Types
of Adware: PuzzleDesktop
Microsoft is as a leading
name in the computer software industry.
For some, it's the first choice when it comes to an operating
system. Despite the overall quality of
their products, Microsoft has been known to be rather vulnerable to a wide
range of exploits including hacking attempts and several forms of malware. One threat currently plaguing several users
of XP and the new Vista system is a program by the name of PuzzleDesktop.
What is PuzzleDesktop?
PuzzleDesktop is
classified as ad-supported software, more commonly termed as adware. It often comes bundled with a number of
harmful spyware and Trojan programs which it secretly installs on your
system. Once the program is launched,
PuzzleDesktop may disrupt activity by displaying dozens of pop-up
advertisements and may even change hosts files in the Windows operating
system. This software makes alterations
to your web browser such as creating additional buttons, links and toolbars and
may also redirect web requests to pornographic sites on the internet. PuzzleDesktop has been detected by a number
of security applications and has many other names including PuzzleDesktop
Adware, PuzzleDesktop Spyware and PuzzeDesktop Sudoku.
How Did you Contract
PuzzleDesktop?
PuzzleDesktop can be
downloaded to your computer in several ways.
Below we have listed some of the most common methods:
Shareware or Freeware:
Have you recently downloaded any shareware or freeware programs? This includes
video games, tax preparation software and even security software
solutions. These applications and are
low-cost or totally free, often bundled with malicious programs such as
PuzzleDesktop. Many times, adware is
attached to freely distributed software to enable the authors to recover
developments costs. What the developers
aren't aware of is that these applications are often bundled with the purpose
of installing other malicious software and stealing your personal data.
Peer-to-Peer Software:
Do you frequently use applications or other programs with a file sharing
network? This includes programs such as
Kazaa and LimeWire. If so, your system
is at the risk of infection. What you
believed to be an audio or video file just may be PuzzleDesktop in
disguise.
Questionable Internet
Locations: Did you recently visit a new website? One that appeared so suspicious that you left
after a few minutes of browsing? Many
sites on the web have been compromised or purposly designed to exploit your
system. If caution is not practiced, you
can be easily exposed to phishing and pharming scams or infected with viruses
and malicious adware like the PuzzleDesktop program. These nasty infections can be quickly
installed without your knowledge.
Removing PuzzleDesktop
While some adware comes
with an uninstall function, PuzzleDesktop does not, making it very difficult to
remove. For a user with limited
technical knowledge, completely remove this program is virtually
impossible. It requires you to halt all
PuzzleDesktop processes as well as remove any registry keys, DLL files and any
other content it may have installed.
This requires a lot of time and searching in sensitive areas of Windows
that shouldn't be accessed by inexperienced users. The most effective way of to uninstall this
troublesome application is to use a reliable anti-malware program. Once it has been removed, you may want to
consider either changing your Internet Explorer web browser or even the Windows
operating system. Systems provided by
Linux and Macintosh are much less vulnerable to PuzzleDesktop and other forms
of malware.
