This article aims to explain what is the ontology.dll malware error and explain how to check if it’s malicious and how to remove it.
If you are running a computer with an Nvidia GPU, chances are that your antivirus software has detected the process Ontology.dll as a Trojan horse. The Ontology.dll is a file, belonging to the drivers of the Nvidia GPUs, installed on Windows machines and Is generally classified as a false positive detection. However, many users also report that the file may be related to a malicious executable file which may attack the driver of you GPU. This is why, we recommend that you read the following article and secure your computer n case Ontology.dll is a malicious file.
Threat Summary
| Name | Ontology.dll |
| Type | Either a Trojan or a False Positive detection. |
| Short Description | If Trojan, attacks the graphics of your video card. If false positive, the .dll process is detected as malicious by some antivirus programs as a Trojan. |
| Symptoms | Suspicious behavior of the .dll process. May display system errors, such as: “The procedure entry point CreateApplicationWrapper could not be located in the dynamic link library Ontology.dll”. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
|
User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Ontology.dll. |
Ontology.dll Detection – How Did I Get It
In general, the Ontology.dll is a process which is a support file of the drivers of your Nvidia GPU. In most cases, the process is false-positive and it is installed along with the conventional installation of the video card drivers. The file contains instructions which assist the programs within the driver of the GPU to work properly.
If the Ontology.dll is a malicious file, which may be the case, if your computer has been infected with malware, there are several different methods by which this could have happened:
- If you open a suspicious e-mail attachment, causing the infection.
- If your computer has already been previously infected with malware.
- If you install a fake setup, execute a fake license activator, game crack or patch which is actually the payload dropper file of the Trojan, that may be related to Ontology.dll.
Ontology.dll – More Information
Ontology.dll is an important process which may be responsible for specifying the specific video card that you run on your computer. The process may also assist processes of the drivers to be executed by containing functions in it that assist the central executable files of the programs of your driver to operate. In general, if the process is the original one, it may not be malicious at all.
But, since this process is of importance to the functioning of the drivers, it can also be replaced with it’s analogue process, which is configured to serve the interests of malware, which may have infected your computer. Such malware may generally be:
- Mining Trojans which take system resources from your GPU (Video Card).span>
- Classic Trojan Horse that may steal information from your computer and make screenshots of your desktop.
- Botnet-related Trojan, aiming to connect your computer to a zombie network.
Whatever the case of Ontology.dll may be, it is safest to check your computer for malware and if detected to remove it immediately.
Remove Ontology.dll Malware and Secure Your PC
In order to check your computer for malware, you need to first located the Ontology.dll file, which is in the following directory:
→ C:\Users\”UserName”\AppData\Local\NVIDIA\NvBackend\ApplicationOntology
Then, you can use a detection website, like VirusTotal.com or ZipeZip.com to check if the file is malicious or no.
The best method to check if the Ontology.dll file is actually malware is to run a scan with an advanced antimalware program in order to establish if there is other malware, related to this file on your PC and secure it completely.
Automatically remove Ontology.dll by downloading an advanced anti-malware program
Remove Ontology.dll with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Ontology.dll.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Ontology.dll.It is highly 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.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.
Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.
Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any Ontology.dll files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.
Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data automatically with cloud backup and insure it against any type of data loss on your device, even the most severe. We recommend reading more about and downloading SOS Online Backup .
To back up your files via Windows and prevent any future intrusions, follow these instructions:
1. For Windows 7 and earlier 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 3. Enabling the Windows Defense Feature (Previous Versions)1-Click on Windows Start Menu
2-Type Backup And Restore
3-Open it and click on Set Up Backup
4-A window will appear asking you where to set up backup. You should have a flash drive or an external hard drive. Mark it by clicking on it with your mouse then click on Next.
5-On the next window, the system will ask you what do you want to backup. Choose the ‘Let Me Choose’ option and then click on Next.
6-Click on ‘Save settings and run backup’ on the next window in order to protect your files from possible attacks by Ontology.dll.
2-In the window type ‘filehistory’ and press Enter
3-A File History window will appear. Click on ‘Configure file history settings’
4-The configuration menu for File History will appear. Click on ‘Turn On’. After its on, click on Select Drive in order to select the backup drive. It is recommended to choose an external HDD, SSD or a USB stick whose memory capacity is corresponding to the size of the files you want to backup.
5-Select the drive then click on ‘Ok’ in order to set up file backup and protect yourself from Ontology.dll.
1- Press Windows button + R keys.
2- A run windows should appear. In it type ‘sysdm.cpl’ and then click on Run.
3- A System Properties windows should appear. In it choose System Protection.
5- Click on Turn on system protection and select the size on the hard disk you want to utilize for system protection.
6- Click on Ok and you should see an indication in Protection settings that the protection from Ontology.dll is on.
Restoring a file via Windows Defense feature:
1-Right-click on the encrypted file, then choose Properties.
2-Click on the Previous Versions tab and then mark the last version of the file.
3-Click on Apply and Ok and the file encrypted by Ontology.dll should be restored.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
Follow Me:
- Guide 1: How to Remove Ontology.dll from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of Ontology.dll from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove Ontology.dll from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase Ontology.dll from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall Ontology.dll from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove Ontology.dll from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate Ontology.dll from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove Ontology.dll from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove Ontology.dll
Step 2: Uninstall Ontology.dll 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 3: Clean any registries, created by Ontology.dll on your computer.
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 Ontology.dll 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.
Before starting "Step 4", please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Get rid of Ontology.dll from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall Ontology.dll and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
- 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 Ontology.dll 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 malware from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts, programs and malware, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. Combo Cleaner offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Ontology.dll 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Erase Ontology.dll 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Uninstall Ontology.dll 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove Ontology.dll 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 Ontology.dll will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate Ontology.dll 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.
