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  • Active
  • Severity: Low
  • Browser addons
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Aug 2019

How to remove Pup.optional.ask

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Linas Kiguolis · Expert in social media

Pup.optional.ask is a potentially unwanted application that is involuntary installed as an optional component

Pup.optional.ask virus

Pup.optional.ask is a term that is used by multiple security vendors to mark all the potentially unwanted programs[1] that were developed by Ask Media Group (Ask.com).[2] Browser hijacker usually enters machines after the installation of free software from third-party sources as an optional component that is cleverly hidden within the main program installer. For that reason, users rarely notice how Pup.optional.ask hijack occurs.

After the installation, Pup.optional.ask sets the new tab URL, the homepage and the search engine of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or another browser to Ask.com. Besides the apparent modification to the start page, Pup.optional.ask also shows numerous sponsored links at the top of the search results, redirects to affiliated sites, tracks users' web browser activities and sometimes even hides its presence to stay on the system as long as possible.

While at first, it may seem like PUP.Optional.ASK.A is just a nuisance, you should not ignore its presence as the unwanted program will greatly influence the sites that you visit and might even lead you to hacked or malicious websites filled with malware.

Name Pup.optional.ask
Type Browser-hijacking tool
Homepage and new tab set to Ask.com
Developer Ask Media Group or IAC Publishing, LLC in Europe
Related Search App by Ask v2
Aim To hijack web browsers and use them for revenue-gaining purposes
Activities Modifying browsers, producing advertising content, causing redirects to odd pages, tracking non-personal information
Promotion You might accidentally encounter the browser hijacker and its products provided in bundles of software or on unprotected web sources
Manual termination Check for instructing lines at the end of this article
Automatic removal Scan the system with a tool such as FortectIntego and continue with the elimination by using automatical software also

Users have been complaining of Malwarebytes finding several entries belonging to Pup.optional.ask in their Internet Explorer[3] and other browser apps. According to information provided by Malwarebytes Labs, this suspicious component most commonly comes in bundles with Oracle's Java downloads.[4]

Pup.optional.ask, released by Ask Media Group can bring lost of unwanted changes together with the modified search engine. Some of these activities relate to redirecting to third-party websites which might appear to be infected with other PUPs and malware. This can cause indirect damage to the computer system and software.

 Pup.optional.ask distribution

Additionally, once Pup.optional.ask virus places the new search engine on your web browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, or Safari, the third-party application will supposedly plant cookies in your browser application for browsing-data tracking purposes:

We use performance/analytics cookies to analyze how the Sites are accessed, used, or is performing in order to provide you with a better user experience and to maintain, operate and continually improve the Sites.

Even though the browser hijacker claims that data is tracked only for important improvements, this appears to be false. Mostly, information that is collected by Pup.optional.ask and similar programs is passed on to other parties or used for generating beneficial-looking offers and provoking users to provide a bigger number of clicks on particular ads.

Note that Pup.optional.ask will not bring you anything satisfying even though it might try to trick you by providing fast access to popular networks such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and so on. However, keep in mind that the other part of unwanted activities is usually kept in secret and appears only after the installation of the browser hijacker.

Pup.optional.ask removal is a necessary task to complete if you want to refresh, optimize, and regain proper operating with your web browser. This process can be completed by scanning the computer system with FortectIntego or similar software. Once bogus entries are found, you will be able to properly clean the entire machine and get rid of the PUP entirely.

However, if you are thinking that you will be capable to remove Pup.optional.ask on your own, there is such possibility. We have provided some step-by-step guidelines at the end of this article that should help you to clean infected browser applications and get rid of dubious content from your Windows or Mac operating system.

Pup.optional.ask tool

Browser hijacker prevention measures

According to computer experts from Virusai.lt,[5] if a browser-hijacking application has been bothering you lately, you supposedly have taken some careless actions that related to the installation of this PUP. Users usually use unsecured downloading sources from which bogus software has big chances of reaching the targeted computer system.

However, this is not the only way how browser hijackers and similar tools enter the targeted computer system. These third-party products can also be promoted on secondary websites that are filled with bogus links an ads. The best ways to avoid secret infiltration of browser-hijacking apps and other PUPs are these ones:

  1. Installation of reputable antimalware software. If you buy a reliable security product for protecting your machine or device, it will throw you alerts when something suspicious is going on and prevent threats from infiltrating the PC.
  2. Keeping a fair distance from unprotected sources. You should be aware of networks such as piracy, gambling, gaming, and porn-watching ones. These pages lack required security, so they should not be visited at all.
  3. Opting for the right downloading/installing option. If you have chosen the Quick/Recommended installation mode, no wonder that you have been receiving PUPs secretly. Deselect this configuration and opt for the Custom/Advanced one.

The elimination steps for Pup.optional.ask on browsers and OS

Pup.optional.ask virus is a term given to this component that changes the default search engine to Ask.com. You might find this type of activity very unpleasant and unexpected. If this tool starts causing you trouble such as redirecting, advertising, providing misleading search results, you should get rid of it automatically or manually.

Pup.optional.ask browser hijacker

The easiest and safest way to remove Pup.optional.ask is by using reliable antivirus security software. You can pick a tool from our suggested list or download any program from your own likings. Once installed, the tool will perform a full system scan, detect the infection source, and help you to terminate the potentially unwanted program.

However, if you are likely to, you can perform the Pup.optional.ask removal process by using manual guiding steps. There are some instructions placed at the end of this article. You will find guidelines for Windows, Mac OS X, and web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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