Remove “Ads by Positive Finds” virus (Removal Guide)

Positive Finds is an adware program, that displays pop-up ads and advertisements on web pages that you visit. These advertisements will be shown as boxes containing various coupons that are available, as underlined keywords, pop-up ads or advertising banners.
Ads by Positive Finds virus

What is Positive Finds?

Positive Finds is advertised as a program that displays coupons for sites you are visiting and competitive prices when you are viewing product pages at sites like Amazon. Though this may sound like a useful service, the Positive Finds program can be intrusive and will display ads whether you want them to or not.
When installed, the Positive Finds browser extension will display advertising banners, pop-up advertisements and in-text ads, stating that they are brought to you by “Positive Finds”. The Positive Finds Ads will have different text under the pop-up: “Powered by Positive Finds”, “Brought to you by Positive Finds”, “You’ve received a premium offer from Positive Finds” or “Ads by Positive Finds”.

These ads are aimed to promote the installation of additional questionable content including web browser toolbars, optimization utilities and other products, all so the Positive Finds publisher can generate pay-per-click revenue.
When infected with Positive Finds adware the common symptoms include:

  • Advertising banners are injected with the web pages that you are visiting.
  • Random web page text is turned into hyperlinks.
  • Browser popups appear which recommend fake updates or other software.
  • Other unwanted adware programs might get installed without the user’s knowledge.

How did Positive Finds got on my computer?

Positive Finds is an adware program that is commonly bundled with other free programs that you download off of the Internet.
Unfortunately, some free downloads do not adequately disclose that other software will also be installed and you may find that you have installed Positive Finds without your knowledge. Most commonly Positive Finds is bundled within the installers from Cnet, Softonic or other similar custom third-party installers.

You should always pay attention when installing software because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this Positive Finds adware. Be very careful what you agree to install.
Always opt for the custom installation and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place.
It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don’t trust.

Positive Finds Overview:

  • Positive Finds will inject pop-up ads, advertising banners and in-text ads within your web browser
  • Adware detected in the Positive Finds program (Positive Finds.exe, Positive Finds-bg.exe, Positive Finds-bho64.dll, Positive Finds-nova.exe)
  • Integrates into the web browser via the Positive Finds browser extension
  • Typically distributed through a pay-per-install bundle or with third-party software (example: CNET installer, Softonic Installer, InstallRex installer and many more)
  • Positive Finds has a poor reputation within the MalwareTips Community

How to remove “Positive Finds” (Virus Removal Guide)

This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove “Positive Finds” virus from your computer, and any other adware program that may have been installed during the setup process.
Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, STOP and ask for our assistance.
STEP 1: Uninstall Positive Finds from Windows
STEP 2: Remove Positive Finds adware from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome with AdwCleaner
STEP 3: Remove “Ads by Positive Finds” virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free
STEP 4: Double-check for the “Positive Finds” malware with HitmanPro
(Optional) STEP 5: Reset Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome settings to remove “Positive Finds” Ads

If you are using an Apple Mac OS X operating system, please follow this Remove virus from Apple Mac OS X (Pop-up Ads and Adware) guide to remove Positive Finds adware.

STEP 1 : Uninstall Positive Finds from Windows

In this first step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious program that might be installed on your computer.

  1. To uninstall the Positive Finds program from Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, click the “Start” button, then click on the “Control Panel” menu option.
    [Image: Control Panel in Windows Start Menu]
    If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for “control panel” .Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control Panel from there.
    [Image: Type Control Panel in Windows 8 search box]
  2. When the “Control Panel” window opens click on the “Uninstall a program” option under “Programs” category. This option is shown by the arrow in the image below. If you are using the “Classic View” of the Control Panel, then you would double-click on the “Programs and Features” icon instead.
    [Image: Uninstall a program]
  3. When the “Programs and Features” or the “Uninstall a Program” screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and uninstall Positive Finds.
    The malicious program may have a different name on your computer. To view the most recently installed programs, you can click on the “Installed On” column to sort your program by the installation date. Scroll through the list, and uninstall any unwanted or unknown programs.

    If you are having issues while trying to uninstall the Positive Finds program, you can use Revo Uninstaller to completely remove this unwanted program from your machine.

