Constantly pops up. How to remove an adware virus from a computer? Why do ads appear in browsers?

Working with your clients' computers lately, more and more often I began to encounter the problem of advertising appearing when launching a browser, and it didn’t matter whether it was Opera, Google Chrome, Mazila or Internet Explorer - it was the same everywhere.

Probably one of the most common cases is when, when you turn on the browser, the Webalta search engine website opens by default. Although this causes some inconvenience when working on the Internet, it is worth noting that this is far from the worst thing that could happen.

Specifically in in this case sometimes it is enough to change the browser start page or get rid of an annoying component that can be easily found in the list installed programs, but what to do if the advertising that appears has nothing to do with Webalta?

In most of these cases, when you open the browser, a new advertising site and new advertisement opens every time, which makes search for this virus even more difficult. Sometimes this may be an advertisement for a game or a new weight loss product, but what if instead you are offered to buy some intimate toys, pornography or other products of little interest? Of course, this is unpleasant and You should get rid of such advertising as quickly as possible.

On the Internet you can find information about the popular extensions Adblock or Adguard, which help block ads in browsers, but, alas, this is far from our case and certainly not a panacea.

Do advertisements appear when you launch your browser?

First of all, you should pay attention to the browser with which you see the page with advertising. In my case it was like this - I launch the shortcut, for example Google Chrome, but instead Opera or Firefox opens for me. If you have exactly the same problem, I think I can help you.

The thing is that during the installation of any unverified applications, additional internet shortcuts, accessing which will constantly redirect you to incomprehensible sites. In my case it was a website http://nftds3.ru/, from which redirects (redirections) to other advertising resources subsequently occurred.

Most often, such files receive names identical to the name of a particular browser. Moreover, in addition to creating these additional files, browser extensions are replaced on your computer, accessing which, instead of launching the program, you follow the link specified in the file.

File extension (format)- this is part of the file name, which is separated from the main name by a dot.

For all browsers, the standard file extension is .exe at the end of the name. Exe with English language means executable - executable file.

If, for example, you use Opera, right-click on its icon on the desktop and select “Properties” from the list that appears.


It will immediately open before you browser properties window Opera.


Here you should pay attention to the line called the object and to extension.url, which is different from the actual .exe format.

Before making any changes to this line, I advise you to look in the folder where your browser is installed and make sure that there is nothing unnecessary there. By default, most programs are installed in the Program Files folder, which is located on the C drive.

We go there and open the folder with Opera.


Scrolling almost to the very end, you can see that in this folder there are 2 files called Opera, which have different extensions.

One of these files actually launches the program, but when you access the second one, with the .url format, you constantly advertising will open in the browser, until you delete this file and change the path in the shortcut properties.

Replace with "C:\Program Files\Opera\opera .url"
Replace with "C:\Program Files\Opera\opera .exe"


Immediately after this, you can launch your browser and make sure that there are now no ads, but I hasten to upset you a little. The thing is that when there is a problem with appearing advertisements, it appears immediately in all browsers installed on your computer, and what you have now done is to be done with each of them!

In other words, in order to completely get rid of advertising in browsers, you have to change the file extension and delete “extra shortcuts” in all folders with Internet explorers. Just in case, I bring to your attention a list of the most popular browsers that, when turned on, may display advertisements.

List of the most popular browsers:

  1. Google Chrome
  2. Opera
  3. Mozilla Firefox
  4. Yandex.Browser
  5. Safari
  6. Internet Explorer
  7. [email protected]

How to remove ads in the Google Chrome browser?

And yes, by the way, I almost forgot. Installing the Google Chrome browser is somewhat different from other programs, so you are unlikely to find it in the Program Files folder.

To get rid of advertising on Google, you need to be able to work with hidden files in order to follow the path C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe. To do this you can use free program Total Commander or show all hidden files on computer using Windows.

By right-clicking on the Google Chrome shortcut on your desktop, as we did earlier, just click on the “File Location” button, which can be found just below.

As soon as the adware notices that Internet access is open, it immediately tries to launch the browser and open this or that advertising site in it. Moreover, immediately after loading one site, another opens, and if you do not constantly close the advertising windows, then after some time, the malicious activity of the ad virus will cause the web browser or your computer to simply freeze.

