GubZL “Virus” Removal

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In this article we are going to try and help you remove GubZL “Virus”. Our instructions cover all Windows versions as well as most browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer etc.

The software product we are reviewing in the article that follows is called GubZL “Virus”. This program is a representative of the Adware group. This means that it could infect all the browsers that you use every day – Chrome, Firefox, Explorer, etc. The nature of its effects on your browsers is the following: they begin to broadcast a big number of online ads like banners, boxes, completely new tabs and pop-ups. More details about this particular Adware are shared below.

More about GubZL

GubZL is an ad-producing product which could be disturbing, but is not dangerous. There is nothing malicious about its effects on your PC. Not a single one of the generated ads could cause unpleasant consequences such as the ones that a typical virus like a Trojan or Ransomware could result in. You don’t have to worry about the safety of your files, the only aspect of your digital experience that could be influenced by GubZL is the performance of your browsers, as sometimes the produced ads could completely prevent you from loading any page or might appear to be impossible to close. No encryption of any files, ransom-demanding harassment, system crashes, file corruption or data destruction could come from this Adware. What’s more, it cannot be used to control your system in a remote way, nor could it spy on you or copy any essential credentials.

Is there anything at least slightly suspicious about Adware?

Of course, not everything is completely clear about such an Adware product. This particular program might sometimes have some strange or inexplicable effects. For example, it is possible that the pop-ups and banners you notice as a result of it could be carefully chosen and could match your current Internet searches. A part of the affected users might consider such a matching strategy a little intrusive, as they are not aware of how it is made possible. The answer is by accessing your browsing history and by deducing what you may currently be interested in – no passwords and credentials are available to GubZL, just your recent search requests. Another thing that could bother you while you are contaminated with Adware is the potential slowdown of your machine. This is due to the often large resource consumption required for the ad production. All these suspicious consequences that might result from Adware have earned it the potentially unwanted software status. Still, we want to remind you that this classification has NOTHING to do with viruses and malware.

Where can such an infection be caught?

There are numerous potential sources, some of them are more widely-used and we are going to mention exactly them. One possibility is through all kinds of infected web pages like the ones distributing video, pirated software, torrents. Another is through all types of data connected with spam – the letters themselves or any of their attachments. The potential source that could be blamed for most of the known infections with Adware: the products of a process named bundling – mixing apps, programs, games, ad-showing products in combos called bundles. Such a bundle could really contain useful software but may also include versions of browser hijackers or Adware. What else has to be mentioned is the fact that such bundles are free and anyone could use the software inside them. This fact probably tempts users to download and install them.

However, it is the manner of installation that could get you infected, not the download itself:

Remember that simply downloading such a contagious bundle is harmless. You have to install its content in order to let Adware affect your browsers. Many users forget to be careful, but it’s important to take your brain with you during the installation process. Always bear in mind that choosing the correct installation feature will ensure the right installation manner and will prevent your system from being infected with threats more dangerous than a simple ad-generating program. These features are the ones which will let you opt out of any unnecessary program and are usually called ADVANCED and CUSTOM. There are also features that will promise you the quickest and easiest installation process, so that you can use the desired program as soon as possible. Avoid them at all costs, as they could potentially result in dangerous infections like the ones with Trojans and Ransomware; or annoying ones like those with Adware. In order to remove the ad-broadcasting product, we recommend that you use a tested and detailed Removal Guide like the one that we have especially created to serve your needs.

GubZL “Virus” Removal

Many types of malware will restrict your access to their core files. It is highly recommended that you reboot your PC in safe mode before attempting to use this guide.

• To enable Safe Mode reboot you PC, then hit F8 repeatedly. When the corresponding menu opens please select Safe Mode with Networking.

WARNING! If you are using Windows 8,0 or later and/or your operating system is installed on a fast SSD drive this may fail to work. In this case click here to see how to start your PC in Safe Mode.

#1: Uninstall the malicious program from your control panel

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Enter control panel to look for any suspicious programs, which may have installed on your PC. To do that:

1. Navigate to your Desktop
2. Press simultaneously the Win button together with the R button (Win+R)
3. In the Run window that just opened type appwiz.cpl

4. Go through the list of programs and find GubZL or anything else that may seem suspicious. Right-click on it and choose the uninstallation option

WARNING! Carefully read any confirmation messages that may be created in the process. Sometimes you may get offers to download more Adware applications and this can be linked to either the Yes or the No answer depending on the wording!

• Optional:

Go through the list of programs again and check online for any potentially unwanted programs. We have an article that covers this awesome free software that makes sure that your computer is free from bloatware and programs that you don’t need.

#2: Remove GubZL From Chrome

Now we’ll remove the extensions that the malware has attached to your browser.

1. Open your Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/  in the URL address bar and press Enter.
3. Click on “Developer Mode” on the top right and look for the extension installed by GubZL and anything that might be related to it. Copy their IDs (the string of letters), then remove them by clicking on the trash bin icon.

1. Type Regedit in the Windows Start Menu and press Enter. Go in : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\Extensions and delete the entries corresponding to the suspicious IDs you recorded.

#3: Remove GubZL From Firefox

1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type “about:support” in the URL address bar and press Enter.
3. Click on the “Refresh Firefox” button on the right and confirm.

#4 Remove GubZL From Internet Explorer

1. Open your Internet Explorer internet browser.
2. Click on the Gear icon on the up right, then on manage add-ons.
3. Go through the list disable any suspicious extensions.

#5 Remove any leftover parasitic processes

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From the task manager:

1. Use Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open the Task manager, then click on the Processes
2. Go through the list of processes and look for unknown or otherwise suspicious entries.
3. If you see anything suspicious right click on the process and shoes Open File Location, then terminate the process and delete any files you find in the directory.

WARNING! If the directory you open from this menu has no files inside of it it’s probably because the malware has hidden them. You need to reveal hidden files and folders in order to be able to see them. Click here if you don’t know how to do that.

From the start menu:

1. Press simultaneously the Win button together with the R button (Win+R)
2. In the Run window that just opened type msconfig
3. Click on the Startup tab.

This menu controls which programs are loaded when windows starts after a reboot. Disable anything that seems suspicious. Optionally you can also disable any program that you don’t need and also has a high impact on your startup time.

Feel free to write to us in the comment section with any questions that you may have. Also if we have been helpful to you please share this article to help us reach more people like you.