I scanned with malwarebytes, and it found PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A, but I don’t know what it is. The virus keeps coming back and doesn’t seem to go away, even though I am on safe mode. Can someone tell me if it is dangerous? Was it the reason I received tons of ads on Internet Explorer? I heard Malwarebytes does sometimes detect things that aren’t necessarily dangerous to my computer. Should I leave it alone? If not, what’s the best way to get rid of it from my computer?
PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A is categorized as a potentially unwanted program that installs along with other Trojan viruses or adware onto a system without any knowledge. It may not show any clear sign when it is downloaded on the machine, however if you scan the computer with antivirus programs like Malwarebytes, you will see the scan result alert which there are several unknown program like PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A on the list. Therefore we can be sure that the specified computer is infected already infected with this malware and your web browser may also has been hijacked by adware at the same time. This virus alters system configurations, changes DNS settings, registry settings and web browser settings, and even can install malicious extensions and toolbar to the target computer, hence auto removal way is always not working to cope with this threat.
PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A virus also affects your web browser like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome sharply. Not only can it display endless pop-up ads to interrupt user’s browsing activities, it is also able to redirect web browser to sponsored links or dangerous sites that host malware. Whenever the user enters invalid address or performs an Internet search, it will be redirected to other unwanted pages so you are not able to go to your desired webpage anymore. Also it can change your default homepage and search provider without your knowledge and display misleading information alert to trick you into downloading other threats. You may be presented a lot of fake information telling you that your flash player is outdated and you need to download a new one, or you have got the new iPhone 6 etc, but don’t click on any of these pop-ups or your system may become horribly contaminated with a lot of other potentially unwanted programs. You should manually remove PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A from your computer to prevent it from damaging your system and compromising your privacy.
Slow down your PC speed notably.
Add other dangerous Trojan or Spyware to your system secretly.
Allow the hacker to access your entire system.
Collect all your personal information and transfer to a remote hacker.
Destroy critical system files and make PC unstable.
From malicious drive-by-download scripts from corrupted porn and shareware / freeware websites.
Through spam email attachments, media downloads and social networks.
When clicking suspicious pop-ups or malicious links.
Open unknown email or download media files that contain the activation code of the virus.
Note: No matter how the virus accesses your PC, users should know that there are no tools can remove this pesky Trojan automatically at this moment, it is suggested users not spend much time in downloading or paying any security software which claims can delete this stubborn virus. It is totally useless. To completely get rid of PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A, professional manual guide is needed.
Currently many computer users had the same experience that this virus couldn’t be removed by any anti-virus applications. So the manual approach is always required to combat this virus. And here is the step-by-step removal guide for all computer users.
1. End the malicious process from Task Manager.
Once PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A virus is installed, computer user may notice that CPU usage randomly jumps to 100 percent. At any time Windows always has many running processes. A process is an individual task that the computer runs. In general, the more processes, the more work the computer has to do and the slower it will run. If your system’s CPU spike is constant and remain at a constant 90-95%, users should check from Task Manager and see if there is a suspicious process occupying system resources and then end it immediately.
(The name of the virus process can be random.)
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to quickly bring up Task Manager Window：
2. Show hidden files and folders.
Open Folder Options by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Folder Options.
Click the View tab.
Under Advanced settings, click Show hidden files and folders, uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) and then click OK.
3. Open Registry entries. Find out the malicious files and entries and then delete all.
Attention: Always be sure to back up your PC before making any changes.
a. Press Windows key + R to open Run box. In the “Open” field, type “regedit” and click the “OK” button.
Then a Registry Editor window will pop up as the following picture shows:
b. Search malicious files and registry entries and then remove all of them:
%AllUsersProfile%\[random]
%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\[random]
%AllUsersProfile%\Application Data\.exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\[random]
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Temp
Strictly speaking, PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A is not a virus, but it is an annoying and unwanted program that poses a huge risk for your computer. It is closely associated with adware or potentially unwanted program which is designed to make money for its creators by promoting different Web sites, enhancing their web traffic and page ranks. Once it is downloaded, it changes your homepage and default search provider without your permission and keep displaying unwanted ads for you. It hijacks most of the major web browsers and it may interfere with system performance as well. Moreover, it is able to open a backdoor and allow other threats to get access and make chaos on your computer secretly. Considering all of the disadvantages it brings to you, you need to delete PUP.Optional.SearchApp.A for good.
Note: If you are not knowledgeable enough to be able to distinguish the location of this virus, or you are afraid of making mistake during the manual removal, please contact experts from Yoocare Online Tech Support for further help.
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Published by on February 11, 2015 6:26 pm, last updated on February 11, 2015 6:49 pm
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