The cursed adware in steam strikes again

[Eastman51]

For some reason I always get adware infections in steam, but nowhere else... I got a new desktop for christmas and have been enjoying it since I booted it up. But now, for some stupidly annoying reason, my curse of pop up ads in steam has transfered from a laptop to a desktop. I reset the laptop (using the windows settings app in windows 10, and so it formatted the drive) before I even unboxed my desktop. This new PC runs exceptionally well, however just now, FREAKING POP UP ADS HAVE RETURNED FROM BEyoND THEGRAVE. I know an add will pop up when my mouse doesn't switch to a hand or cursor when I hover over something that it should switch on. When I click, a window pops up (Very similar to those found in the steam web browser from the overlay) and displays an advertisement page, usually those stupid ones saying "Your hard drive will reset if you don't call xxx-xxx-xxxx within 30 seconds!" of course, the ads are giving false threats and such, but they get annoying because I get uneasy about purchasing/downloading games and makes it impossible to browse the store. The workshop for some reason is un affected by these ads, and they never show up, its always the store. Any one know how I might fix this? Already tried reinstalling steam client and reinstalling my unaffected default browser of Googel Chrome.

[76561198218426745]

Download Malware Bytes. Update it. Update your antivirus. Restart your PC in safe mode. Do a full scan of your PC with Malware Bytes, with rootkit detection enabled. Then do a full scan of your PC with your antivirus.

[Eastman51]

alright, I'll try.

[Satoru]

Format the system and nuke it from orbit. If you can't figure it out reinstall from a source cd rather than the restore partition

[Eastman51]

I don't need to reset the system. I know that because Steam is the only thing infected. My antivirus tells me that steam is infected, but it won't do anything about it so I think safe mode will help.

[Eastman51]

Originally posted by habitualaction:

Download Malware Bytes. Update it. Update your antivirus. Restart your PC in safe mode. Do a full scan of your PC with Malware Bytes, with rootkit detection enabled. Then do a full scan of your PC with your antivirus.

Scans are under way. Malwarebytes is now scanning the file system but hasn't found anything yet. My antivirus is also beginning a full scan in maximum secruity mode.

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by Eastman51:

I don't need to reset the system. I know that because Steam is the only thing infected. My antivirus tells me that steam is infected, but it won't do anything about it so I think safe mode will help.

How do you know that for sure ? Just because that is the only result of that scan showing Steam as being infected that does not mean that Steam is actually the only thing that is infected, you see.

Not finding anything does not always equal nothing actually being there. So a full format is a good suggesting here still , but that is up to you.

[76561198218426745]

Usually I wouldn't recommend running both at the same time, but I don't suppose it will make too much difference. Not to be a jerk or anything, but do you have any idea how it keeps getting on your PC in the first place?

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Eastman51:

I don't need to reset the system. I know that because Steam is the only thing infected. My antivirus tells me that steam is infected, but it won't do anything about it so I think safe mode will help.

Steam is not 'infected'

It is being injected from an external program because its a browser

Your SYSTEM is infected. Steam's pop ups are a symptom, not the root cause.

Again your system is beyond saving. Nuke from orbit and format from original cd media.

[Eastman51]

Not sure how the adware/malware gets on the system in the first place, but it gets there. I don't have an installation disc for any windows more recent than XP service pack 2 or XP professional 64 bit. If I'm going to get a modern OS, I have to do a reset. Which is silly only a few weeks since unboxing. Though it should help.

[The Giving One]

Does not sound like a Steam issue to me. It sounds like a Windows system issue. Maybe search for help in the hardware and operating system forum for more advice. Thanks and good luck.

[Eastman51]

Alright. Also starting windows defender scan for good measure.

[wuddih]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Download tool (8gb usb stick will be enough to handle installer for 32 and 64 bit version, in case you need one some day for an older computer)

print/read/do:
Using the media creation tool -> Perform a clean installation using a USB or DVD

and after that, one windows user account and you are the only one knowing the password. you do not install anything unless you doublecheck and google/wiki research if the download/installer is really from the original developer website. you do not install anything pirated/cracked/jailbraked/homebrewd or if you like open source, nothing you did not codecheck and compile yourself and then you watch the system work for the rest of your life.

[Eastman51]

Originally posted by wuddih:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

Download tool (8gb usb stick will be enough to handle installer for 32 and 64 bit version, in case you need one some day for an older computer)

print/read/do:
Using the media creation tool -> Perform a clean installation using a USB or DVD

and after that, one windows user account and you are the only one knowing the password. you do not install anything unless you doublecheck and google/wiki research if the download/installer is really from the original developer website. you do not install anything pirated/cracked/jailbraked/homebrewd or if you like open source, nothing you did not codecheck and compile yourself and then you watch the system work for the rest of your life.

hmmm i agree with everything, but I like the software package that came with the PC....

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Eastman51:

hmmm i agree with everything, but I like the software package that came with the PC....

Considering that 'package' seems to have adware/spyware on it, I don't think beggars can be choosers

[Eastman51]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Originally posted by Eastman51:

hmmm i agree with everything, but I like the software package that came with the PC....

Considering that 'package' seems to have adware/spyware on it, I don't think beggars can be choosers

the software package, from Asus, does NOT have adware. This problem came up recently, just a day or so ago. There were only 3 programs installed by asus, Asus manager, Audio Wizard by Waves, and Newblue Video Essentials for Windows. Other applications preinstalled are required by the hardware (Intel drivers etc).