How To Remove Driver Assist PUP

Complete Guideline To Delete Driver Assist

Driver Assist is promoted as a system optimization tool that every user requires. It can be downloaded from the website or promotional ads. It supposedly identifies the essential updates and driver installations. This feature might not work because such tools every so often rely on false positives and outcomes that are improved with issues not related to your work-station at all. As per the promotional content, this app is a trivial device driver manager that comes with a pack of useful features. It is mainly designed for Microsoft Windows operating systems and is compatible with all versions of Windows including XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.

Depth Analysis of Driver Assist:

Driver Assist is a software that is used to manage and automatically update all device drivers so that users don’t have to do it themselves. Most of the times, users are unhappy with the software since it is not able to provide those required positives and instead displays questionable results, affects the performance of the device with intrusive advertisements. This app should provide the following functions:

• Driver Intelligence;
• Automatic Driver Installation;
• Safe USB Management and Eject;
• Smart Device Identification;
• Full Backup and Restore;
• 24/7 Customer Service.

Driver Assist is usually spread via illusive distribution technique named bundling. So, it is often reported that some potentially unwanted programs are also installed along with this application. And thus, users’ systems screen are flooded with thousands of intrusive ads and pop-ups all over the day which disrupts their web sessions badly. Adware often exhibits attractive-looking coupons, deals, discounts, banners, surveys etc. and tries to make people click on them in order to earn revenues via pay-per-click mechanism. Every time you click on those adverts, creators get paid for that.

Driver Assist adware consumes enormous amount of memory resources and drags down the overall PC performance severely. Due to this, machine begins responding slower than ever before and takes more than usual time to complete any task. It can monitor your online actions such as pages viewed, links clicked on, search queries typed etc. It collects vital information regarding people’s browsing preferences and interests which is then utilized for the advertisement campaign. Moreover, it can also steal your personal and confidential data relating to banking and credit card details that could be misused for generating illicit revenues. And hence, a quick Driver Assist adware removal is highly required.

Quick Glance

Name: Driver Assist

Type: System optimizer, Adware, Potentially unwanted program

Short Description: The app should improve performance by updating drivers and other components, Redirects users to affiliated and even malicious sites, Displays intrusive ads, promotes sponsored products, services and programs and make online profits for the creators, Also steals users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Tons of annoying adverts, Changes in default browser’s settings, new tab settings, Fake pop-up messages, identity theft. Users are enforced to visit hijacker’s website and search the Internet using their search engines, slowness of infected system’s performance.

Distribution methods: Fake flash player installers, free software installers (bundling), Deceptive emails, malicious pop-ups ads.

Damage: Web browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), exhibition of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

Removal: To get rid of this infection and other malware threats, our security researchers recommend scanning your device with an effective anti-malware tool.

How Does This PUP Enter Your Device?

Potentially unwanted programs such as adware or browser hijackers often sneak into the targeted computers with the help of various freeware and shareware. PUPs are usually disguised as useful browser plug-ins, extensions, toolbars, add-ons that are able to keep drivers on PCs up-to date. Intrusion of these unwanted programs often takes place when users download a freeware from unreliable sites and then install it using the pre-set configuration settings.

Tips To Prevent Adware Intrusion:

The ‘Quick’ or ‘Recommended’ options don’t disclose the contents that are added to the software package which also manage to get installed along with the carrier program. And thus, you should always select the Advanced or Custom options to install software which allow you to opt-out all the unwanted objects from the download list and pick only the one you require. In case your system is already infected with this threat, you must remove Driver Assist from the machine without wasting any time.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove Driver Assist:

Remove the related items of Driver Assist using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing Driver Assist issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (Driver Assist) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to Driver Assist removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter.  In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to Driver Assist still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove Driver Assist plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”.  Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in Driver Assist removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete Driver Assist (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications.  Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.