PlayPopGames Ads

Posted: January 15, 2016

Threat Metric

The Threat Meter is a malware assessment that SpywareRemove.com's research team is able to give every identifiable malware threat. Our Threat Meter includes several criteria based off of specific malware threats to value their severity, reach and volume. The Threat Meter is able to give you a numerical breakdown of each threat's initial Threat Level, Detection Count, Volume Count, Trend Path and Percentage Impact. The overall ranking of each threat in the Threat Meter is a basic breakdown of how all threats are ranked within our own extensive malware database. The scoring for each specific malware threat can be easily compared to other emerging threats to draw a contrast in its particular severity. The Threat Meter is a useful tool in the endeavor of seeking a solution to remove a threat or pursue additional analytical research for all types of computer users.

The following fields listed on the Threat Meter containing a specific value, are explained in detail below:

Threat Level: The threat level scale goes from 1 to 10 where 10 is the highest level of severity and 1 is the lowest level of severity. Each specific level is relative to the threat's consistent assessed behaviors collected from SpyHunter's risk assessment model.

Detection Count: The collective number of confirmed and suspected cases of a particular malware threat. The detection count is calculated from infected PCs retrieved from diagnostic and scan log reports generated by SpyHunter.

Volume Count: Similar to the detection count, the Volume Count is specifically based on the number of confirmed and suspected threats infecting systems on a daily basis. High volume counts usually represent a popular threat but may or may not have infected a large number of systems. High detection count threats could lay dormant and have a low volume count. Criteria for Volume Count is relative to a daily detection count.

Trend Path: The Trend Path, utilizing an up arrow, down arrow or equal symbol, represents the level of recent movement of a particular threat. Up arrows represent an increase, down arrows represent a decline and the equal symbol represent no change to a threat's recent movement.

% Impact (Last 7 Days): This demonstrates a 7-day period change in the frequency of a malware threat infecting PCs. The percentage impact correlates directly to the current Trend Path to determine a rise or decline in the percentage.

Ranking:	17,262
Threat Level:	2/10
Infected PCs:	194

First Seen:	January 15, 2016
Last Seen:	August 13, 2023
OS(es) Affected:	Windows

PlayPopGames is an adware product that promotes itself as an extension for enabling Web games while PlayPopGames delivers advertisements to your browser. Due to potentially unwanted functions and unusual installation practices, PlayPopGames currently holds the classification of a Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP). Unless you have personal reasons for doing otherwise, you should remove PlayPopGames from most browsers with assistance from a professional anti-adware program.

From Playtime to Pop-Ups in No Time at All

Although the ubiquity of 'free' Web gaming products may lull Web surfers into a false sense of security about such entertainment, all too often, such applications may bundle themselves with other services that may not be as desirable. PlayPopGames is advertising software that promotes itself as a browser extension used for providing ready access to Playpopgames.com's gaming content, but also may modify your browser in multiple ways for delivering advertisements. Malware experts only have confirmed samples of PlayPopGames impacting the Chrome browser, although the same install bundles also may include other extensions for Firefox.

PlayPopGames's advertising-based features may include, but is not restricted, the following:

PlayPopGames may modify text in unrelated Web pages by inserting keyword hyperlinks to sponsored content.
PlayPopGames may inject banners, thumbnails and other graphics-based advertisements into unrelated Web pages.
Besides changing the content of the Web pages loading as you surf the Web, PlayPopGames also may launch additional windows with advertisements, known as pop-ups.

Traditionally, these adware-related features may increase your browser's loading times, worsen its security and even cause PlayPopGames to display Web pages in unintended formats that harm their basic accessibility. In spite of these drawbacks, malware experts have not classified PlayPopGames as being a threat, and most PC security vendors rate its website as being safe to visit. However, PlayPopGames' known marketing methods do include misleading installation techniques on social networking platforms like Facebook that may not fully disclose the intended scope of this adware.

Beating PlayPopGames Advertisements at Its Own Game

In all cases, you should weight the advantages of having hours of gaming content for 'free' against the disadvantages inherent in letting other programs control what your browser loads as you surf the Web. Under most circumstances, these supposed bargains represent net downgrades to your online safety, which is why malware experts always suggest deleting PlayPopGames and other adware post haste. PC users who are dealing with PlayPopGames also should note that its installer may include bundlers with other PUPs, such as BingTracker adware. These extra programs may provide complications beyond the topic of this article – although PlayPopGames has no known partnerships with threatening software.

Some bundles for PlayPopGames are failing to use installation formats that include program or extension entries that would allow PC owners to identify this program and uninstall PlayPopGames easily. Uninstall instructions available at the PlayPopGames website also have been ineffective historically at providing assistance for removing this adware. No matter which browser is showing the symptoms of a PlayPopGames installation, qualified anti-adware products should have no problems in finding or removing PlayPopGames.

Technical Details

Additional Information

The following directories were created:

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\PlayPopGames%LOCALAPPDATA%\PlayPopGames