Author Topic: Pop us gone wild (Read 2271 times)

Marlelar · « **on:** March 02, 2015, 10:33:55 AM »

For some reason as of yesterday I have been inundated with pop ups. They come every 3-5 seconds and I'm going crazy. I have Windows 8.1 and use Firefox. Firefox says my pop up blocker is turned on and Windows Defender says everything is fine. I checked my list of installed programs and nothing has been installed that is not legit.

I don't know what to do. They even come up when I'm on this site. In the time it has taken me to write this I've been hit with 5!

Thanks,
Marsha

PerEvangelicaDicta · « **Reply #1 on:** March 02, 2015, 11:16:58 AM »

Marsha, whenever I have an issue, I first run Malware Bytes Anti-Malware - free version here https://www.malwarebytes.org/

and if the problem isn't resolved, I'll use ADW Cleaner - free version here https://toolslib.net/downloads/viewdownload/1-adwcleaner/.

Usually MBAM takes care of the problems. If not, ADW sure does. There are a few other remedies if those 2 don't work.

Bleeping Computer has excellent recommendations for removing 'Potential Unwanted Programs' or PUP's. That's where I downloaded MBAM and ADW, or download straight from the site via the links I provided. Just be careful of your download site; for example, don't use CNet.

Marlelar · « **Reply #2 on:** March 02, 2015, 12:21:18 PM »

I did run Malwarebytes but I still have the problem

Whatever this is it also turns words into hyperlinks. So in your reply the words "anti-malware", "cleaner", and "dowload" are bolded and have a little green arrow in the upper right hand corner. If I hover over them there is a link (which I do NOT click on :) It says "ads by UniDeals". I did uninstall "UniDeals" which I found listed as a program in my files but they still show up

Is ADW easy to use? I'm a computer-dunce!

I'm seriously thinking about leaving the 21st Century and going back to the 13th

Marsha

Marlelar · « **Reply #3 on:** March 02, 2015, 12:46:19 PM »

I did find 2 unknown add-ons on my Firefox, they were in SPANISH! I've deleted them and so far (5 min) no pop ups! Hurray! I may just stay in the 21st century afterall...

Still think about ADW, is it easy to use?

Marsha

PerEvangelicaDicta · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2015, 01:51:21 PM »

Firefox add-ons strike again! I had an annoying redirect caused by one of their add ons a few months ago. I naively assumed that they were ok.

Check MBAM quarantine. I know from reviewing a thread in Bleeping Computer that it should detect the UniDeals PUP. This may help:

On the MBAM Dashboard click on Update Now
Go to the Setting Tab
Under Setting go to Detection and Protection
Under PUP and PUM make sure both are set to show Treat Detections as Malware
Go to Advanced setting and make sure Automatically Quarantine Detected Items is checked
Then on the Dashboard click on Scan
Make sure to select THREAT SCAN
Then click on Scan
When the scan is finished click on VIEW DETAILED LOG
Delete all in quarantine.

Regardless, run ADW Cleaner. It's very easy to use. Download, open, scan - it scans quickly. You can click each file tab to see what it corralled. Then hit "clean". It will reboot your computer when completed, and you'll see a text box at start up with a summary.

If you still have issues, which I'd be surprised, then proceed with downloading Junkware Removal tool, from Bleeping Computer. While UniDeals is not a virus, PUPs mimic them to a certain extent - redirecting, tracking, etc.
For bad infections, there are a few other downloads that you can graduate to.

I pray you will remain trouble free Marsha!

Stubborn · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2015, 03:00:03 PM »

I had something like that - I did a System Restore to a time when I had no pop ups every 2 minutes. It worked perfect.

Dolores · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2015, 03:03:36 PM »

As others have noted, excessive popups, particularly ones that appear at random and are not associated with clinking on a link, are a sure sign of some kind of malware. It sounds like you have solved your problem, however.

Marlelar · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2015, 05:11:04 PM »

Quote from: PerEvangelicaDicta

Firefox add-ons strike again! I had an annoying redirect caused by one of their add ons a few months ago. I naively assumed that they were ok.

Check MBAM quarantine. I know from reviewing a thread in Bleeping Computer that it should detect the UniDeals PUP. This may help: ...

Thanks, I'll try that. I learn something new every day!

Marsha