How to remove Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP’s) from Windows

A Potentially Unwanted Program, also called in short as PUP, is a software that contains adware, installs toolbars or has other unclear objectives.

The term “Potentially Unwanted Program” was given by McAfee to avoid labelling downloadable programs as malware. What makes a PUPs different from malware is that the user gives consent to download it. When the user downloads a program from the Internet and neglects to read the download agreement, he or she may fail to understand what other unwanted programs are being downloaded.

A Potentially Unwanted Program usually gets on your computer with freeware software (video recording/streaming, download-managers or PDF creators) that had bundled into their installation these type of programs. These unwanted programs are also bundled within the custom installers on many download sites (examples: CNET, Brothersoft or Softonic), so if you have downloaded a software from these websites, chances are that a Potentially Unwanted Program was installed during the software setup process.

In most cases these Potentially Unwanted Programs are adware programs, 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.
These ads are aimed to promote the installation of additional questionable content including web browser toolbars, optimization utilities and other products, all so the Potentially Unwanted Program publisher can generate pay-per-click revenue.

When infected with a Potentially Unwanted Program 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 to remove Potentially Unwanted Programs (Removal Guide)

To remove Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP’s), follow these steps

• STEP 1: Uninstall the malicious programs from Windows
• STEP 2: Use AdwCleaner to remove Potentially Unwanted Programs
• STEP 3: Scan and clean your computer with Malwarebytes
• STEP 4: Double-check for malicious programs with HitmanPro
• (OPTIONAL) STEP 5: Use Zemana AntiMalware Portable to remove browser hijackers
• (OPTIONAL) STEP 6: Reset your browser to the default settings

STEP 1 : Uninstall the malicious programs from Windows

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

1. Go to the uninstall menu.
   

   Windows 10 or Windows 8

   1. To uninstall a program on Windows 10 or Windows 8, right-click on the Windows Start button and choose “Control Panel” from the pop-up menu.
      
   2. When the “Control Panel” window opens click on the “Uninstall a program” option under “Programs” category.
      

   Windows 7 or Windows Vista

   1. If you are using Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, click the “Start” button, then click on the “Control Panel” menu option.
      
   2. When the “Control Panel” window opens click on the “Uninstall a program” option under “Programs” category.
      

2. When the “Programs and Features” screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and uninstall any unwanted programs.
   Known malicious programs: Dns Unlocker, Cinema Plus, Price Minus, SalesPlus, New Player, MediaVideosPlayers, Browsers_Apps_Pro, PriceLEess, Pic Enhance, Sm23mS, Salus, Network System Driver, SS8, Save Daily Deals, Word Proser, Desktop Temperature Monitor, CloudScout Parental Control, Savefier, Savepass, HostSecurePlugin, CheckMeUp and HD-V2.2.
   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 cannot find any unwanted programs on your computer, you can proceed with the next step.

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

   

STEP 2: Use AdwCleaner to remove Potentially Unwanted Programs

Malwarebytes AdwCleaner is a free utility that will scan your computer for Potentially Unwanted Programs that may have been installed without your knowledge.

1. You can download Malwarebytes AdwCleaner from the below link.
   MALWAREBYTES ADWCLEANER DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will start the download of “Malwarebytes AdwCleaner” on your computer)
2. When Malwarebytes AdwCleaner has finished downloading, please double-click on the AdwCleaner icon to perform a system scan with this program.
   
   If Windows prompts you as to whether or not you wish to run Malwarebytes AdwCleaner, please allow it to run.
   
3. When the Malwarebytes AdwCleaner program will open, click on the “Scan” button as shown below.
   
   Malwarebytes AdwCleaner will now start to search for Potentially Unwanted Programs and other malicious programs.
4. To remove the malicious files that were detected in the previous step, please click on the “Clean” button.
   
5. Malwarebytes AdwCleaner will prompt you to save any open files or documents, as the program will need to reboot the computer to complete the cleaning process. Please do so, and then click on the “OK” button.
   
   When your computer reboots and you are logged in, Malwarebytes AdwCleaner will automatically open a log file that contains the files, registry keys, and programs that were removed from your computer. Please review this log file and then close the notepad window. You can now continue with the rest of the instructions.

STEP 3: Scan and clean your computer with Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is a powerful on-demand scanner which should remove malware from your computer. It is important to note that Malwarebytes will run alongside antivirus software without conflicts.

1. You can download download Malwarebytes from the below link.
   MALWAREBYTES DOWNLOAD LINK (This link open a new page from where you can download “Malwarebytes”)
2. When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the “mb3-setup-consumer” file to install Malwarebytes on your computer.
   
   You may be presented with an User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow Malwarebytes to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
   
3. When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the Malwarebytes Setup Wizard which will guide you through the installation process.
   
   To install Malwarebytes on your machine, keep following the prompts by clicking the “Next” button.
   
4. Once installed, Malwarebytes will automatically start and update the antivirus database. To start a system scan you can click on the “Scan Now” button.
   
5. Malwarebytes will now start scanning your computer for malicious programs.
   This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.
   
6. When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected.
   To remove the malicious programs that Malwarebytes has found, click on the “Quarantine Selected” button.
   
7. Malwarebytes will now quarantine all the malicious files and registry keys that it has found.
   To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your computer.
   
   When the malware removal process is complete, you can close Malwarebytes and continue with the rest of the instructions.

STEP 4: Double-check for malicious programs with HitmanPro

HitmanPro can find and remove malware, adware, bots, and other threats that even the best antivirus suite can oftentimes miss. HitmanPro is designed to run alongside your antivirus suite, firewall, and other security tools.

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. When HitmanPro has finished downloading, double-click on the “hitmanpro” file to install this program on your computer.
   
   You may be presented with an User Account Control pop-up asking if you want to allow HitmanPro to make changes to your device. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to continue with the installation.
   
3. When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below. Now click on the Next button to continue with the scan process.
   
4. HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for malware.
   
5. 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 malware.
   
6. Click on the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
   
   When the process is complete, you can close HitmanPro and continue with the rest of the instructions.

STEP 5: Use Zemana AntiMalware Portable to remove browser hijackers

1. You can download Zemana AntiMalware Portable from the below link:
   ZEMANA ANTIMALWARE PORTABLE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link open a new web page from where you can download “Zemana AntiMalware Portable”)
2. Double-click on the file named “Zemana.AntiMalware.Portable” to perform a system scan with Zemana AntiMalware Free.
   
   You may be presented with a User Account Control dialog asking you if you want to run this program. If this happens, you should click “Yes” to allow Zemana AntiMalware to run.
   
3. When Zemana AntiMalware will start, click on the “Scan” button to perform a system scan.
   
4. Zemana AntiMalware will now scan your computer for malicious programs. This process can take up to 10 minutes.
   
5. When Zemana has finished finished scanning it will show a screen that displays any malware that has been detected. To remove all the malicious files, click on the “Next” button.
   
   Zemana AntiMalware will now start to remove all the malicious programs from your computer. When the process is complete, you can close Zemana AntiMalware and continue with the rest of the instructions.

(OPTIONAL) STEP 6: Reset your browser to default settings