Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (2024)

Table of Contents
Change your default ads permissions Remove unwanted programs (Windows, Mac) Reset your browser settings More info about 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.

Learn how to block or allow pop-ups in Chrome.

Change your default ads permissions

To prevent sites from showing you intrusive or misleading ads by changing your settings.

  1. Open Chrome Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (1).
  2. At the top right, click More Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (2)Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (3) Settings.
  3. Click Privacy and securityRemove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (4)Site Settings.
  4. Click Additional content settingsRemove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (5)Ads.
  5. Select the option you want as your default setting.

Remove unwanted programs (Windows, Mac)

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

Remove malware from your computer (Windows)

Chrome can help you find suspicious or unwanted programs on your computer. If Chrome finds an unwanted program, click Remove. Chrome will remove the software, change some settings to default, and turn off extensions.

You can also check for malware manually.

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (6) Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (7) Settings.
  3. Click Reset and clean up Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (8) Clean up computer.
  4. Click Find.
  5. If you're asked to remove unwanted software, click Remove. You may be asked to reboot your computer.

Manually remove malicious programs (Mac)

You can remove malware and other programs on your computer that you don't remember installing.

  1. Open Finder.
  2. On the left, click Applications.
  3. Look for any programs you don't recognize.
  4. Right-click the name of any unwanted programs.
  5. Click Move to Trash.
  6. When you're done, at the bottom, right-click Trash.
  7. Click Empty Trash.

Restore quarantined files (Windows)

Chrome can help you find suspicious or unwanted programs on your computer. If Chrome finds an unwanted program, Chrome will remove the software, change some settings to default, and turn off extensions.

If you think Chrome removed a file that’s safe or personal by mistake, you can restore the file.

  1. On your computer, open the folder %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome Cleanup Tool\Quarantine.
  2. Open the folder Quarantine.
  3. Click Continue.
  4. Right-click the file you want to restore and click Extract all.
  5. Enter the password chrome_cleanup.

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

Reset your browser settings

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (9) Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (10) Settings.
    • On Chromebook, Linux, and Mac: Click Reset settings Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (11) Restore settings to their original defaults Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (12) Reset settings.
    • On Windows: Click Reset and cleanup Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (13) Reset settings to their original defaults Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (14) Reset settings.

If you removed unwanted programs or reset your browser settings, you might need to turn some extensions back on. To turn extensionson, at the top right, click More Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (15) Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (16) More Tools Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (17) Extensions. Only turn on extensions you trust.

If the steps above don't work, visit the Chrome Help Forum.

More info about malware

How to spot malware (video, 1:42)

Three tips for spotting malware (1:42)

Learn what to look for when you have malware on your computer and how to stay safe online.

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 at no charge 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.
  • Use Safe Browsing in Chrome and set your protection level to Enhanced protection.

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.

To identify unwanted software that's been installed and remove it, run a Safety Check:

  1. In your address bar, enter chrome://settings/safetyCheck.
  2. Select Check now.

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Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware - Computer (2024)
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