If you have had the chance to encounter pop-ups when working with your computer, you understand how frustrating and irritating it can get. They will slow down your device and even create a gateway for other malware to infect your computer. No computer has immunity against pop-ups regardless of the preventive measure taken to prevent them. Nonetheless, by improving your network security and limiting the kind of exposure they have on your device, you can control a significant number of them.
Malicious software steals millions from the global economy. These pop-ups take the shape of harmless ads and messages, but on the contrary, they are the opposite of that. They are rigged with malicious code ready to plant adware into your computer registry. If a pop-up does not come directly from the operating system you use, there is a chance some other unwanted software is up to no good. In this article, I will show you how to remove computer pop-ups by dealing with the root cause.
If you are getting pop-ups in your computer, it could mean that another software has found a way to circumvent the pop-up blocker, or your pop-up blocker is not configured well. Chrome browser has two pop-up blocker features-one allows all the sites to display pop-ups while the other (recommended) blocks sites from showing any pop-ups. The browser has an all-or-nothing approach. It blocks all the pop-ups without considering that you might desire some. To make sure that pop-ups do not show up on your browser, make sure that all pop-ups are blocked.
If there is an exception list present in your browser, any pop-up that comes from that page will eventually find its way to your computer. Sometimes, Chrome can unintentionally allow pop-ups from blocked sites if the exceptions have some of these ads too. When using certain websites, you may need to add exceptions and enable pop-ups to appear. For example, some sites use pop-ups to aid in their login functionality. However, by exempting such features, you give space for ad pop-ups.
You may have an adware infection. Adware can launch pop-up windows by circumventing ad-blockers. They install themselves with the permission of the user, mostly without their knowledge. Using anti-malware software can help you deal with adware. Some of these adware functions look like legitimate software, some of them having an uninstaller program built-in already. That said, what are some of the methods that can be used to get rid of pop-ups?
The most common pop-ups that appear on your computer come from Windows as a warning of impending hazards. This is proof that not all pop-ups have malicious intent. If your antivirus is outdated, you are bound to get a notification on its status. Installing updates is a significant action when it comes to technology. The updates come with improved functionality and fewer bugs-meaning fewer chances of infection. This is not always necessary; sometimes, you have no further use for the software. In this case, you can decide to temporarily turn off the update reminder or uninstall the program if you are confident you do not need it again.
If you want to get rid of an out-of-date program in Windows 10, click the start button and type “control panel” in the search box. Click on the “Control Panel” app result that appears. Go to “Programs” or “Programs and Features” and double click to load. Select the unwanted program and click the “Uninstall” button. You will receive a prompt asking you to confirm you want to uninstall the program. Click on “Yes” and restart the computer when the uninstallation process is complete. Malware also has the habit of taking the shape and form of anti-malware software. If you have not installed an anti-malware software on your computer yet, it keeps sending pop-ups, and you need to use a trusted program to scan your device.
Another A more straightforward method you can apply is by using the start menu option. You can do this by pressing on the start button on your computer. By scrolling through the list of all the apps, find the program that you wish to uninstall. The moment you see it, drag your mouse to the program you want to eliminate and right-click on it with the mouse. A menu will appear with the options “Pin to start,” “More,” or “Uninstall.” Click on “Uninstall.”
A window of “Programs and Features” will appear. Scroll down the window and try to locate the program or Windows app you wish to uninstall. When you find it, select it and click the “Uninstall” button.
This method is applicable in Windows 8 and 8.1. However, this time you will right-click a program from the “start screen” instead of the start menu. If none of those methods seems to be the right fit for you, there is one more method that might be easier.
To begin, click on the “Windows start” button and then “Settings” just above the power icon. A “Windows Settings” window will appear once you click on “Settings,” then select “Apps.” You will be directed to the “Apps and Features” page, which contains a list of all the programs present on your computer. Scroll down and try to locate the app that you wish to uninstall. Once you find it, click on it and select the “Uninstall” button. Once again, you will be asked to confirm whether you want to get rid of the program. Confirm this step by clicking “Yes” or “Uninstall,” depending on the option that you will be presented. Depending on the program, you will get a prompt asking you to follow some instructions to complete the uninstallation process. Follow it as required.
If you use Windows 8 or 8.1, the right-click method used in Windows 10 is also applicable. Windows 8.1 utilizes the “Programs and Features” panel to remove apps similarly as well. To uninstall a program from your windows, press the “Windows” key located on the lower-left to access the start screen. Once you find the application you want to uninstall, right-click the icon of the app to reveal a list of options. Click “Uninstall.” A “Program and Features” window of the control panel will pop-up. Locate the app you wish to remove and click on it. Select the “Change” or “Uninstall” command to start the uninstallation wizard.
