After thinking for a few minutes....it's good to see Webroot detect and remove Conduit automatically where as I don't remember it doing so in the past.  Maybe I have no need for AdwCleaner now.  I'll wait and see what others have to say...if anything.

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WSA does detect and remove many PUA's, and more are being added, but WSA does not detect all of them. 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.

 

For those that are not detected by WSA, please see this KB Article. It has some easy to follow directions on locating and removing PUA's. You may also want to submit a Support Ticket, especially if you cannot remove it easily from the directions in the KB Article.

 

For those that ARE detected by WSA, but cannot be removed automatically, you can submit a Support Ticket.  Webroot Support will help you get these annoying 'crapware' off your computer at no extra charge, and the additional examples may help to better automatic removal of that particular PUA for all users in the future.

 

To make sure that your WSA is checking for PUA's with the best proficiently, it sometimes helps to reset the PUA detection within WSA's settings. For PUA's that had previously been scanned and determined to be OK, but have since been added to detection/removal, you may want to complete the following steps:

 

• Open Webroot SecureAnywhere
  
• Click on ‘Advanced Settings’ from the top right
  
• Select ‘Scan Settings’ from the left side
  
• Unselect the option “Detect Potentially Unwanted Applications”
  
• Click on the Save button (you may have to enter in a CAPTCHA)
  
• Reselect the option to “Detect Potentially Unwanted Applications”
  
• Click on the Save button
  
• Run another scan with Webroot and remove any items that get detected.

To help avoid PUA's in the future, remember to read all of the information when installing or updating software (Adobe downloads often have those "extra special offers" attached... PUA'S!: often the PUA included will be mentioned, and you can opt out of installing it.  Those check boxes you see? Usually only one of them is for the User Agreement of the software you want, the others are for the junk you don't.

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Hi BlazeTen

 

Long time no see...how are you doing?

 

The problem with PUAs is that the is no concerted approach to them; each software author has a differing view as to what is a PUA and what is not, after all one person's PUA could be another person's favourite piece of software...and vice versa.

 

And as a result of that, plus the potential legal implication of labelling software which the author objects to (the Bleeping Computer vs. Enigma case comes to mind), etc., makes this a mine field. So, WSA will detect and flag some but not all whilst other will pounce on anything that coun conceivably be classed a PUA.

 

Therefore, I would recommend that you arm yourself with whatever tools you are happy to use in terms of PUA removal (not I am not recommending any ;)) always bearing in mind that Webroot Support will intervene free of charge for active subscription users of WSA, should they report PUA-related issues. The latter would, in my opinion, be the safest course of action in most cases, unless the PUA is characterised by just a simple browser extension needing to be removed...which is rarely the case.

 

Hope that helps?

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Good explanation Baldrick.  Gives me an entirely new perspective on PUAs.  Been doing fine here in the extreme of southeast Alabama.  Plenty of rain, my preferred kind of weather.  Congratulations on the promotion.  Well deserved!

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Thanks, BlazeTen...you are too kind.

 

Glad to be able to contribute...and glad to hear that you are OK, and hope that you do not end up with too much of that 'preferred' rain. 

 

Regards, Baldrick

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