Format Factory Ads - How to remove

Format Factory is a free video and audio editing program that is monetized with ads. Because of the ads that it displays, it gets flagged by antivirus scanners as potentially unwanted or even dangerous. But is Format Factory actually harmful? How can you avoid accidentally installing unwanted software that comes with it?

About Format Factory:

Classification	Adware, potentially unwanted program.
Problems with Format Factory	Its installer promotes other programs, which can result in unintentional installations, as a result, some antivirus tools flag Format Factory.
How to deal with bundlers	Refuse optional offers in installers, use antivirus tools to detect potentially unwanted programs.
How to remove unwanted programs	Use antivirus tools (Spyhunter, Malwarebytes, etc.) to scan your device, restore an earlier Windows version from a backup.

Why Format Factory is flagged by antivirus programs

Format Factory bundles software

Format Factory is a video and audio editing tool. It’s free and it makes money from advertising in its installer. It can be downloaded on Pcfreetime.com along with another program, Picosmos tools.

Antivirus scanners detect Format Factory’s installer as Adware, Suspicious, DealAlpha, InstallCore, Unsafe, Riskware, Malicious, InstallMonster, BundleInstaller, DealPly, and Trojan (Virustotal.com). Some of these names refer to bundlers – programs that allow advertisements to be injected into installers. This is accurate to what Format Factory does to make money.

Resulting unintentional installations

Neither Format Factory nor the programs that it advertises are malicious in any way. But the sort of advertising/bundling that’s done is still a problem.

Here’s the problem with Format Factory:

• When you download the program and run it, its installer begins.
• Mixed in the installer are ads for various other programs.
• These ads blend into the installation process. If you keep clicking “Next” and “Accept”, you will unwittingly allow those other programs to be installed alongside Format Factory.
• This can result in you installing the advertised programs unintentionally. This is a cybersecurity problem.

This is why the Format Factory program itself is flagged by far fewer security tools than its installer is. The program is not harmful, only its installer is.

How to avoid Format Factory’s optional offers

Be careful during Format Factory’s installation

Free programs like Format Factory make money from ads inside their installers. You should be careful of ads any time you download a free program.

One way to avoid ads inside installers is to temporarily disconnect your computer from the internet. Programs like InstallCore scan your device and download ads into the installer. If there’s no internet, no ads can be downloaded and shown.

Another way is to just be very careful. You should read every page of the setup and carefully uncheck every checkbox that agrees to install something. That is also what Format Factory’s home page advises that you do. Remember also to use Custom/Advanced installation settings – this way, no settings will be hidden from you.

Still, some users of Format Factory say that unwanted programs were installed despite them being careful and refusing all optional offers. So, it’s important to be extra careful.

Remove malware and unwanted programs

To check your device for malware and for potentially unwanted software, use antivirus scanners, such as Spyhunter, Malwarebytes, and others.

I said that Format Factory doesn’t bundle malicious programs, but you never know. Some other freeware does carry potentially harmful add-ons, from browser hijackers to spyware and adware (RelevantKnowledge). At worst, some bundlers don’t even show you what programs they install in the background.

One way to protect yourself is to create regular backups of your computer. That way, if something happens to your computer and you aren’t sure how to fix it, you can simply restore an earlier version. It’s still good to protect your device with antivirus tools to prevent unwanted software and problems.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove Format Factory Ads using Windows Control Panel

Many hijackers and adware like Format Factory Ads install some of their components as regular Windows programs as well as additional software. This part of malware can be uninstalled from the Control Panel. To access it, do the following.

• Start→Control Panel (older Windows) or press Windows Key→Search and enter Control Panel and then press Enter (Windows 8, Windows 10).
• Choose Uninstall Program (if you don't see it, click in the upper right next to "View by" and select Category).
• Go through the list of programs and select entries related to Format Factory Ads . You can click on "Name" or "Installed On" to reorder your programs and make Format Factory Ads easier to find.
• Click the Uninstall button. If you're asked if you really want to remove the program, click Yes.
• In many cases anti-malware programs are better at detecting related parasites, thus I recommend installing Spyhunter to identify other programs that might be a part of this infection.