Ads Blocker Pro: what it is and how to remove it
Ads Blocker Pro is marketed as a useful tool for removing advertisements. Instead of performing the promised functions, it acts as adware.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Ads Blocker Pro: summary
| Distribution | Shady websites, deceptive ads, freeware installations |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ads Blocker Pro |
| TYPE | Adware |
| SYMPTOMS | Annoying pop-ups and other types of advertisements start appearing on the screen |
| DANGERS | Links embedded in the ads might lead to dangerous websites |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 8 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Name | Ads Blocker Pro |
| Type | Ad-supported program |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Program | Ads Blocker Pro |
| First seen | 18 March 2023 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Ads Blocker Pro dangerous?
From our report of Mar 2023 · not reviewed since
Ads Blocker Pro adware is a bogus extension that causes ad spam instead of blocking it
Ads Blocker Pro is marketed as a useful tool for removing advertisements.
Instead of performing the promised functions, it acts as adware. It may result in an increase in commercial content such as pop-ups, banners, and redirects.
Crooks may be using rogue advertising networks to place advertisements that lead to dangerous websites. As a result, the presence of such a plugin can lead to scam pages that attempt to trick people into providing personal information, downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), and even malware.
From our report of Mar 2023 · not reviewed since
Freeware installations
Another possibility is that Ads Blocker Pro appeared in your browser without your knowledge.
If you use freeware distribution platforms, this is possible. To make their business profitable, they include additional programs in the installers. Most people skip the installation process, so they are unaware of the bundled software.
Always use the "Custom" or "Advanced" installation methods, and read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The most important step is to go through the file list and untick any unrelated applications. Even though getting programs from official sources can be expensive, you may save money in the long run by keeping your system running smoothly.
From our report of Mar 2023 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Ads Blocker Pro
- Eliminate the extension through your browser settings; scanning the machine with anti-malware tools is recommended
How Ads Blocker Pro got on your PC
From our report of Mar 2023 · not reviewed since
Applications like Ads Blocker Pro are frequently discovered via bogus download pages like Watchintenselyoriginaltheproduct.vip.
They use social engineering techniques to trick people into believing that they must install a plugin in order to perform some action.
We advise you to avoid visiting unfamiliar websites. Clicking on random links or advertisements can lead to shady websites. Avoid unregulated websites that engage in illegal activities, such as illegal streaming platforms.
Use official web stores and developer pages whenever possible. Apps that are listed on digital marketplaces must go through a rigorous review process. However, you should still do your homework because some fraudsters are able to get their add-ons listed. Always read the reviews, pay attention to the ratings, and consider the number of users.
How to remove Ads Blocker Pro
Uninstall first, then remove what stays behind, so the ads do not come back after a restart.
Step 1: Uninstall Ads Blocker Pro
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10.
Sort the list by install date and find Ads Blocker Pro, then choose Uninstall from the three-dot menu next to it (in Windows 10, click the entry and then Uninstall).
Remove anything else installed on the same day that you do not recognise, because such programs usually arrive together in one installer. If the uninstaller opens a browser page with an offer or a survey, close it: the program is removed either way.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 2: Remove it from startup
Whatever Ads Blocker Pro installed usually starts with Windows.
Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps in Windows 11 or the Startup tab in Windows 10, and disable what you do not know, starting with entries that have an empty Publisher column.
Open file location on the right-click menu shows the file, which helps you decide and tells you what to delete later. Disabling is safe: if something you need stops working, switch it back on.
Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 3: Delete the folders left behind
What the uninstaller leaves behind is usually in the user folders. Open File Explorer, switch on View > Show > Hidden items (in Windows 10 View > Hidden items), and go through
%LocalAppData%,%AppData%, %ProgramData% and the two Program Files folders.Sort by Date modified and delete folders that appeared together with the problem and belong to no program you use. Folders with random names that hold
.exe,.dll, .js or .ps1 files are the strongest sign.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 4: Reset the browser
Finish the browser part with a reset, which puts the search engine, start page, new tab page and site permissions back to their defaults and switches extensions off. Chrome: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults.
Edge: Settings > Reset settings. Firefox: Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox, which also removes its extensions. Your bookmarks and saved passwords are kept, and the menus are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
From our report of Mar 2023 · not reviewed since
Remove Ads Blocker Pro adware
Ads Blocker Pro adware can be removed by going to the browser settings and looking at the extension list.
MS Edge (Chromium)
- 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
- 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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- 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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
From our report of Mar 2023 · not reviewed since
Protect your privacy
Almost all websites and web applications nowadays require you to accept cookies by displaying a large prompt that blocks your view.
