“Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” is a scam alert created to bring profits to people responsible for it. It says that your computer has been locked, but there’s nothing actually wrong with it. The only problem is malware infection and removing it rids you of all the trouble at once. But con artists behind “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” do their best to make you think that you can’t access the system anymore. You’re told to dial a toll-free number +1-844-284-8623 at once and let qualified engineers that know their profession inside out help you.
But that’s exactly what you shouldn’t do. The number isn’t really free and you get charged quite a bit for calling it. That’s why you won’t receive any useful advice – why would cybercriminals on the other side of the line do that when their revenue depends on how long you’re kept talking? They may also ask you to let a Remote Desktop Connection to your PC be established and this is also something you should never agree to do. Otherwise, your computer will get locked for real and you won’t be able to access it until the payment is made.
So don’t give con artists the satisfaction of winning – download a program like SpyHunter instead and use it to delete this threat from the system. A manual on how to do that is provided below the article, so follow it step by step and your efforts should eventually give you the results you want. Once they do, steer clear of shady pages, don’t install unknown browser extensions and plugins without gathering some information beforehand, download files and torrents from trustworthy sources, and opt for a Custom installation to put new software on the PC. Doing all that should give it protection from scam alerts like “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections”.
Common symptoms of “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” scam
- You’re getting annoying unwanted pop-up alerts
- Multiple redirects to suspicious third-party websites
- You’re getting other harmful programs
- “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” may modify browser security settings
- You’re getting pop-up ads or banner ads
- You’re not able to manually undo changes made by “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections”
- Your browser is slowing down or even crushing
- “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” may disable browser updates
- You may discover suspicious browser toolbars, expansions or plug-ins
- Unwanted programs or free games can be installed on your computer without your permission
- Sluggish PC performance, system errors and crushes
- System shut-downs for no apparent reason
Potential sources of “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” threat
- “Bundling” to freeware or sharefree software, including video and audio converters, video players and video streaming programs, download helpers etc.
- Malicious browser expansions and toolbars
- Compromised websites which offer different digital downloads or infect victims’ computers with malware and adware
- Fake alerts claiming that you need to update a software, Flash Player, Java, FLV Player or your browser
- Malicious attachments and download links in unknown emails
- Downloads from P2P-networks, torrent-trackers and sharing resources
Remove “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” from your PC
You can easily remove “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” scam from your system using one of the effective anti-malware tools listed below, or you can follow our detailed step-by-step manual removal guide.
Part 1. Remove “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” Automatically
Download and install one of the recommended anti-malware tools to automatically remove “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” and other malware threats from your PC.
Quick Removal with Plumbytes Anti-Malware
1. You should download Plumbytes Anti-Malware installer to scan your computer for any malware or adware that might infected your computer. Plumbytes Anti-Malware is a trusted software that can detect and remove most of security threats, including adware, ransomware, PUPs, trojans, worms and rootkits.
DOWNLOAD PLUMBYTES ANTI-MALWARE
2. Double-click the downloaded “antimalwaresetup.exe” installation file to launch it.
3. Click “Install” button to start the installation process. The setup wizard will automatically start to download necessary program files to your computer. Once download completed, Plumbytes Anti-Malware will be automatically installed on your computer. The entire installation process takes only 2-3 minutes.
4. Once installed, Plumbytes Anti-Malware will automatically update its antivirus signatures database and then start smart system scan to detect all malware, adware, spyware and other security threats.
5. You will see the detailed list of security threats and potentially unwanted applications detected on your PC. Click “Remove Selected” button to clear your PC from malicious files, adware and potentially unwanted applications.
Double-Check Your PC with SpyHunter 4 Anti-Malware
6. You can double-check your computer with SpyHunter 4 Anti-Malware in order to remove any leftover malware and adware traces. SpyHunter is considered as one of the best and most effective anti-malware tools today. Click the button below to download SpyHunter installation package.
DOWNLOAD SPYHUNTER ANTI-MALWARE
7. Double-click the downloaded “SpyHunter-Installer.exe” file to start the installation process.
8. When the installation starts, the Setup Wizard will offer a few options and settings that you may want to configure. We recommend just clicking “Next” button to accept the default application settings. You can check out our detailed SpyHunter 4 Anti-Malware Setup & User Guide which can help you to go through the installation process and provide important information about malware scans and program settings.
