PDF Spark: what it is, why vendors flag it, and how to remove it from a Mac or Windows PC

PDF Spark (also written PDFSpark) is a free PDF viewer that security vendors classify as a potentially unwanted program; our 2019 guide covered a Mac version, and since 2025 Windows installers signed by Mainstay Crypto LLC have been blocked by Malwarebytes and Sophos. It is not safe to keep:

  • uninstall it
  • remove what came with it and check your browsers
  • using the steps for your system

Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation.

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PDFSpark download page and installer window from our 2019 report, beside a stock photo of a woman holding a folder
The second picture from our 2019 report: the same download page and installer window (the woman is the report's stock illustration, not part of PDFSpark).

PDFSpark: summary

TypePotentially unwanted PDF viewer; a Mac installer in our 2019 report, a Windows installer in 2025-26 vendor reports
RiskHigh for the Windows installer (vendor verdicts); medium for the 2019 Mac version, which we could not test
SymptomsA PDFSpark app you did not choose; extra programs installed with it; ads or pop-ups; new extensions, search engine or start page; on Windows, an OBUpdate task or OneBrowser (one analyst's report)
How to get rid of itMac: uninstall the app, remove login items, extensions and helper files, reset browser settings. Windows: uninstall, Defender full and offline scan, check Task Scheduler
Our check (5 October 2026)pdfspark.com returned 502 Bad Gateway; registry records read; no installer run, no browser test, so nothing about its behaviour is cleared
Running sincepdfspark.com registered 15 November 2018; sparkonsoft.com registered 2 August 2026
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Show 11 more facts
First reported by us2 April 2019
DetectionMalwarebytes: PUP.Optional.SparkOnSoft; Sophos: PUA Signer [Mainstay Crypto LLC]; Microsoft Defender: no Microsoft detection name is known to us, and we scanned no sample
PublisherMainstay Crypto LLC on the Windows installers (Malwarebytes, Sophos, Deceptive Bytes)
DistributionDownload pages, wrong download buttons and bundles; ads or chat answers suspected for 2025
EvidenceMalwarebytes, Sophos, Deceptive Bytes, one analyst write-up, registry records, our 2019 report
NamePDFSpark
Search pagepdfspark.com
BrowsersChrome, Edge and Firefox
First seen2 April 2019
DamageSearches logged and filled with ads, browser settings locked
Facts checked5 October 2026

Facts checked on 5 October 2026 against the Malwarebytes and Sophos pages, the Deceptive Bytes report, one analyst write-up and the registry records of pdfspark.com and sparkonsoft.com. pdfspark.com returned 502 Bad Gateway, so we saw no page; no installer was run on any system, so the behaviour described is reported, not tested by us.

What PDFSpark is, on a Mac and on Windows

PDFSpark is a free PDF viewer that Malwarebytes calls PUP.Optional.SparkOnSoft and Sophos detects by its signer, Mainstay Crypto LLC. Our 2019 guide covered a Mac version; the 2025-26 vendor reports cover Windows installers. The steps differ, so check your own system first.

What it claims to be
A "Free PDF Viewer, Annotator and Converter For MAC", according to the download page in our 2019 picture; the Windows build is described by Sophos as a PDF viewer and manager with a reader, bookmarking and text extraction
How it usually arrives
Installed by users who clicked another download button than they meant to, or as bundleware, according to Malwarebytes
Website
pdfspark.com, registered 15 November 2018 (registry record); a second domain, sparkonsoft.com, is named in a 2025 security report
Mac or Windows
Our 2019 guide and pictures: Mac. Vendor reports from 2025 and 2026: Windows. We found no vendor page about a current Mac build

PDFSparkware, pdfspark.exe and the Microsoft Defender name PUA:Win32/PDFSpark

PDFSparkware and PDF Sparkware are, in our reading, the same PDF Spark viewer this guide covers.

We found no reliable source that uses Sparkware as a product name. Most likely people join PDF Spark and software, or mix it with SparkOnSoft, the name Malwarebytes uses in PUP.Optional.SparkOnSoft. If an app called PDFSparkware or PDF Sparkware sits in your installed programs or Applications folder, treat it as PDF Spark and remove it with the steps above.

Pdfspark.exe is the program file of the Windows version of PDF Spark. A file with that name in Task Manager, in Startup apps or in your Downloads folder means the viewer was installed or its installer was downloaded.

