What is ZipArcade?
ZipArcade is a browser extension for Internet Explorer that belongs to a company under the same name. Our researchers have deemed it as adware and recommend that you remove it because it is apt to display various advertisements and install other software. We want to stress that its promotions can be of questionable legitimacy, so we do not recommend that you keep it because it may get your computer infected with more malware. Also, this adware is most likely being distributed in a dishonest manner using software bundling so that you could get it unintentionally.
How does ZipArcade work?
Ziparcade.com’s games are free to play, but its owners want you to see third-party advertisements in exchange for this privilege. Our analysts have discovered that this adware is quite annoying. They say that ZipArcade will display its ads in the form of in-texts, pop-ups and pop-unders, and banners. For the most part, these ads will obstruct your browsing experience and probably irritate you. Furthermore, according to this adware's website “ZipArcade offers free games in exchange for an agreement to install our software and receive advertising.” This statement implies that this adware can get other software installed on your computer. Our researchers did not observe any cases of this while testing this application, but we cannot rule out the possibility of this application advertising malicious software that could inflict negative consequences on your computer. Note that this program’s ads are always marked with the ZipArcade brand symbol, so try to avoid clicking on them. To sum up, it is clear that this program will display ads, but their legitimacy is rather questionable.
As far as privacy is concerned, our analysts have discovered that this adware will collect two types of information about you. Most importantly, this program’s owners can obtain personally identifiable information about you, provided that you have contacted the owners directly via your personal email and have indicated your name and other information. Furthermore, this program will collect non-personally identifiable information that includes but is not limited to Internet Service Provider, operating system, browser type, and geographical location. All of this information is used for adverting and marketing purposes and to tailoring the ads to each unique user’s browsing preferences. This kind of information collection is not considered spying, and thus, it is not considered illegal either. However, we do not recommend that you supply this information since you do not know whom you are dealing with, so let us put things into perspective.
Where does ZipArcade come from?
As mentioned, the company that made this adware also calls itself ZipArcade. This company owns the website Ziparcade.com which hosts numerous online Flash games. The games may be reliable and fun, but the lack of information about the owners is rather suspicious. Therefore, we think that you should not trust its advertisements and allow it to collect information about you.
Our malware researchers have found that ZipArcade is quite popular in the US, but it is not restricted to that country, so you can get it wherever you are. Our researchers say that it this program is distributed mostly on freeware sharing websites that are popular in the US. These sites bundle this adware with legitimate applications, and if you want to install the desired program but do not want this adware, then you have to opt for custom/advanced installation settings and remove it from the installation setup. However, if you already have it installed, and want to get rid of it, then please follow the removal instructions found at the end of this article.
How do I remove ZipArcade?
In conclusion, ZipArcade is an unreliable application that comes from a largely unknown company that has programmed this application to display annoying advertisements. We think that some of its advertisements can be unreliable and given that this program is distributed in a deceptive manner you might want to remove. We recommend that you uninstall this adware using Control Panel and delete its remaining junk files and registry keys using our advanced guide.
How to uninstall this adware via Control Panel
Windows 10
- Press Windows Key+R.
- Type Control Panel in the resulting dialog box and click OK.
- Select Uninstall a program.
- Locate the malicious program.
- Click the Uninstall button.
Windows 8 and 8.1
- Navigate the mouse to the lower-left of the screen.
- Right-click the Start screen icon and select Control Panel.
- Select Uninstall a program.
- Find the program and click Uninstall.
Windows 7 and Vista
- Navigate the mouse to the lower-left of the screen.
- Open the Start menu.
- Select Control Panel and go to Uninstall a program.
- Find the adware and right-click on it.
- Click Uninstall.
Windows XP
- Navigate the mouse to the lower-left of the screen.
- Open the Start menu and select Control Panel.
- Click Add or Remove Programs.
- Find the unwanted application in the program list.
- Click Remove.
How to delete junk files and registry keys
- Simultaneously press Windows+E keys.
- In the Explorer window’s address box enter %LOCALAPPDATA%\ZipArcade
- Delete all files in that folder.
- Close the window.
- Then simultaneously press Windows+R keys.
- Enter regedit in the box and click OK.
- Locate and delete the following keys.
tested removal of ZipArcade*
0 Comments.