SoccerInferno is a toolbar that may appear useful and friendly to the football fan. However, according to our research, SoccerInferno is most likely developed by MindSpark Interactive Inc.
Name | SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark |
Type | Adware, PUP |
Short Description | The toolbar may be appealing to the football fan. |
Symptoms | Advertisements, changes to the browser’s default settings. |
Distribution Method | The official page, possibly – bundling. |
Detection tool | Download Malware Removal Tool, to See If Your System Has Been Affected By SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark |
The company has been developing ad-supported software for years. Its close association with Ask.com is also not a secret to the public. After installing SoccerInferno and adding its toolbar to the browser, the user may notice that his search page is changed to Ask.com.
SoccerInferno General Description
SoccerInferno can be downloaded from its official website – www(dot)soccerinferno(dot)com. It may also be distributed in bundled installers. MindSpark has a rich portfolio and it won’t be surprising if some of the company’s products are distributed together.
What is bundling?
Software bundling is a term, which is not new to the online business. The practice is mostly applied for financial reasons. In the realm of online marketing, bundled installers may be deployed to generate pay-per-install income.
In terms of online security, the general opinion is that bundling is a primary cause of the infiltration of unwanted software.
Is SoccerInferno Dangerous?
Because of the features the SoccerInferno toolbar has, it may be defined as a potentially unwanted program (PUP or PUA). Here is a list of some of the activities the toolbar may initiate on the system:
- SoccerInferno applies third-party cookies and pixel tags to the browser. The information aggregated by these tracking technologies can be given to third party partners for advertising and analytical reasons.
- Information collected by the software provider may be provided to other companies within the IAC group of companies. User information may be shared with affiliate partners.
- Advertisements may be generated, such as pop-ups and banners, and their appearance may interrupt the normal surfing habits of the user.
Should SoccerInferno Be Removed from the System?
Our research indicates that the toolbar is a potentially unwanted program, and as such, its removal is recommended. SoccerInferno can be detected by AV software as PUP.Optional.MindSpark. Being a part of MindSpark’s portfolio, the toolbar may also:
- Read and change the user’s browsing history.
- Read and change the user’s data on visited websites.
- Manage the user’s downloads.
- Manage the user’s apps, extensions and themes.
This is how the toolbar looks:
And once more – information aggregated by SoccerInferno may be given to a range of interested partners and affiliates. It’s only logical that the primary reason for data sharing is the display of tailored ad-sponsored content.
Please note that interacting with third party advertisements may not be safe at all. You may be redirected to unknown pages, employed for social engineering scams. If, for example, you land on a page, that prompts you to share your credit card credentials, you should immediately navigate away from the page and run an AV scanner.
SoccerInferno/ PUP.Optional.MindSpark Removal Options
As with most toolbars, SoccerInferno can be removed manually from the browser. To do so, you can follow the steps below the article. After SoccerInferno is removed, scanning the system may still be recommended. Remember that running a full system scan is essential, especially if you haven’t knowingly downloaded the toolbar. If this is your case, you have been experiences a bundled installation. As a result, potentially unwanted programs may be running in the background of your system, draining the resources of your machine.
Step 1: Remove/Uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark in Windows
Here is a method in few easy steps to remove that program. No matter if you are using Windows 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 get left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, mistakes 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:
Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark.
Step 2: Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from your browser
Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu
Select SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark and click “Remove”
After SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.
Select SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark to remove, and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected toolbar, and some additional toolbars might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.
After SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ in the top right corner and start it again.
Open the drop menu by clicking on the sprocket icon in the top right corner.
From the drop menu select ‘Preferences’
In the new window select ‘Extensions’
Click once on SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark
Click ‘Uninstall’
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark will be removed.
Step 3: Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark automatically by downloading an advanced anti-malware program.
To clean your computer you should download an updated anti-malware program on a safe PC and then install it on the affected computer in offline mode. After that you should boot into safe mode and scan your computer to remove all SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark associated objects.
- Guide 1: How to Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Windows.
- Guide 2: Get rid of SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Mac OS X.
- Guide 3: Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Google Chrome.
- Guide 4: Erase SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Mozilla Firefox.
- Guide 5: Uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Microsoft Edge.
- Guide 6: Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Safari.
- Guide 7: Eliminate SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Internet Explorer.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
How to Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Windows.
Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark





Step 2: Uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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:



Step 3: Clean any registries, created by SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:



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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark from Mac OS X.
Step 1: Uninstall SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark, 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.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Remove SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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 SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark will be removed.
Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer
Eliminate SoccerInferno, PUP.Optional.MindSpark 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.