Right click the process in Task Manager and choose Open file location to see where it lives. Then uninstall PDF Spark in Settings, delete the leftover installer and run the Microsoft Defender scans described above.

PUA:Win32/PDFSpark is a real Microsoft Defender Antivirus detection name for this viewer. Microsoft published its entry on 28 November 2025 and lists it as a potentially unwanted application, not a virus.

Microsoft says the threat can perform actions of a malicious actor's choice and lists symptoms such as slow performance, changed files and desktop settings. If Defender shows this name in Protection history, choose Remove, then check your browsers for a new search engine or start page.

Is PDFSpark dangerous? What it collects

What we checked on 5 October 2026

We asked for the site's pages and read the registry records of both domains. We did not open either site in a browser, and we did not download or run any installer, Mac or Windows. This is a reading of what answers and what vendors say, not a behaviour test, and nothing here clears the program.

pdfspark.com and sparkonsoft.com · requests and registry records · 5 October 2026

  • pdfspark.com answersOur request and a second fetch service both got "502 Bad Gateway" on 5 October 2026. We saw no page at all. We do not know when it stopped, or whether it is down for everyone or only for requests like ours.
  • pdfspark.com registrationRegistered on 15 November 2018, expires on 15 November 2026; the registry lists transfer, update and delete locks, a common registrar setting.
  • sparkonsoft.com todayThe registry shows a registration date of 2 August 2026, and the domain now serves a parked for-sale page. A 2025 report named it as the site that spread the installer; what it served then we could not see.
  • Vendor verdicts (Windows)Malwarebytes lists PUP.Optional.SparkOnSoft, and Sophos (article of 24 September 2026) detects every installer signed by Mainstay Crypto LLC and says the certificates were revoked.
  • Mac buildNot obtained. We could not confirm that a current Mac installer exists, what it offers or whether the 2019 behaviour still applies.
  • Notification request, pop-ups, redirects, ad networksNot tested. The site returned no page, and a quiet visit would not clear it anyway: adware sites often differ by country, device or second visit.

High risk (Windows installer) Our own test saw only an error page, so it says little. The verdict comes from the vendors: a Windows installer with this signature should be treated as unwanted. For the 2019 Mac version we have only our old report, so treat it as medium until you can see what is on your Mac.

From a 2019 Mac installer to a 2025 Windows campaign

  1. November 2018

    pdfspark.com is registered

    The registry record shows the registration on 15 November 2018 and a renewal date of 15 November 2026.

  2. April 2019

    Our report on the Mac installer

    We described PDFSpark as a Mac PDF viewer and converter promoted by a download page and spread through software bundles. The picture shows the download page and the installer window.

    PDFSpark web page for Mac with a green Free Download button, and an installer window behind it with a red FAKE stamp across it
    The picture from our 2019 report: the PDFSpark download page ("Free PDF Viewer, Annotator and Converter For MAC") and its installer window with a Continue button. The red FAKE stamp is part of that 2019 picture, not something the program shows. The page says "Additional software may be offered during the installation process".
  3. October 2025

    A surge of Windows installers

    On 26 October 2025 an endpoint-security firm reported a week of new variants, all installs of a "PDF SparkOnSoft" application, blocked for customers worldwide. Malwarebytes had published its detection page two days earlier.

  4. September 2026

    Sophos publishes its detection note

    Sophos dates its note 24 September 2026 and says it detects the signer "Mainstay Crypto LLC" because the certificates were revoked for malicious use.

The Windows campaign: what is reported and how far to trust it

Three sources describe the Windows installers: a security-vendor note (Sophos), a detection page (Malwarebytes) and an incident write-up (Deceptive Bytes). A fourth, a Medium article by one analyst, goes much further. We did not run any of these samples, so each claim is marked with who made it.