Therefore, if when you open any page, even one on which you have not seen advertising before, you are greeted large number banners and pop-up advertising, or when you turn on the computer, the browser starts on its own, immediately showing an advertising site unknown to you, then this only means one thing - your personal computer an ad virus has penetrated. You need to check your computer as quickly as possible, find and remove adware, as its presence can lead to slow operation of the operating system, reduced loading speed of websites, freezing of web browsers and even theft of your personal information and data that you enter in your computer. internet browser.

How to remove an ad virus

Without any doubt, an adware virus harms your computer. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly and most importantly completely remove adware. To get rid of the adware virus you need to follow step by step guide which is given below. You will need to use several free programs designed specifically to combat malware and adware, as well as perform a few simple steps with the settings of the operating system and installed Internet browsers.

We strongly recommend that you follow all the steps, since each part of the instruction is important in its own way, and only by completing it completely can you be sure that your computer has been cleaned of adware and protected from possible adware infections in the future. You may need to restart your computer or browser while following these instructions, so we recommend that you print this guide or bookmark this page. If during the process of removing an ad virus you have questions or something doesn’t work out, just write to us about it. We will be happy to advise and help cure your computer.

Remove adware using Control Panel

The process of removing adware from an infected computer is the same for all versions of the Windows operating system, starting with Windows XP and ending with Windows 10. First of all, you need to check the list of installed programs on your computer and remove all unknown, unnecessary and suspicious applications.

Windows 95, 98, XP, Vista, 7

Click on the Start button. In the menu that opens, click on Control Panel. As shown below.

Windows 8

Click on the Windows button.

In the upper right corner, find and click on the Search icon.

In the input field type Control Panel.

Press Enter.

Windows 10

Click on the search button

In the input field type Control Panel.

Press Enter.

The Control Panel will open and select “Uninstall a program.”

A window will open showing a list of all installed programs. Look in it for programs whose names include the name of advertising sites or sites that open independently when you turn on the computer. To speed up your search for adware, we recommend that you sort the list of installed programs by installation date.

Once you have found a suspicious program, highlight it and click the button Delete/Change.

Then simply follow the Windows instructions. If there are no suspicious programs in the list or the adware is not removed, then try using a free program.

Remove ad virus from browser using AdwCleaner

AdwCleaner is a devil paid program does not require installation on a computer. She can check operating system for the presence of adware, potentially unnecessary programs, applications that change the settings of Internet browsers, after which it can easily remove them. Moreover, AdwCleaner has the ability to detect and remove malicious and adware extensions in the most common browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, Yandex and Edge.

Download AdwCleaner using the following link.

Download AdwCleaner
Downloaded 932479 times
Version: 7.4

Select your Desktop as the folder where this program will be saved. If you do not do this, by default, the AdwCleaner program will be written to the Downloads folder. When the program has finished downloading, launch it. You will see the main AdwCleaner window similar to the one below.

Click the "Scan" button to begin searching for adware and other malware on your computer. Depending on the number of files on your hard drive, the speed of your processor and other factors, the scanning process can last from 5 minutes to several tens of minutes. While scanning your computer, the program will show how many threats (adware and malware components) have already been found. Once the scan is complete, you will see a list of malware and adware components found, similar to the example shown in the following figure.

To remove detected threats, click the “Clean” button. This will start the process of transferring ad virus and malware components to quarantine. If AdwCleaner asks you to restart your computer, then allow the program to do so.

Use Zemana Anti-malware to remove adware virus

Zemana Anti-malware is an application that is not as widely known as AdwCleaner, but nevertheless has no less capabilities in finding and removing ad viruses and malware. Moreover, unlike AdwCleaner, Zemana actively uses cloud technologies, which makes it possible to reduce the size of the installer, as well as improve the ability to detect various adware, even those that are constantly changed by its authors, in order to make it difficult for antiviruses to detect and remove it.

Download Zemana AntiMalware from the link below and save it to your Desktop.

Download Zemana AntiMalware
Downloaded 56718 times

When the download process is complete, run the file you downloaded. You will see the Installation Wizard window, just follow its instructions.