You can decide to bypass this method by heading straight to the “Programs and Features” panel. Windows 8.1 users, through right-clicking on the start menu to reveal the context menu, then clicking “Programs and Features,” can do this. For Windows 8 users, you need to hover your mouse cursor over the bottom left corner. A small image of the start screen is bound to appear. On the context menu, right-click and select “Programs and Features.”
If you are a Windows 7 user, click on the start button. It’s a colorful Windows button located at the bottom left of the screen. Move to the “Control Panel” option and select “Program.” A “Programs and Features” panel will appear. Scroll through the list of available apps and programs to locate the one that you wish to remove. Select the program and then click “Uninstall.” An uninstallation wizard/prompt will appear. Follow it to eliminate the desired application.
If you are unsure of what program to remove but can trace the time your computer began malfunctioning, you should check the list of recently installed programs that seem unknown. To do this, click on the “Installed On” column. This will arrange all your applications based on the date they were installed. Go through the list of programs and weed out any unknown or unwanted ones.
Google Chrome has a default feature that blocks pop-ups from appearing on your screen. When you block pop-ups, a “Pop-up blocked” mark will show up on the address bar. If, after disabling the pop-ups, you keep getting more, you are likely infected with malware. This is how to deal with Chrome pop-ups.
On your computer, click on the Chrome shortcut on the taskbar, the desktop, or search for it on the bottom left search engine. Once it is open, move your cursor to the left, where you will see three vertically placed dots. Click on it to reveal more options. Scroll down and pick the “Settings” option to open the settings page. Scroll to the bottom left and select the “Advanced” option. Under the “Privacy and Security” option, scroll down to find “Site Settings.”
Look for the “Pop-ups and Redirects” option and click it. It will lead you to a page with blocked or allowed pop-ups. Turn the settings to “Allowed” or “Blocked,” depending on the action that you want to take.
If you wish to block the pop-ups from a site, the first step is to launch the Chrome app. At the top right corner where the vertical dots are, click on them and scroll down to the “Settings” option. At the bottom left, look for the “Advanced” option to reveal a drop-down of other options. Click on “Privacy and Security,” which is the first option, then “Site Settings.” On the settings page, click “Pop-ups and redirects.” Under the “Allow” option, look for the site that you want pop-ups blocked. To the right of the site, there will be three vertical dots again. Click on the dots and select “Block.”
If you want to allow pop-ups from a site, relaunch the Chrome app on your computer. Visit a page where you know pop-ups are restricted. When you look at the address bar, you will see a “Pop-Up Blocked” icon with a red “X” at the bottom right side. Then, click the pop-up link that you want to see. If you wish to always see pop-ups for that specific site, choose the “Always allow pop-ups and redirects.”
Proceed to open the Chrome app from your tablet or phone. At the right of the address bar, locate three vertical dots, and click on it to reveal a list of more options. Select the “Settings” option. You will be directed to the settings page. Tap the “Site Settings” options and then the “Pop-ups and redirects” option. Turn off the “Pop-ups and redirects” option.
Not every popup is an ad or a fraud. If you want to allow specific pop-ups on your device, open the Chrome app, and visit a page where pop-ups are blocked. At the bottom, tap the “Always show” button. If you own a site and pop-ups are being blocked, your website might have issues that you need to address. You can get around this by communicating with the help center or by visiting the “Abusive Experience Report.”
Open the Chrome app on your iPhone or iPad. Look for three horizontal dots on the address bar and click on it. Scroll down to the “Settings” options and click on it. You will be directed to Chrome’s settings page. Look for “Content Settings” and click on it. Then, tap the “Block pop-ups” command to turn the pop-ups off or on. If the pop-ups and dialog of a page do not want to vanish, enable airplane mode on your device. Once this is done, quit the Chrome app and close the tab that has the dialog box or pop-up.
If you wish to allow the pop-ups of a specific site, follow the first step of opening the Chrome browser app. Visit a page where pop-ups are blocked, and at the bottom of the screen under “Pop-ups blocked,” tap on the “Always Show” command.
Mozilla Firefox the ability to block most pop-ups if it is set up well. Also, you may decide to install an add-on to help with the process. In case you choose to do so, make sure to download add-ons from Mozilla’s collection only.
To deal with Firefox pop-ups, open the app and click on the three horizontal bars located in the upper right corner. In the drop-down that appears, select “Options” and then go to the ‘Privacy and Security” tab. Click on it. Below the “Permissions” option, you can uncheck the “block pop-up window” option to deactivate the pop-up blocker. If you wish to add exceptions to the list of blocked pop-ups, click on “Exceptions” and enter the web address. When you are finished, close the window and click “Okay.”
