I wrote this article to help you remove Setleaf Virus. This Setleaf Virus removal guide works for all Windows versions.

Setleaf is a potentially unwanted program (PUP). The shady tool conducts unauthorized operations which expose users to security risks. The main activity is generating advertisements. This is done to raise proceeds. The developers of the PUP use the pay-per-click system to make profit by exploiting users’ activity. A lot of online advertisers pay third parties to promote their websites. Setleaf embeds links into the ad windows. When you click on them, you will get redirected. The other task on the agenda of the PUP is to monitor people’s browsing sessions and collect information from their web browser. If this sounds like a privacy breach to you, you are correct. This activity involves a severe personal security risk.

Setleaf does not have an official website like some unreliable programs which are presented as legit. You have not downloaded and installed the PUP willingly. However, you may have been tricked to have it installed together with another piece of software. Setleaf often travels in bundles with pirated programs, freeware and shareware. The download client will have the unwanted tool included as a bonus. You can accept to have it installed or opt out. When adding a given program to your system, take the time to read its terms and conditions. The host will be set to process the additional tools per default. You will have to deselect them manually.

The other distribution technique is even simpler. Text documents, images, compressed archives, zip folders and other files can be used to transfer an executable. The setup file of Setleaf can be hidden behind an attachment to a spam email. Macros and scripts allow spammers to seamlessly merge an executable and automatize the transfer process. The PUP will get downloaded and installed to your computer when you access the appended file. The person behind the email will try to make it seem legitimate. He can write on behalf of a reputable company or organization, like the national post, a courier firm, a bank, a government branch, an institution, a social network or a legal entity. To filter spam from legitimate notifications, check the sender’s contacts.

Setleaf is ad-supported. The furtive program displays advertisements in a wide variety of formats. It will bombard your screen with pop-ups, pop-unders, banners, coupon boxes, in-text links, freebies, transitional, interstitial, floating, contextual, inline and comparison ads. The windows showcase an exclusive selection of bargain shopping offers. The product palette encapsulates garments, furniture, technological devices, decorations, gardening equipment, sports gear, accessories, games, toys and other commodities. The PUP decorates the ad windows with bright color schemes, cursive fonts and flash animations to make them more noticeable. The listings may be enticing, but their sources are under question.

The developers of Setleaf run advertising campaigns per order. They support third party websites in exchange for agreed upon payments. The amount they receive is not fixated. Rather, it is calculated according to the number of links users follow. This monetizing mechanism has been appropriately dubbed the pay-per-click system. Providing links to sponsored platforms is a legal service. A lot of reputable websites do this. The problem here is the lack of a security check. The PUP does not run scans to proof the reliability of the third party domains. The proprietors of the program promote the content of all paying advertisers without taking accountability for its security.

Apart from the risk of contacting malware, there is also a personal security threat. Setleaf will track your browsing sessions and record the information you enter into your online accounts. The sinister program has the ability to access various types of input from the web browser. This includes history, keystrokes, tracking cookies, IP address, geographic location, postal code, email account, telephone number, fax, user names, passwords and financial credentials. The PUP sorts the gathered data into catalogs and sends it to its owners. They can trade your private details on darknet markets. There is nothing you can do to stop them once your information has been leaked.

Setleaf Virus Removal

Run the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar and choosing Start Task Manager.

Look carefully at the file names and descriptions of the running processes. If you find any suspicious one, search on Google for its name, or contact me directly to identify it. If you find a malware process, right-click on it and choose End task.