Ads are a bother, whenever and wherever you see them. Imagine doing your own thing for work and suddenly you get a pop-up ad for a product you don’t need, let alone you don’t know.
WinSnare is one of the unwanted programs that run these ads. If it’s WinSnare that’s running the ads in your browser, you will notice the letters of its name in the ad itself. Whether you’re using Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer, you are susceptible to contracting this unwanted software. But worry not, as we are here to give you a guide on how to remove the WinSnare virus with complete steps for Chrome, Firefox, and Explorer.
About the WinSnare Virus?
Before we delve into how to remove the WinSnare virus, let us get to know this program first. Now what is the WinSnare virus and what does the WinSnare virus do to your personal computer?
WinSnare is a potentially unwanted program or PUP. (PUPs like WinSnare are applications that a computer user perceives as unwanted, even though the same user may have consented to have it downloaded. PUPs can be spyware, adware, or dialer, and they are downloaded together with an application that the user actually wants.)
WinSnare, which is bombarding you with unwanted ads, is a PUP adware. These ads are placed anywhere on your screen, waiting for you to click on them at least once. Every click gets the developer of this adware cash. This money-driven pay-per-click scheme is what makes them place an insane amount of ads every time you use your browser.
As if this isn’t enough, these developers run a script that determines which niche you are more driven into and consequently gives you ads that are related to that niche. This script uses your browsing history (your most visited pages, your search history, etc.) to know which ones you will most likely get attracted to clicking on.
Is the WinSnare Virus Dangerous?
It has its negative effects, like any adware does. But all definitions considered, WinSnare may not be as dangerous as it sounds. Here, however, is an easy-to-comprehend breakdown of what it can do:
One, once you click on one of the ads, it may redirect you to some shady website or whatever dangerous part of the Web. So it is better to be careful when it comes to clicking banners.
Two, there’s privacy invasion. As mentioned, adware developers run a script that uses your browsing activities to know which ads you will most likely get attracted to. This scheme, which is known as pay per click, has the potential to get to the most confidential of the information you submit online.
Lastly, according to Dowser, adware PUPs can decrease the productivity of your computer. This is because these programs would need a number of PC resources to support the display of ridiculous amount of ads.
How Does One Get Rid of the WinSnare Virus?
Below is a WinSnare virus removal guide from your Control Panel and for Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer:
Removing WinSnare from Your Control Panel
Step 1: Go to your Desktop.
Step 2: Press Win + R.
Step 3: In the window that pops up, type appwiz.cpl.
Step 4: Look for WinSnare or any potentially unwanted programs. Right-click, then click on Uninstall.
Now that we’ve removed it from your Control Panel, let’s get into getting rid of it from your browser.
Chrome
Step 1: Open Chrome.
Step 2: Click on the vertical three-dot line in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Step 3: Look for More tools.
Step 4: Click on Extensions.
Step 5: On the upper-right corner, you will see Developer Mode. Toggle it on.
Step 6: Find WinSnare.
Step 7: Copy ID (the letters you see below the extension name and description).
Step 8: Click on Remove.
Remove it from your PC.
Step 1: Go to the Start menu.
Step 2: Into the text field, type regedit.exe and hit Enter.
Step 3: Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
Step 4: Click on Chrome, then Extensions.
Step 5: Remove the items related to the ID you identified.
Firefox
Step 1: Open Mozilla Firefox.
Step 2: In the address bar, type about:support. Press Enter.
Step 3: In the right corner of your screen, you will find Refresh Firefox. Click Confirm.
Internet Explorer
Step 1: Open Explorer.
Step 2: Click on the Gear icon on the upper-right corner.
Step 3: Go to Manage add-ons.
Step 4: Find any suspicious extensions on the list and remove them.
Wrapping Up
Any adware entities on your Windows device like the WinSnare virus should be removed right away from your PC. Otherwise, it will cause more harm to your device. You don’t want that to happen, right? Should you find yourself in a situation in need of an adware removal guide, please feel free to look up to this article.