Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Remove Adware in Windows
• Method 2 of 2: Remove Adware on Mac
• Tips
• Warnings

If your computer suddenly floods with pop-up ads or if your browser keeps sending you to the wrong websites, you may be infected with adware. Windows and Mac are both vulnerable to malicious software, which can hijack your browser and clutter your screen with advertisements. If your computer is infected without being protected by security software, you could be worried about losing everything on your system. Fortunately, there are as many internet security experts as there are malicious code writers, and these experts have made sure that adware can be manually removed in a variety of ways in case you have "caught" something.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Remove Adware in Windows

1. Boot in Safe Mode with Networking Support. Start the computer in Safe Mode with all removable media (such as CD and USB drives) disconnected.
   • Windows 8 and 10:
     • Press ⊞ Win+X and select "Quit or sign out" and then choose "Restart".
     • When the computer boots to the login screen, hold down the key ⇧ Shift while clicking the start icon. The computer will reboot.
     • Once the computer has restarted, click on "Troubleshoot", then "Advanced Options", then "Startup Settings" and finally "Restart".
     • On the now following boot options screen, press the key next to "Safe Mode with Networking" (this will depend on your computer. F5 or 5 to be).
   • Windows 7 and older: Click the Start menu, then click the arrow next to "Shut Down". Select "Restart". As soon as the computer shuts down and restarts, start up F8 to open a boot menu. Use the arrow keys to navigate to "Safe Mode with Networking" and press ↵ Enter.
2. Launch your browser to see if there are any malicious extensions or add-ons. Adware often looks like a browser extension or add-on.
   • In Chrome: Click on the Chrome menu (in the top right corner of the browser, indicated by three horizontal lines) and select "Settings". Click on "Extensions" and search for extensions you do not recognize. Click on the corresponding trash can for anything you don't know.
   • Internet Explorer: Click on "Tools" and then on "Manage add-ons". Click on "All Add-ons" to see a list of everything installed. Select anything you don't recognize and click "Disable". When you are done, click "Close".
   • Firefox: Check your add-ons by clicking "Open menu" (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of the screen and choosing "Add-ons". Now click on "Extensions" and look for things you don't recognize. To disable an extension, click it once and then "Disable".
3. View the homepage of your browser, as well as the search engines and other default settings. Sometimes adware takes over your browser's default web page and search engines.
   • Chrome: Click "Settings" in the Chrome menu and then click "Set Pages" (just below "On Startup"). If you see anything other than a blank page or a page you have set as your home page, select the site from the list and press "X" to delete it.
     • Make sure you haven't messed with the Chrome buttons. In the same settings menu, find the section "Appearance". Select "Show the home button". Now click on "Edit", then choose "Use the New Tab page". Click "OK" to save the changes.
     • In the settings menu, check the settings for search engines by clicking on "Manage search engines" under "Search". Choose the search engine you are using and choose "Make Default". Make sure the URL on the right side of the screen matches the search engine name! If you see linksYahoo.com, but the URL on the right starts with something other thansearch.yahoo.com, delete it with the "X".
   • Internet Explorer: Click on "Tools" and then on "Manage add-ons". Select "Search Services" from the list, choose a search engine you know and use (Google, Bing, etc.). If you don't recognize something, click on it and then "Delete".
     • When you are back in the 'Tools' menu, choose' Internet Options' and view the 'Home page'. The URL in that field is the default home page of your browser. Delete it if you don't recognize it and choose 'Use new tab '.
