When your computer is infected with Adware, your computer might display unwanted advertisements within Windows and your default installed browser. If your computer is infected with a Browser Hijacker it might also show advertisement and redirect your default home page to an unwanted homepage.

Learn how to remove Adware and Browser Hijackers manually and protect your computer from further infections. We would inform anyone who manually removes Adware, there is a chance your computer might get infected again. Adware leaves traces, such as scheduled tasks, registry entries or batch files. By doing so, the installed Adware might reinstall on the next reboot. 

In this instruction, we will show you how to detect Adware, remove the Adware and search for traces to prevent from getting infected again. This instruction shows you how to detect and remove Browser Hijackers, remove unwanted browser helper objects or browser extensions and reset your browser(s) to default settings.

How to Manually Remove Adware, Browser Hijackers

Instructions – How to Remove Adware

Step 1 – Uninstall Adware software
Step 2 – Check for Adware Scheduled Tasks
Step 3 – Remove Adware folders
Step 4 – Remove startup entries using registry
Step 5 – Reset Proxy server

Instructions – How to Remove Browser Hijackers

Step 1 – Uninstall Browser Hijacker software
Step 2 – Check for Browser Hijacker Scheduled Tasks
Step 3 – Clean Browser shortcuts
Step 4 – Remove Browser Helper Objects or Browser Extensions
Step 5 – Avast Browser Cleanup
Step 6 – Reset Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox

Optional: Prevent another infection with MalwareBytes

Step 1 – How to Manually Remove Adware – Uninstall Adware

First, we are going to look for suspicious entries in the Windows, Control Panel. Take a good look and notice suspicious entries and anything recently installed on your computer.

Choose your Windows version below and follow instructions on how to remove adware from Windows, Control Panel.

Uninstall Adware from Windows 10

• Right click the Start button in the left bottom corner

• Select Control Panel from the menu

• Select Uninstall a program
• Tap or click [any software you don’t know, trust, or need], and then tap or click Uninstall.
• Follow the instructions on the screen. Make sure when you uninstall the malware that there is no extra software is offered during removal and read every pop-up before clicking any button.
   Remove all recently installed software, sort by “Installed on” to easily find recently installed software.

Uninstall Unwanted software from Windows 8

• Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
  (If you’re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.)
• Enter control panel in the search box, and then tap or click Control Panel.

• Under View by : select Large Icons, and then tap or click Programs and features.
• Tap or click [any software you don’t know, trust, or need], and then tap or click Uninstall.
• Follow the instructions on the screen. Make sure when you uninstall the malware that there is no extra software is offered during uninstallation and read every pop-up before clicking any button.
   Remove all recently installed software, sort by “Installed on” to easily find recently installed software.

Uninstall Unwanted software from Windows 7

• Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Programs and Features.

• Select [any software you don’t know, trust, or need], and then click Uninstall.
   Remove all recently installed software, sort by “Installed on” to easily find recently installed software.

Step 2 – How to Manually Remove Adware – Check for Adware Scheduled Tasks

• Right click the start button
• select Run
• Enter: Taskschd.msc

• Select Task Scheduler Library
• Search for any unknown scheduled tasks and remove them by right click Delete.

Step 3 – How to Manually Remove Adware – Remove adware folders

• Open Windows, File Explorer
• Navigate to C:\Program Files\ and C:\Program Files (x86)\ and remove any folder unknown to you.
• Sort the folders by “Date modified” to easily identify newly created folders.** If a process or file is blocking the removal of a folder **
  Goto: Start button, right click, run, enter: cmd.exe.
  Enter in the cmd window: taskkill.exe /F /IM name-of-the-exe-file.exe
  try again to remove the folder.

