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Elements of type PUP.Optional are the most common viruses that antivirus detects. They most often penetrate the user’s system while visiting questionable sites. Unfortunately, such viruses are found even among those who have active and fully updated antivirus software.

What is PUP.Optional virus?

Time to find out what the PUP.Optional virus is? This is not so easy, because we are not talking about a specific dangerous code, but about a whole niche of viruses. Their common feature is the execution of various malicious actions.

What are the consequences of PUP.Optional viruses:

• Displaying ads in browsers. Websites also have banners, but with the virus their number becomes unbearable.
• Replacing the start page. When opening the browser, the user will not see their previous tabs, but advertising sites, casinos or third-party search engines.
• Random redirect. When trying to open one site, a completely different, and often even dangerous, site is launched.
• Downloading third-party programs. This happens without the knowledge of the user, just at a certain moment the owner of the PC notices the utilities that he did not install. Even more of them work in the background and are not displayed in any way on the desktop. The situation is similar with extensions.
• Stealing user information. Traffic interception is usually used.
• Reduced performance of your computer and Internet connection. It manifests itself in the last stages of infection. This indicates that many areas of the operating system are damaged.

All this leads to inconveniences: endless display of advertisements, slow operation of programs, long computer loading and similar consequences. You cannot put up with the problem, as it is fraught with even more serious consequences.

How to remove viruses like PUP.Optional?

There is good and bad news. First, it is extremely difficult to eliminate such viruses, and the later the problem is discovered, the more difficult the treatment will be. The second is to completely remove PUP.Optional viruses is still possible after taking comprehensive removal measures.

Step 1: remove dangerous, adware and just unnecessary programs

Recently installed a game, program or extension and after that the consequences began to manifest themselves? To start fixing problems is to remove it. This software is most likely infected with PUP.Optional, so fixing the symptoms will not help until the root of the problem is removed. Toolbars, sites that distribute DLL files, pirated versions of paid programs are especially common. You should also refrain from installing applications that promise to speed up your computer or clean it up. It is better to use only trusted programs and download them from official sites.

Step 2: freeing up the browser

The priority for PUP.Optional is the defeat of the browser, which is not surprising given the huge amount of important data in it. Plus the ability to display ads allows the developers of the virus to earn money. The most effective method would be to completely reset your browser settings and create a new shortcut. If this seems too drastic, the following steps are worth trying.

Cleaning instructions:

1. Use Ctrl + Shift + Del to delete all user data.
2. Open the home page settings and choose your own or another option after launch.
3. We remove all questionable extensions.
4. Open the “Properties” shortcut and delete all entries after the quotes in the “Object” line.
5. We check that the link of the shortcut leads to the original exe-file of the browser, and not to a fake.

Step 3: clean up the system

The only way to achieve this goal is to install reliable antiviruses and run a full system scan. The method has enough drawbacks: the procedure is long, it can take up to noon with a large amount of data on the disk, not every antivirus will be able to eliminate all infections. Most likely you will have to run the system through several anti-virus software.

Step 4: remove all third-party in autorun

We recommend storing only the most important programs in the “Autostart” section: antivirus, drivers and instant messengers as needed. It is better to run all other utilities manually only when they are really needed.

How to clean:

1. Through a right-click on Start, go to the “Task Manager”.
2. Open the “Startup” section.
3. Right-click on unnecessary applications and turn them off.

If we managed to find an infected program, we look at the path to it, go to the specified directory and delete everything associated with this application.

Step 5: additional methods of exterminating the PUP.Optional virus

We recommend complementing the previous methods with the following steps:

• Check the system with Malwarebytes. This software is designed specifically to combat this kind of pests.
• We open the “Task Scheduler” and remove from there, blocking all dubious processes, especially those belonging to dangerous programs and the browser. Only relevant for Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Corporative.
• We clean not only the main browser, but also the secondary ones, as well as Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge. If a virus persists in them, it is likely that it will not be possible to get rid of the infection even after performing the listed processes.
• Restore the OS to a normally working point.
• We scan and restore system files. Required for users whose computer starts to work with malfunctions or slows down a lot. To do this, insert sfc / scannow into the command line.

The listed actions are enough to eliminate almost all types of PUP.Optional viruses. If this type of infection is still haunted, we recommend trying additional antivirus scanners. Only in extreme cases will you have to resort to a factory restore or reinstalling the OS.