Frustrated, many people simply click "Accept" to proceed as quickly as possible. Because you were unaware you were receiving pop-up spam, there is a good chance you were visiting questionable websites that are still tracking your browsing activity.
Cookies can store information such as the websites you visit, links you click on, search terms you enter, and purchases you make online. It could be sold to ad networks or other third parties.
From our report of Mar 2023 · not reviewed since
Scan your system with anti-malware tools
If you followed all of the previous steps but still have unwanted symptoms, you should check your system for additional PUAs.
Manual removal of potentially unwanted programs can sometimes result in the infection resurfacing because users frequently fail to remove all related files and entries. Furthermore, crooks frequently disguise them as "useful" tools, making it difficult to identify them. If manual removal is what you still prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Questions about Ads Blocker Pro
Is Ads Blocker Pro a virus?
Most programs that appear the way Ads Blocker Pro did are not viruses in the strict sense. They are potentially unwanted programs:
- real software that arrives bundled with other downloads and then shows offers
- changes browser settings
- starts with Windows
Some are harmless, some are annoying and a few carry adware. What makes it worth removing is that you did not choose it.
Uninstall it from Installed apps and check the startup list and the browsers for anything added the same day. If it refuses to uninstall or returns after a restart, treat it as more serious and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan.
Ads Blocker Pro came back after I uninstalled it. Why?
Something else is reinstalling it. Common causes are a second program from the same publisher, a scheduled task that downloads it again, or a browser extension that keeps prompting for it. Sort Installed apps by install date and uninstall each entry from the same day that you did not choose.
Then open Task Scheduler and look in the Task Scheduler Library for tasks with updater-style names that you do not recognise. Check Startup apps in Task Manager too. If Ads Blocker Pro still returns, start Windows in Safe Mode, uninstall it there and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan, which looks for loaders that ordinary scans can miss.
Is uninstalling Ads Blocker Pro enough?
Often, but not always. Uninstalling Ads Blocker Pro through Settings > Apps > Installed apps removes the main part. Ad-supported programs, however, frequently arrive together with others from the same installer, and some leave a scheduled task or a browser extension behind.
After uninstalling, sort the list of installed apps by date and look at what else appeared that day, check Task Manager > Startup apps, and open the extension page in every browser. A Microsoft Defender full scan at the end catches leftover files.
I let a "support technician" from an ad connect to my PC. What should I do?
Act quickly but calmly. Disconnect the PC from the internet first, so the connection ends. Uninstall the remote access tool they asked you to install and check Installed apps for anything else added during the call.
Run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan. From another device, change your e-mail and banking passwords and sign out of all sessions.
If you paid by card, bank transfer or gift card, contact your bank or the card issuer immediately, and report the scam to the police. Do not answer if they call back.
Did Ads Blocker Pro collect my data?
Adware typically collects what it needs to choose ads:
- the sites you visit
- search terms
- approximate location
- browser and system details
Extensions with permission to read and change data on all websites can technically see everything on those pages, including forms. That is a privacy problem rather than proof of theft.
If you typed card details or passwords while it was active, changing the most important passwords is a reasonable precaution. Clearing cookies after removal ends the tracking sessions it may have started.
My scan found nothing, but the ads continue. Why?
Because the source may not be a file a scanner looks for. Browser notifications are a permission stored in the browser, and many adware extensions are not flagged because they come from an official store.
Some ad-supported programs are only reported if you enable detection of potentially unwanted apps. So a clean scan does not mean the job is done. Check each browser's notification permissions and extension list by hand, and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security before scanning again.
Why is my browser so slow since the ads started?
Each page now does extra work. An adware extension reads the page, decides where to put ads, loads them from ad servers and reports your visit, and that happens on every tab. Ad-supported programs add their own background activity.
Removing the extension or program usually makes the browser fast again at once. If it stays slow, open the browser's own task manager with Shift+Esc in Chrome or Edge and look for extensions using a lot of memory or processor time.
Can an adware pop-up infect my PC just by appearing?
No. A pop-up, a notification or a new tab is only a web page or a message. It cannot run programs on Windows by itself, provided the browser and Windows are up to date. Infection needs a step from you:
- running a downloaded file
- installing an extension
- giving a stranger remote access
That is why scam pages work so hard to make you click. Close such pages with the tab's X or by closing the browser, not with buttons inside the page, which may start a download.
Will Fortect remove Ads Blocker Pro?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Ads Blocker Pro, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- Malwarebytes: Adware (read October 6, 2026)
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Potentially unwanted program (read October 6, 2026)
- Dataprot: What Are Cookies? The Good and the Bad of Browser Cookies (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)