I recently started seeing a lot of pop-ups after two years owning my PC and running Windows 8.1. No threats show up on Webroot scans and I don't see a setting for pop-ups. Any suggestions? I never had a problem with pop-ups before. Thanks.
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Hi kodiak50
Welcome to the Community Forums.
The actions/activites that you are reporting resembles the behaviour of a type of non-malware program we commonly refer to as a PUA or Potential Unwanted Application. Usually one gets some idea as to who is behind these popups by checking the detail of the popup message, so if you have that then please let us known and we can try to provide more specific assistance, but in the asbsence of this please see below re. some generic guidance/information that may help.
These are very annoying at best in that they cause pop-ups, redirect your browser home page, and other behaviour that may slow down the computer and direct ads your way, but they are not actually doing anything bad like damaging files or stealing information. Often they are installed intentionally by the user as browser add-ons for various tasks such as quick search tools. But they also come with the result of added annoying pop-ups and ads. Other times they 'piggy back' with other software that you installed, or try to 'sneak' onto your system entirely.
The key to avoiding them is to make sure that when downloading apps one does so from the author's own website or one that they have recommended, and not 3rd party downloading site.
Whilst WSA does detect and remove many PUA's, and more are being added, but WSA does not detect all of them. And in the case of Mind Spark as whether or not it can be classed as a PUA is marginal I suspect that WSA will not remove it.
A simple browser add-on with PUA behaviour that is easy to identify and easy to remove is not likely to be detected and removed by WSA. Those that are intentionally difficult to locate and remove are. Please see this link for more information regarding Webroot's stance on these annoying programs.
If you feel or consider yourself technically proficient then you can try these steps to remove it from your system.
However, if that does not work or you do not feel technically capable then the best thing to do is to Open a Support Ticket & ask Webroot Support to take a look and remove these for you. There is NO CHARGE for this for valid WSA license holder.
Hope that helps?
Regards, Baldrick
Welcome to the Community Forums.
The actions/activites that you are reporting resembles the behaviour of a type of non-malware program we commonly refer to as a PUA or Potential Unwanted Application. Usually one gets some idea as to who is behind these popups by checking the detail of the popup message, so if you have that then please let us known and we can try to provide more specific assistance, but in the asbsence of this please see below re. some generic guidance/information that may help.
These are very annoying at best in that they cause pop-ups, redirect your browser home page, and other behaviour that may slow down the computer and direct ads your way, but they are not actually doing anything bad like damaging files or stealing information. Often they are installed intentionally by the user as browser add-ons for various tasks such as quick search tools. But they also come with the result of added annoying pop-ups and ads. Other times they 'piggy back' with other software that you installed, or try to 'sneak' onto your system entirely.
The key to avoiding them is to make sure that when downloading apps one does so from the author's own website or one that they have recommended, and not 3rd party downloading site.
Whilst WSA does detect and remove many PUA's, and more are being added, but WSA does not detect all of them. And in the case of Mind Spark as whether or not it can be classed as a PUA is marginal I suspect that WSA will not remove it.
A simple browser add-on with PUA behaviour that is easy to identify and easy to remove is not likely to be detected and removed by WSA. Those that are intentionally difficult to locate and remove are. Please see this link for more information regarding Webroot's stance on these annoying programs.
If you feel or consider yourself technically proficient then you can try these steps to remove it from your system.
However, if that does not work or you do not feel technically capable then the best thing to do is to Open a Support Ticket & ask Webroot Support to take a look and remove these for you. There is NO CHARGE for this for valid WSA license holder.
Hope that helps?
Regards, Baldrick
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