Once the Zemana Anti-Malware installation is complete, open the main program window.

To scan your computer, find and then remove adware and other malware, you need to click the “Scan” button. Scanning a computer takes on average 10-30 minutes. The fewer files on the computer and the greater its performance, the faster the scan will be performed. During the scanning process, Zemana Anti-Malware will show the number of files that need to be scanned, as well as a list of malware and adware components found.

When the scan is complete, click Next to remove the detected ad viruses and malware and quarantine them.

Get rid of adware with Malwarebytes

If you did not find adware in the list of installed programs, and the AdwCleaner and Zemana Anti-malware utilities did not help you remove the adware virus, then we recommend checking your computer using the well-known Malwarebytes Free program. In addition, even if the previous steps of this instruction helped to get rid of intrusive advertising, you should still check the system using this program. Malwarebytes Free is an application designed to search for and remove various malware and adware, viruses, bootkits, ransomware, etc. This program does not conflict with classic antivirus, so you can safely install and run it.

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
Downloaded 359518 times
Version: 3.8.3

Once the download process is complete, run the downloaded file. You will see the Program Installation Wizard window. Just follow his instructions.

When the installation process of the Malwarebytes program on your computer is completed, the main window of the program will open in front of you.

Malwarebytes will automatically start the update process, please do not interrupt it. When the update is complete, click on the “Run scan” button. This will start the process of searching for malware and adware on your computer. This process can last from several tens of minutes to half an hour. In some cases, when there are a lot of files on the computer or the operating system speed is not high, the scanning procedure may take about 1 hour.

Once the scan of your computer is complete, Malwarebytes Anti-malware will show you a list of adware and other malware components found.

To remove detected malware and adware, simply click the “Quarantine selected items” button. This will start the cleaning process on your computer. During the cleaning process, you may need to restart your computer. This is ok, let the program do it.

Remove adware in Chrome by resetting browser settings

Resetting Chrome settings is an easy way to get rid of the consequences of your browser being infected by an ad virus or malicious extension. With its help, you can also restore your home page and search engine to default. Even if, after completing the previous steps, you do not observe any manifestations of adware activity, we recommend that you complete this step.

Launch the Google Chrome browser, after which you need to open its main menu. To do this, click on the button in the form of three horizontal stripes (). You will see a menu like the following picture.

Here click on the “Settings” item. You will see a page that allows you to change basic Chrome settings. Scroll down until you see the “Show advanced settings” link. Click on it. A list of additional settings will open on the same page. Scroll down the page again until you see the Reset Settings button. You need to press it. The browser will ask you to confirm your actions.

Confirm your actions by clicking on the “Reset” button. Chrome will begin the factory reset process. This will restore your browser to its original settings and help you get rid of the effects of adware infection.

Reset Firefox to remove adware

Resetting Firefox settings is a built-in procedure that will allow you to remove the consequences of an adware virus and restore the changed browser settings to their default values. I want to emphasize that during the process of resetting your settings, your personal data will not be affected, bookmarks and passwords will be saved.

If Mozilla Firefox is not running, then first of all you need to open the browser. Next, click the button in the form of three horizontal stripes (). A menu will open in which you need to click on the icon in the form of a question mark (). Another small “Help” menu will open, an example of which is shown in the figure below.

Find the “Problem Solving Information” item and click on it. A new page will open in the browser window. In its upper right part, find the “Customize Firefox” section and click on the “Clean Firefox” button. Firefox will ask you to confirm your actions.

Click the "Refresh Firefox" button to confirm that you want to reset your browser settings. As a result, Firefox settings will be reset to their original settings, which will allow you to get rid of the consequences of your browser being infected by adware or malware.

Remove adware in Internet Explorer by resetting browser settings

Resetting Internet Explorer settings is a convenient way to remove the effects of an adware virus on the browser and restore its original settings.

In the window that opens, select the “Advanced” tab, and in it click on the “Reset” button. A small “Reset Internet Explorer settings” dialog box will open in front of you. You need to check the box “Delete personal settings”, then click the Reset button. Don't forget to make a backup copy of your bookmarks if necessary.