    Remove Positive Finds from Windows
    If you cannot find any unwanted or unknown programs on your machine, then you can proceed with the next step.


STEP 2: Remove Positive Finds adware from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome with AdwCleaner

The AdwCleaner utility will scan your computer and web browser for the “Positive Finds” malicious files, browser extensions and registry keys, that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge.

  1. You can download AdwCleaner utility from the below link.
    ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will download “AdwCleaner” on your computer)
  2. Before starting AdwCleaner, close all open programs and internet browsers, then double-click on the AdwCleaner icon.
    AdwCleaner Icon
    If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.
  3. When the AdwCleaner program will open, click on the “Scan” button as shown below.
    AdwCleaner scan button
    AdwCleaner will now start to search for the “Positive Finds” malicious files that may be installed on your computer.
  4. To remove the “Positive Finds” malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the “Clean” button.
    Remove Positive Finds with AdwCleaner
  5. AdwCleaner will now prompt you to save any open files or documents, as the program will need to reboot the computer. Please do so and then click on the OK button.
    AdwCleaner removing malware

STEP 3: Remove “Positive Finds” virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free uses industry-leading technology to detect and remove all traces of malware, including worms, Trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware, and more.
It is important to note that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware works well and should run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

  1. You can download download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware from the below link.
    MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free”)
  2. Once downloaded, close all programs, then double-click on the icon on your desktop named “mbam-setup-consumer-2.00.xx” to start the installation of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware setup program]
    Picture of User Account Control You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this file. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
  3. When the installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Setup Wizard]
    To install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on your machine, keep following the prompts by clicking the “Next” button.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Final Setup Screen]
  4. Once installed, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program, and that a scan has never been run on your system. To start a system scan you can click on the “Fix Now” button.
    [Image: Click on the Fix Now button to start a scan]
    Alternatively, you can click on the “Scan” tab and select “Threat Scan“, then click on the “Scan Now” button.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Threat Scan]
  5. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now check for updates, and if there are any, you will need to click on the “Update Now” button.
    [Image: Click on Update Now to update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware]
  6. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for the Positive Finds virus. When Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is scanning it will look like the image below.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware while performing a scan]
  7. When the scan has completed, you will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware has detected. To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes Anti-malware has found, click on the “Quarantine All” button, and then click on the “Apply Now” button.
    [Image: Remove Positive Finds with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware]
    Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.
  8. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found. When removing the files, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot your computer, please allow it to do so.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware removing Positive Finds]
    After your computer will restart, you should open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform another “Threat Scan” scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

STEP 4: Double-check for the “Positive Finds” malware infection with HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti-virus software, firewalls, etc.). HitmanPro is designed to work alongside existing security programs without any conflicts. It scans the computer quickly (less than 5 minutes) and does not slow down the computer.

  1. You can download HitmanPro from the below link:
    HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download “HitmanPro”)
  2. Double-click on the file named “HitmanPro.exe” (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or “HitmanPro_x64.exe” (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.
    [Image: HitmanPro start-up screen]
    Click on the “Next” button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.
    [Image: HitmanPro setup options]
  3. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for Positive Finds malicious files.
    [Image: HitmanPro scanning for malware]
  4. When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the “Next” button, to remove Positive Finds virus.
    [Image: HitmanPro scan results]
  5. Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
    [Image: HitmanPro Activate Free License]

(Optional) STEP 5: Reset Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome settings to remove “Positive Finds” Ads

If you are still experiencing issues with the “Positive Finds” ads in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, we will need to reset your browser to its default settings. This step needs to be performed only if your issues have not been solved by the previous steps.

Reset Internet Explorer

You can reset Internet Explorer settings to return them to the state they were in when Internet Explorer was first installed on your PC.

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the “gear iconIE Icon Gear in the upper right part of your browser, then click again on Internet Options.
    [Image: Internet Options in Internet Explorer]
  2. In the “Internet Options” dialog box, click on the “Advanced” tab, then click on the “Reset” button.
    [Image: Reset Internet Explorer]
  3. In the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” section, select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then click on “Reset” button.
    [Image: Reset Internet Explorer to its default settings to remove Positive Finds]
  4. When Internet Explorer has completed its task, click on the “Close” button in the confirmation dialogue box. You will now  need to close your browser, and then you can open Internet Explorer again.
    [Image Reset Internet Explorer settings]

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If you’re having problems with Firefox, resetting it can help. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history and open tabs.