Step 4 – How to Manually Remove Adware – Remove startup entries using Registry

• Right-click on the start button
• Select Run
• Enter: regedit.exe
• Expand the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• Search for any entries unknown to you. Select the entry, right click, and select Delete.
• Expand the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• Search for any entries unknown to you. Select the entry, right click, and select Delete.
• Expand the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• Search for any entries unknown to you. Select the entry, right click, and select Delete.
• Expand the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• Search for any entries unknown to you. Select the entry, right click, and select Delete.

Step 5 – How to Manually Remove Adware – Reset Proxy

• On Windows XP, click Start, or on Windows Vista or Windows 7, click, and then click Run. On Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, to access the Run command, press the Windows logo key + R. Or, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search (or if you are using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search).  Type Run in the search box and then tap or click Run.
• In the Run text box, copy (CTRL+C) and paste (CTRL+V) or type the following:
  reg add “HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings” /v ProxyEnable /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
• Click OK.
• On Windows XP, click Start, or on Windows Vista or Windows 7, click Start button, and then click Run.
  On Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, to access the Run command, press the Windows logo key  + R. Or, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search (or if you are using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search).  Type Run in the search box and then tap or click Run.
• In the Run text box, copy (CTRL+C) and paste (CTRL+V) or type the following:
  reg delete “HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings” /v ProxyServer /f
• Click OK.

Step 1 – How to Manually Remove Browser Hijackers – Uninstall Browser Hijacker software

First, we are going to look for suspicious entries in the Windows, Control Panel. Take a good look and notice suspicious entries and anything recently installed on your computer.

Choose your Windows version below and follow instructions on how to remove adware from Windows, Control Panel.

Uninstall Browser Hijackers from Windows 10

• Right click the Start button in the left bottom corner

• Select Control Panel from the menu

• Select Uninstall a program
• Tap or click [any software you don’t know, trust, or need], and then tap or click Uninstall.
• Follow the instructions on the screen. Make sure when you uninstall the malware that there is no extra software is offered during removal and read every pop-up before clicking any button.
   Remove all recently installed software, sort by “Installed on” to easily find recently installed software.

Uninstall Browser Hijackers from Windows 8

• Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
  (If you’re using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, and then click Search.)
• Enter control panel in the search box, and then tap or click Control Panel.

• Under View by select Large Icons, and then tap or click Programs and features.
• Tap or click [any software you don’t know, trust, or need], and then tap or click Uninstall.
• Follow the instructions on the screen. Make sure when you uninstall the malware that there is no extra software is offered during uninstallation and read every pop-up before clicking any button.
   Remove all recently installed software, sort by “Installed on” to easily find recently installed software.

Uninstall Browser Hijackers from Windows 7

• Open Programs and Features by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Programs, and then clicking Programs and Features.

• Select [any software you don’t know, trust, or need], and then click Uninstall.
   Remove all recently installed software, sort by “Installed on” to easily find recently installed software.

Step 2 – How to Manually Remove Browser Hijackers – Check for Browser Hijacker Scheduled Tasks

• Right click the start button
• select Run
• Enter: Taskschd.msc

• Select Task Scheduler Library
• Search for any unknown scheduled tasks and remove them by right click Delete.

Step 3 – How to Manually Remove Browser Hijackers – Clean Browser Shortcuts

Browser Hijackers are known to change the browser shortcuts on your desktop or in your Windows Taskbar. Check and clean them before resetting your browser to default settings in the next step.

• Select any shortcut you have on your Windows Desktop or in your Windows Taskbar.
• Right click, select Properties
• Go to tab “Shortcut”.
• Remove any entry after the executable, see our example. Remove “http://www.yeadesktop.com” (this is an example, there are many others).
• Do this action for any browser installed.

Step 4 – How to Manually Remove Browser Hijackers – Remove Browser Helper Objects or Browser Extensions

 Internet Explorer – Browser Helper Objects

1. Start Internet Explorer
2. On the Tools menu, tap or click Manage add ons. If you don’t see the Tools menu, press Alt.
3. In the menu select Toolbars and Extensions
4. Change Currently loaded add-ons under Show: to All add-ons
5. Select the Browser Helper Object you would like to remove by double clicking it.
6. Select Remove. If the Remove button is greyed out, reset Internet Explorer to default settings (see below).

