OneUpdater Malware - How to remove

OneUpdater is supposed to be an update checker. It promises to scan your computer and tell you if your programs are missing any updates. Instead, it installs adware, browser hijackers, and other potentially unwanted programs.

OneUpdater (or One Updater) is a Windows program that can be downloaded from the Updater.one website, gets installed automatically by some freeware bundlers, and may be downloaded with fake Flash Player updates.

About OneUpdater:

Classification	PUP (potentially unwanted program), adware, trojan.
Infection symptoms	Regular pop-ups from OneUpdater, strange browser behavior, unfamiliar programs appear on the PC.
How the PUP gets installed	Promoted by malicious ads, included with free programs and mods.
Removing OneUpdater	Uninstall OneUpdater manually, remove malicious files with anti-malware programs, such as Spyhunter, Malwarebytes, or others.

How OneUpdater works

OneUpdater does not help with updates

OneUpdater promises to help users update their software. It’s supposed to check all the installed programs for missing updates and then warn users.

This might seem like a cool feature, as software updates are very important for security. There are just a couple of problems:

• Most programs take care of their own updates. They install updates in the background (this is how web browsers do it) or they prompt us to download them. OneUpdater would be redundant.
• OneUpdater does not do what it promises. Instead, it installs malware.

It’s unsurprising, then, that anti-malware programs flag OneUpdater as Adware and Malicious: Virustotal.com.

OneUpdater might infect the computer with adware and other malware. This can cause various symptoms:

• Web browsers might open unexpected websites to deliver their search results (a few people mentioned that Yahoo took over their browsers).
• The new tab in your browsers is replaced with an unexpected page.
• You may notice redirects, reloads, pop-ups that open on their own, and unusual advertisements.
• Pop-ups might also appear on your desktop, warning you about security issues or urging you to install some unknown software.

It is installed without permission

Although OneUpdater has been known for a long time to be malicious, it is still being distributed online. Virustotal.com’s scan of Updater.one shows recent activity, which is very unfortunate.

Here are a few explanations for how people end up with OneUpdater:

• Fake Flash Update alerts and other fake updates. These malicious ads pretend to download important software updates. They then install adware and other junk.
• Free programs downloaded from shady websites may install OneUpdater and other potentially unwanted software. This happens when free programs show ads in the installer. These ads are very easy to miss and the promoted apps are installed by default.

You could find OneUpdater on your computer and have no idea how it got there. If this happens, try to remember when you installed something recently and if there was anything strange about the installation. If you know how this malware got on your PC, you will be able to avoid it in the future.

How to get rid of OneUpdater

Avoid bundlers and adware

Malicious ads, adware bundles – these threats tend to appear on shady websites: freeware download sites, free movie and sports streaming sites, other pirating sites, and some modding websites (Illegal football streaming sites are absolutely riddled with dangerous malware).

In addition, some benign sites get infected with harmful code that causes malicious ads or redirects to dangerous websites.

Here’s what you can do to avoid hijackers like OneUpdater:

• If you find yourself on a suspicious site, don’t click anything. If you see a file that downloads on its own, just delete it.
• You can improve your security with anti-malware apps. They can detect adware bundlers and other suspicious programs.
• You can also get an ad blocker for those times that you visit shady sites. Blocking their ads gets rid of a lot of malicious content online and helps you stay safe.

How to remove OneUpdater

You can uninstall OneUpdater manually. You can do it in your Control Panel as described in the instructions below. Or you can go into your Settings, Apps and features, and remove OneUpdater from there.

It’s helpful to use an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter or Malwarebytes. They can help you find and remove malicious and suspicious programs and files.

Uninstalling OneUpdater might not be enough. Like other malicious programs (Abrasive, Segurazo), it might leave some of its files behind.

To manually check for files that OneUpdater might have left, you can look in your hidden folders (type %TEMP% and %APPDATA% in the address bar in file explorer). If unwanted pop-ups show up again, right-click them and, in the context menu, look for the option to open the file location, and delete unwanted files.

Whatever adware apps might have been installed with OneUpdater also need to be deleted. Check your recently installed programs, as well as browsers. Remove unknown or unwanted extensions – the instructions can be found below.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove OneUpdater Malware using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like OneUpdater install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to OneUpdater Malware . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make OneUpdater easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.

Remove unwanted extensions

TopRemoving OneUpdater Malware from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to OneUpdater. Click on the trash bin icon next to OneUpdater Malware or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to OneUpdater, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove OneUpdater Malware from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to OneUpdater Malware. Click on the "Remove" icon next to OneUpdater or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.

TopRemoving OneUpdater Malware from Firefox

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything OneUpdater related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to OneUpdater Malware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.