Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater
What is Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater?
Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater is a software utility that installs with the Ask.com internet browser toolbar and keeps it automatically updated. The toolbar gets installed through bundled software. The default settings will automatically install toolbar as soon as you install the host bundler software on your PC. Sometimes the toolbar has a habit of leaving numerious files, settings and useless registry entries behind which might cause some stability and performance issues. Unfortunately, the toolbar won’t be removed even you have uninstall the associated program that bundled it. The toolbar is typically bundled with the free PDF Creator program as an option during installation and does not necessarily get uninstalled when PDF Creator is removed from the user's PC and must be removed manually. Additionally, if the home page and search settings were modified by this toolbar, they need to be manually reverted back by the user.
About (from Ask.com)
The ASK Updater is a client application that came with your Ask Toolbar. The Updater's job is to keep your Toolbar up to date to provide you with new features and to increase compatibility. The ASK Updater may also remind you to upgrade certain features of your Windows computer such as browsers, and other optional Micr... Read more
Overview
- Possible malware installed by this program
- Starts automatically
- Loads into the web browser
- Connects to a server over the Internet
- Installed as part of a co-bundle
- May modify the web browser's home page
- Many experts agree, if you don't use it you should remove it!
Warning, multiple anti-virus scanners have detected possible malware in Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater.
| Updater.exe (31b522014fc560c122cdfa72d47ca940) has been flagged by the following 2 scanners: |
| Anti-Virus software | Version | Detection |
| Baidu-International |
4.0.3.1486 |
PUA.Win32.AskToolbar.81 |
| ESET-NOD32 |
8.10201 |
a variant of Win32/Bundled.Toolbar.Ask.G |
Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater has been found to be bundled with 3rd party software. If you have not purposefully installed this, you should be safe uninstalling it.
Program details
URL: sp.ask.com/toolbar
Installation folder: C:\Program Files\ask.com\updater
Uninstaller: C:\Program Files\Ask.com\Updater\Updater.exe -uninstall
Estimated size: 1.61 MB
Files installed by Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater
| Program executable: | Updater.exe |
| Name: | Updater |
| Ask Updater |
| Path: | C:\Program Files\ask.com\updater\Updater.exe |
| MD5: | 1ca034e7feb38fb4f3484aec092c403f |
| Ask Updater runs in the background of Windows and automatically starts up when your PC boots. It checks for software udpates and automatically downloads and installs them if found.
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Updater.exe (by Ask) - Updater (Ask Updater)
Behaviors exhibited
Startup File (All Users Run)
- Updater.exe is loaded in the all users (HKLM) registry as a startup file name 'Updater.exe' which loads as "C:\Program Files\Ask.com\Updater\Updater.exe".
Windows Firewall Allowed Program
- Updater.exe is added as a firewall exception for 'C:\Program Files\Ask.com\Updater\Updater.exe'.
Network connections
- Updater.exe connects to 165.254.35.120 (port 80).
- Updater.exe connects to 63.116.243.51 (port 80).
- Updater.exe connects to a23-67-242-105.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com (23.67.242.105 port 80).
- Updater.exe connects to a23-67-242-107.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com (23.67.242.107 port 80).
- Updater.exe connects to a23-67-242-33.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com (23.67.242.33 port 80).
- Updater.exe connects to a23-67-242-40.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com (23.67.242.40 port 80).
- Updater.exe connects to a23-67-242-57.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com (23.67.242.57 port 80).
- Updater.exe connects to a23-67-250-91.deploy.akamaitechnologies.com (23.67.250.91 port 80).
Resource utilization averages
Show technical details
| Updater.exe |
| Memory: | 3.63 MB | |
| Total CPU: | 0.1111757247% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.05682382% | |
| User CPU: | 0.05435190% | |
| CPU cycles/sec: | 1,851,160 | |
| Switches/sec: | 4 | |
| I/O reads/min: | 167 Bytes | |
| I/O writes/min: | 62 Bytes | |
How do I remove Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater?
You can uninstall Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater from your computer by using the Add/Remove Program feature in the Window's Control Panel.