 Google Chrome – Browser Extensions

1. Start Google Chrome
2. In the top-right corner of Google Chrome select the menu  
3. Select Settings
4. On the left side select Extensions
5. Review all Google Chrome extensions installed, remove any unknown or unwanted Browser Extension using the trashcan icon on the right next to the Browser Extensions name. If a Browser Extensions cannot be removed, reset Google Chrome (see below).

 Mozilla Firefox – Browser Extensions

1. Start Mozilla Firefox
2. Click the menu button
3. Select Add-ons from the menu
4. On the left side select Extensions
5. Review all Mozilla Firefox extensions installed, remove any unknown or unwanted Browser Extension using the remove button on the right next to the Browser Extensions name. If a Browser Extensions cannot be removed, reset Mozilla Firefox.

Step 5 – How to Manually Remove Browser Hijackers – Avast Browser Cleanup

 Download AVAST Browser Cleanup

• Open Avast Browser Cleanup
• Review the browser extensions with a poor reputation, found by Avast Browser Cleanup. You can remove them separately or select the Remove all add-ons button in the top right corner (recommended).

• Select your default Search Provider, either Yahoo or Bing, choose one.

• All extensions are now successfully removed from your browser(s). If you would like to reset or remove other extensions from your browser, use the Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome button on the left menu in Avast Browser Cleanup.

• To Reset your browser, select Reset Settings
• Select Exclude add-ons with a good rating to review possible other extensions that might cause ads.
• Select Remove to remove a extension
• Repeat this step for either Firefox and Google Chrome using the left menu.

Step 6 – How to Manually Remove Browser Hijackers – Reset your Browser

Reset Internet Explorer, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to default settings

 Reset Internet Explorer to default settings

Follow instructions

• Note: If you are running Windows 8.1 or Windows 8, start Internet Explorer from the desktop. Changing your settings will affect both Internet Explorer and Internet Explorer that you start from the desktop.
  1. Start Internet Explorer
  2. On the Tools menu, tap or click Internet options. If you don’t see the Tools menu, press Alt.
  3. In the Internet Options window, tap or click the Advanced tab
  4. Tap or click Reset. If you’re using Windows Internet Explorer 6, click Restore Default
  5. In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, tap or click Reset
     Note: Select the Delete personal settings check box if you also want to remove browsing history, search providers, Accelerators, home pages, Tracking Protection, and ActiveX Filtering data (recommended!).
  6. When Internet Explorer finishes applying the default settings, tap or click Close, and then tap or click OK.
  7. Exit Internet Explorer and again, start Internet Explorer to see the results.

 Reset Google Chrome to default settings

Reset Google Chrome to default settings

1. In the top-right corner of the browser window, click the Chrome menu
2. Select Settings.
3. At the bottom, click Show advanced settings.
4. Under the section “Reset settings,” click Reset settings.
5. In the dialog that appears, click Reset.
   Note: When the “Help make Google Chrome better by reporting the current settings” checkbox is selected you are anonymously sending Google your Chrome settings. Reporting these settings allows Google to analyze trends and work to prevent future unwanted settings changes.

Settings that change

• Default search engine and saved search engines will be reset and to their original defaults.
• Homepage button will be hidden and the URL that you previously set will be removed.
• Default startup tabs will be cleared. The browser will show a new tab when you start up or continue where you left off if you’re on a Chromebook.
• New Tab page will be empty unless you have a version of Chrome with an extension that controls it. In that case, your page may be preserved.
• Pinned tabs will be unpinned.
• Content settings will be cleared and reset to their installation defaults.
• Cookies and site data will be cleared.
• Extensions and themes will be disabled.

 Reset Mozilla Firefox to default settings

Optional – Prevent another infection with MalwareBytes

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