9. Once the installation completed, SpyHunter 4 will automatically update antivirus database and latest virus definitions. Next, SpyHunter 4 Quick Scan will automatically check your computer for any malware, adware, spyware and other security threats.
10. You will see the detailed list of viruses and potentially unwanted applications detected on your PC. Click “Next” button to clear your PC from malicious files, adware and PUPs.
Alternate Recommended Anti-Malware Tools
The following awesome full-scale anti-malware products also have proved their effectiveness against all types of malware and adware. However, some of these anti-malware programs don’t provide a free trial version, and you’ll have to purchase a license key in order to clean your computer from the detected malware and PUPs.
1. HitmanPro.Alert – Download | Our Review – 30-Day Free Trial
2. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware – Download | Our Review – 14-Day Free Trial
3. Emsisoft Anti-Malware – Download | Our Review – 30-Day Free Trial
4. WiperSoft Antispyware – Download | Our Review
5. OSHI Defender AntiMalware – Download | Our Review
Part 2. Remove “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” Manually (Removal Guide)
Notice: Manual removal guide is recommended to experienced computer users. Incorrect modifications introduced into the Windows operating system, Windows Registry or browser settings may result in serious system fails or software errors.
We’ve created this step-by-step removal guide to help you manually remove “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” and other similar security threats from your computer. Please carefully follow all the steps listed in the instruction below. We’ve attached detailed screenshots and video guides for your convenience. If you have any questions or issues, please contact us via email, create a public forum question or contact us using online contact form. Please add your comments and suggestions to this guide below.
Windows 10
Removal Instructions for Windows 10 Users
STEP 1: Stop Suspicious Processes in Task Manager
Prior to the manual removal of malware infection, you need to stop any suspicious applications and processes running on your computer. Task Manager tool allows you to get the full list of processes running on your and the amount of GPU resources each task is utilizing.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight RKill utility that automatically terminates malicious processes running on a computer.
First, you need to open the Task Manager. Press Windows + R keys and type taskmgr or taskmgr.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
There is another way to open the Task Manager in Windows 10 operating system.
Simply right-click Windows 
icon in the bottom-left corner and then select Task Manager.
Go to Processes tab and select the processes that appear to be malware or adware. Unfortunately, some viruses mimic the names of system components for a reason and sometimes even displace them. You can right-click a process and select Properties to identify when it was installed and other information. This information might give you a clue whether or not a running process is legit or potentially malicious.
Select the suspicious process and click End Task button.
STEP 2: Remove Unwanted Programs in Control Panel
You should try to uninstall the adware application using “Programs and Features” tool in the Windows Control Panel.
Press Windows + R keys and type appwiz.cpl into the Open: field. Click OK button.
There is another way to launch Control Panel using Start Menu. Move the cursor to Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your desktop.
Right-click Windows button or press Windows + X keys. Select Control Panel.
Click Uninstall a program link in the Programs section.
Sort the installed programs by “Installed On” date to find recently installed applications. Select the entry for the program you want to remove and click Uninstall button.
Confirm the removal and wait until the program is finished uninstalling.
STEP 3: Clean Windows Registry
It’s strongly recommended to clean your Windows Registry in order to remove all entries and registry keys associated with malware or adware. Windows Registry contains all the settings and information for the software applications and user accounts in your Windows operating system. You need to launch Registry Editor utility to make changes to registry.
Apart from this manual instruction, you can try to use the CCleaner Professional program which described below in our guide. This effective program helps to clean and fix Windows Registry.
Press Windows + R and type Run regedit or regedit.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
Click Yes button in the User Account Control window to allow the Registry Editor to make changes.
When you open the Registry Editor for the first time, you’ll see a treeview on the left-hand side that contains all of the registry keys with values and data on the right-hand side.
Once Registry Editor is opened, you need to find and remove registry keys and values created by malware or adware.
Press Ctrl + F (or go to Menu –> Edit –> Find) to open the Find bar.
Look up the name of the malware or adware affecting your PC and type it into “Find what:” text box. Check all checkboxes and then click Find Next button.
Right-click on the located registry entry and click Delete from the context menu. Repeat this process for each of the registry entries associated with malware.
Click Yes button in the confirmation window.