     • On your desktop, look for the "Internet Explorer" icon (or any other place you normally click to start the browser). Right click once on the icon and choose "Properties". Navigate to the "Shortcut" tab and look at the field labeled "Target". If you see text naiexplore.exe, delete it (but leave iexplore.exe). Click "OK".
   • Firefox: From the Open menu, select "Options" and then "Restore Default". Click "OK" to continue
     • Click the "Open" menu and choose "Options" to review the search engine settings. Click on the left bar "Search" and set your default search engine to something known as Google or Bing. If there is something unknown under "One Click Search Engines", click it once and then click "Remove".
4. See which programs are set to start automatically. Press ⊞ Win+S. to open the search bar. Type emsconfig in the empty field to open the control panel. If it appears in the search results, click the file. Select "Yes" or "OK" when prompted for confirmation.
   • Click on the "Startup" tab to see a list of all programs that start when the computer boots (Windows 8 and 10 users may be directed to "Task Manager", but the rest of the steps are the same).
   • Scroll through the list and see if something stands out as adware. It's a good idea to search the Internet from a clean, uninfected computer for names of things you don't recognize - sometimes it looks official when it isn't, or vice versa. Next to the name of the software you will find the name of the company that released it. The companies on this list can help you find out which startup programs are real. To disable something you don't recognize, uncheck the name (in Windows 8 or 10, click the program and then "Disable").
5. Save the settings and restart the computer. If you are using Windows 7 or older, click "Apply" and then "OK". If you are using Windows 8 or later, just click the "X" to close "Task Manager".
6. Look for programs that can be uninstalled. If your computer is still experiencing pop-ups or intrusive advertisements after restarting, see if there is any software that can be removed with a simple uninstall. Open the search bar and type Programs and click "Programs and Features" when it appears.
   • Look in the list of installed software for something you don't recognize. You can sort the list by installation date by clicking on the date at the top of the list.
   • To uninstall software, click it once and then click "Remove". Restart the computer after uninstalling.
7. Download MalwareFox Anti-Malware. If you were unable to find and remove the adware using any of the steps outlined above, it is time for the rougher artillery. MalwareFox has proven itself and you can download it from the website by clicking "Free download". Select "Download Free Version" to begin the download and save it to your desktop when prompted.
   • If you cannot download programs, use another computer to download MalwareFox Anti-Malware and save it on a USB stick. Then insert the USB stick into the infected computer. With the USB stick in the computer, press ⊞ Win+E to open the file explorer, double click on the usb stick on the left.
8. Start Anti-Malware and run a scan. Double-click the downloaded file to run the program, then click the "Scan" button. When the scanner finds adware, the interface color changes to red and you can choose to remove it by clicking "Next". If you are unable to remove the adware (rare, but it occurs), write down the adware's name and proceed.
9. Get removal instructions from Symantec. In safe mode or on another computer, go to Symantec's A to Z list of Malware. This often updated site contains links to removal instructions for almost all types of adware. Select the first letter of your adware's name and scroll down until you find it. Click on the name of your adware.
10. Click "Delete" to view the instructions. The first set of instructions is intended for users of Symantec security software. If you are not using their software, scroll to the second step and follow the indicated removal instructions. All adware is different and some are more difficult to remove than others. Restart your computer once you are done with all the instructions on the page associated with your adware.
11. Do a system restore. If you've gotten this far and you still can't get rid of the adware, do a system restore to get your PC back to working condition.