Based on Sophos KBA-000043676, Malwarebytes' detection page, Deceptive Bytes' case study of 26 October 2025 and one Medium write-up of 14 November 2025. We ran none of the samples.
ClaimWho says itHow we treat it
The installer is signed with certificates from "Mainstay Crypto LLC", and the certificates were revoked for malicious useSophos; Deceptive Bytes names one issuer (Sectigo) as revoked and a second (Microsoft-issued) as still valid at the timeTwo vendors agree on the signer. The revocation status of each certificate may change; we did not check
The installer is built with Inno Setup, shows version 1.0.0.0, and checks whether it runs under WINE before it continuesDeceptive BytesFrom one security firm's analysis. The WINE check would stop a Mac running Windows software through WINE from being infected; it does not mean a Mac user is affected
Software installed by the user after clicking another download button, or bundled with other softwareMalwarebytesStated as how it "usually" arrives; it matches our 2019 report
A scheduled task called OBUpdate and a OneBrowser program installed next to the PDF viewerOne analyst (Medium)Single source, not reproduced by us. Check Task Scheduler for it; its presence would be a strong sign, its absence proves nothing
An Uninstall entry named PDF_Spark_is1 with the modify and repair options switched off, and extra certificates in the Windows root storeOne analyst (Medium)Single source, not confirmed by any vendor page we read. We do not tell you to edit the registry for it

What can actually go wrong

The risks depend on which version you have. They are listed from most to least serious.

  • High

    A Windows installer that vendors treat as hostile

    Sophos says the signing certificates were revoked for malicious use and that every installation signed with them is a significant risk. Deceptive Bytes saw the installers blocked at many customers. If you ran one, assume a program you did not choose is installed and may contact outside servers.

  • Medium

    More software than you asked for

    Our 2019 guide said PDFSpark pushed its user into downloading similar programs. Sophos adds that the Windows application is often bundled with other software. Each extra is its own program with its own behaviour.

  • Medium

    Advertising and changed browser settings

    The 2019 guide listed pop-ups, banners and redirects, and said a program like this can add extensions, search engines and similar components to Safari, Chrome or Firefox. We did not see this on a Mac; it is what the old guide recorded.

  • Medium

    Information about your computer

    The old guide said such programs can read details about the software and equipment on the Mac, and that advertisers use it. We found no source describing what PDFSpark collects, so treat this as a possibility.

How PDFSpark got into your browser

A PDF tool is a program people look for on purpose, which is why this one spreads. Most cases follow one of these routes.

Routes from Malwarebytes' detection page, Deceptive Bytes' 2025 case study and our 2019 report.
RouteWhat you would seeHow to check
You downloaded it on purpose from its own page or a link in an adA page offering a free PDF viewer; an installer that opens its own window with a Continue buttonLook in the Mac Downloads folder or Windows Downloads for a file with PDFSpark or SparkOnSoft in the name
You clicked another download button than you meant toA PDF-looking file you did not ask for; Malwarebytes names this route firstCheck the browser's download history for the page you were on
It came inside another free program's installerA new program the same day as something else you installedMac Applications, sorted by date added; Windows Installed apps, sorted by install date
A search result, ad or chatbot answer pointed to itSecurity researchers suspect malicious ads or chat-based AI answers for the 2025 installers, but did not prove itThink back to where the link came from

Our 2019 guide said the program also appears "out of nowhere" because software bundling is the main way potentially unwanted programs spread. The word to keep from that is bundling: the setup screen of a free tool is where extras are offered, and the quick path accepts them for you. The 2019 download page itself warned that "Additional software may be offered during the installation process", so even a willing install can bring extras.

Check your browser and PC

Neither the old guide nor the vendor pages we read list the Mac file names, so this is a search by place and by date, not a list of names. The Windows names come from the single analyst write-up and are marked.

Mac locations from Apple Support's pages on deleting apps and on Login Items & Extensions. Windows names from one analyst's write-up of 14 November 2025, not confirmed by us.
SystemWhereWhat to look for
MacFinder > ApplicationsAn app called PDFSpark, or anything unfamiliar added on the day you installed a PDF tool
MacSystem Settings > General > Login Items & ExtensionsItems you do not recognise under Open at Login and App Background Activity; extensions under Added extensions
Mac~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons, /Library/Application SupportFolders and files with the same unknown name as the app. Open them with Go > Go to Folder in Finder
WindowsSettings > Apps > Installed appsPDFSpark, PDF Spark or PDFSparkOnSoft, publisher Mainstay Crypto LLC; also OneBrowser (one analyst's report)
WindowsTask Scheduler > Task Scheduler LibraryA task called OBUpdate (one analyst's report) or any task that runs from a Temp or AppData folder

How to remove PDFSpark

How to remove PDFSpark and get your search engine back

Remove the extension first.

