What is an Adware?
Adware are programs which shows forced ads to earn revenue. In nature we can’t say that they are virus but they could be. Because many adware may do virus like activity to maximize their ad revenue. Some times they get installed into computers without user’s permission or trick the users to install themselves into the system.
Once an adware entered into your computer, it will hijack your all the browsers. Eventually, they shows only the advertisements which they wants to show you. Your home page could be changed. Your default search engine could be changed. They will show their preferred advertisements as soon as you open your browser for surfing and some times redirect you to to some specific websites. Some times even they can redirect you to malware infected websites.
How does it come into computer?
Most of the Adware come along with non trusted programs or sources. Surprise thing is that; we do not care while installing any software in the computer. Some software ask to install additional software, and we normally keep clicking on Next / I agree / Finish / Install buttons. So basically they come in to our computer by taking our own permission (Though that is without our intention ) So please be conscious when you install a software specially free ware software that they are not installing any other software. While installing, it will be certainly asked for installation of search bar, toolbar, language translation program installation, so please uncheck them.
If some how you get victim of adware and you are unable to uninstall them then below guide may help you to remove those hard to remove adware programs or ads from your PC.
Remove Using Automatic Fixit Tools
Download Adware Remover Tool to remove “Adware” Automatically. It’s a Freeware utility specially designed to get rid off the adware. This tool can remove most of the stubborn adwares from Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. It can remove all the traces of adware from registry as well. Please note that this program is freeware but it does not installing any thing extra with it.
Find out more anti-adware here best adware removal software
Remove Manually
Step 1: Uninstall from Windows
- Click on Start button and then click on Control Panel.
- Now click on Programs –> Uninstall a program or Program and Features (Windows-7, 8, Vista). You also may click on “Uninstall a program”
- For Windows XP users click on Add/Remove Programs.
- You’ll get a window which has listed all the installed programs.
- Uninstall “Adware” from there.
- Also uninstall all the unwanted & unknown programs which you think are suspicious.
If you are unable to uninstall any software with the above method, Then you may use a good third party uninstaller tool Revo Uninstaller. Or follow the below mentioned further manual steps.
Step 2 : Remove adware from Internet Explorer.
2.1: Remove from homepage
- Open Internet Explorer then go to Tools menu (Press “F10” key once to active the menu bar) and then click on Internet Option a configuration page will be opened, then click on General tab. Now look into under HOME PAGE Edit Box you got www.”Adware”.com, replace it to www.google.com, then click on apply and close.
2.2: Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer.
- Open Internet Explorer then go to Tools menu (press “F10” key once to active menu bar) and then click on Internet Option a configuration page will be opened
- Click on Programs tab then click on Manage Add-ons, now you’ll get a window which have listed all the installed add-ons.
- Now disable the “Adware” add-on, also disable all the unknown / unwanted add-ons from this list. (As per below screenshot).
2.3: Reset Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer. Click on Tools menu (Press “F10” key once to active the menu bar), click on Internet Option. A internet option window will open.
- For IE9, IE10 users may click on Gear icon . Then click on tools.
- Click on Advanced tab then click on RESET button.
- You will get a new popup for confirmation, tick mark on Delete personal setting then click on RESET button on that. (As shown on below screenshot)
- Now your Internet Explorer has been Restored to default settings.
- A popup stated “complete all the tasks” will appear. After completion click on close button.
Step 3 : Remove from Mozilla Firefox
3.1 : Remove from Mozilla Hompeage
- Open Mozilla Firefox, Click on Tools menu (If tools menu doesn’t appear then press “F10” key once to active the menu bar) then go to Options, after that a configuration page will be opened, then click on General tab and then look on the very first section named as Startup. Under start-up you will see a HOME PAGE Edit Box, under this edit box you will see www.”Adware”.com, please replace it to www.google.com, then click on apply and close.
- Restart Firefox Browser.
3.2 : Remove from add-ons
- Open Firefox and then go the Tools menu (Press “F10” key once to active Menu bar) click on Add-ons, you’ll get a page click on extensions from the left side pane. now look on right side pane you’ll get all the installed add-ons listed on there. Disable or Remove “Adware” add-on, also disable all the unknown / unwanted add-ons from there. (As per below screen shot)
3.3: Reset Mozilla Firefox
- Open Firefox and then go the Help menu (Press “F10” key once to active Menu bar)
- Go to Help menu then click on “Troubleshooting information”
Note: you can also open this page in this ways, open Firefox then type this command in the address bar “about:support” (without quote) and then hit enter or OK.
- You will get a page “Troubleshooting information” page, here you will get “Reset Firefox” option in the right side of the page.
- Click on Reset Firefox option and then follow their instructions to reset Firefox.
- Mozilla Firefox should be Restored.
Step 4 : Remove from Google Chrome
4.1: Remove unwanted homepage & search engine from Google Chrome
- Start Google Chrome, click on options icon (Located in very top right side of the browser), click on Settings. You will get a configuration page.
- Under configuration page find a option named as “Open a specific page or set of pages” click on its Set Pages. Another window will come up. Here you will appear the bunch of URL’s under “Set pages”. Delete all them and then enter only one which you want to use as your home page.
