Friday
2017-12-27, 11:46
The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed" manually.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.
If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).
Threat Details:
Categories:
pups
Description:
PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed claims to optimize the speed of your Internet connection. A user must register to get the full functionality for the license fee of $29.95 per year (December 2017). Ascentive LLC offers a auto-renewal service with automatic renewals each year.
Links (be careful!):
: ttp://www.ascentive.com/
Removal Instructions:
Quicklaunch area:
Please remove the following items from your start quick launch area text to the "Start" button in the taskbar at the bottom.
To check where they are pointing to, right-click them and choose "Properties" from the context menu appearing.
Quicklaunch symbols named "ActiveSpeed.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Launcher.exe".
Autorun:
Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd), RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) or msconfig.exe to remove the following autorun entries.
Entries named "ActiveSpeed" and pointing to "*.exe -?".
Entries named "ActiveSpeed" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Launcher.exe -?".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed_ScreenLog.txt".
The file at "<$COMMONDESKTOP>\ActiveSpeed.lnk".
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed.lnk".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\AS.EXE".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\ASRes.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\ASURLs.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Launcher.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\MailSupport.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Uninstall.exe".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\AscConTest.dll".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\AscCookieHelper.dll".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\AscTaskScheduler.dll".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed uses rootkit technologies, use the rootkit scanner integrated into Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) 2.x or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Ascentive".
The directory at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\Ascentive".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!
Registry:
You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.
A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "AscTaskScheduler.clsTaskScheduler", plus associated values.
Delete the registry key "{2C67C4F4-0B1B-4347-9532-454DAD7D32CA}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
Delete the registry key "{3B3F4504-0117-4E7D-B67E-7BEB4C3BF2C7}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
Delete the registry key "{FA5B656F-7BA7-4275-993B-C64AF063DBD4}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
Delete the registry key "ActiveSpeed" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Ascentive\".
Delete the registry key "ActiveSpeed" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Ascentive\".
Delete the registry key "ActiveSpeed" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\".
If PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
Final Words:
If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.
If this guide was helpful to you, please consider donating towards this site (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=donate).
Threat Details:
Categories:
pups
Description:
PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed claims to optimize the speed of your Internet connection. A user must register to get the full functionality for the license fee of $29.95 per year (December 2017). Ascentive LLC offers a auto-renewal service with automatic renewals each year.
Links (be careful!):
: ttp://www.ascentive.com/
Removal Instructions:
Quicklaunch area:
Please remove the following items from your start quick launch area text to the "Start" button in the taskbar at the bottom.
To check where they are pointing to, right-click them and choose "Properties" from the context menu appearing.
Quicklaunch symbols named "ActiveSpeed.lnk" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Launcher.exe".
Autorun:
Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd), RunAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=runalyzer) or msconfig.exe to remove the following autorun entries.
Entries named "ActiveSpeed" and pointing to "*.exe -?".
Entries named "ActiveSpeed" and pointing to "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Launcher.exe -?".
Files:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.
The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed_ScreenLog.txt".
The file at "<$COMMONDESKTOP>\ActiveSpeed.lnk".
The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed.lnk".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\AS.EXE".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\ASRes.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\ASURLs.dll".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Launcher.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\MailSupport.exe".
The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed\Uninstall.exe".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\AscConTest.dll".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\AscCookieHelper.dll".
The file at "<$SYSDIR>\AscTaskScheduler.dll".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed uses rootkit technologies, use the rootkit scanner integrated into Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) 2.x or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!
Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=spybotsd) to remove them.
Folders:
Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.
The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Ascentive".
The directory at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\Ascentive".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive\ActiveSpeed".
The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Ascentive".
Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!
Registry:
You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.
A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "AscTaskScheduler.clsTaskScheduler", plus associated values.
Delete the registry key "{2C67C4F4-0B1B-4347-9532-454DAD7D32CA}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
Delete the registry key "{3B3F4504-0117-4E7D-B67E-7BEB4C3BF2C7}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
Delete the registry key "{FA5B656F-7BA7-4275-993B-C64AF063DBD4}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\".
Delete the registry key "ActiveSpeed" at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Ascentive\".
Delete the registry key "ActiveSpeed" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Ascentive\".
Delete the registry key "ActiveSpeed" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\".
If PU.ASC.ActiveSpeed uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer (http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=regalyzer), RootAlyzer (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=8) or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins (http://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php?id=3).
Final Words:
If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,
Please read these instructions (http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=288) before requesting assistance,
Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum (http://forums.spybot.info/forumdisplay.php?f=22) where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.