The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.

Which browser shows the ads?

  1. Set another search engine

    Open Settings > Search engine, click Change next to the search engine used in the address bar and pick the one you want. Then open Manage search engines and site search and delete any entry you did not add.

  2. Remove extensions you do not recognise

    Paste chrome://extensions into the address bar and click Remove on anything you did not install yourself.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension

  3. Clear the site data

    Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, choose All time, tick Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Delete data.

  4. Reset Chrome

    Open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults and confirm with Reset settings. This resets the start page, search engine and pinned tabs and turns off extensions; bookmarks and saved passwords stay.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine

Then, whichever browser you use

  1. Step 1: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install

    PDFSpark rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.

    Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.

    Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix

  2. Step 2: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan

    A scan finds the parts of PDFSpark that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.

    Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.

    It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.

    Windows Security Scan options with Microsoft Defender Antivirus offline scan selected
    Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan

After removal: keep your search engine and start page

If you installed it: Mac steps, then Windows steps

Do only the part for your computer. A Mac cannot run the Windows installer, and a Windows PC has no Mac steps.

  1. 1

    Mac: quit the app and use its uninstaller if it has one

    Quit PDFSpark. In Finder > Applications, look for an Uninstall or Uninstaller app next to it: Apple says that is the best way to remove an app together with its login items and extensions. The 2019 download page had an Uninstall link in its menu, so the maker offered one then.

  2. 2

    Mac: otherwise drag it to the Bin

    Select the app and choose File > Move to Trash, enter your administrator password if asked, then choose Finder > Empty Trash. This does not remove login items or helper files.

  3. 3

    Mac: remove login items and extensions

    Open Apple menu > System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login select any item you do not recognise and click the minus button; look under Added extensions too.

  4. 4

    Mac: check the helper folders

    In Finder choose Go > Go to Folder and look in ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons and /Library/Application Support for items with the same unknown name as the app. Drag them to the Bin and empty it. The old guide had this step as its macOS block; we could not confirm specific file names for PDFSpark.

  5. 5

    Mac: clean up each browser

    Use the Safari, Chrome and Firefox tabs above: remove extensions you did not add and set your own search engine and start page.

  6. 6

    Windows: uninstall it

    Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11 (Apps & features in Windows 10), sort by install date and uninstall PDFSpark and anything installed the same day that you do not recognise (Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix). One analyst reports that the entry may have its modify and repair options disabled; if the entry has no Uninstall, go straight to the scan.

  7. 7

    Windows: scan, then scan offline

    Run a Microsoft Defender Full scan, then Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) in Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Microsoft says the offline scan runs after a restart without loading Windows, so persistent malware has a harder time hiding. Save open files first.

  8. 8

    Windows: check Task Scheduler

    Press Start, type Task Scheduler, open Task Scheduler Library and look for OBUpdate or a task that runs a file from an unfamiliar folder. Right-click it and choose Delete only when it clearly belongs to this install. We did not run the installer, so the task name is not confirmed by us.

  9. 9

    Both: restart and check again

    Restart, then open the browser settings and the login items or installed apps again. If a setting or an item returns, something is still putting it back.

How to keep it from happening again

Do

  • Open PDFs with the viewer that came with your system or your browser, and look for others only by the maker's own name, not through ads.
  • Read every screen of an installer. Choose a Custom or Advanced option when one is offered, and untick extra programs, toolbars and search settings.
  • After installing any free program, open each browser's search engine and start page once and check them.
  • Check the publisher name in the installer's properties or the Windows warning before you run it.
  • Keep Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, or Chrome's Enhanced protection, turned on: both warn about known bad downloads.
  • Keep a current backup of your files (Time Machine on a Mac, File History or OneDrive on Windows), so a bad install never costs you documents.
  • On public networks, a VPN hides your IP address from the sites and ad networks you visit; it does not block ads or malware.

Don't

  • Click the first "Free download" button on a page: pages that offer PDF tools often carry several.
  • Take a PDF tool from a link in an ad or a chatbot answer without checking the maker's site.
  • Click through Default or Quick setup without reading it.
  • Keep an app that Malwarebytes or Sophos flags just because a scan was quiet.

