Steam infected with a linkbucks adware virus

[TheOddPuff]

My Steam application is infected with a virus, everytime I click a link on the store or any of the Steam pages, it redirects me to a linkbucks website where I have to wait 5 seconds.

Screenshot of the adware: Click here[dl.dropboxusercontent.com]

I have tried to remove this by:
- Re-installing Steam (lost all my downloaded games .. )
- Refresh the steam cache (link)
- Running AdwCleaner multiple times
- Running Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
- Running virus scanner (McAfee Anti-Virus)
- Cleaning up pc with CCleaner

The problem is, this adware appeared in my Chrome browser too, and I could remove it successfully with running a CCleaner cleanup, but I cannot get it removed from my Steam software.

Please help me, I can't find any useful articles on Google and I don't want to re-install my Windows. I'm out of hope :(

[eram]

Format/reinstall windows and start again.

[spoof]

try running hitman pro it just needs an email for a free month.
it helped me out a few times in your kind of situation.

[spoof]

you assume too much , people call me for help go figure.

[spoof]

it was personal just not on my system.

I do not remember ever installing malware by mistake unless it was a right media tracking cookie.

[TheOddPuff]

Hello,

I've just run Hitman Pro and it didn't remove the adware. Here is the log file: link[dl.dropboxusercontent.com]

[spoof]

adwcleaner and hitman pro are pretty good tools for this.

are you running them as administrator?

[TheOddPuff]

Yes, I did run them as administrator.

[eram]

Postat inițial de TheOddPuff:

Hello,

I've just run Hitman Pro and it didn't remove the adware. Here is the log file: link[dl.dropboxusercontent.com]

Reboot the pc in safe mode without networking and redo the scan, also malwarebytes in that mode too.

[TheOddPuff]

Postat inițial de eram:

Postat inițial de TheOddPuff:

Hello,

I've just run Hitman Pro and it didn't remove the adware. Here is the log file: link[dl.dropboxusercontent.com]

Reboot the pc in safe mode without networking and redo the scan, also malwarebytes in that mode too.

I will try that now.

[spoof]

hitman pro does not like your punkbuster install either.
I do not have punkbuster I can not check if it does the same for me.

did all of this get removed properly?
Potential Unwanted Programs _________________________________________________

(UniDeals)
(PCOptimizerPro)
(UniDeals)
(PCOptimizerPro)
(PCOptimizerPro)
(PCOptimizerPro)

I think you need to select them before it removes it.

also scroll down to the bottom here how to remove it from chrome.
http://www.malwareremovalguides.info/linkbucks-com-browser-hijacker-removal-instructions/
chrome and steam use the same web engine.

[TheOddPuff]

Hello,

I've tried doing it all again in safe mode, and yet the adware is still there.

I have also checked the punkbuster files to be removed, and that didn't help too.

I'm afraid the last option is to re-install my Windows software.

[spoof]

or wait a week for the scanners to catch up.
adwcleaner should clear it after the next update.

[eram]

A week! You could format/reinstall windows and reinstall all your drivers in an hour or so.

[spoof]

just an option.
who knows what the OP is up to the next days.

I go with the format myself.
takes about 30 minutes for me.

[TheOddPuff]

I can wait a week, it's not a huge problem since it only appears on the Steam store pages, discussion, friends etc, not my actual game library. I can download and play games without being annoyed of the adware.