Adware is software that provides you with a service for advertising. It is not necessarily dangerous, but it will slow down your internet browsing and flood you with advertising. Additionally, some can be malicious because they contain spyware and viruses. How to navigate? Can we protect ourselves? And how do you remove adware if you have a problem?
We explain all that to you here!
What is adware?
The word Adware comes from the contraction between Ad, advertising, and Software, the program. It is therefore an advertising program if we are to believe its etymology. In French, some users use the term Publiciel which corresponds to its literal translation.
But it's a bit more complicated than that, in practice. This software very often comes from an installation desired by the user. Let's say you download an unzipping software for example, which is useful to you, but you agree without verifying that you install the whole package when installing this program. You may end up with this type of Adware in the content.
This results in the possible use of the software (free of charge), but which will be compensated by unwanted advertising which will open in your browser. In addition, this adware sometimes replaces your search bar (Google for example) with another of their choice (such as ASK).
On the one hand, it's painful. On the other hand, it can become dangerous. Indeed, you are not immune to seeing your research information saved via this search bar.
There are therefore two scenarios: the desired adware, in which it is clearly indicated that the use of the software will lead to advertising (which allows developers to pay themselves), and the adware which will make decisions about your knowledge. This dangerous one may contain spyware and Trojans.
Let's learn to recognize this adware and how to react in case of problems.
Recognize adware in a few steps
If we discuss here how to know if your computer is hacked, know that the principle is the same but that the signs differ. When you open the software, you will notice some reactions from your computer such as:
Always open advertising windows, which are more difficult to close.
An obligation to click to go to sites affiliated with the program you are using
An inability to uninstall it via normal commands, since it reappears on each restart.
Installing unwanted programs (in your browser, extensions, unrelated software.
The slower your system. Your internet pages will take longer to display, and your computer will paddle quite blatantly.
Automatic program updates without your consent
These signs let you know that Adware has taken hold of your PC. We must therefore react to make it disappear. Here's how to do it.
Remove Adware Easily
Once you realize that adware is on your computer, you need to take action. To do this, you need to use anti-malware software that will detect and trap the malware. Among the best, we have Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware.
Once this is done, you will be able to remove, through the browser you are using, the installed extension. To take the example of Ask, you will find a line in your browser settings with this extension, which you will have to uncheck and then uninstall.
Then, go to the " Control Panel " then to "Uninstall a program", and remove everything that bears the name of the adware in question.
Our advice to protect yourself from adware
To protect yourself from adware, or any malicious software that wants your personal data, you must of course use the best free antivirus software. This will allow you to navigate serenely and be warned of any intrusion attempt on your machines.
But in the case of Adware, this is not necessarily sufficient. Because as we mentioned, they are often part of packages that you have chosen to install. It is therefore when downloading that you should be as vigilant as possible. Some tips you should consider include:
Check which software will install at the same time as the one you want. If the others don't interest you, uncheck them!
Avoid third party sites ( like Softonic for example ) when you need to download a program. Go directly through the official platforms.
To block too much ad there are some really good free ad blockers (like Adblock). We talk about it in this article.
If you are using a good antivirus, enable anti-adware protections in the LPIs / PUP settings
Don't click on anything! Ads that promise you free sex or thousands of dollars in 5 minutes rarely bode well.
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