Remove Generic PUP.y (Uninstall Guide)

Generic PUP.y is a potentially unwanted program that may display intrusive pop-up ads on your computer and redirect your web browser to dodgy websites. If you've noticed one or more programs on your computer that you have no memory of downloading then you may have been the victim of a PUP. This particular detection is used by McAfee but other anti-virus and anti-malware programs are capable of detecting such infections as well. PUP.y means a specific group of PUPs that share the same characteristics which means that this infection is not the same for everyone. If you getting notifications from your AV about Generic PUP.y and you can't properly remove it, please follow the steps in the removal guide below.

But how would a program that you've never downloaded all of a sudden appear on your PC – particularly if it's not a shared computer and you're the only one who has access to it? Well this is the defining trait of Generic PUP.y because these programs install themselves in a number of decidedly sneaky ways. Some of them are installed by a 'drive-by' installation, which is when a website you've visited has been infected and then in turn infected you with a PUP or maybe even with more dangerous malware. More often than not, however, this threat will have been 'bundled' or packaged with another program that you have intentionally downloaded. PUPs are very often bundled with adware and spyware as well as browser hijackers and malicious browser extensions.

Generic PUP.y might have just been installed on your PC or it might have been sitting on your machine for days unnoticed. More often than not though, most unwanted programs are pretty obvious and don't often try and hide themselves. Some Potentially Unwanted Programs even install their own desktop shortcut icons.

The silver lining to the PUP cloud is that it is actually straightforward to check whether you have a PUP on your computer. Here's how to do it if you're using Windows:

• Go to the Control Panel and select 'Programs'
• Then select 'Uninstall or Change a Program'
• Any programs you've installed should be listed by the Windows Add/Remove Programs function so you'll see them here plus their publisher and download date
• If you see something you don't recognize or want, you should be able to uninstall it now

Foistware is, no surprises here, just what it sounds like: a program that has been foisted upon you. This is usually done in one of two ways: you might have been asked if you wanted to install the Generic PUP.y but the question was worded so that you didn't pick up on it. Let's say you're downloading a program like Adobe Flash. Unknown to Adobe a third party might have secreted their own program in the download as part of a bundle. Just by not checking or un-checking a box in the End User License Agreement may result in a PUP installation. Learn more: Fake Flash Player Update.

The second method is a little trickier as the Generic PUP.y will have been properly hidden: you click on the program that you want to install but – surprise – you've got an added 'bonus' such as the Conduit Search. What you need do is click the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' installation buttons when installing as these should let you un-check any programs that are being foisted upon you.

If you want to avoid nuisance Generic PUP.y you need to be alert when downloading even the most reputable programs. Read EULAs carefully and uncheck boxes you’re not sure about. If you have questions, leave a comment below. I will be more than happy to help you. Good luck and be safe online!

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

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Generic PUP.y removal instructions

1. First of all, download 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 malware. Hopefully you won't have to do that.

2. Remove Generic PUP.y 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 Panel → Add/Remove Programs.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Control Panel → Uninstall 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:

• Quiknowledge
• LyricsSay-1
• Websteroids
• BlocckkTheAds
• HD-Plus 3.5
• 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.

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Remove Generic PUP.y from Google Chrome:

1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.



2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove BlocckkTheAds, LyricsSay-1, Websteroids, Quiknowledge, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.



If the removal option is grayed out then read how to remove extensions installed by enterprise policy.

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Remove Generic PUP.y from Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Tools → Add-ons.



2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to remove BlocckkTheAds, LyricsSay-1, Websteroids, Quiknowledge, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.

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Remove Generic PUP.y from Internet Explorer:

1. Open Internet Explorer. Go to Tools → Manage 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.