How to Kill Adware on an Infected Pc | Antivirus

                Kill Adware on an Infected Pc

You already know that malware targets your PC, hinders its performance, and it is frequently used for data mining and theft of private information. The adware is generally less harmful than that, but it tends to be quite annoying. It will likely slow down your computer's performance, and it is designed to generate income for adware owners and is of absolutely no use to the user.

It is still possible to get rid of it, but some stubborn adware infestations are not easy to remove. Here's what you need to know about it.

HOW A PC GETS INFECTED WITH ADWARE

The adware is easier to prevent than to eradicate. To get started, you need to know how it happens on your computer.

Typically, adware programs don't do anything promised in their business and they consist of a basic interface that doesn't do much and takes little time to build. Usually, the user downloads a program that claims to help and is advertised as a performance optimizer, discount and best price finder, movie or music downloader, etc.

Avoiding deals that are just too good to be true is a good way to dodge adware downloads. But it is not always easy. For example, there are applications that offer to block your ads, while injecting ads into your browser.

PREVENTION IS THE WAY TO GO

Avoiding the obvious and less obvious scams is essential, so you should try Googling any download offers you get before making the decision to install it.

Avoid torrents, which are also susceptible to infection with malware, and they can get you in legal trouble as well. Another obvious threat to the adware is the ads on erotic sites.

ADWARE REMOVAL

Now let's see how to get rid of adware. There are basically two ways to get rid of unwanted adware from your computer: manually and with reliable malware removal tools. We recommend you to use both ways in combination for better effect.

MANUAL REMOVAL

Start with manual removal. It might take a while, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

USE THE TASK MANAGER

As the first order of business, make sure you have closed all browsers and programs. Use Task Manager to make sure you have closed all running programs. Once this is done, go to Processor Details in Task Manager. Scroll down and try to spot the processes with suspicious names, unknown symbols, etc. End these processes now.

If you are not sure whether a process is suspicious or not, right-click on it and open its file location. There really isn't a hard and fast definition of how to know something is adware. Just try to get an idea if something is suspicious and see if you can remember to install it. Look for uninstall.exe or uninst.exe in the suspicious file folder and run it to remove the program.

UNINSTALL THE SOFTWARE MANUALLY

Try to uninstall potential adware just like you would any other application. Go to Programs and Features and start removing. Again, look for weird names, weird symbols, and apps that you have no memory of installing. It also allows you to check the installation dates of these applications.

DELETE TEMPORARY AND JUNK FILES

Even if you happen to remove every piece of adware manually, it may still hide in your temporary / junk files. This is a standard tactic used by adware developers. Use CCleaner in this process. This application is quite simple to use. Make sure that you perform cleaning under the Cleaner tab and Recording tab.

Go to the local temp folder (usually located here: C: UsersusernameAppDataLocalTemp) and delete all of its contents.

CLEAN UP YOUR PLANNER AND BROWSER

Take a look at your task planner and look for potentially dangerous tasks that can automatically trigger a hacked page. Delete each of the tasks that may appear suspicious.

Then right-click on your browser icon, go to Properties, enter Shortcut and remove all weird extensions in the target box. Now open your browser and remove all unknown extensions and add-ons.

AUTOMATIC DELETION

MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE

Once you're done removing items manually, download Malwarebytes Antivirus-Malware (MBAM). This tool is great for any type of malware removal. This part is quite simple and straightforward. Once MBAM is installed, perform a full system scan. Once the scan is complete, you will see a list of malware and adware. Select all threats and delete them.

ADWCLEANER

This tool is also very easy to use and works its magic almost on its own. Simply download it, launch it (make sure you're doing it as an administrator, though), start the scan, wait for it to finish, and hit Clean. When the app prompts you to restart your PC, do so.

BE CAREFUL THERE

Even though these tools can help you get rid of all that persistent and annoying adware, you need to be careful. If you don't avoid suspicious apps, you can even get infected with a Trojan, which is much harder to remove. If you are not lucky, you may need to perform an operating system reinstallation.

Are your devices adware-free? Do you know of any other cool anti-adware programs? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.