  1. In the upper-right corner of the Firefox window, click the Firefox menu button ([Image: Firefox Menu button]), the click on the “Help” ([Image: Firefox Help button]) button.
    [Image: Click on the Menu button then Help]
  2. From the Help menu, choose Troubleshooting Information.
    [Image: Troubleshooting Information in Firefox]
  3. Click the “Reset Firefox” button in the upper-right corner of the “Troubleshooting Information” page.
    [Image: Reset Firefox to its default settings to remove Positive Finds]
  4. To continue, click on the “Reset Firefox” button in the new confirmation window that opens.
    [Image: Click on the Reset Firefox button]
  5. Firefox will close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it’s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on the “Finish“.

Note: Your old Firefox profile will be placed on your desktop in a folder named “Old Firefox Data“. If the reset didn’t fix your problem you can restore some of the information not saved by copying files to the new profile that was created. If you don’t need this folder any longer, you should delete it as it contains sensitive information.

Reset Google Chrome

  1. Click on the “Chrome menu button” (Chrome menu)  on the browser toolbar, select “Settings“, and then click on “Extensions“.
    Chrome Settings menu
  2. In the “Extensions” tab, remove Positive Finds 5.5 and any other unknown extensions, by clicking the trash can [Image: Remove an extension from Chrome] icon.
    Basically, if you have not installed an extension then you should remove it from Google Chrome.
    Remove adware extension from Chrome

Your computer should now be free of the Positive Finds adware infection. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Positive Finds adware from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.
How to Stay Safe Online

Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:

  1. Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.

    Shield Guide

    It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.

  2. Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.

    updates-guide

    Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.

  3. Be careful when installing programs and apps.

    install guide

    Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."

  4. Install an ad blocker.

    Ad Blocker

    Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.

  5. Be careful what you download.

    Trojan Horse

    A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.

  6. Be alert for people trying to trick you.

    warning sign

    Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.

  7. Back up your data.

    backup sign

    Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.

  8. Choose strong passwords.

    lock sign

    Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.

  9. Be careful where you click.

    cursor sign

    Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.

  10. Don't use pirated software.

    Shady Guide

    Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.

To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.

26 thoughts on “Remove “Ads by Positive Finds” virus (Removal Guide)”

  1. Hello HashMan,
    Lets try to fix your PC:
    1.Please download ZOEK by Smeenk and save it to your desktop (preferred version is the *.exe one) from here: http://hijackthis.nl/smeenk/

    2. Right-click on Zoek icon and select “Run as Administrator” to start the tool.
    Wait patiently until the main console will appear, it may take a minute or two.
    3. In the main box please paste in the following script (between the lines):
    —————————————————–
    createsrpoint;
    autoclean;
    emptyalltemp;
    ipconfig /flushdns;b
    ——————————————————-
    4.Make sure that Scan All Users option is checked.
    5. Push Run Script and wait patiently. The scan may take a couple of minutes.
    When this program will finish the clean-up it will ask you to restart your computer.

    Let me know if this fixed your issue or not!

  2. One of the way i tried .. Search In Local Disc C in the name of “Positive adds” I found the Folder . Just Click The Uninstall Button with following Procedure.. I got resolve the Problem.. thanks..

  3. Thanks a million – your tips worked great!

    What had happened was that my Firefox had become infected with PositiveFinds, probably when I downloaded Clipgrab and chose the standard install. [I will never download Clipgrab again!].

    I cleaned my machine with Malwarebytes but a reinstall of Firefox wouldn’t work; the PositiveFinds menace remained. So I uninstalled Firefox and began to use IE11 instead –
    which was fine except that I couldn’t access Google Drive.

    Frustrated, I began to research how I could get back to Firefox by getting rid of the PF virus. And your blog was simply outstanding.

    Just now, I used AdwCleaner and this found and cleaned the offending program. As you suggested, I refreshed my Firefox to factory settings so that all plugins were disabled. I rebooted the machine and viola, I could get to Google Drive through Firefox (which has been my preferred browser for work anyway)! And the PF virus is gone too – good riddance!