The browser will begin the reset procedure. When it is completed, simply click on the “Close” button. Unlike other browsers, you need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. Thanks to these steps, you can restore the normal operation of Internet Explorer, which was disrupted by the malicious actions of an adware virus.

Restore shortcuts modified by adware

While the adware virus is active on the computer, in addition to showing a large number of annoying advertisements, it can also change the shortcuts of programs located on the Desktop and the Start menu. Most often, adware simply adds an argument like “http://address of the advertising site/” to the Shortcut Object field of all Internet browsers, but there are cases when, instead of the browser executable file, it installs a completely different file. The goal of these shortcut changes is to force the user to view ads every time they open the browser.

To clear infected shortcuts, you need to right-click on it and select “Properties”. A window will open in front of you as in the example below.

Here, open the “Shortcut” tab and find the “Object” field. You need to click inside it with the left mouse button, a vertical line will appear - the cursor pointer, use the cursor keys (right arrow on the keyboard) to move it as far as possible to the right. If you see that text in the form “http://address.advertising.site” has been added here, then it needs to be deleted.

After you have deleted the address added by the ad virus, simply click on the “OK” button. Similarly, check and cure all shortcuts that, when double-clicked, automatically open various advertising sites.

Remove adware from task scheduler

At the last stage of removing adware and other malware from the infected computer, you need to pay attention to the Task Scheduler, check the Task Scheduler Library and delete all tasks that were added by adware, since they can automatically open various advertising sites and download to the computer new malware and adware.

Find the Windows (Windows logo button) and R (Russian K) keys on your keyboard. Press these buttons at the same time. You will be shown a small dialog box with the title “Run”. In the input line, enter “taskschd.msc” (without quotes), then press Enter. Launch Task Scheduler. On the left side of its window, select “Task Scheduler Library”, as shown in the example below.

In the middle part of the Task Scheduler window you will be shown a list of installed tasks. Start with the top, first task on the list. Select it by clicking the left mouse button. A little lower its properties will open. Here, select the Actions tab. You need to look through all the jobs one by one to find the one that was created by an adware virus or other malware. To find a malicious task, look at what it is doing on your computer. If you see something like “explorer.exe hxxp://site address” or “chrome.exe hxxp://site address,” then you can safely delete such a task. If you are not sure what a particular task performs, then check it through our website or in a search engine by the name of the file being launched. If a task tries to run a file about which there is information that it is a virus, then obviously this task also needs to be deleted.

To delete a task created by adware or malware, you need to right-click on it and select “Delete”. Repeat this for all jobs created by malware and adware. An example of deleting a task created by an adware virus is shown in the figure below.

After removing all malicious jobs, close the Task Scheduler.

Block ads

We recommend installing an ad blocker that will help you block ads, including those generated by adware. An ad blocker, such as AdGuard, is a program that will remove ads from sites you visit and block malicious and misleading pages from loading in your web browser. Moreover, computer security experts recommend using ad blockers to protect yourself as much as possible online.

Click the Skip button to close the installation program and use the standard settings, or the Get Started button to familiarize yourself with the capabilities of the AdGuard ad blocker.

Now, every time you turn on your computer, the AdGuard ad blocker will launch automatically and block ads, pop-ups, and the loading of malicious or misleading websites. You can get acquainted with all the features of this ad blocker at any time, just double-click on the AdGuard icon, which is located on your Desktop.

How your computer became infected with an adware virus

The infection process is as follows. You are looking for the program you need using Yandex or Google. Click on the first suitable link and you will be taken to a large hosting file. This site certainly does not raise any suspicions. Next, you click again to download the file you need. So, the file that you downloaded is not the program itself, but its installer. When launched, it installs not only the application you need, but also an adware virus. Most often, the installation of these additional programs can be disabled; you just need to carefully read everything that will be shown to you at all stages of the installation. Forget about automatically clicking the Next button!

  1. We indicate the path along which the installation will be carried out and click on [k]Next.
  1. The next step involves configuring the shortcuts. Here we use the same button.
  1. We are waiting for the installation of the application to complete on the PC.
  1. The installation is complete, all we have to do is run the program.
  1. After the application is installed, you can proceed directly to scanning for viruses. Launch the program and start scanning.
  1. To view the results, click the corresponding button.

