Description

• Minibug is a variant of the popular adware program WeatherBug. According to one Internet security company, 6,562,367 instances of Minibug have been detected worldwide. Minibug, like most adware program, displays unsolicited advertisements, generally in the form of pop-ups or banners, and reports Internet usage data to its creators. In addition, Minibug slows your computer and reduces your system's available virtual memory.
  
  

Automatic Removal

• Minibug can be removed using an up-to-date anti-adware program. The Windows Vista and 7 operating systems come with the anti-adware program Windows Defender pre-installed. To run a scan using Windows Defender, click "Start," "All Programs" and "Windows Defender." Then click the down arrow to the right of Scan and select "Full Scan" from the drop-down menu. Windows Defender scans your entire computer and automatically removes any adware that it detects.
  
  

Manual Removal

• Minibug can be removed manually. This may be necessary if you do not have an anti-adware program or an Internet connection. To remove Minibug manually, press "Ctrl," "Shift" and "Escape" to open the processes tab of the Task Manager. Right-click "Minibug" and select "End Process." Then, close the Task Manager, click "Start," type "regedit" into the search field and press "Enter" to open the Registry Editor. Right-click "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Minibug" on the left pane of the Registry Editor and select "Delete." Finally, close the Registry Editor, click "Start" and type "Minibug" into the search field. Right-click the file that appears in the results list and select "Delete."
  
  

Prevention

• To prevent Minibug, and other adware programs, from infecting your computer in the future, run an anti-adware program that features real-time protection. Windows Defender users can turn on real-time protection by opening Windows Defender, clicking "Tools," "Options" and "Real-time Protection." Then, checking the box next to "Use Real-time Protection (recommended)." Finally, to help prevent future infections, consider turning on the Windows Firewall. To do this, click "Start," type "Windows Firewall" into the search field and press "Enter." Click "Turn Windows Firewall On or Off," "Turn On Windows Firewall" and "OK."