PurityScan Removal
Beware of geeks bearing gifts. Many of the free downloads that you come across -- such as toolbars, screensavers, email enhancers and shopping companions -- are malware in disguise. They may serve some useful purpose, but they may also violate your privacy, flood you with popups, and act as a funnel for the covert installation of other unwanted programs.
PurityScan is a software package that claims to identify and remove unwanted adult content that might be lurking on your computer. It may in fact perform this function, but PurityScan clearly falls into the category of adware, and perhaps spyware. By their own admission, when PurityScan is installed, you also get the "OIN client software", which will periodically display advertisements (popups) and monitor the websites you visit while connected to the Internet. Although PurityScan does not install by itself, there are claims that the automatic update feature in this software may install third party adware products.
PurityScan does have a Privacy Policy which states that they will not use any collected information to identify you personally, but it's troubling that the software license agreement (which you must accept to install the software) gives the company the right to change that Privacy Policy at any time, and without notice.
Impure Intentions?
Even though it may have some redeeming qualities, because of these negative aspects of the PurityScan software, I recommend that you do NOT install it, and that it be removed as soon as possible if you do have it on your computer. But as others have noted, PurityScan seems to morph, resisting removal, and litters your system with other programs that may need to be removed separately.
There is a PurityScan uninstaller included with recent versions of the program, which you can access by going to the Windows Control Panel, then Add/Remove Programs. If you don't see "PurityScan by OIN" in the list of installed software, you can download the uninstaller from the PurityScan website.
After installing PurityScan on a test machine, and then running the uninstaller, my anti-virus program (eTrust EZ Anti-Virus) still found two infected files after rebooting the machine. I should also point out that my anti-virus program blocked me from installing PurityScan on my first attempt, quarantining one of the PurityScan program files. I strongly recommend that you run a full scan with BOTH anti-virus AND anti-spyware software after removing PurityScan. (See my recommedations for the best free anti-virus AND anti-spyware protection.)
Still Have Problems?
If you've run the uninstaller and the recommended scans, and you still have problems with PurityScan or any other adware that it may have foisted on your computer, the System Restore tool may help. If you can remember the most recent time when your computer was working correctly, System Restore will roll back all system changes to that point, removing PurityScan and related malware.
Do you have experience dealing with PurityScan? Post your comments below...