PDFSpark - How to remove

PDFSpark is a program that advertises itself as an “All-In-One PDF Manager” — a free app that allows a user to view, convert, and annotate your pdf files. However, it is classified as a PUP — potentially unwanted program, and adware — a program whose primary purpose is to deliver advertisements.

PDFSpark invites users by offering a useful set of PDF file management tools, but what it hides from its users is that it also has the ability to:

• hijack internet browsers to display aggressive advertisements,
• collect a user’s personal data and share it with marketers, and
• invite other unwanted programs to a user’s computer.

It is common for seemingly useful programs, such as PDF managers, video-to-audio converters, hardware optimizers to be created with the main purpose of delivering marketing material to users who did not ask for it. The way they work makes it difficult to see which specific program is responsible for the intrusive marketing. Sometimes an antimalware app is needed to find the culprit — a good one, as some adware apps attempt to trick antivirus programs by using stolen certificates.

If PDFSpark has been wearing you down with its unwelcome ads, simply remove it:

PDFSpark Classification	Bundler — installs other potentially unwated programs Adware — shows unwanted ads
Symptoms	Unfamiliar programs are installed without your knowledge Unusual pop-up messages and ads show up on your desktop The browser behaves strangely, shows more ads, redirects The Mac runs slower than normal
Source	Freeware bundles Misleading ads Other adware programs
Solution	Remove PDFSpark automatically using anti-malware tools (Combo Cleaner) Uninstall PDFSpark manually from the Applications folder

Is PDFSpark dangerous?

First of all, PDFSpark is not a virus. However, it is a type of mild malware: adware and a potentially unwanted program (PUP). 

Adware, like PDFSpark, make money by displaying advertisements that their sponsors want to promote to PDFSpark’s users. Not just on PDFSpark itself — adware programs can hijack an internet browser to serve ads on any website. These advertisements are often intrusive — pop-up windows, banners, coupons; wasting people’s bandwidth and disrupting their experience with loud and blazing ads. They are also often dishonest — pretending to be a part of the open website when they are not, changing a browser’s home page, showing fake warnings about security, changing destinations of links. At worst, the destination site is malicious and can download more unwanted apps to the user’s computer.

From PDFSpark's EULA:

The Advertising may include, without limitation, content, offers for products or services, data, links, articles, graphic or video messages, text, software, music, sound, graphics or other materials or services. The timing, frequency, placement and extent of the Advertising changes are determined in our sole discretion.

Moreover, adware — like PDFSpark — gather the user’s personal data (web browsing habits, information about installed software and hardware) and sell it to third parties without the user’s knowledge or consent. This helps the advertisers choose which ads they think would be most effective on a user, and PDFSpark delivers them.

How do people install PDFSpark?

PDFSpark can be downloaded from its own website. The home page gives the user an interesting warning: “Additional software may be offered during the installation process”. This is one way that PUPs are spread — they are included in another program's installation. The options to choose whether you want these additional programs are hidden in the “Advanced” options of the installer and are easily missed by many users. This way PDFSpark smuggles more potentially unwanted apps into people’s computers.

Even legitimate software can have PUPs like PDFSpark bundled with it, especially if the installer is unofficial. Some unethical websites lure users in by offering popular (and expensive) software for free (but actually only provide trial versions of this software), and provide users with an unofficial installer, which has PUPs bundled with it. Some installers are entirely fake and install even nastier malware.

Another way PUPs are spread is via bundlers. PDFSpark could be bundled with another program and not disclosed properly, kind of like a trojan horse. Bundlers sometimes warn about the bundled program in the installer, but the warnings are deliberately difficult to see.

If one PUP is installed, it is likely that more are installed, too. These programs are numerous on the Web and they promote each other.

How can people avoid PUPs and adware?

Users should research a program before downloading it. If a deal looks too good to be true, it should be suspicious. For example, expensive apps do not commonly get offered for free, but fake installers are distributed “for free” and will infect your computer with malware. Normal free apps are also more likely to carry PUPs and malware than paid or open-source programs.

An app should ideally be downloaded from its official website or store. An official installer is unlikely to include PUPs, but users should still read the installation options carefully, as well as research each app on the web.

Programs should be downloaded from reputable sites that take their users’ security seriously and don’t bundle adware like PDFSpark in the installers.

What are the alternatives?

It is worth considering paying for an app. Legitimate programs do often offer a trial version to allow users to see if they like it. Paid programs often provide users with customer support and are kept up-to-date with the newest hardware and software. There is no shortage of PDF managers that offer more features than PDFSpark, and do not threaten Mac’s security.

Another idea for a free app is to use an open source program, though they can often be buggy and unfinished.

How to uninstall it?

Because PDFSpark is not a virus, it should be simple to uninstall it like a normal program. However, it is unlikely that only one potentially unwanted program is installed. It is a good idea to scan all the files on a computer and check which other adware or PUP apps might be lurking. Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes are examples of programs that can find and recognize adware and other PUPs, and allow users to easily remove them.

How to remove PDFSpark using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like PDFSpark 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 PDFSpark . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make PDFSpark 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.

How to remove PDFSpark from macOS

Delete PDFSpark from your applications.

1. Open Finder.
2. In the menu bar, click Go.
3. Select Applications from the dropdown.
4. Find the PDFSpark app.
5. Select it and right-click it (or hold the Ctrl and click the left mouse button).
6. In the dropdown, click Move to Bin/Trash. You might be asked to provide your login password.

TopRemove malicious extensions from Internet Explorer

• Press on the Gear icon→Manage Add-ons.
  
• Go through Toolbars and extensions. Remove everything related to PDFSpark and items you do not know that are made not by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Oracle or Adobe.
  
• Close the Options.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

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

• Press on the Gear icon->Internet Options.
  
• Choose the Advanced tab and click on the Reset button.
  
• Select a “Delete personal settings” checkbox and click on the Reset button.
  
• Click on the Close button on the confirmation box, then close your browser.
  

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

TopRemoving PDFSpark 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 PDFSpark. Click on the trash bin icon next to PDFSpark 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 PDFSpark, 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.

TopRemoving PDFSpark 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 PDFSpark 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 PDFSpark, 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.

How to remove PDFSpark 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 PDFSpark. Click on the "Remove" icon next to PDFSpark 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 PDFSpark from Safari (Mac OS X)

• Click on the Safari menu.
• Choose Preferences.
  
• Click on the Extensions Tab.
• Click on the Uninstall button near the PDFSpark. Remove all other unknown or suspicious entries too. If you are not sure whether you need the extension or not, you can simply uncheck the Enable check-box to disable the extension temporarily.
  
• Restart Safari.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

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

• Click on the Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari.
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

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