Monday, 17 June 2013

Remove "Value Apps" pop-up, removal instructions

Value Apps is an application developed by Conduit Ltd. If you get a "Value Apps" pop-up or a splash screen every time you open your web browser then you've probably installed adware on your computer. It may suggest you to install one of their apps, for example, PriceGong, CouponBuddy, Autocomplete+ or Search conduit. Usually, it has a picture of a piggy bank with cash going into it. Value Apps may require use of your personal information, including your Internet Protocol address, the webpages you visit and their content. This is probably the reason why most users think that Value Apps might be some kind of virus. And even though, technically it's not a virus, I have to agree with them. I think it's adware with spyware modules because it may collect and transmit information about the way you use your computer and which websites you visit. This is normally done for advertising so that adverts can be targeted to your likes and interests.


Obviously Value Apps and any other apps that got installed along with it are using your internet connection to download the pop-up adverts and windows that you see but this also means that not inconsiderable amounts of information is being sent in the other direction and it is not unknown for some forms of adware to spy on your activity – including checking out your browser history so that adverts can be tailored to your interests.

Spyware and adware are separate things but they often come bundled together and the main issue is that spyware can be used for purposes other than tailor making adverts. Any data gathered by the spyware can then be used to market to you either by the author or by a third party who will have paid for the information.

Another knock on effect of adware is that because it installs certain components on your system these are taking up space, using up bandwidth and wasting your system’s resources. They are also notoriously hard to discover and remove too and even if you’ve removed the adware, the components may well still be on your computer and running without your knowledge.

Put simply, Value Apps can be a complete nightmare if it been installed on your PC. It can cause your system to run much more slowly than it should, it can cause your browser to keep crashing, and if you’re really unlucky, you may even get the ‘blue screen of death’.

Furthermore because Value Apps malware is an independent executable program that is installed on your computer it has the same rights that the person who (unwittingly) installed it does – i.e. you! This will very likely include allowing the software to download and install other (unwanted) software, change your default home or browser page, install tool bars and even format your hard drive. It’s a very scary thought!

It may also include what are known as ‘insecure features’ such as ‘AutoInstall’ or ‘AutoUpdate’ functions. Rather than being beneficial however, these will download and install programs of their own choosing on your system. What this means is that your PC system is now even wider open to abuse by cyber criminals.

It probably comes as no great surprise to learn that the creators and users of spyware and adware can be extremely underhand in their attempts to install them on your computer and although they should disclose the fact that the software you are installing comes packaged with adware or with spyware, the notification and the option of opting out is often hidden in the small print of a tedious and technical License Agreement. Even if you do plough your way through the whole agreement the part about spyware may well have been worded in such a roundabout way that it is not clear to the casual reader. The lesson to be learned? Be very careful what you download and check all license agreements carefully. To remove Value Apps from your computer, please follow the removal instructions below. Please note, you won't find anything named Value Apps on your computer because this pop-up is almost certainly a part of another application that you recently installed. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Good luck and be safe online!

Written by Michael Kaur, http://deletemalware.blogspot.com


Value Apps removal instructions:

1. First of all, download recommended anti-malware software and run a full system scan. It will detect and remove this infection from your computer. You may then follow the manual removal instructions below to remove the leftover traces of this infection. Hopefully you won't have to do that.





2. Remove Value Apps related programs from your computer using the Add/Remove Programs control panel (Windows XP) or Uninstall a program control panel (Windows 7 and Windows 8).

Go to the Start Menu. Select Control PanelAdd/Remove Programs.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Control PanelUninstall a Program.



If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for "control panel".



Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control panel from there.



3. When the Add/Remove Programs or the Uninstall a Program screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and remove the following:
  • DefaultTab
  • DownloadTerms
  • Search Protect
  • Conduit
  • WebCake
  • and any other recently installed application
Simply select each application and click Remove. If you are using Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, click Uninstall up near the top of that window. When you're done, please close the Control Panel screen.


Remove Value Apps pop ups from Google Chrome:

1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to ToolsExtensions.



2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove the following extensions:





Remove Value Apps pop ups from Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to ToolsAdd-ons.



2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to the following extensions. If you can't find the Remove button, then simply click on the Disable button.




Remove Value Apps pop ups from Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer. Go to ToolsManage Add-ons. If you have the latest version, simply click on the Settings button.



2. Select Toolbars and Extensions. Click Remove/Disable button to remove the browser add-ons listed above.

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