- In the same configuration page click on Manage search engines button. Delete all the search engines from there, just keep only www.goole.com as your default search Engine.
4.2 : Remove unwanted extensions from Google Chrome
- Start Google Chrome, click on options icon (Located in very top right side of the browser), then click on Tools then, click on Extensions. (As shown on below screenshot)
- You will get a configuration page which have listed all the installed extensions, remove “Adware” extension. Also remove all the unknown / unwanted extensions from there. To remove them, click on remove (recycle bin) icon (as shown on screenshot)
4.3 : Reset Google Chrome – Restore to default setting.
- Open Google Chrome, click on menu icon and then click on settings (Note: menu icon is located right side top corner it is look like this: ). (See the below screenshot for better understand)
- Scroll down and click on “Show advanced settings…”option, after click on that you’ll appear some more options in bottom of the page. Now scroll down more and click on “Reset Browser setting” option. (See the below screenshot for better understand)
- Now, Close all Google Chrome browser’s window and reopen it again.
Step 5 : Remove from Windows shortcuts.
Follow the following steps for all browser’s shortcuts like: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari as well.
- Right click on the shortcut of Internet Explorer and then do left click on the properties option. You’ll get a shortcut’s properties.
- Click on shortcut tab and then delete the “www.”Adware”/?utm” string from target field.
- Need to delete this URL:
Repeat the above steps on all browser’s shortcuts like: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari in all location Desktop / Taskbar / Startmenu.
- Remove “Adware” infection from startmenu’s shortcuts.
- Remove “Adware” infection from taskbar’s shortcuts.
Step 6 : Remove from Registry
- Press “window key + R” (Flag sign key + R) you will get Run box then type “REGEDIT” into the run box then click on OK. You’ll get a registry editor window.
- In the registry editor, click on Edit menu and then click on find option, you’ll get edit box to search any string into registry editor
- Type ““Adware”” into the find box and then click on Find Next.
- The search result will highlight the key or value which have contains the “Adware” string.
- Now delete the Registry Key / Value / Value-Data if any one contains “”Adware”” string (must see the example screenshot below)
Note:- Do not delete the complete value data, just delete the “Adware” path only (for example see screenshot3 below)
- Use F3 key to find Next. and do the last step to all results.
- We are giving you the example on “Conduit” Adware.
Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 3
Step 7 : Remove from Autorun Tasks
- Click on Start button and then do Right-Click on the computer and then do left-click on Manage. A manage window will appear.
- In the manage window click on Tasks Scheduler from right side pane, then click on “Task Scheduler Library“, Now look on left side pane and Remove all the Tasks which have contains “Adware” string and also remove all the unknown / unwanted tasks from there (As per the screenshot below).
Step 8 : Remove from Startup
- Press “window key + R” (Flag sign key + R) you will get Run box then type “MSCONFIG into the run box then click on OK. You’ll get a msconfig window.
- In the msconfig window click on Startup tab, here you’ll get all the startup entries, so look on the list and then do Un-check the entries which is contains “Adware”. Also Un-check all the others entries which you found unwanted. then click on OK to apply all the changes.
Step 9 : Remove from Services
- Press “window key + R” (Flag sign key + R) you will get Run box then type “MSCONFIG” into the run box then click on OK. . You’ll get a msconfig window.
- In the msconfig window click on Services tab, here you’ll get all the start-up services list, click on “Hide Windows Services” all the windows related services will be hidden. now it’s only display the 3rd party installed services, now look on the list and then do Un-check the service which have contains “Adware”. Also Un-check all the unknown / unwanted services. then click on OK to apply all the changes.
Using third party software
Following third party software may help you further cleaning of the adware.
Remove registry entries with Adwcleaner.exe
1. Download AdwCleaner from the below link.
2. Run that downloaded file (Adwcleaner.exe).
3. When you get it started, click on scan button to search the “Adware” files and registry entries (As shown below screenshot).
4. When scanning process will be finished, click on Clean button to delete all the “Adware” files and registry entries (as shown on below screenshot)
Scan & Clean with Hitman-Pro
Click here to Download Hitmanpro_x32bit.exe
Click here to Download Hitmanpro_x64bit.exe
Scan & Clean with Malwarebytes.
1. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free, then double click on it to install it.
2. Update online Virus Definition
3. Tick mark on “Perform quick scan” then click on Scan
4. When the scan done click on “Show results”
5. After clicking on Show result it will you a another window where you will get the found threats. Click on “Remove Selected”
Am trying to help friend with adware on an HP laptop with Win 8.1
Use Google to locate websites for downloading ADWCleaner, go to any of the responsible sites and the PC says “Proxy Server not responding.”
Am running Windows Defender, and running AntiMalwareBytes, but have it not operating while attempting download.
Huh????
Windows 8.1, 64bit.
Not more 10 minutes all-in-all.
Worked perfect, following Step 10: Clean using AdwCleaner:
10.1 – Download exe file (adwcleaner_4.202.exe)
10.2 – Run that downloaded file (adwcleaner_4.202.exe)
10.3 – Scan
10.4 – Clean
Received message to restart computer
10.5 – Restart
Computer was cleaned!
Very god informations, explanations, instructions
Thank you very much, Techsupportall.
5/5
thanks this helped a whole lot