All that remains is to quarantine the found viruses and your PC is safe.

After the scan is completed, the program must be uninstalled. This is done through the Windows control panel and does not cause any difficulties.

HitmanPro

The following program also worked very well. This is the famous Hitman Pro from Mark Loman. Let's figure out how to work with the utility.

  1. First, of course, we download the latest Russian version of the program from its official website. Then run the resulting file and click the [k]Next button.
  1. We accept the license and move on to the next step.
  1. We refuse installation and select the one-time scanning option.
  1. We are waiting for the computer to be checked. Already at first, some threats are visible.
  1. When the scanning is completed, you need to configure work with the results. Each item has a drop-down list from which you need to select the appropriate option.
  1. As a result, the cleaning will begin and will protect your PC from malware in a matter of minutes. All you have to do is click on [k]Exit.

AdwCleaner

Let's move on to the simply legendary application for searching for advertising modules. This is the famous AdwCleaner, which you can download on the official website. Then we move on to working with the program.

  1. First press [k]I agree.
  1. Then select the marked button. It will run a PC scan.
  1. The scan will begin and will take some time.
  1. After scanning, you will be shown a report with the threats found.
  1. To remove viruses, you need to select them in the menu below and click [k]Clean.
  1. We will be warned that all programs on the PC will be closed automatically and the system will reboot. If you have saved the necessary data, click [k]OK.
  1. Next, click [k]Reboot now.

Attention! Be sure to save all data from running programs and close them. Otherwise, some files may be lost.

Cleaner

The next cleaning tool for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10 is Cleaner. You can download the program, just like others, on its official website.

  1. When you receive the distribution, run it. No installation is needed here, just click the start scanning button.
  1. We are waiting for the process to finish
  1. We see a number of threats found and click on [k]Disarm.
  1. Cleaning will not take much time.
  1. When finished, all we have to do is click on [k]Done.

This is such an easy to use program. But this is not enough for us, let's look at one more.

SpyBot - Search & Destroy

This application is developed by Safer-Networking Ltd. From the name alone it is clear that the main task here is to search and destroy viruses. So download the app and get to work quickly.

  1. Once the installer is downloaded, run it. For the deepest and most complete scanning, click the menu item marked in the screenshot.
  1. Next, select the item surrounded by a red frame.
  1. The inspection has begun, we are waiting for it to be completed.

At the end of the scan, all threats will be removed.

Attention! While scanning, do not run any programs, thereby preventing the program from working.

Reset Browser

Sometimes you can remove viruses that have settled in your browser by resetting it. We will show an example of cleaning based on Google Chrome, since it is the most popular. In other browsers, for example, Opera, Yandex.Browser, Mozilla Firefox, Opera or Safari, this can also be done without difficulty.

  1. Let's go to the browser menu. In Chrome, this is an icon with three dots.
  1. Then select the settings item.
  1. Scroll the content to the very bottom and select the item circled in red.
  1. Click on [k]Reset.
  1. We confirm our intentions by pressing the marked button.

After this, the browser will restart and be rid of any malicious code.

Job Scheduler

Sometimes a virus that you have picked up is also registered in the task scheduler. Thus, he seems to add himself to autoload and secretly. Let's figure out how to remove it from there.

  1. You can launch the application using the Win+R key combination. When the small window opens, enter the following command into it:
  1. Here you will see standard tasks, among which extraneous ones may get lost. We'll just have to remove it from here.

Malware can also nest in normal autorun. To remove it from there, you can use the CCleaner utility.

Launch the program, go to the [k]Tools - [k]Startup tab. Here is a list of all applications launched with the system. If desired, they can be removed or disabled completely.

After running CCleaner, be sure to restart your PC.

Removing extensions

Again, the instructions will be shown using Google Chrome as an example. In other browsers, proceed in the same way.

  1. In the browser, go to its main menu, select the sub-item [k]Additional tools, and then [k]Extensions.
  1. These are our plugins, if you see something extraneous here, feel free to delete it.

Remember! Even an extension that has worked for you for many years can become infected with a virus over time and “add it” to you. You should trust only proven and well-proven plugins.

