@ wrote:

I am having ads pop up on all of my websites used for work after I sign in with browser.

The computer is an HP/Compaq 8600 with Vista purchased used. The adware appeared when I opened Intellicast weather 2 days ago. I couldn't locate a program to uninstall so installed SecureAnywhere. It removed several threats but I still have the pop up ads and odd windows interfering.

Welcome to the Community DDarnell1,

 

Please follow these instrcutions here below,

 

What you are seeing and describing sounds like it may be what we on the Community refer to as a PUA. (Potentially Unwanted Application) These are very annoying at best in that they cause pop-us, redirect your browser home page, and other behavior 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 you 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.

 

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 behavior 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 Trouble 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 Trouble 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.

 

 I hope this helps you both understand, and resolve the problem and if not please let us know!

 

 

 

NOTE: As noted above, PUA's that:

 

• Come in with other downloads
  
• Have a clear opt out ability prior to install

 

are often NOT detected and removed.  This is partly for legal reasons: the source of the download can complain about it's extra software being blocked automatically by Webroot.  There may be to allow WSA to recognize and block a LOT more PUA's than it currently can.  Please see THIS IDEA for more information, and give a KUDO if you agree.  User Idea requests are noted by the Webroot Team, and the more Kudo's on an Idea the more likely we may see dev time devoted to it.

 

 

 

Thanks!

 

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Hi DDarnell1

 

Welcome to the Community Forums.

 

May I ask if these popups are the same irrespective of the browser and/or website visited.  I am not convinced that this has anything to do with PUAs given that you say that it started happening after you visited the Intellicat Weather website and whilst there does not seem to be adware associated with that site there does seem to be some reports of popups, etc.  

 

So as an alternative to what Sherry has suggested...if that does not resolve the issue for you...I would make sure that you have installed a suitable ad blocker as an extension for the browser(s) that you are using.

 

A good general one (but resource hungry) is Ad Block Plus, if available go for Ad Block Edge as lighter, and if available (and it is for Chrome based browsers) go for uBlock, as this is the lightest in my opinion.

 

If you decide to try this and need help with locating & adding the extension then please post back here and one of us will be pleased to help you.

 

Regards, Baldrick

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