ScreenShared ads (Free Guide) - Removal Instructions
ScreenShared ads Removal Guide
What is ScreenShared ads?
ScreenShared: a remote access tool with adware functionalities
ScreenShared virus is an application which is promoted as a legitimate tool, allowing people to share their desktop view with others remotely. You may have had experiences with such tools before and know exactly how useful they may be in certain situations. Unfortunately, unlike TeamViewer, Splashtop or other well-known RDTs (remote desktop tools) [1], this particular application has questionable functionalities which make the experts doubt its legitimacy. One of the reasons the program has been dubbed as potentially malicious relates to its shady distribution methods. Most of the time, users find out they are infected with ScreenShared malware when it starts interrupting with the system’s performance, say, preventing the user from restarting the computer or boosting CPU utilization [2] to the maximum. Nevertheless, the most annoying and potentially dangerous of these features is undoubtedly the increased amount of online advertising. Since this tool is free to download, its creators choose to monetize it through affiliate advertising and implement a pay-per-click [3] strategy to achieve the best result. In a way, the program works like an adware and is just as unpredictable as its counterparts. Thus, it is recommended you carry out ScreenShared removal just in case. Don’t forget that antivirus software like FortectIntego or others may not be able to detect this software as it balances on the verge of being legitimate. We have prepared manual instructions to cover this issue.
ScreenShared may look like a legitimate remote desktop tool but it is more concerned by generating advertising revenue than providing users with decent service, so it may cause problems when installed on the computer. Be careful with this program!
Luckily, ScreenShared hijack is easy to spot, so, you can prevent the programs further activities on your computer in time. You will most likely notice ScreenShared.exe running in your Task Manager and if you don’t open this computer’s activity monitor too often, then pay attention to your web browsing experience. If you notice content featuring slogans like “ScreenShared ads” or “Ads by ScreenShared” there is no denying that you have an adware issue [4] and have to address it as soon as possible. If you have no idea where to start the removal and how to do it safely, we recommend you read till the end of this article where you will find instructions on how to remove ScreenShared the proper way.
How does this virus travel around?
ScreenShared can be delivered on the computer only with the user’s permission, regardless of what most of us tend to believe. The program creators bundle this software as an additional component of some legitimate software package. The usual problem with such packages is when the users agree to install one component from the package, the rest installs automatically. This way programs like ScreenShared turn up on the computers. Always choose advanced installation settings to prevent this from happening.
ScreenShared removal options:
If you choose to remove ScreenShared virus yourself without any help from automatic software such as anti-malware or antivirus utilities, you should always employ professional instructions. You will find our expert-prepared guide below this article. Nevertheless, though automatic software may not detect the malware, it is recommended to regularly scan the system if not for ScreenShared removal, but for the general security.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of ScreenShared ads. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
ScreenShared can be removed from the computer by simply navigating to applications panel and uninstalling the program from it. Make sure you delete ScreenShared.exe from your computer. Nevertheless, it is important to remember to also reset browsers which have displayed ScreenShared ads.
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge reset instructions are provided below. Be sure to follow them carefully:
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Don’t leave weaknesses in your Mozilla Firefox and reset this browser like so:
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Reset of the Google Chrome browser can be executed like shown below:
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of ScreenShared registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
- ^ Margaret Rouse. Remote desktop. SearchEnterpriseDesktop. Enterprise Desktop information, news and tips.
- ^ CPU utilization. Techopedia. Where IT and business meet.
- ^ Pay Per Click management explained. Portent. Digital marketing agency.
- ^ What is adware. Avast. Antivirus security blog.