If you need an extra add-on to help you deal with pop-ups, launch Firefox and go to the “Firefox Menu” option located at the top of the window. To access the “Add-ons Manager” tab, click on “Add-ons.” Locate the “Get Add-ons” panel and click on it. Enter your query in the search field, for example, “Pop-up blocker” and press “Enter.” When the search is complete, look for an add-on that describes what you need. If possible, look for one with good reviews before deciding which one you will settle on. After you are sure of one to pick, click “Add to Firefox” and proceed with the installation wizard. Upon completion of the installation, click “Restart Now” and wait for Firefox to start.
To remove unwanted add-ons, click the “Firefox” menu at the top of the Firefox window. Select “Add-ons” then “Plugins” or “Extensions “or “Appearance.” Locate the add-on that you want to be removed and click the “Disable” button. You can now restart Firefox and use it.
Open the Firefox browser and then click on the “Preferences” options. Then, among the list of options, select the “Privacy and Security” tab. Below “Permissions,” you can disable the pop-up blocker by unchecking the “Block pop-up windows.” If you want to add a list of exceptions, click on the “Exceptions” tab and enter the URL of the exempted sites. After that, you are free to close the window.
If Mozilla is the only browser giving you an issue, you can try using the reset feature. Unfortunately, this action will delete all your settings, history, and bookmarks by returning it to its default state. To do this, locate the “Firefox Menu” at the upper right corner of the page. Click on the “Help” button and look for “Troubleshooting Information” when the next tab windows tab opens. Find the “Reset Firefox” button and click on it. By clicking on “Finish,” you have confirmed the reset and completed it.
After reset completion, a folder named ‘Old Firefox Data” will appear on your desktop. In case the reset did not solve the issue you were facing, you can feel free to restore the previous data.
Internet Explorer pop-up displays appear as a result of clicking a button or a link by default.
After opening Internet Explorer, click on the “Tools” icon that is situated at the upper right side of the browser. Select the “Internet Options” tab and then click on the “Privacy” tab once it opens. You will find the option “Turn on Pop-up Blocker” in the privacy tab. Uncheck or check the choice depending on your needs. If you wish to access more advanced features in the “Pop-up blocker section,” click on ‘Settings.”
Once again, after opening Internet Explorer, select the “Pop-up Blocker” option from the “Tools” menu. To turn the pop-up blocker either on or off, click the option to choose the desired effect. If you want to permit specific websites to display automatic pop-ups, you need to go back to “Tools” and select “Pop-up Blocker.” Then, go to “Pop-up Blocker Settings.” You will spot a box marked “Address of website to allow.” The URL of the site that you want to see pop-ups from should be input here. When you are done, click “Add.” Repeat the previous step to add more websites of your choice that you wish to see pop-ups. When you finish adding, click “Close.”
First, launch the Safari browser. From the browser menu, look for “Preferences” and click on it. At the top of the window, click “Websites” and choose the “Pop-up Windows” option. To disable to pop-up blocker, click on the “Allow” option that is located next to the “When visiting other websites” option. If you want to allow specific pop-ups, go to the webpage and follow the first three steps. Make sure to select the “Allow” option that is next to the site's name.
Malwarebytes is a free industry-standard anti-malware program with a paid feature. It can detect and remove malware of all sorts: Trojans, rootkits, worms, adware, spyware, and rouges. The first step involves trying to identify any malicious programs that might be installed on your computer. You can do this by going to the start menu and typing in “Control Panel” as your search. Click on “Control Panel” from the results. Under the “Programs” category, select “Uninstall a program” to display the “Programs and Features” page. This page contains all the installed programs that are present in your device.
Scroll through the list, looking for malicious programs. Some known malicious programs include Wajam, DNS Unlocker, Price Minus, Salus, and Cinema Plus. The chances are that you might not locate malware since they appear with a different name in different devices. If you fail to find suspected malware, go ahead and download Malwarebytes from www.malwarebytes.com. After the download process is complete, double click on it to initiate the setup process.
A “User Account Control” pop-up might ask you if you wish to allow Malwarebytes to make changes to your computer. Click “Yes” to proceed with the installation process. A setup wizard will appear and guide you through the process. To complete the installation process, click “Agree and Install.”
At the end of the installation process, the program will start and make updates to its antivirus database. For a system scan, go the “Scan Now” button and click on it. Malwarebytes will begin the computer scan. Since the process commonly takes a few minutes to end, you can take a break and solve a puzzle to pass the time while checking on the progress.
A screen will appear showing a list of all the malware infections detected after the scan is completed. By clicking on the “Quarantine Selected” button, you will remove all the malicious programs that have been recognized by Malwarebytes. Now that all the malicious registry keys and malware have been found and removed, you need to restart your computer to finish the removal process. You can proceed to close Malwarebytes and enjoy using your computer. You can also decide to repeat the process to ensure all the malware has been removed.
