Positive Ads

What is Positive?

Positive advertisements are displayed by various deceptive applications such as PlayGEM, Windoweather, Desktop-play, and Games Desktop. 

By falsely claiming to enhance the Internet browsing experience, these apps attempt to trick users into believing that they are legitimate. In fact, they infiltrate systems without users’ permission, track Internet browsing activity, and deliver various intrusive online advertisements that include Positive ads.

These PUPs generate various intrusive online advertisements including banner, coupon, pop-up, and so on. All are displayed using a 'virtual layer', which allows placement of third party graphical content on any websites visited. Third party advertisements often overlay website content, significantly diminishing the Internet browsing experience.

In addition, some lead to untrusted sites often containing malicious content. Therefore, clicking them risks further adware or malware infections. Research shows that the aforementioned adware gathers various browsing related information that may be personally identifiable.

The gathered data is shared with third parties and can be misused. Therefore, data tracking such as this can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. If you are continually encountering advertisements marked as 'Positive', uninstall all recently installed suspicious software.

The aforementioned programs have similar characteristics. By offering useful features, they are designed to give the impression of legitimate software, however, claims to enhance the Internet browsing experience are false. These apps are designed only to generate revenue for the developers.

They provide no real value for users. PUPs simply generate intrusive online advertisements and track Internet browsing activity.

How did potentially unwanted programs install on my computer?

Research shows that deceptive applications are distributed using a deceptive software marketing method called 'bundling' - stealth installation of potentially unwanted programs with regular software/apps. Developers hide rogue software within the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' download/installation settings (often skipped by users).

Rushing the download and installation processes often results in inadvertent installation of potentially unwanted programs. The developers are concerned only with the amount of revenue generated (which is dependent on the number of distributed PUPs) and, therefore, they never properly disclose these installations.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The key to computer safety is caution. Closely analyze the download and installation processes using the 'Custom' or 'Advanced' settings. Furthermore, all additionally-included applications should be cancelled.

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Quick menu:

• What is Positive?
• STEP 1. Uninstall potentially unwanted programs using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove adware from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Positive ads from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove 'Ads by Positive' from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove dubious extensions from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

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 any recently-installed suspicious apps (for example, "WindoWeather 1.0"), select this entry and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program that causes Positive ads, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove 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 any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the positive pop-ups, 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 "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, select these entries and click the trash can icon.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the positive pop-ups, 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 plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click "Extensions", in the opened window, remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with positive pop-ups 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 positive pop-ups, 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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