Softonic ran Google Chrome into the ground...

Google Chrome Browser crash, two instances of Chrome processes that kept running in Task Manager that could not be killed.
This was what I was confronted with on my wife’s laptop.
Finally I decided to run AdwCleaner and that fixed after that I did a clean install of Google Chrome and everything was fine,
apparently nothing lost.

What did the AdwCleaner log come up with - I anonymized the log for obvious reasons but like to share it with ye all.

# AdwCleaner v5.119 - Logfile produced 02/06/2016 at 11:08:56 # Latest update 30/05/2016 door Xplode # Database : 2016-05-30.3 [Server] # Besturingssysteem : Windows 8.1 (X64) # Gebruikersnaam : polonus 2 - ANIOL # Gestart vanuit : C:\Users\polonus 2\Downloads\adwcleaner_5.119.exe # Option: Delete # Support: http://toolslib.net/forum

***** [ Services ] *****

***** [ Documents ] *****

***** [ Files ] *****

[-] File deleted : C:\Users\polonus 2\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage\hxxp_avast.nl.softonic.com_0.localstorage
[-] File deleted : C:\Users\polonus 2\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Storage\hxxp_avast.nl.softonic.com_0.localstorage-journal

***** [ DLLs ] *****

***** [ WMI ] *****

***** [ Shortcuts ] *****

***** [ Planned tasks ] *****

***** [ Register ] *****

[-] Key deleted : HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\protector_dll.Protector
[-] id : HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\protector_dll.Protector.1
[-] id : HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\protector_dll.ProtectorBho
[-] id : HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\protector_dll.ProtectorBho.1
[-] id: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\protector_dll.ProtectorLib
[-] id : HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\protector_dll.ProtectorLib.1

***** [ Internetbrowsers ] *****

[-] [C:\Users\polonus 2\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\umael1rg.default\prefs.js] deleted : user_pref(“extensions.TrafficLightSettings.ph_sign”, "/******************************************************\r\n Reguli de legit[…]
[-] [C:\Users\polonus 2\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\umael1rg.default\prefs.js] deleted : user_pref(“extensions.TrafficLightSettings.ph_white”, "thecrims.com\nhattrick.org\nraiffeisenonline.ro\nbrd-net.ro\ningonline.ro\nbancpost.ro\nbtrl.ro\ncrediteurope.ro\nalphabank.ro\nromexterra.ro\not[…]


:: “Tracing” keys removed
:: Winsock settings reset


C:\AdwCleaner\AdwCleaner[C1].txt - [2149 bytes] - [02/06/2016 11:08:56]
C:\AdwCleaner\AdwCleaner[S1].txt - [2138 bytes] - [02/06/2016 11:04:23]

########## EOF - C:\AdwCleaner\AdwCleaner[C1].txt - [2295 bytes] ##########

After this all worked again like a charm.
Conclusion be aware of softonic, the Catalonian software adware parasite!
Anyone to comment as what this was? Maybe our forum expert, essexboy?

Damian