Once you reset your browser settings to default and check all browser shortcuts, you will need to reboot your PC to save the changes you made to the Windows registry.
Click button, go to Power icon and click Restart.
Windows 8
Removal Instructions for Windows 8.1 Users
STEP 1: Stop Suspicious Processes in Task Manager
Prior to the manual removal of malware infection, you need to stop any suspicious applications and processes running on your computer. Task Manager tool allows you to get the full list of processes running on your computer and the amount of GPU resources each task is utilizing.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight RKill utility that automatically terminates malicious processes running on a computer.
Press Windows + R keys and type taskmgr or taskmgr.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
There is another way to launch Task Manager in Windows 8.1.
Simply right-click Windows 
icon in the bottom-left corner and then select Task Manager.
Go to Processes tab and select the processes that appear to be malware or adware. Unfortunately, some viruses use names of system components for a reason and sometimes even displace them. You can right-click a process and select Properties to identify when it was installed and other information. This information might give you a clue whether or not a running process is legit or potentially malicious.
Select the suspicious process and click End Task button.
STEP 2: Remove Unwanted Programs in Control Panel
You should try to uninstall the adware application using “Programs and Features” tool in the Windows Control Panel.
Press Windows + R keys and type appwiz.cpl into the Open: field. Click OK button.
There is another way to launch Control Panel using Start Menu. Move the cursor to Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your desktop.
Right-click Windows icon or press Windows + X keys. Select Control Panel.
Click Uninstall a program link in the Programs section.
Sort the installed programs by “Installed On” date to find rcently installed applications. Select the entry for the program you want to remove and click Uninstall button.
Confirm the removal and wait until the program is finished uninstalling.
STEP 3: Clean Windows Registry
It’s strongly recommended to clean your Windows Registry to remove all entries and registry keys associated with malware infection. The Windows Registry contains all the settings and information for the software applications and user accounts in your Windows OS. You need to open Registry Editor utility to make changes to registry.
Apart from this manual instruction, you can try to use the CCleaner Professional program which described below in our guide. This effective program helps to clean and fix Windows Registry.
Press Windows + R and type Run regedit or regedit.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
Click Yes button in the User Account Control window in order to allow the Regstry Editor to make changes.
When you open the Registry Editor for the first time, you’ll see a treeview on the left-hand side that contains all of the registry keys with values and data on the right-hand side.
Once Registry Editor is opened, you should find and remove registry keys and values created by malware infection.
Press Ctrl + F (or go to Menu –> Edit –> Find) to open the Find bar.
Look up the name of the malware or adware affecting your PC and type it into “Find what:” text box. Select all checkboxes and then click Find Next button.
Right-click on the located registry entry and click Delete from the context menu. Repeat this process for each of the registry entries associated with the malware or adware.
Click Yes button in the confirmation window.
You will need to reboot your PC to save the changes you made to the Windows registry.
Click button , go to Power icon and click Restart.
Windows 7
Removal Instructions for Windows 7 Users
STEP 1: Stop Suspicious Processes in Task Manager
Prior to the manual removal of malware infection, you need to stop any suspicious applications and processes running on your computer. Task Manager tool allows you to get the full list of processes running on your computer and the amount of GPU resources each task is utilizing.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight RKill utility that automatically terminates malicious processes running on a computer.
Press Windows + R keys and type taskmgr or taskmgr.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
Go to Processes tab and select the processes that appear to be malware or adware. Unfortunately, some viruses use names of system components for a reason and sometimes even displace them. You can right-click a process and select Properties to identify when it was installed and other information. This information might give you a clue whether or not a running process is legit or potentially malicious.
Select the suspicious process and click End Process button.
Click End process button in the confirmation window.
STEP 2: Remove Unwanted Programs in Control Panel
You should try to uninstall the adware application using “Programs and Features” tool in the Windows Control Panel.
Press Windows + R keys and type appwiz.cpl into the search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
There is another way to launch Control Panel using Start Menu.
Move the cursor to Windows 
icon in the bottom-left corner of your desktop. Select Control Panel.
Click Uninstall a program link in the Programs section.
Sort the installed programs by “Installed On” date to find recently installed applications. Select the entry for the program you want to remove and click Uninstall button.
