While doing your homework, you notice random ads popping up on your screen whenever you visit a website. You close them one by one but they still keep bothering you as you visit a website to another. Well, it seems you might be dealing with adware entity or browser hijacker.
There are many adware entities out there today. One is Ads.yahoo.com. What is it? What effects does it bring and what should you do to get rid of it? Read on to find out.
What Is Ads.yahoo.com Adware?
Ads.yahoo.com is an adware program that generates random ads. When these ads are clicked, they redirect users to the Ads.yahoo.com website.
Adware programs such as Ads.yahoo.com leverage users’ browsing behavior to generate revenue. The developers of the adware use the ads to promote advertisements to generate profit using pay-per-click strategies.
What Does Ads.yahoo.com Adware Do?
Once your PC is infected with adware like Ads.yahoo.com, you may start to notice unusual behavior. Here are some of them:
- Trigger the appearance of advertisements
- Change the browser homepage without the user’s permissions
- Web pages do not display properly
- Unwanted programs are installed on your device without your knowledge
- Pop-ups show, recommending the installation of fake software updates
What to Do About Ads.yahoo.com Adware?
If you suspect that your device is infected with Ads.yahoo.com adware, it’s crucial to take immediate action. Refer to the steps below to quickly get rid of it:
Step 1: Remove Ads.yahoo.com pop-ups from your Windows device
You want to get rid of the malware traces on your Windows PC, so the first step you need to take is to remove the pop-ups. Here’s a detailed guide on what to do:
- Go to the Start menu.
- Into the search field, input control panel. Click on the most relevant search result.
- Navigate to Programs and select Uninstall a Program.
- Locate the following programs, click on them, and hit the Uninstall button:
- BetterSurf
- WebExp Enhanced
- Video Player
- Media Player
- Selection Toolkit
- Simply said, find any recently installed programs that you don’t know. They could be malicious entities that may be associated with the Ads.yahoo.com pop-up.
- Reboot your computer for your changes to take effect.
Step 2: Remove the pop-ups from your browser
You also need to remove the pop-ups from your browser. Take note that the steps may vary depending on your browser. Just use the instructions below as your guide.
Internet Explorer:
- Open Internet Explorer.
- Click the wrench icon.
- Select Manage Add-ons.
- Go to Toolbars and Extensions.
- Find any browser helper object or extension that you don’t know.
- Click Disable.
Chrome:
- Launch Google Chrome.
- Into the address bar, type http://chrome:extensions.
- Get rid of any extension you don’t know. You can do so by clicking the trash can icon next to the browser extension.
- Restart Google Chrome.
Mozilla Firefox:
- Launch Mozilla Firefox.
- Click the Firefox button in the upper left corner of the window and select Add-ons.
- Remove any extension that is unfamiliar to you. Do it by clicking the Disable or Remove button next to it.
- Close Firefox and relaunch it.
Step 3: Remove the pop-up by using a third-party adware remover
In this step, we want to scan your PC for any signs of malicious files, extensions, shortcuts, products, services, folders, and other items. We will use a third-party adware remover to delete any of these entities from your browser.
You can do a quick online search for any reliable adware remover. Make sure to download from official and legitimate sources. Once you have one installed on your PC, make it a habit to scan your PC.
To remove the pop-up from your PC using a third-party adware remover, follow these steps:
- Right-click on the icon of your choice of adware remover and select Run as administrator.
- If prompted by the User Account Control, click Yes.
- Click the Scan button to begin scanning your device for any malicious entities.
- Wait as the adware cleaner starts scanning your PC. Once it’s done, it will list down all malicious entities it detects. Untick the items you do not want to remove.
- Continue by clicking the Clean button.
- The adware cleaner may then display more information about the threats. It will also reboot your PC.
Step 4: Reset your browser’s settings
Finally, you want to restore your browser to its default settings. This step is probably the fastest and easiest way to get rid of the adware. However, before you do this, do understand that this may lose all your personal settings. So, think ahead.
Should you decide to reset your browser to its default settings, follow the steps below.
Internet Explorer:
- Launch Internet Explorer.
- Click the tiny wrench icon in the upper right corner of the browser.
- Choose Internet Options.
- Go to Advanced and click Reset.
- Tick the Delete Personal Settings option.
- Hit the Reset button.
- Restart Internet Explorer.
Google Chrome:
- Launch Google Chrome.
- Click the three-dotted button.
- Choose Settings.
- Scroll down and click the Show Advanced Settings option.
- Scroll down once again and hit the Reset browser settings button.
- Hit the Reset button.
Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox.
- Click the Orange Firefox button in the upper-left portion of the window.
- Go to Help and click Troubleshooting Information.
- Click the Reset Firefox button.
- Confirm the reset process by clicking the Reset Firefox button once again.
- Hit Finish.
- Firefox will then restart automatically.
Summary
By now, your PC should be free from the Ads.yahoo.com adware. If you still notice signs of adware, it might be best to consult with Windows experts. Let them check and scan your PC on your behalf. Once the Ads.yahoo.com adware has been removed, make sure you regularly scan your device using a trusted anti-malware software. This will keep any malware entities at bay.
Have you been bothered by the Ads.yahoo.com adware before? How did you get rid of it? Let us know in the comments.