Remove Unwanted Ads, Pop-Ups & Malware

Remove Unwanted Ads, Pop-Ups & Malware

Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware

If you're seeing some of these problems with Chrome, you might have unwanted software or malware installed on your computer:

  • Pop-up ads and new tabs that won't go away
  • Your Chrome homepage or search engine keeps changing without your permission
  • Unwanted Chrome extensions or toolbars keep coming back
  • Your browsing is hijacked, and redirects to unfamiliar pages or ads
  • Alerts about a virus or an infected device

In the future, avoid unwanted software by only downloading files or visiting sites that you know are secure.

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Remove unwanted programs (Windows, Mac)

Before you reset your browser settings on a Windows or Mac, check your computer for unwanted programs.

Check your computer for malware (Windows)

Manually remove malicious programs (Mac)

Restore quarantined files (Windows)

To learn more about what data is collected and how it's used, read the Google Chrome Privacy Whitepaper.

Reset your browser settings

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Settings.
  3. At the bottom, click Advanced.
  4. Chromebook, Linux, and Mac: Under "Reset Settings," click Restore settings to their original defaults Reset Settings.
  5. Windows: Under "Reset and cleanup,” click Reset Settings Reset Settings.

If you removed unwanted programs or reset your browser settings, you might need to turn some extensions back on. To turn extensions on, at the top right, click More More Tools Extensions. Only turn on extensions you trust.

Still not working? If the steps above don't work, visit the Chrome Help Forum. You can also report malicious software.

How to avoid malware in the future

  • Watch out for things that look too good to be true. Winning a contest or getting expensive copyrighted content for free is sometimes a trick to get you to download malware.
  • If you haven't recently run a virus scanner, be wary of warnings about viruses or infected devices. The site might be trying to scare you into downloading unwanted software.
  • Only download files or visit sites that you know are secure. Learn more about healthy browsing.

If a popup about updating or downloading a program looks suspicious, don't click on it. Instead, go to the program's official website to download it.

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