Softonic Virus – How to Remove It

What Is Softonic Virus?

Softonic is a web platform that offers various software downloads. However, there is the risk of trojanized downloads and viruses that may stem from the software programs that can be downloaded from Softonic. Even though the platform itself is not considered dangerous, there are risks associated with the software available for download on it.

Read our article to learn more about the dangers of infection and how you can prevent them. Our guide also gives detailed instructions on removing active infections.

A Trojan is a malicious form of software that is disguised as a legitimate program. It is usually delivered by an attacker using social engineering techniques to hide the malicious code in a seemingly normal program. The malicious code is then downloaded onto the user’s device, allowing the attacker to gain backdoor access to the system, spy on the user’s online activities, or steal sensitive data. In short, a Trojan is a type of malware that is sneaky and hard to detect.

Softonic Virus – How Did I Get It?

There are several popular distribution techniques under through which the Softonic virus can be spread:

• Macro-Infected Documents Script Installation — This is one of the most popular techniques which are used to spread PUP and malware threats like the Softonic virus. The hackers will include the installation code into macros that are made part of hacker-made documents across all popular file formats: text files, spreadsheets, presentations and databases. When they are opened by the victims a prompt will appear asking them to enable the built-in code in order to view the contents, this will trigger the infection.
• Links in Hacker-Made Content — The hackers can send links and various multimedia content that will download the Softonic virus file to their computers. This is mainly done so via scam email messages and redirect sites.
• Dangerous Application Installers — Malware containing the Softonic name can be inserted in setup packages of often used applications.
• Web Browser Plugins — The strategy of embedding the malicious code into extensions that are made available for the most popular web browsers. The hackers will use fake developer credentials and upload them to the relevant repositories. The posted descriptions will promise new feature additions or performance improvement.
• File-Sharing Networks — All Softonic virus related malware files can be disguised as legitimate, safe and useful data that is commonly shared across file-sharing networks like BitTorrent.

Softonic Virus – What Does It Do?

Softonic as one of the most popular download portals, has recently been associated with the creation of multiple viruses, fake sites and other Internet threats. There are many campaigns which are launched by different hacking groups, this means that there may be multiple versions of the Softonic virus active at the same time. Threats that may originate from such bundled installers include SaveFrom, OpenCandy and Chromium “Virus”.

As soon as the Softonic virus is deployed onto a given host it wil launch its main engine. Depending on the exact type of virus it may have a different impact on the system. For example browser hijackers will mainly harvest browser data and track the users web activity via the deployed tracking cookies. This is especially dangerous as this can include sensitive information, an example may be online banking credentials or email data.

Other malware forms can scan the memory of the infected hosts in order to scan if there are any security applications installed which will be bypassed. The known technique will look for a wide variety of services and running agents including the following:

Anti-virus programs, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, virtual machine hosts and system cleanup utilities

If configured so the Softonic virus can program the same engine to collect sensitive information from the host. It is usually divided into two main types:

1. Personal Data — The Softonic virus can be programmed to harvest data that can directly expose the identity of the victims.
2. Machine Data — Any collected strings that are related to the infected hosts can be used to generate an unique ID that is to be assigned to the compromised computers.

When the intrusion has been made the Softonic threats will be free in order to cause as much system changes as necessary. This can be done depending on the local conditions (as evaluated during the information gathering phase) or by command of the hackers. Most infection types allow for the hackers to operate them remotely. This is done by triggering a Trojan component which establishes a secure connection to the operators and allows them to spy on the victims, deploy other threats and take over control of the systems at any time.

If any Windows Registry values are modified then the users may experience issues such as data loss, unexpected errors and the inability to start certain operating system functions.

Additionally the Softonic threat files may also be used to direct other threats to the compromised servers. This can range from the recruitment of the host to a worldwide botnet network to the installation of various ransomware, Trojans, miners and etc.

Is Softonic Dangerous?

Softonic is a website that provides a variety of software downloads. Unfortunately, as we established, the website is not without its potential online threats. Users may be exposed to malicious software, such as viruses, spyware, and other malicious programs. Users should also be wary of clicking on suspicious links, as they may lead to phishing sites or other malicious websites. Furthermore, some of the downloads available on Softonic may be pirated and contain hidden malware that can be used to steal personal information. As a result, it is important for users to exercise caution when using Softonic and always ensure that the downloads they choose are safe and secure.

Remove Softonic Virus from Your Machine

To eliminate the Softonic threat from your system, the recommended approach is to perform a full-system scan using an anti-malware program. This proactive measure ensures the protection of your system in the future as well.

Martin Beltov

Martin graduated with a degree in Publishing from Sofia University. As a cyber security enthusiast he enjoys writing about the latest threats and mechanisms of intrusion.

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How to Remove Softonic Virus from Windows.

