This article will help you remove Elex absolutely. Follow the removal instructions for the adware provided at the end.
Elex is the name of an adware platform. The site Elex-tech.com is believed to be related to that ad network which also claims to be a huge internalization platform for Chinese Internet companies. The website is there for reference to the service, but the Elex adware will generate a bulk of advertisements and can redirect you to various websites. In reality, the ad network could push advertisements with the idea to monetize online traffic that goes via different outlets.
Threat Summary
| Name | Elex |
| Type | Adware, PUP |
| Short Description | The site generates advertisements, which can show on other websites when you browse. Also the website claims to try and internalize Chinese Internet companies. |
| Symptoms | You will see advertisements all over your browsers, like pop-ups, message boxes, in-text links and other types. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Elex. |
Elex Adware – Delivery Methods
The Elex-tech.com internalization platform might get delivered via couple of methods. One of these methods includes third-party installations. Without your awareness, the adware could be placed on your computer with those third-party bundler setups with freeware applications. Bundlers could be set by default to bring extra content along with the primary software for installation. To avoid any unwanted components from installing is possible if you find a Custom or an Advanced settings menu. You should be able to deselect content from there.
The Elex adware could spread with adverts, such as banners, pop-up and pop-under ads to get inside your computer if you are not wary enough. Visiting websites of an unknown origin or such that look suspicious can trigger redirects which can be used as another delivery way for the adware. Browsers that can get affected are the following: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari.
Elex Adware – More Information
The Elex adware is thought to be associated with the website Elex-tech.com. The Elex platform is described as one serving as an internalization platform for Chinese Internet companies. A bulk of advertisements and redirects could be displayed while you are browsing if you have any programs connected with Elex. This supposed internalization platform and all of its connected applications are considered to be adware programs. On the image below you can see the main page of Elex-tech.com:
Notice how Elex-tech.com wants to gain some sort of trust by placing links in the footer of their site, to supposed certificates they have. From the main page we see that the company helped some gaming products as well as some other companies to reach a goal of millions of users registered etc. That proves in one way or another that they somehow promoted those platforms for them to gain such a massive popularity.
In case your computer device has any software installed that is connected to Elex-tech.com, you will see a big amount of online advertisements.
Here is an example of ads being pushed by Elex reported by users:
If your browsers have some extension, add-on or plug-in related to this adware, you will witness even more adverts. You could be redirected to various web pages which could be affiliated with the owners of a monetization platform. Maybe you can land on websites which pay for the generation of traffic through adverts and redirects.
Advertisements can show one of these texts inside:
- Ads by Elex
- Advertisement by Elex
- Ad by Elex
- Advert from Elex
- Powered by Elex
- Brought to you by Elex
The redirects can be in the form of adverts or in-text links. The Elex ad network places them on websites to probably generate Web traffic and present lots of content that website owners want to promote. That traffic could later be monetized by using a pay-per-click type of scheme.
The advertisements can be of many mixed types, but all of them will have the same aim – making revenue for the product or platform they are advertising. Advertisements generated by Elex can be seen across the Internet as pop-ups, in-text links, pop-unders, banners, interstitial or transitional adverts. More ad types are possible to be generated, too.
Elex Adware – Privacy Policy
The Privacy Policy can be found on the Elex-tech.com website. The website can collect both personally and non-personally identifiable information. The information may be disclosed to third-parties if special circumstances are met.
Here you can view a screenshot of the Privacy Policy:
Non-personally identifiable information collected by Elex:
- What pages you visited
- What hyperlinks you clicked on
- Your IP addresses
- Your Operating System
- Your browser software
- Your ISP (Internet Service Provider)
- Your geographic location
- Cookie related data
- Data about Ads and ads clicked
Personally identifiable information collected by Elex:
- Full name
- Nick name
- Province
- Gender
- Hobbies
- Age
- Social Network information (“sharing”)
- Other voluntarily submitted data
From the policy, it is understood that Elex is some sort of a developer or translator for online games.
There is also the following excerpt you should be wary of, included in the Privacy Policy that regards external links hosted on the site and services of Elex-tech.com:
The ELEX web site contains links to some other web sites. ELEX is not responsible for the content or the privacy policy or practices of any other web sites or for the actions of the companies responsible for those web sites. Please try the privacy policies of those Web sites before providing them with any personal information
Cookies, as well as similar tracking technologies, will be used by the website unless you manually block them. These cookies can collect additional information from you. Technologies like that include Web beacons, pixel tags, and other ones.
The recommended action for you to take is to remove this adware and everything that is tied to it, as you do not know what else it can cause to your computer.
Remove Elex Adware Completely
To remove Elex-tech.com and the Elex adware manually from your computer, follow the step-by-step removal tutorial provided below. In case this manual removal does not get rid of the ads completely, you should search for and remove any leftovers with an advanced anti-malware tool. Such an application can keep your computer secure in the future.
- Windows
- Mac OS X
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Internet Explorer
- Stop Push Pop-ups
How to Remove Elex from Windows.
Step 1: Scan for Elex with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode
Step 3: Uninstall Elex and related software from Windows
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:
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
Step 4: Clean Any registries, Created by Elex 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 Elex there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
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.
Video Removal Guide for Elex (Windows).
Get rid of Elex from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Elex and remove related files and objects
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 Elex. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
- 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 Elex 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:
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.
Step 2: Scan for and remove Elex files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Elex, 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.
Video Removal Guide for Elex (Mac)
Remove Elex from Google Chrome.
Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu
Step 2: Move the cursor over "Tools" and then from the extended menu choose "Extensions"
Step 3: From the opened "Extensions" menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its "Remove" button.
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.
Erase Elex from Mozilla Firefox.
Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window:
Step 2: Select the "Add-ons" icon from the menu.
Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click "Remove"
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.
Uninstall Elex from Microsoft Edge.
Step 1: Start Edge browser.
Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
Step 3: From the drop menu select "Extensions".
Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Remove Elex from Safari
Step 1: Start the Safari app.
Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.
Step 3: From the menu, click on "Preferences".
Step 4: After that, select the 'Extensions' Tab.
Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.
Step 6: Click 'Uninstall'.
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select 'Uninstall' again, and the Elex will be removed.
Eliminate Elex from Internet Explorer.
Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled 'Tools' to open the drop menu and select 'Manage Add-ons'
Step 3: In the 'Manage Add-ons' window.
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'.
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
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".
Elex-FAQ
What Is Elex?
The Elex 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 Elex?
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 Mac can be the following types:
- Rogue Antivirus programs.
- Adware.
- Browser hijackers.
- Clickers.
- Fake optimizers.
What to Do If I Have a "virus" like Elex?
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 Elex Work?
Once installed, Elex can collect data about your web browsing habits, such as the websites you visit and the search terms you use. This data is then used to target you with ads or to sell your information to third parties.
Elex 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 Elex 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 Elex Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Elex 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 Elex?
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 Elex threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.