Shift Browser & OneLaunch

Have you ever seen either of the two icons above somewhere on your computer? Do you have a toolbar across the top of your screen that just appeared one day? Does a browser window with lots of advertisements open as soon as you turn on your computer?  If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, listen up! The first is OneLaunch and the second is the Shift Browser. Every time we see either of these on a computer the client has not intentionally installed it. (Don't confuse them with the pre-installed Microsoft Edge browser with a blue-green wave icon - a similarity I'm sure the makers of these two intended to exploit.) We believe that they are either bundled with the download of legitimate software, or are the result of clicking on a sly banner ad. These programs will redirect your searches through their own engines, display a multitude of advertisements, and frequently bog down your computer. The developers of both OneLaunch and Shift Browser emphatically deny that they are malware (no surprise there), but the shady nature of how they install themselves leaves me with zero trust. We strongly recommend removal if you happen to have either on your computer. If there’s one thing they did right, at least you can easily uninstall them from Windows Settings.