STEP 3: Clean Windows Registry
It’s strongly recommended to clean your Windows Registry to remove all entries associated with malware infection. The Windows Registry contains all the settings and information for the software applications and user accounts in your Windows OS. You need to launch Registry Editor utility to make changes to registry.
Apart from this manual instruction, you can try to use the CCleaner Professional program which described below in our guide. This effective program helps to clean and fix Windows Registry.
Press Windows + R and type Run regedit or regedit.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
Click Yes button in the User Account Control window in order to allow the Regisry Editor to make changes.
When you open the Registry Editor for the first time, you’ll see a treeview on the left-hand side that contains all of the registry keys with values and data on the right-hand side.
Once Registry Editor is opened, you need to find and remove registry keys and values created by malware infection.
Press Ctrl + F (or go to Menu –> Edit –> Find) to open the Find bar.
Look up the name of the malware or adware affecting your PC and type it into “Find what:” text box. Check all checkboxes and then click Find Next button.
Right-click on the located registry entry and click Delete from the context menu. Repeat this process for each of the registry entries associated with the malware or adware.
Click Yes button in the confirmation window.
Once you reset your browser settings to default and check all browser shortcuts, you will need to reboot your PC to save the changes you made to the Windows registry.
Click button and move the cursor to Shut down button. Select Restart option.
Windows XP
Removal Instructions for Windows XP Users
STEP 1: Stop Suspicious Processes in Task Manager
Prior to the manual removal of malware infection, you need to stop any suspicious applications and processes running on your computer. Task Manager tool allows you to get the full list of processes running on your computer and the amount of GPU resources each task is utilizing.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight RKill utility that automatically terminates malicious processes running on a computer.
Press Windows + R keys and type taskmgr or taskmgr.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
Go to Processes tab and select the processes that appear to be malware or adware. Unfortunately, some viruses use names of system components for a reason and sometimes even displace them. You can right-click a process and select Properties to identify when it was installed and other information. This information might give you a clue whether or not a running process is legit or potentially malicious.
Select the suspicious process and click End Process button.
Click Yes button in the confirmation window.
STEP 2: Remove Unwanted Programs in Control Panel
You can easily uninstall potentially unwanted applications using “Add/Remove Programs” tool in the Windows Control Panel.
Press Windows + R keys and type appwiz.cpl into the search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
There is another way to launch Control Panel using Start button.
Click Start 
button in the bottom-left corner of your desktop screen or press Windows key. Go to Control Panel.
Go to Add or Remove Programs tool in the Control Panel.
Sort the installed programs by Date Last Used to find recently installed applications. Select the entry for the program you want to uninstall and click Remove button.
Click Remove button to confirm the removal. Wait until the program is finished uninstalling.
STEP 3: Clean Windows Registry
It’s strongly recommended to clean your Windows Registry to remove all entries and registry keys associated with malware or adware. The Windows Registry contains all the settings and information for the software applications and user accounts in your Windows OS. You need to open Registry Editor utility to make changes to registry.
Apart from this manual instruction, you can try to use the CCleaner Professional program which described below in our guide. This effective program helps to clean and fix Windows Registry.
Press Windows + R and type Run regedit or regedit.exe into the Open: search field. Click OK button or press Enter key.
Once Registry Editor is opened, you need to find and remove registry keys and values created by malware.
Press Ctrl + F (or go to Menu –> Edit –> Find) to open the Find bar.
Look up the name of the malware or adware affecting your PC and type it into “Find what:” text box. Select all checkboxes and then click Find Next button.
Right-click on the located registry entry and click Delete from the context menu. Repeat this process for each of the registry entries associated with the malware or adware.
Click Yes button in the confirmation window.
Once you reset your browser settings to default and check all browser shortcuts, you will need to reboot your PC to save the changes you made to the Windows registry.
Click button to open Start Menu and then click Turn Off Computer button to restart your computer.
Click Restart button in the dialog box and wait till your PC restarts.
Remove “Firewall detecting ‘suspicious’ incoming network connections” from Web Browsers
If your default homepage or search engine page has been changed without your permission, or you’re having problems with multiple redirects or annoying pop-up and context ads, it means that your browser is hijacked. We strongly recommend you to restore your browser to default settings and clean your browser shortcuts. This step-bystep guide will help you to get rid of any browser hijacker or adware (including malicious browser extensions, plug-ins or toolbars).
