PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA — ADAware Unwanted Application Removal Guide

Written by Wilbur Woodham
If you spectate the notification of PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA detection, it looks like that your computer has a problem. All malicious programs are dangerous, with no deviations. ADAware is a malicious software that aims at exposing your computer to further threats. The majority of the modern malware examples are complex, and can download various other viruses. Being infected with the PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA malware often means getting a thing which can act like spyware or stealer, downloader, and a backdoor. Spectating this detection means that you must to perform the malware removal as fast as you can.

Any kind of malware exists with the only target – generate profits on you1. And the developers of these things are not thinking of morality – they use all available tactics. Stealing your personal data, getting the comission for the advertisements you watch for them, exploiting your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies – that is not the full list of what they do. Do you want to be a riding horse? That is a rhetorical question.

What does the pop-up with PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA detection mean?

The PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA detection you can see in the lower right corner is demonstrated to you by Microsoft Defender. That anti-malware program is pretty good at scanning, but prone to be generally unreliable. It is prone to malware invasions, it has a glitchy interface and problematic malware removal capabilities. For this reason, the pop-up which says about the ADAware is rather just an alert that Defender has actually recognized it. To remove it, you will likely need to make use of another anti-malware program.

PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA found

Microsoft Defender: “PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA”

The exact PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA infection is a really unpleasant thing. It is present into your system disguised as a part of something normal, or as a part of the application you have got on a forum. After that, it makes all possible steps to make your system weaker. At the end of this “party”, it injects other viruses – ones which are wanted by crooks who control this malware. Hence, it is almost impossible to predict the effects from ADAware actions. And the unpredictability is one of the baddest things when we are talking about malware. That’s why it is better not to choose at all, and don’t give it even a single chance to complete its task.

Threat Summary:

Name ADAware Unwanted Application
Detection PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA
Details Adaware Web Companion is bundled alongside adware or other potentially unwanted programs within the installer of different programs.
Fix Tool See If Your System Has Been Affected by ADAware Unwanted Application

Is PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA dangerous?

As I have pointed out before, non-harmful malware does not exist. And PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA is not an exclusion. This malware changes the system configurations, alters the Group Policies and registry. All of these things are critical for proper system operating, even when we are not talking about PC security. Therefore, the virus which ADAware carries, or which it will inject after some time, will try to get maximum revenue from you. Cyber burglars can steal your personal data, and then sell it at the black market. Using adware and browser hijacker functionality, embedded in PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA malware, they can make revenue by showing you the banners. Each view gives them a penny, but 100 views per day = $1. 1000 victims who watch 100 banners per day – $1000. Easy math, but sad conclusions. It is a bad choice to be a donkey for crooks.

How did I get this virus?

It is difficult to trace the sources of malware on your computer. Nowadays, things are mixed up, and spreading tactics utilized by adware 5 years ago may be used by spyware these days. But if we abstract from the exact distribution way and will think of why it has success, the explanation will be pretty uncomplicated – low level of cybersecurity knowledge. People click on ads on strange websites, click the pop-ups they receive in their web browsers, call the “Microsoft tech support” assuming that the scary banner that states about malware is true. It is important to understand what is legit – to prevent misunderstandings when trying to identify a virus.

Microsoft Tech Support Scam

Microsoft Tech Support Scam

Nowadays, there are two of the most extensive ways of malware spreading – bait e-mails and injection into a hacked program. While the first one is not so easy to avoid – you need to know a lot to understand a counterfeit – the 2nd one is simple to address: just do not use cracked apps. Torrent-trackers and other sources of “totally free” applications (which are, exactly, paid, but with a disabled license checking) are really a giveaway point of malware. And PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA is simply within them.

How to remove the PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA from my PC?

PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA malware is extremely difficult to delete manually. It places its files in several locations throughout the disk, and can recover itself from one of the parts. Additionally, a number of changes in the windows registry, networking configurations and also Group Policies are fairly hard to locate and revert to the original. It is better to utilize a specific program – exactly, an anti-malware tool. GridinSoft Anti-Malware will fit the most ideal for virus elimination reasons.

Why GridinSoft Anti-Malware? It is pretty light-weight and has its detection databases updated just about every hour. Additionally, it does not have such problems and exploits as Microsoft Defender does. The combination of these aspects makes GridinSoft Anti-Malware perfect for removing malware of any kind.

Remove the viruses with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

  • Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware. After the installation, you will be offered to perform the Standard Scan. Approve this action.
  • Gridinsoft Anti-Malware during the scan process

  • Standard scan checks the logical disk where the system files are stored, together with the files of programs you have already installed. The scan lasts up to 6 minutes.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan results

  • When the scan is over, you may choose the action for each detected virus. For all files of ADAware the default option is “Delete”. Press “Apply” to finish the malware removal.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware - After Cleaning
How to Remove PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA Malware

Name: PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA

Description: If you have seen a message showing the “PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA found”, it seems that your system is in trouble. The ADAware virus was detected, but to remove it, you need to use a security tool. Windows Defender, which has shown you this message, has detected the malware. However, Defender is not a reliable thing - it is prone to malfunction when it comes to malware removal. Getting the PUA.Win32.ADAware.AA malware on your PC is an unpleasant thing, and removing it as soon as possible must be your primary task.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Unwanted Application

Sending
User Review
4.19 (16 votes)
Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)

References

  1. Read about malware types on GridinSoft Threat encyclopedia.

About the author

Wilbur Woodham

I was a technical writer from early in my career, and consider IT Security one of my foundational skills. I’m sharing my experience here, and I hope you find it useful.

Leave a Reply

Sending