:
   chrome-extension_dojjkecigfkngmeclcjoijjeemgippmi_0.localstorage-journal
   chrome-extension_dojjkecigfkngmeclcjoijjeemgippmi_0.localstorage
   http_directionsbuilder.dl.myway.com_0.localstorage
   http_directionsbuilder.dl.myway.com_0.localstorage-journal
   http_directionsbuilder.dl.tb.ask.com_0.localstorage
   http_directionsbuilder.dl.tb.ask.com_0.localstorage-journal
   http_www.directionsbuilder.com_0.localstorage
   http_www.directionsbuilder.com_0.localstorage-journal