{"id":4621,"date":"2025-09-17T13:45:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T21:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/?post_type=ht_kb&#038;p=4621"},"modified":"2026-01-26T16:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T00:27:11","slug":"what-are-potentially-unwanted-programs-pups","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/art\/what-are-potentially-unwanted-programs-pups\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs)?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs)<\/strong> are software applications that are not classified as <a href=\"\/security-center\/computer-viruses.html\">viruses<\/a> or <a href=\"\/security-center\/malware.html\">malware<\/a> but can negatively impact your computer\u2019s performance or user experience. They often come bundled with <a href=\"\/security-center\/dangers-of-free-downloads.html\">free downloads<\/a> or are installed without the user realizing it.<\/p>\n<h3>Common traits of PUPs:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Bundled software<\/strong> \u2013 installed alongside free programs without clear notice.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Excessive ads &amp; pop-ups<\/strong> \u2013 some act like adware, showing unwanted promotions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Performance slowdown<\/strong> \u2013 they may use system resources unnecessarily.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Privacy concerns<\/strong> \u2013 some track browsing habits or collect data without consent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Examples of PUPs:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Toolbars added to browsers that you didn\u2019t ask for.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cFree\u201d optimization or registry cleaners that push paid upgrades.<\/li>\n<li>Software that changes your default search engine or homepage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>How to protect against PUPs:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\u2705 Always choose <strong>custom installation<\/strong> and deselect extra offers.<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Download software only from <strong>official or trusted sources<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>\u2705 Use a reputable <a href=\"\/antivirus-security-software.html\"><strong>antivirus or anti-malware program<\/strong><\/a> that detects and removes PUPs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>In short:<\/strong> PUPs aren\u2019t always dangerous like viruses, but they are annoying, intrusive, and sometimes risky. It\u2019s best to avoid and remove them.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pup.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4629\" src=\"https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pup-744x1024.webp\" alt=\"What are Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs)?\" width=\"500\" height=\"688\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pup-744x1024.webp 744w, https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pup-218x300.webp 218w, https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pup-768x1058.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pup-36x50.webp 36w, https:\/\/www.antivirusaz.com\/faq\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/pup.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) are software applications that are not classified as viruses or malware but can negatively impact your computer\u2019s performance or user experience. They often come bundled with free downloads or are installed without the user realizing it. Common traits of PUPs: Bundled software \u2013 installed alongside free programs without clear notice. Excessive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"ht-kb-category":[12],"ht-kb-tag":[708,707,705,706],"class_list":["post-4621","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-threats-vulnerabilities","ht_kb_tag-potentially-unwanted-program","ht_kb_tag-potentially-unwanted-programs","ht_kb_tag-pup","ht_kb_tag-pups"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What are Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs)?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) aren\u2019t viruses but can slow your PC, show ads, and invade privacy. 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