Chrome
Removal Instructions for Google Chrome
STEP 5: Restore Google Chrome to Default Settings
You should restore your Google Chrome browser to default settings in order to get rid of browser redirects, pop up ads or other adware infection. All of your stored bookmarks and passwords will stay safe.
Open the Google Chrome browser and click Menu 
icon in the upper-right corner of the page. Go to the Settings menu.
Scroll to the bottom of the chrome://settings page
And click the Advanced.
Next, scroll to the bottom of the page once more and click Reset button.
Click Reset button in the confirmation window opened.
STEP 6: Fix Hijacked Google Chrome Browser Shortcuts
In some cases, a browser hijacker may infect shortcuts on your desktop, start menu and task bar in order to cause multiple browser redirects to third-party websites or to show you annoying pop up ads, or even to display fake security alerts. Browser hijackers can do this by adding some extra information to the existing browser shortcuts on your PC. That’s why you need to manually check browser shortcuts to protect yourself from browser hijackers and other adware.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight Shortcut Cleaner utility that can automatically fix hijacked browser shortcuts.
Right-click the web browser shortcut and select Properties option.
If the infected shortcut is pinned at your taskbar, right-click the icon and choose Google Chrome. Next, right-click Google Chrome and select Properties option. Then left-click the selected Properties to proceed.
Go to Shortcut tab. Carefully check Target field (path to executable file). This path line must end with executable file (.exe) of your browser, nothing else. If Target field ends with .bin, .url or any other file extension, it means that your browser shortcut is hijacked by malware.
Below you can find the default paths to executable files of Google Chrome browser.
| Web Browser | Path to executable file |
|---|---|
| Google Chrome | C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe |
| C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe | |
| C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe |
If you detected that browser hijacker had modified the path to executable file, simply remove all unnecessary entries at the end of Target path field. On Shortcut tab, carefully check the Target field and delete malicious [Unknown URL] entry at the end of the system path.
You should also check and modify all other browser shortcuts that can be found in Windows Start Menu, Desktop and Taskbar.
Firefox
Removal Instructions for Mozilla Firefox
STEP 5: Restore Mozilla Firefox to Default Settings
You should restore your Mozilla Firefox browser to default settings in order to get rid of browser redirects, pop up ads or other adware infection. All of your stored bookmarks and passwords will stay safe.
Launch Mozilla Firefox browser. Click Menu 
icon in the upper-right corner of the page. Next, click Help Menu 
icon below.
From the Help Menu list, select Troubleshooting Information option. You may also type about:support in Mozilla Firefox address bar to bring up Troubleshooting Information page.
Click Refresh Firefox… button in the dialog window.
Click Refresh Firefox button in the confirmation window.
STEP 6: Fix Hijacked Mozilla Firefox Browser Shortcuts
In some cases, a browser hijacker may infect shortcuts on your desktop, start menu and task bar in order to cause multiple browser redirects to third-party websites or to show you annoying pop up ads, or even to display fake security alerts. Browser hijackers can do this by adding some extra information to the existing browser shortcuts on your PC. That’s why you need to manually check browser shortcuts to protect yourself from browser hijackers and other adware.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight Shortcut Cleaner utility that can automatically fix hijacked browser shortcuts.
Right-click the web browser shortcut and select Properties option.
If the infected shortcut is pinned at your taskbar, right-click the icon and choose Mozilla Firefox. Right-click Mozilla Firefox and select Properties option. Then left-click the selected Properties to proceed.
Go to Shortcut tab. Carefully check Target field (path to executable file). This path line must end with executable file (.exe) of your browser, nothing else. If Target field ends with .bin, .url or any other file extension, it means that your browser shortcut is hijacked by malware.
Below you can find the default paths to executable files of Mozilla Firefox browser.
| Web Browser | Path to executable file |
|---|---|
| Mozilla Firefox | C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe |
| C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe |
If you detected that browser hijacker had modified the path to executable file, simply remove all unnecessary entries at the end of Target path field. On Shortcut tab, carefully check the Target field and delete malicious [Unknown URL] entry at the end of the system path.
You should also check and modify all other browser shortcuts that can be found in Windows Start Menu, Desktop and Taskbar.
