Have you seen many intrusive banners showing up on your Internet browser recently? If so, you might be infected with adware type program. On this article, we are going to describe iDeals Shopping Optimizer adware, which is a potentially unwanted program (PUP), too.
What is iDeals Shopping Optimizer and why it sends me ads?
iDeals Shopping Optimizer PUP claims that it is a useful tool to save time and money while shopping online. The official page of iDeal states:
iDeals Shopping Optimizer is a browser add-on that helps users take the pain out of shopping online. The iDeals Shopping Optimizer deals & advisor widgets are displayed on the right side of the site you are currently browsing, providing you with exclusive either personal shopping assistant for products we have guides for or shopping offers that beat the offer provided by the site you are visiting. This saves you time & money, helping you get the most out of your online shopping experience.
However, do not believe in this sugar-coated description. In reality, iDeals Shopping Optimizer ads rarely provide any real deals. It is so because this program is ad-supported, and while it pretends to be an advantageous shopping assistant, it is just a spyware-type app that should be removed from your computer immediately. Let us explain how this dubious program works:
- Once iDeals Shopping Optimizer hijacks the computer, it installs an extension to Google Chrome (it is currently compatible only with this Internet browser).
- Then, this controversial program starts to track what search keywords do you type into search boxes online. It also tracks what websites do you visit, what files do you download, which links do you save to your bookmarks and so on. This information is required to predict what services or products would interest you).
- Then this adware program makes a selection in its servers and picks targeted ads for you. Mostly, ads by iDeals Shopping Optimizer show up as banners that provide item price comparisons on different sites.
- Do not click on these ads – in most cases, they can reroute you to bogus websites that can be dangerous. These ads hold misleading links that cause redirects – so that is why you should not fall for the offers these ads provide.
You should also know that iDeals usually does not display standard text above the ad that stating who powered the ad. You can only find that out by clicking on the question mark next to the ad. However, if you suspect that you have been infected with this PUP, we strongly recommend installing a reputable anti-spyware software like FortectIntego and checking your computer system with it.

How does iDeals Shopping Optimizer hijack users’ computers?
iDeals Shopping Optimizer is mostly distributed via bundled software packages. Shortly said, it can be spread as a ‘recommended download’ together with other free downloads, for instance, PDF creators, download managers, media players and so on. Sadly, thousands of adware programs are spread this way, and that is why it is so essential to pay attention to the installation process of each free program that you want to install on your PC. You must choose Advanced/Custom installation option when you install freeware. Then you are going to see a list of suggested downloads. Untick each of its components.
On page 2, you can find a comprehensive removal guide explaining how to get rid of this adware software.
How to uninstall this program?
iDeals Shopping Optimizer virus can be deleted manually. However, manual removal method is going to help only to get rid of this particular program, while automatic removal technique discloses other critical programs that may be installed on the computer. You can find manual removal instructions and also some recommendations for an anti-spyware software below this text. The 2-spyware team wishes you good luck removing this adware software!
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

Did this guide help?
2 comments
Lemona94
These ads show unrrealistic offers! Uninstall that program, it has no use and makes your computer work slow. I was infected with it
mad
aint no optimizer, thats a virus!