Uninstalling programs

  1. Initially, launch the control panel. You can find it through search.
  1. Let's move on to the point marked in the screenshot.
  1. We carefully look through the list of applications and, if there is something unknown, delete it by right-clicking the mouse.

Sometimes, before deleting unnecessary files malware that pops up on your computer, you need to unblock access to it by stopping the process. This is done like this:

  1. Launch the task manager by right-clicking on an empty area of ​​the taskbar. From the pop-up menu, select the item indicated by [k]2.
  1. When the task manager is launched, go to the [k]Details tab and carefully examine the list of running processes. If you find a stranger, stop it and then delete the files.

Attention: if you are launching the task manager for the first time, click the [k]More button in its lower left corner.


Which, as a rule, only causes negative emotions and turns the search for the necessary information into reading incomprehensible sentences.

It is worth noting that this seemingly harmless but annoying advertisement is actually a virus that can cause a lot of problems for the user in the form of theft of valuable information from the computer or theft of funds from electronic wallets.

Conventional antivirus programs do not always help solve the problem, and there is no need to talk about the effectiveness of the Adblock ad blocker at all, although some users claim that in some cases this extension can help.

Search for malware

Of course, one of the reasons for the appearance of pop-up advertising windows in the browser is viruses that penetrated the computer along with regular programs that the user installed from third-party resources. Therefore, first of all, it is recommended to check the system for malware.

Open Control Panel and go to Programs and Features. Look - perhaps the list contains applications that were installed recently, without your participation. Remove such programs immediately.

In addition, be sure to check your operating system with an antivirus program. Of course, it is not a fact that she will find such a virus, but still there is a chance, which means it needs to be taken advantage of.

Checking extensions

How to remove pop-up ads in the browser if no malware was detected? In this case, it is recommended to check the add-ons integrated into the web browser, which are used to make it easier for you to work on the Internet, or are installed simply for convenience.

Use the following algorithm to view the list of integrated plugins:

  • For the Google Chrome browser - open the menu and go to the “Additional tools” item. You are interested in the “Extensions” option.
  • For the Opera web browser, press the “Ctrl”, “Shift” and “E” buttons simultaneously to open the “Extension Manager”.
  • For “Yandex.Browser” - click the “Browser Settings” button (it shows three horizontal lines) and go to the “Add-ons” section.

One by one, disable extensions that were recently added to your web browser and refresh any open page. If you find a malicious add-on, remove it from your browser.

Special programs

Still popping up ads? How to remove it if the above methods do not fix the problem? Don't despair! You will be helped by applications that “fight” these types of viruses much more effectively than conventional antivirus programs.

For example, you can download the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware application on your computer. It is recommended to download it only from the official website. The database of this program contains information about “pests” that are not in the library of a regular antivirus.

Another utility is HitmanPro. Unlike Malwarebytes, this is a paid program. However, within 30 days it is possible to use HitmanPro for free.

It is worth noting that these applications do not conflict with conventional antivirus programs, so the latter do not need to be disabled.

Edit a web browser shortcut link

Sometimes, when launching a browser, the user sees, instead of the usual start page, for example, Yandex or Google, a page with an advertisement for some online casino. Typically, this situation occurs when the web browser installation file was downloaded from a third-party resource that has a dubious reputation.

Unfortunately, not all users understand how to remove pop-up ads in the browser that appear when you open it. It's actually very simple - you only need to follow a few steps:

  • Right-click on the browser shortcut and select “Properties”.
  • Pay attention to the "Object" field.
  • The executable file must have the extension .exe. If you notice any link after it, delete it immediately.

The last step is to save the changes by clicking the “Apply” button.

Conclusion

Now you know how to remove pop-up ads in your browser, which means you can easily solve this problem. But to prevent such situations from occurring, it is recommended to download software only from official sites or from resources that have a positive reputation.

Probably the most popular and annoying problem on the Internet for ordinary users is constantly appearing advertisements in the browser. If, when you click on each site, pop-up windows with advertising open, then you have installed malware, application or virus. Getting rid of this is not always easy.

It's called AdWare. Its creators make money by watching ads. Typically, advertisements are broadcast in pop-up windows of various bookmakers and casinos.

