NSBlock

NSBlock is most likely a German application that claims to block malicious websites so that you cannot load them for security reasons; however, our tests show otherwise. As a matter of fact, we have found that this software does not really seem to do that, not to mention the fact that it does not even have a User Interface apart from the system tray icon that you can right-click on to have access to some settings. We have labeled this software as a potentially unwanted program, or PUP, because we believe that this application has no use for you and its intentions are not clear at all. Since this PUP might also enter your computer in the company of malicious software installers, we believe that you should remove NSBlock from your system and identify all other questionable applications as well.

The official webpage of this PUP can be found at nsblock.net. We have found though that currently this page seems to be down. This is definitely not a good sign and raises some questions about the reliability of this software. Originally, this was a very simple webpage in German language, so it is possible that the authors mainly target German computer users with this tool. The software itself is also in German of course. Nevertheless, we have found that this PUP might also be found distributed in questionable freeware bundles. This is bad news for users who installed this application via such a package because this could mean that they let a bunch of malware infections on board, too.

A lot of users infect their system with PUPs without even realizing it. There may not be even one single personal computer in the private world that has not been infected at least once with PUPs or even malware threats, such as browser hijackers and adware programs. Similarly, it happens quite frequently that unsuspecting computer users download and install a malicious bundle. The main reason for this is that people click on third-party advertisements that cannot be trusted and they end up on malicious or fake websites that can drop such bundles.

It is also possible that your computer is already infected with adware and that is responsible for the unsafe advertising in your browsers. In any case, there is always a click involved on the wrong content. We advise you to stay away from shady file-sharing and online gaming websites if you do not want to download a malicious bundle. It really pays to use official and reputable websites for downloading software and updates, too. If you are in doubt now, we suggest that you delete NSBlock and run a trustworthy malware scanner to find out what else could there be hiding on your system that may threaten your virtual security.

This software is supposed to protect you from harmful web content by blocking malicious websites. At least this is what it claims to do but the samples we have tested somehow failed to do anything close. As we have already told you, this PUP does not even have a User Interface. The only indications that it is running in the background are the system tray icon and the process named "NSBlockTray.exe" that you can kill if you want by opening your Task Manager. You can reach a few menu options if you right-click on the system tray icon. This way you are supposed to be able to set the URLs of the pages you allow to load and reset your blacklist. Since it is not really known what this software is doing in the background, we consider it suspicious, which is only made worse by the fact that it actually auto-starts with Windows, a setting that cannot be changed by the user. All in all, we believe that you should not tolerate the presence of this PUP if your virtual security matters to you. We recommend that you delete NSBlock as soon as possible.

If you have managed to make up your mind about this useless PUP and made your verdict, we are here to help you with the solution. We have included a step-by-step guide below that clearly explains to you which files, folders, and registry entries you need to delete in order to eliminate this application and leave no leftovers on your system. You should also not forget about the rest of the threats that could be hiding on your computer. You can try to detect and identify them all manually using the list of installed programs in Control Panel or the extension lists of your browsers. However, you should know that this way only certain less dangerous malware infections or PUPs may be found. But what about the more severe threats like backdoors, rootkits, and keyloggers? This is why we advise you to install a reliable anti-malware program, such as SpyHunter so that you can automatically protect your system from all kinds of malicious attacks.

How to remove NSBlock from Windows

1. Press Win+R and type regedit. Click OK.
2. Locate and delete these registry entries:
   HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{e512339c-40d8-42ea-9749-c8ddb8cf39d2}
   HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\NSBlock (64-bit)
3. Exit your editor.
4. Press Win+E.
5. Locate and delete the following files and folders:
   %WINDIR%\System32\ns.block
   %WINDIR%\SysWOW64\ns.block (64-bit)
   %WINDIR%\System32\NSBlockA.dll
   %WINDIR%\SysWOW64\NSBlockA.dll (64-bit)
   %WINDIR%\System32\NSBlockB.dll
   %WINDIR%\SysWOW64\NSBlockB.dll (64-bit)
   %PROGRAMFILES(x86)%\NSBlock (64-bit)
   %PROGRAMFILES%\NSBlock
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\DnsBlock
   %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\DnsBlock
6. Empty your Recycle Bin.