In most scenarios, the free Malwarebytes version works wonders. However, the “real-time scanning” service is only available in premium versions of the program. Besides, both the free and paid version of Malwarebytes can run on your computer alongside other anti-malware software without developing complications.
HitmanPro has a cloud-based approach that scans locations prone to malware and also the behavior of files. If a suspicious malware is detected but is unknown in the HitmanPro database, it is sent to the cloud to be scanned by Kaspersky and Bitdefender. You can download the anti-malware by going to the HitmanPro official website (www.hitmanpro.com) and double-click on the file to install it. If a “User Account Control” pop-up asks for permission to make changes, click “Yes” and proceed with the installation.
When the installation ends, HitmanPro will launch its start screen. Click the “Next” button to begin a scan. As your computer is scanned for malicious programs, you can take a break as you periodically check on the progress of the scan.
When the scan is complete, a list of the detected malware will be on display. Click the “Next” button to eliminate the malware. If you do not want to delete a certain software that is displayed, you have the option of exempting it from the deletion process. To remove all the malicious files, click the “Activate free license” option. Upon completion, you can close the anti-malware and continue with your work.
Among the many new changes seen with Windows 10, an increase in adverts is one of the most notable ones. As more updates come and go, these ads only seem to increase in number. If you cannot bear the sight of them, I will provide tips on how to eradicate them in this article.
As much as the update brought about many new features, a lot of “suggestions” also came along. The purpose of these suggestions is to alert you of new Windows features that they want you to set up. If you're going to put a stop to these suggestions, go to the “Settings” option in the “Start” menu. When the settings page opens, click on “Systems” and lock for ‘Notifications.” Once at notifications, uncheck the third option under “Focus assist settings.”
A tool in Windows called “Windows Spotlight” is used to display lock screen images. These images are usually wallpapers. However, it sometimes sneaks in advertisements such as games and films. If you wish to disable the feature and remove the ads, go to the “Personalization” option under “Settings.” Locate the “Lock Screen” option and change the background to “Slideshow” or “Picture.”
If you have ever seen Windows 10 showing you “suggested apps” in the start menu, it is an attempt to sneak in disguised ads. These ads may not seem problematic, but they are often paid apps that will accumulate valuable start menu space. If you want to disable these suggested apps, click on the “Settings” icon in the “Start” menu. Then, go to “Personalization” and then click on “Start.” You can now uncheck the feature that occasionally shows suggestions in the start menu.
Microsoft refers to these ads as “tricks, suggestions, and tips.” Most of these ads urge you to consider using Microsoft alternatives for already installed apps. If you use Firefox or Chrome, Microsoft Edge is usually one of the commonly pushed ads. If you want to prevent these ads from piling up, you need to go back to access “Settings” and look for “Systems.” Once you are at “Systems,” scroll down to “Notifications and Actions.” Look for the option that suggests tips and tricks and uncheck it.
If you do not use Cortana frequently, it will tend to always try to grab your attention. If you are the impatient type, it can be quite an annoying experience. If you want to take a break from it, head to the “Start” menu and click on “Settings” again. Once there, scroll down and look for “Taskbar Tidbits.” From there, you can block Cortana from popping up with thoughts and greetings. It will now be a patient app waiting for you to interact with it.
The Windows Creator Update also comes packed with ads intended for the file explorer. When using file explorer, a banner may occasionally pop-up and try to entice you to use Office 365 or OneDrive. If you want these ads disabled, look for the “View” tab at the top and click on it. A list of more options will show up. Go over the settings looking for “Show sync provider notifications.” Once you locate it, disable it to get rid of the ads.
To eliminate ads from Microsoft Edge, all you need to do is first get access to its settings. You can do this by launching Microsoft Edge and clicking the three dots located at the top right corner of the browser. From the list that appears, scroll to “Settings” and click on it, then select “Advanced Settings.” Look for an option saying “Block Pop-ups” and slide off the toggle.
Malicious software contributes to the millions that are lost annually through cyber fraud. This software can take the shape of innocent and sometimes helpful programs to fool users into downloading them. Regardless of the measures you take to prevent your computer from pop-ups, your computer still has a chance of being attacked again. If your pop-up blocker has not been configured correctly or you have some exempted sites on your list of exceptions, pop-up blockers will soon find their way into your device. Many possible approaches can be used to deal with pop-ups. All these methods differ based on the type of operating system you own or the type of browser you are running. If you are sure that a newly downloaded program is the cause of your worries, uninstalling it can rid you of a lot of misery. Having a strong anti-malware software is very important to protect you from malicious programs and pop-ups.
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