How to remove Zstrive.com ads

Zstrive.com is used by crooks to lure people in and pay for security software they do not need

Zstrive.com is not the only website that tries to masquerade as a credible security vendor in order to generate clicks on affiliate links and prompt people into buying software. Users may be directed to this bogus page while browsing the web on any browser, including Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox. More often than not, users are redirected here after clicking on a harmful link from another site – Torrent websites, peer-to-peer file-sharing, and illegal streaming platforms.

In other instances, adware^[1] might cause users to view phishing sites more frequently. If this is the case, it's likely because the software is accompanied by an increased number of advertisements. This aspect is important, and uninstalling the unwanted software from your system could stop Zstrive.com redirects.

Zstrive.com in detail

When the deceptive site opens, users are met with this scary-looking message:

Your PC is infected with 5 viruses!
ACTION REQUIRED!
Your Norton Subscription Has Expired!
Renew now to keep your pc protected.
If your PC is unprotected, it is at risk for viruses and other malware.

The page claims that users' computers are infected with multiple viruses and that the alert comes from Norton – a well-known security software brand. Unfortunately, Norton has nothing to do with this fraudulent campaign. Crooks are only using their name to appear legitimate.

You should never trust such messages when you see them online because websites cannot scan your system. Fraudsters get paid through the affiliate program so their main goal is to redirect people to the official Norton website and get them to download the antivirus.

The website can also cause push notification spam. After an encounter with Zstrive.com, people report seeing small pop-ups appear even when the browser is closed. They also look like security alerts that say the system is infected with Trojans or other malware. We suggest you follow our guide to learn how to deal with these issues.

What is adware?

As we mentioned before, the appearance of Zstrive.com could have also been triggered by an adware infection. It is advertising-supported software that operates in the background and causes an increased amount of commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects.

Adware is mainly spread on freeware distribution platforms. Many people rush through the installation process and overlook the bundled software. If you do not want to risk adware sneaking into your system, we recommend using official web stores and developer websites whenever you are looking for new programs to install.

You should also pay close attention to the installation process. Choose the “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods, read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. The most important step is to inspect the file list and uncheck the boxes next to unnecessary programs.

Disable fake security alerts

If you want to disable those annoying virus alerts from Zstrive.com, you have to turn off the site permissions that allow it to show you push notifications. You can do that by following our step-by-step guide:

Google Chrome (desktop):

1. Open Google Chrome browser and go to Menu > Settings.
2. Scroll down and click on Advanced.
3. Locate the Privacy and security section and pick Site Settings > Notifications.
4. Look at the Allow section and look for a suspicious URL.
5. Click the three vertical dots next to it and pick Block. This should remove unwanted notifications from Google Chrome.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox and go to Menu > Options.
2. Click on Privacy & Security section.
3. Under Permissions, you should be able to see Notifications. Click Settings button next to it.
4. In the Settings – Notification Permissions window, click on the drop-down menu by the URL in question.
5. Select Block and then click on Save Changes. This should remove unwanted notifications from Mozilla Firefox.

MS Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge, and click the Settings and more button (three horizontal dots) at the top-right of the window.
2. Select Settings and then go to Advanced.
3. Under Website permissions, pick Manage permissions and select the URL in question.
4. Toggle the switch to the left to turn notifications off on Microsoft Edge.

Malicious extensions

Check if your browser is affected by a browser hijacker. Some symptoms may include changed settings (homepage, new tab address, and search engine), increased commercial content, and unknown extensions added to the settings.

Web-based applications can automatically redirect users to scam sites, such as Zstrive.com. You should go to your browser settings and see if any plugins are added. We recommend removing the add-ons one by one to see if you notice any changes.

Clear your browsers

After successful removal, we recommend using FortectIntego repair tool to care for your browsers. Almost every website you visit uses cookies^[2] to track your browsing activity, like the pages you visit, links you click on, and purchases you make.

If you have pop-ups appearing from questionable sources, it most likely means that you were surfing through web pages you should not and clicked on dangerous links. Your browsing data might be exposed or sold to advertising networks and other third parties that use it for malicious purposes.

Use anti-malware tools to scan your machine

Suppose you disabled push notifications and checked the browser for extensions but still experience unwanted symptoms like unexpected redirects and an increased amount of commercial content. In that case, you should scan your system for adware. We suggest using trusted professional security tools SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes for PUP (potentially unwanted program)^[3] removal.

They should detect most suspicious apps and remove them successfully. Of course, you can also remove a PUP manually, but it is unknown which particular app could be causing annoying behavior, as crooks disguise them as “handy” tools. Manual uninstallation can also leave some traces of the program behind, which could result in the renewal of the infection.

However, if you still do not want to use security tools and know which program is at fault, use the instructions below to help you uninstall it:

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.