Scan your computer for unwanted applications. Applications that can be uninstalled though add/remove programs will launch the applications uninstaller. Thouse that require manual removal will launch KB articles with the removal steps.
If this is missing something you expect it to find, please let us know.
You can access the scanner from the Advance Options in the main UI.
UAC Bypass
NPE now launches the first scan after the reboot without requiring approval of a UAC.
Social Sharing Links
If NPE cleaned your machine, why not share that experience with others? Post a quick note to Twitter or Facebook that you used the Free NPE tool to remove threats. Social sharing links are not available when no threats are found.
The are some folks that still feel that NPE should only be used under expert supervision. I do not agree with this sentiment.
NPE is designed to be aggressive while remaining safe and easy for typical users. Granted, this is a difficult line to straddle but I believe we do it better than anyone.
The NPE scan results should be closely examined for false positives. Folks that are familiar with their installed applications, should be able to do this on their own. If something is removed by mistake, NPE offers the ability to restore them so this should not be a big concern
Usual question - what if someone less tech savy uses the NPE, accepts the removal and as a result can not boot into their system, thus they can not use the restore function of NPE??
Are you referring that this beta tool is going to be used to scan for and remove PUP's when you say unwanted Applications? Should a beta product of anything be offered in an open Forum like this? I thought that a beta product is offered to a small group of people to try and offer suggestions when they have test computers where they can test out beta programs.
Our teams make every effort to prevent this scenario. Today, this is very rare occurrence for NPE.Even still, a very clever, very malicious threat could still cause this problem under just the right circumstances. Forutunately, we can help someone in this state.
Feel free to send me a PM if you ever come across this problem. I would be happy to help.
That is correct, PUPs, PUAs, Unwanted Applications, Browser Plugin Hijacks, are all targets for the Unwanted Application Scanner.
I appreciate the concern expressed with your question about making such a feature available in a public forum.
We feel this is exactly the correct place to offer the functionality right now while we prepare for release.
For more than a month, we have been testing and refining this feature within the support teams and with customers. Now it is time to share it with the public.
The NPE beta Download link needs to be checked as it downloads the currently released version. The link needs to be modified to include the word 'beta' in order to download the file.
All attempts at running a scan with the NPE beta fail with the following message:
Let me know if you need more information.
Norton Internet Security 21.2.0.38 Windows 7 Home Premium 7601.18247.x86fre.win7sp1_gdr.130828-1532
Whenever possible. I don't think he means that NIS is already in Beta. I think he was referring to the times when NIS is in Beta, they try to have a Beta version of NPE also, since now it seems like the NPE is included with NIS program. It looks like NPE goes into Beta more often than NIS does. I think if this program can go after PUP's and that family of so called malware, it would be a good idea to include that function in the actual scanning for malware rather than having to use the same tool that is supposedly to go after rootkits also. In my opinon PUP's and that class of malware shouldn't be part of a dangerous tool. Users want to go after PUP's on a more frequent basis than to have to stop and run that tool every day or 2 just to get their PUP's out of the way. I hope you can follow what I am trying to say here. Sorry if I am disappointing anyone.
What you describe sounds familiar - if you have NIS/N 360 installed on your system - it will not permit your to download the stand Alone Version of ID Safe - so I am thinking if you have NIS/N 360 installed on your system and since the NPE is part of the install, it willnot permit you to download another copy of the NPE (even the Beta)???
I thought that there is a group of people who are usually consulted prior to this being presented in the public forum? Don't mean to put you on the spot Nate, but since the thread was started in this portion of the Forum.
Whenever possible. I don't think he means that NIS is already in Beta. I think he was referring to the times when NIS is in Beta, they try to have a Beta version of NPE also, since now it seems like the NPE is included with NIS program. It looks like NPE goes into Beta more often than NIS does. I think if this program can go after PUP's and that family of so called malware, it would be a good idea to include that function in the actual scanning for malware rather than having to use the same tool that is supposedly to go after rootkits also. In my opinon PUP's and that class of malware shouldn't be part of a dangerous tool. Users want to go after PUP's on a more frequent basis than to have to stop and run that tool every day or 2 just to get their PUP's out of the way. I hope you can follow what I am trying to say here. Sorry if I am disappointing anyone.
Thanks for being able to follow me. It's after 3 AM here. I better make my way upstairs and get to bed. I end up staying up too late in here. Nite... Darn, I just pushed Enter instead of Post. Now my post will have a big empty spot in it.----a sign I need my bed to sleep in tonight...