Method 2 of 2: Remove Adware on Mac

1. Block popup screens in your browser. This essential step makes it possible to complete the rest of this method with as few annoyances as possible.
   • Safari: From the "Safari" menu, choose "Preferences" menu. Click on "Security" and choose "Block Pop-up Screens". Disable "Allow WebGL" and "Allow Plugins".
   • Chrome: In the Chrome menu (the three horizontal lines), click "Settings" and scroll down to click "Show advanced settings". Click on "Privacy", then on "Content settings" and choose "Do not allow any site to show popups".
2. Check your browser settings for malicious search engines and extensions.
   • Safari: From the "Safari" menu, choose "Preferences" and then "Extensions". If there is something you don't recognize, click "Uninstall". Now click on the "General" tab and make sure your default search engine is set to something you know. If not, set it to a search engine that you use regularly. Safari has a number of them pre-programmed by default. Choosing Google is always safe.
   • Chrome: In the Chrome menu, select "Settings" and then "Extensions". Click the trash can icon next to any extension you are not familiar with. Then click "Settings" in the left menu and scroll down to "Advanced Settings" and follow the link.
     • Scroll down to "On startup" and make sure "Open the New Tab page" is selected.
     • Scroll down on "Search" and click on "Manage Search Engines". Make sure that all search engines listed in the top list are known. Pay particular attention to the URL on the right, as adware programs often pretend to be Google, but are actually redirecting you to another website. Remove anything that looks suspicious by clicking the "X" next to the site
3. Download Apple Support article HT203987 as a PDF. Because the browser must be closed for the following steps, you must save the website on your computer. Send your browser to https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987. When the site is loaded, click "File", then "Print" and then "Save as PDF". Choose your desktop as the save location so that you can find it right away and easily.
4. Use the "Go to Folder" method to locate adware. You will be doing this often, so know how it works.
   • Open the PDF file and scroll down to the list of files starting with / System / Library / Frameworks / v.framework. Highlight the first line of that file list (that's the one from the example) and click "Edit" and then "Copy".
   • Open Finder and click "View" and then "As Columns". Click on "Go" and then "Go to Folder".
   • Click "Edit" and then "Paste" to copy the file you marked earlier in the field. Press ⏎ Return to search for the file. When the file is found, drag it to the Trash. If not, copy the next file in the list from the PDF and do the same again.
   • Repeat the "Go To" method for each file in the list. When you are done, empty the Recycle Bin by clicking "Finder" and then "Empty Recycle Bin". Restart the computer.
5. Check for other adware running. If the computer has restarted and adware is still present, open Finder, click "Applications" and choose "Tools" Click "Activity Monitor". On the "CPU" tab, click "Process Name" to alphabetize the column and look for processes named "InstallMac" or "Genieo".
   • If you see one of these programs running in the Activity Monitor, repeat the "Go to Folder" process with the following text: /private/etc/launchd.conf. Restart your computer once that is done.
   • Go back to the Apple PDF and scroll down to "Remove Genieo, InstallMac" and repeat the process with all the files listed under "Restart your Mac". Once you've gone through all the files and dragged everything needed to the Trash, you can restart your computer.
   • When the computer is running again, use "Go to Folder", but now with the file /Library/Frameworks/GenieoExtra.framework. Empty the Recycle Bin (in Finder).
6. Restart your computer. Your computer should now be free of adware. If the computer is still infected with adware after booting, you will need to install an adware removal tool.
7. Download and install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac. Malwarebytes is the gold standard for home adware removal. Click "Download" and choose a save location for the file. Once downloaded, double-click the file to open it.
   • If you are unable to download Anti-Malware for Mac because of the adware, use another computer to download the installer and save it on a USB stick.
   • The first time you run Anti-Malware for Mac, you will likely be asked if you are sure it wants to open. Click on "Open". If you get another notification about your security preferences, click the Apple menu and choose "System Preferences" then "Security & Privacy". On the "General" tab, click "Open Anyway" and the program will start.
   • The first time you run Anti-Malware you will be prompted for a username and password for your administrator account. Enter the information and click "Install Utility".
8. Click "Scan." If adware is found, it will appear in a list after the scan. Click on the name of the adware and choose "Remove Selected Programs". Restart the computer and your adware should be gone.

Tips

• Never download from a website you don't trust.
• Update your antivirus / anti-malware software regularly.
• Protect your computer from all types of malware by using antivirus protection.
• Save Malwarebytes Anti-Malware on an emergency USB stick.

Warnings

• If the methods above don't work, it's best to have your computer checked by an expert.
• Adware is often "caught" when computer users get pop-up messages on their screens saying things like "Warning!" Your computer is infected! "No decent anti-malware program puts a message in your web browser - real warnings will appear in a separate screen that bears the name of your anti-malware program at the top or in a message popup on the taskbar in Windows .