Here's an example of a web page riddled with adverts with the tag "Ad by Provider" at the bottom of the advert. The adware underlines certain words on a web page you view and provides relevant information to you. However, I noticed that it can display random ads as well, so it's not that well coded at some other adware programs out there.
You may have heard "Ads by Provider" called viruses although this is not technically true. The one thing that adware programs do have slightly in their favor is that they don't replicate themselves – which true computer viruses do. Regardless, self replication or not, they are still not something that you want on your computer and you should know what they are and how to protect yourself from them if you want to stay as secure as possible when you're online. And who doesn't want that!
How do ads by Provider infect your computer?
The majority of adware programs infiltrate your computer's operating system by piggy backing onto another program, piece of software or file. Whether the owners of that software or file realize that they have the adware attached to their product is up for debate: some do, while others are completely in the dark. That's the way this adware programs operate. It's because their programmers know that chances are, you wouldn't download and install adware through choice, so they have to ensure that they find their way on to your PC by rather more surreptitious methods.
You already have everything you could possibly need, so why do you need Ads by Provider foisted upon you? Particularly when you consider that it's not as functional as your existing one.
How to prevent Ads by Provider
Asides from the fact that Ads by Provider are somewhat presumptuous, they have some annoying side effects. Such as slowing your computer's operating system down, causing your Internet to crash, redirecting you to websites you don't want to visit.
So, whether you have or haven't been the victim of adware, you no doubt want to learn how to prevent being targeted by one. Here are a few simple tips to help you ensure your computer is adware free zone.
- Do not download new media players to view videos – no matter what they tell you. These are often loaded with adware and worse - malware.
- Make sure all your PC's software and security patches are bang up to date. It's usually an automatic process but it's still in your best interests to check.
- Only ever download files and software from trustworthy websites and don't resort to using third party sites if possible for software downloads.
There is actually a fairly obvious answer to this: in fact the paragraph above may have given you a clue. Asides from installing a decent anti-malware program, which is an excellent idea, you should also be careful when downloading from the Internet. This means reading the License Agreement that is displayed when you download something. The adware will be mentioned, so ensure you read it carefully – that will give you a fighting chance of avoiding it.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment down below. Good luck and be safe online!
Written by Michael Kaur, http://delmalware.blogspot.com
Ads by Provider Removal Guide:
1. First of all, download anti-malware software and run a full system scan. It will detect and remove this infection from your computer. You may then follow the manual removal instructions below to remove the leftover traces of this malware. Hopefully you won't have to do that.
2. Remove Ads by Provider related programs from your computer using the Add/Remove Programs control panel (Windows XP) or Uninstall a program control panel (Windows 7 and Windows 8).
Go to the Start Menu. Select Control Panel → Add/Remove Programs.
If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7, select Control Panel → Uninstall a Program.
If you are using Windows 8, simply drag your mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen, select Search from the list and search for "control panel".
Or you can right-click on a bottom left hot corner (formerly known as the Start button) and select Control panel from there.
3. When the Add/Remove Programs or the Uninstall a Program screen is displayed, scroll through the list of currently installed programs and remove the following:
- Provider
- GoSave
- deals4me
- SaveNewaAppz
- and any other recently installed application
Simply select each application and click Remove. If you are using Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8, click Uninstall up near the top of that window. When you're done, please close the Control Panel screen.
Remove Ads by Provider related extensions from Google Chrome:
1. Click on Chrome menu button. Go to Tools → Extensions.
2. Click on the trashcan icon to remove Provider, MediaPlayerV1, Gosave, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.
If the removal option is grayed out then read how to remove extensions installed by enterprise policy.
Remove Ads by Provider related extensions from Mozilla Firefox:
1. Open Mozilla Firefox. Go to Tools → Add-ons.
2. Select Extensions. Click Remove button to remove Provider, Gosave, MediaPlayerV1, HD-Plus 3.5 and other extensions that you do not recognize.
Remove Ads by Provider related add-ons from Internet Explorer:
1. Open Internet Explorer. Go to Tools → Manage Add-ons. If you have the latest version, simply click on the Settings button.
2. Select Toolbars and Extensions. Click Remove/Disable button to remove the browser add-ons listed above.