Internet Explorer
Removal Instructions for Internet Explorer
STEP 5: Restore Internet Explorer to Default Settings
You should restore your Internet Explorer browser to default settings in order to get rid of browser redirects, pop up ads or other adware infection. All of your stored bookmarks and passwords will stay safe.
Launch the Internet Explorer browser. Locate and click Tools Menu 
icon in the upper-right corner of the page. Go to Internet options menu.
Go to Advanced tab and click Reset… button below.
In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings window, check the Delete personal settings check box and click the Reset button.
Next, click Close button in the confirmation box.
Once the task is complete, Internet Explorer will ask to restart your computer. Do NOT hurry to restart your PC! Prior to the restart of computer, you need to clean your Windows Registry and clean web browser shortcuts.
STEP 6: Fix Hijacked Internet Explorer Browser Shortcuts
In some cases, a browser hijacker may infect shortcuts on your desktop, start menu and task bar in order to cause multiple browser redirects to malicious websites or to show you annoying pop up ads, or even fake security alerts. Browser hijackers can do this by adding some extra information to the existing browser shortcuts on your PC. That’s why you need to manually check browser shortcuts to protect yourself from browser hijackers and adware.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight Shortcut Cleaner utility that can automatically fix hijacked browser shortcuts.
Right-click the web browser shortcut and select Properties option.
If the infected shortcut is pinned at your taskbar, right-click the icon and choose Internet Explorer. Right-click Internet Explorer and select Properties option. Then left-click the selected Properties to proceed.
Go to the Shortcut tab. Carefully check Target field (path to executable file). This path line must end with executable file (.exe) of your browser, nothing else. If Target field ends with .bin, .url or any other file extension, it means that your browser shortcut is hijacked by malware.
Below you can find the default paths to executable files of Internet Explorer browser.
| Web Browser | Path to executable file |
|---|---|
| Interner Explorer | C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe |
| C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe |
If you detected that browser hijacker had modified the path to executable file, simply remove all unnecessary entries at the end of Target path field. On Shortcut tab, carefully check the Target field and delete [Unknown URL] entry at the end of the system path.
You should also check and modify all other browser shortcuts that can be found on Windows Start Menu, Desktop and Taskbar.
Edge
Removal Instructions for Microsoft Edge Browser
STEP 5: Restore Microsoft Edge to Default Settings
You should restore your Microsoft Edge browser to default settings in order to get rid of browser redirects, pop up ads or other adware infection. All of your stored bookmarks and passwords will stay safe.
Launch your Microsoft Edge browser. Click Menu 
icon in the upper-right corner of the page. Go to the Settings option.
Next, click Choose what to clear button to clear all browsing data.
Check all checkboxes in this window and then click Clear button.
Press the Windows logo key + X (or right-click on the ) to open Start Menu. Select Task Manager option. Go to Processes tab and select Microsoft Edge line. Right-click on the found Microsoft Edge and select Go to details option in the properties window.
Scroll the next window and locate MicrosoftEdge processes. Right-click on one of the MicrosoftEdge processes and select End task option.
Click End process button in the confirmation window. Repeat this process and shut down other running MicrosoftEdge processes in the Task Manager.
Opera
Removal Instructions for Opera Browser
STEP 5: Remove Adware from Opera Browser
Unfortunately, there is no special option provided in Opera settings in order to restore this browser to default. However, it’s quite easy to clean your Opera browser from annoying redirects, pop up or any other adware using the following instruction.
Open your Opera web browser. Click Menu 
icon in the upper-left corner of the page. Go to About Opera option.
Copy the Profile and Cache path lines one after another. (Highlighted in yellow in the screenshot below).
Open Windows Explorer and search the copied paths of Opera Stable program folders. You can also manually locate these two program folders stored on your local hard drive.
Close your Opera browser and then delete all files and subfolders in two located Opera Stable program folders. Only this way Opera browser can be 100% cleared from all traces of adware and browser redirects.
We’ve provided two detailed screenshots below for your convenience.
Profile folder
Cache folder
STEP 6: Fix Hijacked Opera Browser Shortcuts
In some cases, a browser hijacker may infect shortcuts on your desktop, start menu and task bar in order to cause multiple browser redirects to malicious websites or to show you annoying pop up ads, or even fake security alerts. Browser hijackers can do this by adding some extra information to the existing browser shortcuts on your PC. That’s why you need to manually check browser shortcuts to protect yourself from browser hijackers and adware.