I will try to show universal ways to solve this problem in all popular browsers ( Opera, Yandex, Chrome...) and help you get rid of this advertising forever.

Remove ads without additional programs

Since the applications and programs that cause pop-up windows to appear are not viruses, your antivirus may not see them. Follow these instructions as follows:

  1. Disable all applications in the browser. If the advertisement appeared because of him, it will disappear.
  2. Remove suspicious programs. It is possible that one of them is the cause of the advertisement.
  3. Remove the unnecessary ones.

Don't forget to restart your computer when you're done. You may have been lucky and removed ads with these simple steps; if not, read on.

Getting rid of advertising with AdwCleaner

This program is free and created specifically for such cases with advertising. It will cope with the virus if it is in the browser. Download it from the official website and run ( no installation required). Perform a scan.

Then check all tabs ( highlighted in yellow in the image), uncheck the required elements ( if you are sure) and perform cleaning. Then the computer will restart, the program will clean up and set the browser settings to default. I found 3 problems in the registry.

After the reboot, you will see a report on the work performed. Open your browser and check the result. If the advertisement remains, don’t worry. Use the following method.

Getting rid of advertising with Anti-Malware

If other methods do not help, use this program. It was created specifically to combat AdWare. The developers provide free access for 14 days, which is enough for you to remove ads. Download it from the official website and install.

Run a system scan. Remove all found objects using this program.


Usually these three methods will be enough to solve this problem.

Manual way to remove ads

Did the other methods not help you? Then try to get rid of advertising in your browser by deleting the process responsible for its appearance. Use the free Process Explorer program. To do this, download it and run it ( no installation required). You need to find suspicious processes and remove them. The program has detailed description for each of them.

If you doubt any process, you can check it for viruses. To do this, select it and open the context menu. In it, select “Check VirusTotal” as in the image below. The results will be shown in the column on the right. You can also simply search for information about it in any search engine.


As soon as you have found the process responsible for displaying advertising, try stopping it and check ( restarting the computer) whether advertising disappeared. If it appears again, find the location of the files that launch it and delete them. To do this, select “Properties” in the context menu.


The path to the files will be displayed here ( a random process is taken as an example). Go there and delete them.

If you can’t delete for some reason, try doing it through safe mode. To do this, you need to turn it on.

Go to the Windows run prompt ( Win+R) and enter the command msconfig as shown in the image below.



Go to the path that was specified in the parameters and delete the files. Now the advertising should disappear.

Checking the task scheduler

If all of the above methods did not work, then you need to go to the Windows task scheduler and see what is there. Go to Start >> Control Panel >> Task Scheduler.

First, enable the display of hidden tasks.

Then delete suspicious tasks and tabs with advertisements will no longer appear. Below is a demonstration of how everything should roughly look like for you.


Possible problems after removing the virus

Adware leaves behind several problems. It can change the start page from the shortcut, change the hosts file and network settings. Now I will show you how to fix it all.

Shortcut fix

Sometimes you cannot change the start page when you turn on the browser. Therefore, most likely the virus added the address of its page to the address in the shortcut.

To fix this, go to the shortcut properties of your browser. Open the “Shortcut” tab and in it delete all the characters that are located behind the quotes in the “Object” field, as in the example below.

Or simply delete the shortcut and create a new one.

The virus can block access to search engines and other sites through the hosts file. You need to fix it. This can be done text editor (notepad or other).

Go to My Computer Explorer and follow the path: Your disk with the system ( usually drive C) >> Windows >> System32 >> Drivers >> etc. Open hosts with a text editor. Delete all lines up to the first character from the bottom # and save the file.


Correcting network settings

It is possible that when you logged into your browser, you encountered an error connecting to the proxy server. You can fix it in the network settings.

Go to Start >> Control Panel >> Internet Options. Here go to the “Connections” tab and go to the network settings.

In this window, leave “Automatic detection of parameters” as in the image below, and remove the rest.

There should be no more errors.

Poll Options are limited because JavaScript is disabled in your browser.

    No way. Nothing helped! 66%, 45 votes

    Disabled browser extensions. 9%, 6 votes



Publications on the topic