    I also thanked your blog on the Google Products Forum:

    https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/drive/HkoVFhQDJUU/Qhuu4DyJBhkJ

  4. Thanks, very helpfull, i got rid of it with your instuctions and resetting Google chrome & explorer (with that i lost my favorites)

  5. Well, I did the same thing. At the end of a long day, when I was tired and never should have been doing computer business, I installed something else that had the adware with it. I totally missed it. Did it to myself. Still haven’t got the Positive Finds ads and Buzzdock ads out (can’t even locate them, actually.) But at least I discovered that what I want to do going into the future is to ALWAYS USE the custom install setting. Live and learn.

  6. I think I “caught” this virus from “jelly bean key finder” or “CamStudio”, – not sure which, but this is the only place I found to positively remove it without a trace. Thank You!

  7. UNINSTALL CHROME AT THE END. (I WANTED TO CRY UNTIL I DID IT AND I WAS RID OF THOSE *********************** ADS.)

  8. Very very helpful. Bu ti must say. i also had problems after all the removal steps, and had to reinstal chrome. It was the only way to really clean up.

  9. Many thanks. All instructions worked fine, but still I had to uninstall Chrome. That shoud be pointed up there. I’ve read the comments so i was expecting that already.

  10. I forgot to tell you that the virus / malware was installed with the software “Free Youtube to MP3 converter” is part of the suite “DVDVideoSoft”. Shame on me when I did the update and I did not notice that I was also installing malware …: S

  11. I installed a bought game Hells kitchen and I think it had this *Positive ads finds* malware… I am geting seriously disgusted…

  12. Sometimes, I doubt where are those adwares come from.
    They might be come from Antiware publishers to show how their programs work!
    Then, you might click the button to purchase theirs.

    We are just cheated those publisher.
    How nasty!

  13. I found it hiding in plain sight disguised as an app called dvd styler. Simply uninstalled that and everything went back to normal.

  14. Thanks Stelian for the helpful info. I successfully removed Positive Finds from my Windows 7 PC but I do have one bit of feedback. During Step 1 I found the Positive Finds exe file but when I clicked Uninstall a suspicious looking popup window appeared. It had Positive Finds written in one corner and stated that it would uninstall the program. It looked different than the normal Windows uninstall popup and I didn’t trust this popup that identified itself with the malware program’s name to actually uninstall itself. I cancelled out and went on to steps 2 & 3, in which AdwCleaner and Malwarebytes did their thing. Both Positive Finds and Buzzdoc Ads were removed and no longer appeared in the Control Panel listing of programs.

    One other item of note. I could not download the AdwCleaner and Malware bytes programs onto my PC from the Internet because the malware “hijacked” the download buttons and kept redirecting my Chrome browser to different advertising web sites. To get around this I used my Android tablet to download the programs and then copied them to my PC desktop via USB connection.

    I hope this information is helpful to others. Thanks again for the great web site.

  15. Thanks you….when i have download AdwCleaner and scan then after “Positive Finds Ads ” Virus clean automatically…
    it’s great job done by this site…
    thank you….thank you….thank you….so much….

  16. Thanks you….when i have download AdwCleaner and scan then after “Positive Finds Ads ” Virus clean automatically…
    it’s great job done by this site…
    thank you….thank you….thank you….so much….

  17. Hello Bob,
    Lets try to fix your PC:
    1.Please download ZOEK by Smeenk and save it to your desktop (preferred version is the *.exe one) from here: http://hijackthis.nl/smeenk/

    2. Right-click on Zoek icon and select “Run as Administrator” to start the tool.
    Wait patiently until the main console will appear, it may take a minute or two.
    3. In the main box please paste in the following script (between the lines):
    —————————————————–
    createsrpoint;
    autoclean;
    emptyalltemp;
    ipconfig /flushdns;b
    ——————————————————-
    4.Make sure that Scan All Users option is checked.
    5. Push Run Script and wait patiently. The scan may take a couple of minutes.
    When this program will finish the clean-up it will ask you to restart your computer.

    Let me know if this fixed your issue or not!

  18. Good stuff. I did all this twice and it got all it could the first time, but i still had the ads. Next I uninstalled Google Chrome and reinstalled it and finally am at peace again. What an experience.

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