Cupduck “Virus” Removal (Chrome/FF/IE)

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Welcome to our Cupduck “Virus” removal guide. The following instructions will aid you in removing the unwanted software from your PC.

If you open your Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Internet Explorer browser and intrusive ads, banners and box messages start to pop-up left right and center, then you have most definitely had some form of Adware installed onto your computer. Here, we will explain to you what Adware is and we will introduce you to a newly released program that falls under this software category. The name of the application we are going to be focusing on is Cupduck “Virus”. Since you likely want to have it uninstalled and removed, we have also prepared an guide manual that will help you eliminate the nagging software and ensure that it does not bother you any longer. Just follow and complete the steps from the guide and the irritating program should be gone in no time. In case you run into any trouble while trying to remove the Adware, you can always seek our aid by writing to us in the comments section. Now, without further ado, let us explain to you what Cupduck “Virus” and Adware programs actually are and how you can handle them.

Profit through ads

Obviously, Adware programs are all about creating and displaying various types of ads within the user’s browser. The people who create Adware earn money through the adverts that their products generate. Each time you click on a banner or a pop-up that comes from Cupduck “Virus”, a small amount of income is generated for the creator of the unpleasant program. This revenue-earning technique is normally known as Pay-Per-Click and it is basically one of the main reasons why Adware programs are getting created in the first place.

Is Adware useful?

When talking about Adware, one should bear in mind that there is a wide variety of programs that can fall under this category. Generally, any kind of software that is known to generate ads can be seen as Adware. However, not all Adware programs are the same. For example, some of them can actually be useful and beneficial for the user and the unpleasant ads are only there to support the developers of the program so that the software could remain free for use and still generate some income. However, there are also Adware programs that either provide the customer with no useful features whatsoever or the functionality that they provide is really limited and is not enough to compensate for the intrusiveness of the ads. Oftentimes, it is up to the individual to decide whether to keep an Adware program or to have it removed. We ought to mention, though, that some applications that fall under the Adware category can potentially expose one’s PC to certain security hazards, which is why it is generally advisable to remove Adware instead of allowing it to remain on the PC.

Is Adware dangerous?

The fact that Adware programs might sometimes make one’s PC more vulnerable is not to say that Cupduck “Virus” is some sort of malicious and harmful Ransomware virus or Trojan horse. Still, one should always be on their guard if they have some form of Adware on their computer. The one thing that you should be the most careful with is the ads generated by the potentially unwanted program. Some of those ads might be coming from shady marketing networks and could potentially cause redirects to websites with bad reputation or ones that might be illegal. Oftentimes, the banners and pop-ups that are created by Adware try to mislead the user into clicking on them. In some cases, there are even fake X buttons that, instead of closing the ad, actually redirect the user to some other webpage. Normally, you should not interact with anything that is coming from the Adware if you want to ensure the safety of your system and avoid landing any more unwanted software.

How did it get installed?

Most Adware programs use different methods generally referred to as stealth installation, in order to reach more users. Distribution methods for Adware include but are not limited to: spam e-mails, spam Facebook or Skype messages, deceitful and misleading browser ads, offers and even warnings, torrents, file-sharing sites, etc. One method that should be given extra attention due to its high success rate is the so-called software bundling. With this technique, the unwanted application is put within the installer of another program. In order to avoid installing the Adware along the main program, the user needs to carefully check the options within the setup menu, find the bundled application and uncheck it before launching the installation. However, many users tend to rush through the installation wizard and ignore the different options that are in it which is why file-bundling gets Cupduck “Virus” and other Adware installed onto so many computers.

Cupduck “Virus” Removal

I – Safe mode and revealing hidden files

1. Boot your PC into Safe Mode /link/
2. Reveal hidden files and folders /link/

II – Uninstallation

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1. Use the Winkey+R keyboard combination, write Control Panel in the search field and hit enter.
   
2. Go to Uninstall a program under Programs.
   
3. Seek the unwanted software, select it and then click on Uninstall

If you are unable to spot Cupduck “Virus”, search for any unrecognized programs that you do not remember installing on your PC – the unwanted software might disguise itself by going under a different name.

III – Cleaning all your browsers

1. Go to your browser’s icon, right-click on it and select Properties.
   
2. Go to the Shortcut tab and in the Target make sure to delete anything written after “.exe”.
   
3. Now, open your browser and follow the instructions below depending on whether you are using Chrome, Mozilla or IE.

• Chrome users:

1. Go to your browser’s main menu located in the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings.
   
2. Scroll down, click on Show Advanced Settings and then select Clear browsing data. Just to be sure, tick everything and clear the data.
   
3. Now, in the left pane, go to Extensions and look through all extensions that are integrated within your browser. If you notice any suspicious add-on, disable it and then remove it.
   

• Firefox users:

1. Similarly to Chrome, go to the main menu and select Add-ons and then Extensions.
2. Remove any suspicious browser extensions that you may have even if they do not have the name Cupduck “Virus” on them.

• IE users:

1. Go to Tools and select Manage add-ons.
   
2. Click on all add-on types from the left pane and check if there is anything suspicious in the right panel. In case you find anything shade, make sure to remove it.

IV – Removing Shady processes

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1. Go to your start menu, type Task Manager in the search field and from the results open View running processes with Task Manager.
   
2. Thoroughly look through all processes. The name Cupduck “Virus” might not be there, but if you notice any shady looking process that consumes high amounts of memory it might be ran by the unwanted program.
3. If you spot the process ran by Cupduck “Virus”, right-click on it, open its file location and delete everything in there. Then go back to the Task Manager and end the process.
   

V – DNS check

1. In the start menu search box write View Network Connections and open the first result.
   
2. Right-click on the network connection you are using and go to Properties.
   
3. Select Internet Protocol Version (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties.
   
4. If Obtain DNS server addresses automatically is not checked, check it.
   
5. Go to Advanced and select the DNS If there is anything in the DNS server addresses field, remove it and click OK.
   
6. Click OK on the rest of the opened windows.