In addition to this manual instruction, below you can find a free and lightweight Shortcut Cleaner utility that can automatically fix hijacked browser shortcuts.
Right-click the Opera browser shortcut and select Properties option.
If the infected shortcut is pinned at your taskbar, right-click the icon and choose Opera. Right-click Opera and select Properties option. Then left-click the selected Properties to proceed.
Go to Shortcut tab. Carefully check Target field (path to executable file). This path line must end with executable file (.exe) of your browser, nothing else. If Target field ends with .bin, .url or any other file extension, it means that your browser shortcut is hijacked by malware.
Below you can find the default paths to executable files of most popular browsers.
| Web Browser | Path to executable file |
|---|---|
| Opera | C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe |
| C:\Program Files\Opera\launcher.exe |
If you detected that browser hijacker had modified the path to executable file, simply remove all unnecessary entries at the end of Target path field. On Shortcut tab, carefully check the Target field and delete malicious [Unknown URL] entry at the end of the system path.
You should also check and modify all other browser shortcuts that can be found in Windows Start Menu, Desktop and Taskbar.
Part 3. Useful Free Utilities for Our Manual Guide
The following small and free applications can help you to execute some of the important tasks which are described in our manual adware removal guide.
RKill – Stops Malicious Processes
If you can’t manually find and terminate malicious processes in the Task Manager, you can download a free Rkill utility by BleepingComputer that stops known malware and adware processes so that your anti-malware software can normally start and run, and remove all traces of malware infections. RKill doesn’t delete any system files, this application only stops a malicious running process. Once RKill finished its execution, you should immediately scan your computer with one of the anti-malware tools listed above.
CCleaner Professional – Cleans Windows Registry
CCleaner is an award-winning PC optimization tool that allows to fix Windows Registry errors, clean your computer from unused system and browser files, erase cookies and your browsing history and significantly improve your computer’s overall speed and performance. CCleaner Professional comes with a free 14-day trial version.
DOWNLOAD CCLEANER PROFESSIONAL
Shortcut Cleaner – Cleans Hijacked Browser Shortcuts
If you can’t manually fix your hijacked brower shortcuts, you can download a free Shortcut Cleaner program by BleepingComputer that checks your Windows shortcuts and cleans them so that your browser doesn’t redirect to unwanted websites or display pop-up ads. Shortcut Cleaner is also able to clean hijacked Windows registry entries associated with known browser hijackers.
Part 4. How to Prevent Adware Attacks?
If you want to prevent further irritating adware or pop-up ads from infecting your computer, please read and follow the common PC security tips below. These general tips will help to protect your computer against most adware, spyware and malware threats.
Follow These Simple Security Tips
- Most of adware viruses typically come bundled with legitimate software. Carefully read all the fine print about what you might be installing with the downloaded software. Opt out of installing the unwanted bundled freeware;
- Always select Custom/Advanced option for the type of installation, carefully check every installation step and pay attention to checkboxes;
- Don’t click on suspicious pop-up ads and banner ads;
- Keep your web browser up to date;
- Protect your web browser with a strong password;
- Keep browser extensions and plug-ins up to date;
- Install trusted antivirus and firewall software. Set up daily automatic updates of antivirus databases;
- Keep the automatic updates of your operating system on;
- Avoid suspicious and untrustworthy websites;
- Avoid unexpected and spam emails. Don’t open attachments from strange-looking unknown emails and don’t click any links in such messages;
- Always scan all downloaded files for malware. Check files on your USB flash-drives or external HDDs.
(Optional) Use Adblock Plus Extension
If you’re tired of intrusive adware infections, we recommend to install a free Adblock Plus extension for your browser. This small and effective tool can help you forget about annoying ads and browser hijackers.
Adblock Plus is a popular FREE open-source ad-blocking browser extension. About 20 million PC users use Adblock Plus on a daily basis. Adblock Plus does a great job filtering out online ads, including pop-ups, banners, browser redirects, adware and more. Adblock Plus also blocks most tracking tools which usually track your surfing activity and browsing history during each browsing session.
Just visit https://adblockplus.org/ website and click “Install” button. Once you install Adblock Plus for your favorite browser, you can customize this extension to fit your personal browsing needs.
