1700 Infections? Why and what are PUPS?

[JoshyJD]

Hi all, please see log attached!

 

I asked my dad yesterday to finish the scan on my computer and log off (I was at work), and he called me a few hours later explaining that 1700 threats were detected; and tbh I thought that the time had come and he was now fully senile, however when I got home and ran a scan I sore that he was telling the truth!

 

What is all this pup.optional infections that link with every download and file on my computer >.>?

 

mbam-log-2013-08-29 (00-07-04).txt

[MysteryFCM]

PUPs are "Potentially Unwanted Programs". In this case, the vast majority are down to both "Optimizer Pro" and SweetIM (neither of which, I'd *personally* recommend you keep installed). You've also got Conduit and Tarma (Tarma is from InstallMate), neither of which you need or want.

[daledoc1]

Hello and welcome, JoshyJD:

 

Just to elaborate a bit on what MysteryFCM explained....
 
PUP = Potentially Unwanted Program
This KB topic explains what they are AND how to decide whether to delete them or keep/ignore them: What are the 'PUP' detections, are they threats and should they be deleted?
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware recently adopted a more stringent policy towards these sorts of detections: Malwarebytes Adopts Aggressive PUP Policy and
PUP.Optional listings and disputes

To summarize a bit: The default action for PUP detections is 'Show in results list and do not check for removal."

If you want Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to remove all of these PUP detections reported after a scan, each item must be checked.

• To do so quickly, you can highlight one of the detections by left clicking on it.
• Then, right click on the highlighted detection, and select 'Check All Items'.
• Next, click 'Remove Selected'. That should address the PUP entries.

If you want to keep/ignore the PUP detections, because they are familiar to you and you use them, you can add them to the Ignore List. (But please see MysteryFCM's recommendation in his earlier reply.)

If you want to edit the way PUP detections are reported, you can edit the MBAM settings, as described below:

• Open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, click the 'Settings' tab.
• Click the 'Scanner Settings' tab
• Click the menu bar for each and select one of the following options: "Do not show results in list", "Show in results list and check for removal", or "Show in results list and do not check for removal".
• When done, click the 'Exit' button

>>Having said all that, if you are not sure what to keep/ignore and what to remove, I would suggest that you please follow the recommendations in this pinned topic: Available Assistance For Possibly Infected Computers.
A qualified malware analyst will guide you through the cleanup process.

Thanks,

daledoc1