AdBlaster promises to boost your web traffic but actually proliferates spam

AdBlaster is a suspicious computer application that has been labeled an adware [1]. Nevertheless, computer security specialists categorize it more specifically as spyware and an ad client hosted on paysforever.com/MP/megapromoter.htm domain. This means that this potentially unwanted program (PUP) may start showing you its ads out of nowhere because it is capable of entering computers unnoticed.
Once this program infiltrates the system, it may start its activity by implementing specific modifications that typically affect the installed web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, etc.
As you may have already understood, the aim of this article is not to promote this software but rather warn you about the dangers related to it and instruct you on AdBlaster removal options.
You will find manual adware elimination instructions at the end of this article, but if you want to get rid of the virus immediately, you should definitely try out automatic extermination options and scan your system with FortectIntego antivirus software.
Besides from sneaking into the computers without permission, the parasite also pretends to be a handy advertising service which people can use to promote their own services or products. Here is how this software is described in one of the websites that promote it.
AdBlaster submits your Ad to more than 2,500,000 Advertising Web sites and to 1,000 Advertising Networks across the net.

Unfortunately, that is not what the software is actually up to.
Users, who mostly originate from Germany [2], report a strange behavior on their email accounts after providing a Gmail address when registering for the service. People claim to be getting a lot of spam and plain scam emails trying to lure out their sensitive information, getting them to download suspicious software or visit unsafe web pages.
Regardless of whether you subscribe to this service as an advertiser or the malware sneaks into your PC to promote other websites and services, the web browsing on the infected computer will become practically unbearable.
Due to the program’s redirect tendencies, you will start ending up on the pages the ad publisher wants you to land on. You should be very careful with AdBlaster redirects because you can never know what sites it may promote.
If you want to keep your search queries, data that you enter on your favorite sites or time that you spent on each of them private, you should remove Ad Blaster virus from your computer. No matter that this program doesn't carry any destructive payload, it should be avoided.
The main principles of adware hijack
As we have already mentioned, “Ads by Ad Blaster” may start bothering you out of nowhere. That's because this PUP is actively spread in a bundle with freeware and shareware [3].
Fortunately, there is one way for you to avoid this and similar programs that are added to download managers, PDF creators, video streaming software and similar programs. For that, you should start checking programs before downloading them to your computer.
If you need PDF creator or download manager, make sure you select “Custom” or “Advanced” installation option when downloading it to your computer.
Once you do so, look for “optional” downloads and opt out of them.
You should try to avoid all browser add-ons, toolbars, extensions, plugins, etc. because they may additionally be used for previously mentioned activities.
If AdBlaster has already started bothering you with its pop-up ads, redirects, slow downs and similar activities, you shouldn't wait for additional inconveniences. Act now and remove this adware-type program.
Unfortunately, sometimes AdBlaster adware is able to complicate its removal by reinstalling itself. That's why we recommend using programs that are given the following section. They will help you to remove all potentially unwanted programs that may be hiding in your PC system.
Finding the easy way to remove AdBlaster from the infected PC
As you may have already learned from the previous section, if you don’t want to waste your time on AdBlaster removal, you should be careful when installing new software on your PC.
However, if it so happened that you accidentally let the adware to install on your computer, you should get rid of it without delay. Remove AdBlaster with one of our recommended antivirus utilities or manually, following guidelines our experts provide below the article.
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.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

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?
3 comments
Marietha
Must be the most annoying pop up in computer history - and IMPOSSIBLE to remove without spending lots of money. Don't ever download music off the internet again - it kills your computer.
Guest
Adblaster is promoted with headlines like:
AdBlaster - Submits your Ad to over 2 Million Pages!
AdBlast Your Ad to Thousands with Our Adblaster Service!
nina@hanel.at
good luck to remove it.
Petzi