- On the Start menu (for Windows 8, right-click the screen's bottom-left corner), click Control Panel, and then, under Programs, do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall a Program.
- Windows XP: Click Add or Remove Programs.
- When you find the program Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater, click it, and then do one of the following:
- Windows Vista/7/8/10: Click Uninstall.
- Windows XP: Click the Remove or Change/Remove tab (to the right of the program).
- Follow the prompts. A progress bar shows you how long it will take to remove Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater.
- If for some reason uninstallation fails, please install Microsoft's uninstall fixer utility which will help fix problems with programs that can't be uninstalled at support.microsoft.com.
How do I reset my web browser?
If your web browser homepage and search settings have been modfied by Sopcast Ask Toolbar Updater you can restore them to their previous default settings.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer and click the Tools button, and then click Internet options.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click Reset. Select the Delete personal settings check box if you would also like to remove search providers, Accelerators and home pages. When Internet Explorer finishes applying default settings, click Close, and then click OK.
- The changes will take effect the next time you open IE.
Mozilla Firefox
- At the top of the Firefox window, click the Firefox button, go over to the Help sub-menu and select Troubleshooting Information.
- To continue, click Reset Firefox in the confirmation window that opens. It will close and be reset.
- When it's done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click Finish and Firefox will open.
Google Chrome
- Open Chrome and click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.
- Select Settings. In the "Search" section, click Manage search engine. Check if (Default) is displayed next to your preferred search engine. If not, mouse over it and click Make default. Mouse over any other suspicious search engine entries that are not familiar and click X to remove them.
- When the "Show Home button" checkbox is selected, a web address appears below it. If you want the Homepage button to open up a different webpage, click Change to enter a link.
- Restart Google Chrome.
OS VERSIONS
Win 7 (SP1) 69%
Win XP 2%
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HOW IT STARTS
Automatically starts? Yes
(Found in the run registry)
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USER ACTIONS
 |
Uninstall it 66%
Keep it 34%
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Windows
Which Windows OS versions does it run on?
| Windows 7 |
79.03% |
|
| Windows XP |
8.06% |
|
| Windows 10 |
6.45% |
|
| Windows Vista |
6.45% |
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Which OS releases does it run on? |
| Windows 7 Home Premium |
39.34% |
|
| Windows 7 Ultimate |
26.23% |
|
| Microsoft Windows XP |
8.20% |
|
| Windows Vista Home Premiu... |
6.56% |
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| Windows 7 Professional |
6.56% |
|
| Windows 8 Pro |
3.28% |
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Geography
19.05% of installs come from Germany
Which countries install it?
| Germany |
19.05% |
| Romania |
14.29% |
| United States |
6.35% |
| Israel |
6.35% |
| Poland |
6.35% |
| Spain |
4.76% |
| Croatia |
4.76% |
| Hong Kong |
3.17% |
| MK |
3.17% |
| MA |
3.17% |
| Thailand |
3.17% |
| Sweden |
3.17% |
| Iran |
3.17% |
| United Kingdom |
3.17% |
PC manufacturers
What PC manufacturers (OEMs) have it installed?
| Acer |
24.49% |
|
| Dell |
18.37% |
|
| Hewlett-Packard |
14.29% |
|
| GIGABYTE |
8.16% |
|
| Lenovo |
6.12% |
|
| American Megatrends |
6.12% |
|
| Sony |
6.12% |
|
| Medion |
4.08% |
|
| ASUS |
4.08% |
|
| Toshiba |
4.08% |
|
| Samsung |
2.04% |
|
| Alienware |
2.04% |
|
Common models |
| TOSHIBA SATELLITE C670-16... |
1.92% |
|
| TOSHIBA Satellite A300 |
1.92% |
|
| Sony SVS15116GWB |
1.92% |
|
| Sony SVE1512E6EW |
1.92% |
|
| Samsung RC410/RC510/RC710... |
1.92% |
|
| MEDION P6622 |
1.92% |
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About Ask.com
Ask focuses on search traffic through various methods, the number being installation of its toolbars through a lot of bundle and rebrand programs.
Publisher URL: www.ask.com