Remove Sports Addict virus
What is Sports Addict virus?
Sports Addict virus (also known as Sports Addict Toolbar virus) is a term that identifies a specific potentially unwanted program and browser extension that replaces a user’s existing internet browser settings and displays advertisements inside a user’s web browser window. The threat will spawn pop-up and pop-under advertisements inside your web browser window that usually say “Ads by Sports Addict” on them. The Sports Addict virus will collect and analyze all browsing activities, including the things you search for online, your browser history, and other web data in order to generate advertisements that it feels you are most inclined to click on based on the things you do while you browse the web. This type of advertising is referred to as an aggressive and malicious interpretation of “targeted advertising.”
Target advertisements are employed by many legitimate advertising platforms and websites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Google; However, if you are being targeted by adware authors and distributors it could put your personal data at risk of being used for other purposes. If an improper party has access to your data it can result in receiving unwanted and excessive amounts of email spam, junk mail at home, and telephone calls from potential scam artists, robocallers, and telemarketers.
The Sports Addict Toolbar extension will also replace existing internet browser settings including the homepage, default search engine, and new tab page. This will cause browser to redirect to sponsored web content and disreputable websites.
A concern with this specific piece of adware is that it routinely bundles along with other potentially unwanted programs, malware, and remaining malicious trace files. If you did not install Sports Addict but find it installed on your computer it is likely that the threat was part of a package alongside other malicious objects that should be removed as soon as possible.
Removing Sports Addict virus and other threats that come along with it immediately from your computer or device is heavily advised. This program has an awful online reputation and may be the sign of a more serious computer infection. To completely remove Sports Addict and other threats from your computer use the removal guide below.
Alias: Sports Addict virus, Sports Addict Toolbar
How to remove Sports Addict virus
- How to automatically remove Sports Addict virus
- How to manually repair your browser settings
- How to manually uninstall programs
- How to stay protected against future infections
1. Download and Install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware software to run a scan and remove malicious files from your computer.
2. Open Malwarebytes and click the Scan Now button – or go to the Scan tab and click the Start Scan button.
3. Once the Malwarebytes scan is complete click the Remove Selected button.
4. To finish the Malwarebytes scan and remove detected threats click the Finish button and restart your computer if promoted to do so.
5. Download and Install HitmanPro by Surfright to perform a second-opinion scan and remove any remaining traces.
6. Open HitmanPro and click Next to start scanning your computer. *If you are using the free version you may chose to create a copy or perform a one-time scan.
7. Once the HitmanPro scan is complete click the Next button.
8. To activate the free version of HitmanPro: enter your email address twice and click the Activate button.
9. Click the Reboot button.
10. Download and Install CCleaner by Piriform to cleanup files, repair and clear your registry, and manage settings that may have been changed.
11. Open CCleaner and go to the main Cleaner screen. Click the Analyze button. When the process is complete, click the Run Cleaner button on the bottom right of the program interface.
12. Go to Tools > Startup and search for suspicious entries in each tab starting from Windows all the way to Content Menu. If you find anything suspicious click it and click the Delete button to remove it.
13. Go to the Registry window and click the Scan for Issues button. When the scan is complete click the Fix selected issues… button and click Fix All Selected Issues.
- How to change your Google Chrome homepage
- How to change your Google Chrome search engine
- How to remove extensions from Chrome
- How to change your Mozilla Firefox homepage
- How to change your Mozilla Firefox search engine
- How to remove add-ons from Firefox
- How to change your Microsoft Internet Explorer homepage
- How to change your Microsoft Internet Explorer search engine
- How to remove add-ons from Internet Explorer
The key to staying protected against future infections is to follow common online guidelines and take advantage of reputable Antivirus and Anti-Malware security software with real-time protection.
Real-time security software
Security software like Malwarebytes and Norton Security have real-time features that can block malicious files before they spread across your computer. These programs bundled together can establish a wall between your computer and cyber criminals.
Common Online Guidelines
- Backup your computer and personal files to an external drive or online backup service
- Create a restore point on your computer in case you need to restore your computer to a date before infection
- Avoid downloading and installing apps, browser extensions, and programs you are not familiar with
- Avoid downloading and installing apps, browser extensions, and programs from websites you are not familiar with – some websites use their own download manager to bundle additional programs with the initial download
- If you plan to download and install freeware, open source software, or shareware make sure to be alert when you install the object and read all the instructions presented by the download manager
- Avoid torrents and P2P clients
- Do not open email messages from senders you do not know
