How to remove the Comet Cursor ActiveX Control malware

Most antivirus programs classify comet.dll as a harmful extension to Internet Explorer: such as not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.Comet.ap (detected by Kaspersky), and ADW_COMETS (detected by TrendMicro). Add-ons like this can display ads, slow down your computer and cause various other errors. If you can't remember installing the associated Comet Cursor ActiveX Control software, it's no surprise. In most cases, this kind of adware is installed on the side when you install a freeware product like a Youtube Downloader or a PDF Converter. In the following selection, you can read more about Comet Cursor ActiveX Control and how to get rid of it.

Click here to automatically remove the Comet Cursor ActiveX Control malware

Comet.dll file information

The process known as Comet Cursor ActiveX Control appears to belong to software Comet Cursor by Comet Systems (

Description: Comet.dll is not essential for Windows and will often cause problems. Comet.dll is located in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. The file size on Windows 10/8/7/XP is 96,768 bytes. 
This .dll file is a Browser Helper Object (BHO) that runs automatically every time you start your web browser. BHOs are not stopped by personal firewalls, because they are identified by the firewall as part of the browser itself. BHOs are often used by adware and spyware. IDs used by this BHO include 1678F7E1-C422-11D0-AD7D-00400515CAAA. The program has no visible window. The comet.dll file is located in the Windows folder, but it is not a Windows core file. The comet.dll file is able to change the behavior of, or monitor Internet Explorer. There is no detailed description of this service. It is not a Windows system file. Comet.dll is able to record keyboard and mouse inputs. Therefore the technical security rating is 72% dangerous, however you should also read the user reviews.

Recommended: Identify comet.dll related errors

External information from Tony Klein:

Important: You should check the comet.dll process on your PC to see if it is a threat. If Comet Cursor ActiveX Control has changed your browser's search engine and start page, you can recover your browser's default settings as follows:

Reset default browser settings for Internet-Explorer ▾
  2. Click Internet options.
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. Click the Reset... button.
  5. Enable the Delete personal settings option.


User Comments

It gives you the ability to use "realy cool" cursors and mouse pointers
  Michael Griffey   (further information)
With, IE had errors and crashed often. Without there are no crashes.
Have deleted it in the past, but keeps coming back with CRYP_NAIK-6 VIRUS
  Thomas A Lawson  

Summary: Average user rating of comet.dll: based on 4 votes with 3 user comments. 2 users suspect danger. 2 users think comet.dll is dangerous and recommend removing it.

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Best practices for resolving comet issues

The following programs have also been shown useful for a deeper analysis: Security Task Manager examines the active comet process on your computer and clearly tells you what it is doing. Malwarebytes' well-known anti-malware tool tells you if the comet.dll on your computer displays annoying ads, slowing it down. This type of unwanted adware program is not considered by some antivirus software to be a virus and is therefore not marked for cleanup.



Other processes

comet.dll [all]