Share This Adware

What is Share This?

Developed by Data Protection Solutions, Share This is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) claiming to enable users to instantly share their favourite websites and content with friends and family.

The developers of this rogue browser add-on employ a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling' to install Share This on Internet browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox) without users' permission.

Bundling allows stealth distribution of applications together with the chosen software, and therefore, users commonly install Share This inadvertently when downloading free software from freeware download websites.

Following successful infiltration, Share This generates various intrusive online advertisements including banner, in-text, interstitial, and text ads. Clicking these advertisements is likely to cause high-risk adware or malware infections.

Furthermore, Share This tracks users' Internet browsing activity by collecting various software and hardware information including IP addresses, unique identifier numbers, operating system types, geographic locations, browser types, website URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries entered, and other details.

There is a long list of PUPs similar to Share This, for example, ShopHelper, SecureSave, and GRIDMonetize. Rather than adding any real value for the user, these rogue extensions diminish browser performance and display intrusive online advertisements with the intention of generating revenue.

The behavior of Share This, and other similar adware, may lead to serious privacy issues or identity theft, and for this reason, you are strongly advised to eliminate it from your Internet browsers.

Close examination of Share This reveals that users commonly infect their computers with adware when downloading free software via small programs called 'download clients' on freeware download websites such as download.com, softonic.com, soft32.com, etc.

Download clients are used by these websites as free service monetization tools, since they offer installation of advertised (according to the developers, '100% legitimate and virus-free') browser plug-ins together with the chosen free software. Thus, careless download and installation of freeware frequently results in adware or malware infections.

To avoid installation of Share This, or other similar PUPs, be attentive when downloading free software and never accept installation of any additional programs offered. In addition, if you are installing downloaded software, select the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' installation options - this will allow you to decline installation of any bundled applications listed for installation.

If you have inadvertently infected your system with Share This, and observe intrusive online advertisements while surfing the Internet, read the removal instructions provided to uninstall this adware from your Internet browsers.

Deceptive free software installer used in Share This adware distribution:

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Quick menu:

• What is Share This?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Share This application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Share This ads from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Share This advertisements from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Ads by Share This from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove Share This extension from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Share This adware removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window, look for "Share This", select this entry and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program (which causes Share This ads), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove Share This adware from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for "Share This", select this entry and click "Remove". Note that Share This ads can be caused by other adware. In the Manage Add-ons window, remove all suspicious browser add-ons.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by share this, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Tools" and click on "Extensions". Locate: "Share This", select this entry and click the trash can icon. Note that Share This ads can be caused by other adware. In the "extensions" window of Google Chrome, remove all suspicious browser extensions.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by share this, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window remove "Share This". Note that Share This ads can be generated by other adware. In the "Add-ons Manager" window, remove all suspicious browser add-ons.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with ads by share this removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....

In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the ads by share this, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.

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