Adware removal: how to get rid of adware on Windows 11 and 10

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10, with steps for Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Firefox.

Signs you have adware

Adware is software that shows you ads you didn’t ask for, usually to earn money for whoever installed it. It often arrives bundled with free downloads, fake “video player” or “PDF converter” installers, or browser extensions. Microsoft groups much of it under potentially unwanted applications (PUA): software that slows your PC, shows unexpected ads, or installs other unwanted software.

• Pop-up ads in the corner of the screen, even when your browser is closed.
• Your browser’s home page or search engine changed by itself.
• New toolbars, extensions or programs you don’t remember installing.
• Links redirect to strange shopping, “prize” or “your PC is infected” pages.
• The PC or browser is noticeably slower than before.

Pop-ups that claim your PC is infected and give a phone number are scams. Don’t call the number or install anything they suggest; close the tab (or the browser with Alt + F4) and follow the steps below.

Step 1: Rule out website notifications

Many “adware” pop-ups are really browser notifications: at some point a website asked to “show notifications” and someone clicked Allow. These ads appear in the Windows notification area with your browser’s name on them. No scanner will find them, because they’re a browser permission, not a program.

• Microsoft Edge: type edge://settings/content/notifications in the address bar. Under Allow, select the three dots next to any site you don’t trust and choose Remove (or Block).
• Google Chrome: go to chrome://settings/content/notifications and remove or block unknown sites in the Allowed to send notifications list.
• Firefox: open Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Permissions, select Settings next to Notifications, and remove unknown sites.

If the pop-ups stop, you’re done. If not, carry on.

Step 2: Uninstall unwanted programs

1. On Windows 11, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and set Sort by to Date installed. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features and sort by install date.
2. Look at everything installed around the time the ads started. Common red flags are search tools, “PC optimizers”, coupon or shopping helpers, unfamiliar media players and anything from a publisher you don’t recognise.
3. Select the three dots next to it and choose Uninstall. If an uninstaller tries to offer other software or asks you to keep “recommended” features, decline them.
4. Restart the PC when you’ve finished.

Not sure what something is? Search for its exact name and publisher before removing it. Don’t uninstall drivers or software from your PC maker (Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, Realtek, Dell, HP, Lenovo and so on) just because you don’t recognise the name.

Step 3: Remove browser extensions

Adware often lives inside the browser as an extension that injects ads into web pages or changes your search engine.

• Edge: go to edge://extensions.
• Chrome: go to chrome://extensions.
• Firefox: go to about:addons and select Extensions.

Remove anything you didn’t install yourself or no longer use. If you’re unsure, turn an extension off first and see whether the ads stop. Check each browser you have installed, not just the one you use most.

Step 4: Reset your browser

A reset puts the start page, search engine, new tab page and site permissions back to default and turns off extensions. Your bookmarks, history and saved passwords are kept.

• Edge: go to edge://settings/reset, select Restore settings to their default values, then Reset.
• Chrome: go to chrome://settings/reset, select Restore settings to their original defaults, then Reset settings.
• Firefox: go to about:support and select Refresh Firefox. This removes add-ons and customisations but keeps bookmarks and passwords.

If your search engine keeps switching back after a reset, something on the PC is changing it again: continue with Steps 5 and 6.

Step 5: Scan with Microsoft Defender

Windows’ built-in antivirus can find adware and other unwanted software that’s harder to spot by hand.

1. Open Windows Security (search for it in Start) and go to Virus & threat protection > Scan options.
2. Choose Full scan and select Scan now. It can take an hour or more. Remove anything it finds.
3. Then go back to Scan options, choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and select Scan now. Save your work first: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which helps with software that hides while Windows is running.
4. Check the results in Virus & threat protection > Protection history.

For a second opinion, you can run Microsoft Safety Scanner, a free one-time scanner from Microsoft. Download it fresh each time: it stops working 10 days after download. For more detail on all the built-in options, see How to scan for malware on Windows 11 and 10.

Step 6: Check startup, shortcuts, proxy and policies

If ads or redirects come back after the steps above, look for leftovers that adware sometimes leaves behind:

• Startup apps: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and go to Startup apps (the Startup tab on Windows 10). Disable anything unknown with a high impact, then search for its name.
• Browser shortcuts: right-click the browser shortcut on your desktop or taskbar, choose Properties and check Target. It should end with the browser’s program file, such as msedge.exe or chrome.exe (usually followed by a closing quotation mark). If a web address comes after it, delete the shortcut and create a new one from the Start menu.
• Proxy settings: go to Settings > Network & internet > Proxy. Unless you set one up yourself (or your workplace did), Use a proxy server should be off and there should be no setup script.
• Browser policies: if Edge or Chrome says Managed by your organization on a home PC, open edge://policy or chrome://policy. Unexpected policies (for example a forced search engine or extension) can be added by adware. Uninstalling the program that added them usually removes them; if not, a tool such as Microsoft Safety Scanner or a reputable second-opinion scanner is safer than editing the registry by hand.

If a scanner flags a system process such as WMI Provider Host, check it before removing anything: see WMI Provider Host: is it a virus?. Browser crashes after removing extensions are covered in STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION in Chrome and Edge.

Step 7: Turn on PUA blocking

Microsoft says potentially unwanted app blocking is off by default, so turning it on is one of the best ways to stop adware returning:

1. Open Windows Security and go to App & browser control.
2. Select Reputation-based protection settings.
3. Turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking and tick both Block apps and Block downloads. Block downloads only works in Microsoft Edge; Block apps covers software from any browser.

Keep Check apps and files (SmartScreen) on as well. If Windows says SmartScreen can’t be reached, see SmartScreen can’t be reached right now: how to fix it. Beyond that, download software only from the developer’s own site or the Microsoft Store, and choose Custom install when offered so you can untick bundled extras.

Related guides

• How to scan for malware on Windows 11 and 10 (free, built-in tools)
• SmartScreen can’t be reached right now: how to fix it
• WMI Provider Host (WmiPrvSE.exe): is it a virus and how to fix high CPU
• STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION in Chrome and Edge: 7 ways to fix it
• How to get rid of an unwanted search engine in Chrome, Edge and Firefox

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Support: Protect your PC from potentially unwanted applications
• Microsoft Support: Remove malware from your Windows PC
• Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Safety Scanner

Frequently asked questions

Is adware a virus?

Not exactly. Most adware isn’t designed to damage your files, but it’s unwanted, slows things down, tracks what you browse and can lead you to scam sites or install more harmful software. Treat it as something to remove promptly.

Can Windows Defender remove adware?

Yes, much of it. Microsoft Defender detects many adware programs and, with PUA blocking on, catches potentially unwanted apps too. It won’t remove website notification permissions or settings you changed yourself, which is why Steps 1 to 4 matter.

Do I need to pay for an adware removal tool?

Usually not. The steps above use free tools built into Windows and your browser. Be wary of “cleaner” programs that find problems and then ask for payment to fix them; some are adware themselves.

The ads are still there after everything. What now?

Check other user accounts on the PC and every installed browser, then run the offline scan again. If ads persist, back up your files and use Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC as a last resort.