What to use instead of PDFSpark

You do not need a third-party PDF program for the jobs PDFSpark advertised: viewing, annotating and converting.

Preview is described on Apple Support; browser viewers were not tested by us.
JobOptionWhat to know
View and annotate PDFs on a MacPreview, built into macOSApple Support describes adding text and signatures to PDFs in Preview and links a page on annotating a PDF
View PDFs on WindowsThe PDF viewer in Microsoft Edge or ChromeBoth open a PDF in the browser; we did not test their editing features, so check them on a file you do not mind
Convert a PDF to another formatAn office suite's export or print-to-PDF featureWe did not test any converter; avoid ones that ask for an installer
Keep PDFSparkNot recommendedTwo security vendors flag the Windows installers; for the Mac build we could not confirm a current version

Questions about PDFSpark

What is PDF Spark?

PDF Spark is a free PDF viewer that security vendors classify as a potentially unwanted program. Our 2019 guide described a Mac version advertised as a PDF viewer, annotator and converter, which came with an installer offering extra software.

In 2025 vendors began flagging a Windows version signed by Mainstay Crypto LLC: Malwarebytes detects it as PUP.Optional.SparkOnSoft and Sophos detects the signer.

Malwarebytes says people usually install it themselves after clicking the wrong download button, or get it bundled with other software. We did not run any installer, so what it does on your system is what vendors and the old guide report.

Is PDF Spark safe?

No: two security vendors flag it, so do not keep it. Sophos says the certificates used to sign the Windows installers were revoked for malicious use and that every installation with that signature is a significant risk. Malwarebytes blocks the installer so the user can make an informed choice.

For the Mac version in our 2019 report we have no vendor verdict and could not test it, but its own page said additional software may be offered during installation. If you installed it, remove it with the steps above and check what else arrived the same day.

Is PDF Spark a virus?

Vendors call it a potentially unwanted program, not a virus in the classic sense, but that label hides how serious the Windows installers are. A potentially unwanted program is software you did not mean to keep, and it can still be harmful.

Sophos describes persistence on the machine and contact with suspicious servers, while one analyst's write-up goes further, naming a scheduled task and certificate changes. We could not confirm those details ourselves.

For the 2019 Mac version, our report described ads, extra downloads and added browser items. Treat it as unwanted on either system and remove it.

What is SparkOnSoft, and is it malware?

SparkOnSoft is the name in the file names and detections of the same installer family. Malwarebytes uses PUP.Optional.SparkOnSoft for the program it names PDF Spark, published by Mainstay Crypto LLC.

Deceptive Bytes reported a surge of installs of a "PDF SparkOnSoft" application in October 2025 and named sparkonsoft.com; the registry now shows that domain registered on 2 August 2026, with a for-sale parked page.

Several firms report and block it, but the finer details (a OneBrowser program, an OBUpdate task, added certificates) come from one analyst whom we could not check.

How do I remove PDFSpark from my Mac?

Quit the app, then open Finder > Applications and use its Uninstall item if it has one; otherwise choose File > Move to Trash and empty the Trash. Apple says the uninstaller is the best way because it also removes login items and extensions.

Then open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions and remove unknown items, and check ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons and /Library/Application Support for items with the same unknown name. Finish by removing unknown extensions in Safari, Chrome and Firefox and setting your own search engine.

How do I remove PDF Spark from Windows?

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11 (Apps & features in Windows 10), sort by install date and uninstall PDFSpark and anything else installed the same day. Then run a Microsoft Defender Full scan and, in Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, the Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan), which runs after a restart without loading Windows.

Check Task Scheduler for a task named OBUpdate, which one analyst reports. If the uninstall entry offers no Uninstall button, go straight to the offline scan. Restart and check again.

What is the latest PDF Spark version, and is there a safe one?

We could not find a safe version, and the sources we read give no current version number. The Deceptive Bytes report says the Windows installers it saw all showed version 1.0.0.0 and that the attackers likely did not change the installer between samples.

Sophos says every installation with the Mainstay Crypto LLC signature is a risk. When we asked for pdfspark.com on 5 October 2026 it answered 502 Bad Gateway, so we saw no download page. Use Preview on a Mac or the PDF viewer in your browser on Windows instead of looking for a clean build.

Will Fortect remove PDFSpark?

Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.

For PDFSpark, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.

Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.

Sources

More removal guides

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