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Step 1: Scan for Softonic Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1.1 Click on the "Download" button to proceed to SpyHunter's download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

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It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter's EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

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1.2 After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

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1.3 After the update process has finished, click on the 'Malware/PC Scan' tab. A new window will appear. Click on 'Start Scan'.

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1.4 After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the 'Next' button.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

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Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode

2.1 Hold Windows key + R

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2.2 The "Run" Window will appear. In it, type "msconfig" and click OK.

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2.3 Go to the "Boot" tab. There select "Safe Boot" and then click "Apply" and "OK".

Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

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2.4 When prompted, click on "Restart" to go into Safe Mode.

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2.5 You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

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Step 3: Uninstall Softonic Virus and related software from Windows

Uninstall Steps for Windows 11

1 Go to the search bar and type "Add or Remove Programs" and then click it.

2 Locate the software that you want to uninstall click on the three dots and click "Uninstall" to begin the process.

3 Follow the uninstall steps until the software has been effectively removed from your computer

Uninstall Steps for Windows 10 and Older Versions

Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

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1 Hold the Windows Logo Button and "R" on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

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2 In the field type in "appwiz.cpl" and press ENTER.

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3 This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press "Uninstall" Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

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Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by Softonic Virus on Your PC.

The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by Softonic Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:

4.1 Open the Run Window again, type "regedit" and click OK.

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4.2 When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

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4.3 You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.

Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click "Modify" to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.

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Video Removal Guide for Softonic Virus (Windows).

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Get rid of Softonic Virus from Mac OS X.

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Step 1: Uninstall Softonic Virus and remove related files and objects

1.1 Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:

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1.2 Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:

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1.3 In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to Softonic Virus:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

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1.4 Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.

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1.5 In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to Softonic Virus. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.

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1.6 Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.

Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to Softonic Virus. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.

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1.7 Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:

• Go to Finder.
• In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
• Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
• If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.

In case you cannot remove Softonic Virus via Step 1 above:

In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

1: Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:

2: Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:

3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as Softonic Virus. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.

You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:

→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.

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Step 2: Scan for and remove Softonic Virus files from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Softonic Virus, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

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Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for Softonic Virus:

Download

SpyHunter for Mac

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Video Removal Guide for Softonic Virus (Mac)

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Remove Softonic Virus from Google Chrome.

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Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

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Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"

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Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.

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Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

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Erase Softonic Virus from Mozilla Firefox.

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Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:

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Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.

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Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"

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Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red "X" button at the top right corner and start it again.

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Uninstall Softonic Virus from Microsoft Edge.

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Step 1: Start Edge browser.

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Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

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Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".

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Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

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Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

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Remove Softonic Virus from Safari

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Step 1: Start the Safari app.

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Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.

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Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".

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Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.

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Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.

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Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Softonic Virus will be removed.

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How to Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.

Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.

Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Eliminate Softonic Virus from Internet Explorer.

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Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.

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Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'

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Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.

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Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click 'Disable'. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click 'Disable'.

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Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red 'X' button located at the top right corner and start it again.

Remove Push Notifications from Your Browsers

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Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome

To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.

Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:

Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:

Step 4: Open “Notifications”:

Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:

Remove Push Notifications on Firefox

Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.

Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click "Settings":

Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”

Stop Push Notifications on Opera

Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.

Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.

Step 3: Open Notifications:

Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):

Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari

Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.

Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to "Deny" from "Allow".

Softonic Virus-FAQ

What Is Softonic Virus?

The Softonic Virus threat is adware or browser redirect virus.

It may slow your computer down significantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.

The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.

What Are the Symptoms of Softonic Virus?

There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:

Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and have poor performance in general.

Symptom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don't remember adding.

Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.

Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.

Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.

If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts recommend that you check your computer for viruses.

What Types of Unwanted Programs Are There?

According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your device can be rogue antivirus software, adware, browser hijackers, clickers, fake optimizers and any forms of PUPs.

What to Do If I Have a "virus" like Softonic Virus?

With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:

Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.

Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your email passwords.

Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.

Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activities with your card.

Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.

Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.

Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.

Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.

Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.

If you follow these recommendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.

How Does Softonic Virus Work?

Once installed, Softonic Virus can collect data using trackers. This data is about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. It is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.

Softonic Virus can also download other malicious software onto your computer, such as viruses and spyware, which can be used to steal your personal information and show risky ads, that may redirect to virus sites or scams.

Is Softonic Virus Malware?

The truth is that PUPs (adware, browser hijackers) are not viruses, but may be just as dangerous since they may show you and redirect you to malware websites and scam pages.

Many security experts classify potentially unwanted programs as malware. This is because of the unwanted effects that PUPs can cause, such as displaying intrusive ads and collecting user data without the user’s knowledge or consent.

About the Softonic Virus Research

The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Softonic Virus how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.

How did we conduct the research on Softonic Virus?

Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the Softonic Virus threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.