how to remove pup.optional malicious software

A PUP detection means a "Potentially Unwanted Program". PUP is a very broad threat category which can encompass any number of different programs to include those which are benign as well as malicious. Thus, this type of detection does not always necessarily mean the file is malware or a bad program. PUPs in and of themselves are not always bad...many are generally known, non-malicious but unwanted software. PUPs are considered unwanted because they can cause undesirable system performance or other problems and are sometimes installed without the user's consent since they are often included when downloading legitimate programs.

In the past, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware detected only PUPs that were considered mostly harmful and deceiving but they revised their policy, taking a more aggressive approach to include PUPs that most users found annoying or misleading. PUPs may be defined somewhat differently by various security vendors. This is what Malwarebytes has to say: What are the 'PUP' detections, are they threats and should they be deleted?

If you recognize the PUP detection(s) as belonging to a program you installed and/or want to keep, you can add those items to the exclusion or ignore list (by right-clicking) so they will not show in future scans. If you don't recognize the detection(s), then you can remove them.

OpenCandy is an advertising application distributed by the OpenCandy Software Network which displays ads in other programs. The use of advertisement is a way to promote software packages and recover development costs. OpenCandy is not installed on a computer, does not collect personally identifiable information and in most cases allows the user to choose whether or not to install advertised software recommended by the vendor. Although no personal information is collected, the software does collect anonymous statistics about events and other data during installation

The OpenCanday network has partnered with various popular and trusted software developers who bundle their product as part of the program's software installation package. Some vendors will clearly advise the use of OpenCandy before downloading their software, while others may provide confusing or no information at all. An example would be SIW (System Information for Windows) which clearly indicates on their website the use of OpenCandy.

OpenCandy is not a virus or malware. However, since it is responsible for displaying advertisements, it may be detected (and sometimes removed) by various anti-virus and other security scanning tools as a PUP or Adware, a classification that broadly defines the term as any software package which automatically displays advertisements in any form in order to generate revenue.

Thank you Stephen.  But, I don't understand the nuance of 'reverted.'  It must be different from 'uninstall'?  I 'reverted' a 'component'?  Would you be so kind as to expand a little on that?  Maybe an example of a 'component'?  Thank you for your time and consideration, Patrican

Nope. The optional Windows Updates would not have been the source of the OpenCandy PUP. Removing the updates may have removed OpenCandy, though, if it was latched onto a Windows component that you reverted by uninstalling the updates.

-steve

I also had PUP.Optional.OpenCandy found by Malwarebytes (but not by Emsisoft or Avast).  I used  "Remove" on Malwarebytes, and then scanned again immediately.  Still there.  I used "Remove" again, rebooted, scanned again.  Still there.  Then I checked on Control Panel for recent updates.  I removed two Windows updates.  Both of them were "optional," and both were available for months.  But I installed them only two days ago, just on a whim I guess.  Then I rebooted, and scanned again.  This time, no malware found.  I don't know that PUP.Optional came from those two months-ago optional Windows updates, but so far that's my only evidence.  Is it possible that somehow the updates got infected, sitting on the shelf for 6 months or so?