Anonymizer Gadget ads: what it is and how to remove it
Anonymizer Gadget is a PUP that can be detected by antivirus tools as PUP.Optional.AnonymizerGadget or Adware.AnonymizerGadget. Being developed by Jetico Ltd., this application can also be found under the NotToTrack name.
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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Anonymizer Gadget ads: summary
| Distribution | Software bundles, promotional advertisements |
|---|---|
| Name | Anonymizer Gadget |
| Can also be known as | NotToTrack |
| Type | Adware |
| Promoted as | Optimization app that provides proxy services |
| Main payload file | AnonymizerLauncher.exe |
| 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 7 more facts
| Symptoms | Redirects online traffic to questionable sites, delivers intrusive commercial content |
|---|---|
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Evidence | 5 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Program | Anonymizer Gadget |
| First seen | 2 January 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Anonymizer Gadget ads dangerous?
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Anonymizer Gadget is an adware-type program that involves files like AnonymizerLauncher.exe to remain active
Anonymizer Gadget is a PUP that can be detected by antivirus tools as PUP.Optional.AnonymizerGadget or Adware.AnonymizerGadget.
Being developed by Jetico Ltd., this application can also be found under the NotToTrack name. However, every time you run into its official site, it claims that you should install it to encrypt your Internet traffic and hide your IP address from hackers and spies.
Although such a description sounds promising, you should be careful with proxies in general as you can reveal your sensitive information to the wrong people. Besides, once installed, the virus starts acting like typical adware which causes numerous ads, in-text links, and similar content to help its developers gain some income.
The most common adware symptom is the most annoying feature of the Anonymizer Gadget too because all those coupons, in-text-ads, pop-ups, banners, blinking boxes fill up the screen making the machine useless and even running extremely slow. You cannot fix the performance nor other issues until you delete this PUA completely from the machine and fix alterations made in the registry, in browser settings, and startup preferences.
AnonymizerGadget should be used with carefulness because it the provided proxy services can make its users vulnerable to data loss and identity theft. However, the most popular issue its users are dealing with is intrusive ads that are displayed while people are browsing the Internet. After clicking them, you are brought to the third-party site seeking to:
The program starts the previously-mentioned activities right after it settles down on the system. The application can alter files on the system or add new data to ensure that it is working on the device for as long as possible. The program can install these components:
Although Anonymizer Gadget won't uninstall easily, this is nothing but a PUP that can be categorized as an adware-type application as well. Adware-type programs are known for annoying promotional content and infiltration using deceptive techniques like software bundling. Security experts advise paying more attention during installations merely because of these unwanted programs.
Be aware of misleading ads - they can look catchy, but in reality, they are fake ads that can end you up on rogue websites that belong to third-party companies. Some of these websites can be dangerous or carry infectious content, so make sure you do not agree to install any suspicious programs or updates from such unreliable web sources.
This shady program raises some questions when it appears on the system out of nowhere. Users call this app a virus for intrusive behavior and questionable distribution methods. Unfortunately when the person encounters the PUP and tries to uninstall it, he or she realizes how difficult that is to achieve.
If it is not listed in programs, cannot be found in Control Panel, you need an automatic tool that can terminate the program with all the applications and associated files. ANti-malware apps like or can work for this.
You can recognize ads by NotToTrack by the text above or below the advertisements (pop-up ads or banners). Examples include:
If you want to stay safe on the Internet, we do not recommend keeping this adware program on your system. Plus, AnonymizerGadget continuously connects to various ad servers in the background and uses your Internet connection.
Because of that, you are going to encounter problems with computer functionality - it is going to work much slower than it usually does. Finally, we should also add that the adware can track your online searches to know more about your search preferences.
If you have been dealing with unwanted content, there are a few ways to get rid of it. You can delete all suspicious programs, files, and plugins manually but there is an easier method of virus elimination. If it reports about PUP.Optional.AnonymizerGadget or Adware.AnonymizerGadget, make sure you terminate the entry.
If you cannot remove the random intruder completely because it reappears on your system, run to repair your PC completely. If you do that manually, you should take every step in exact order to terminate the PUP safely.
- sell you something;
- convince you to provide your personal information;
- install some tool/add-on/plugin on your computer.
- AnonymizerLauncher.exe;
- AGLoader.dll;
- AGUtils.dll.
- "Powered by AnonymizerGadget"
- "Brought to you by AnonymizerGadget "
- "RocketTab powered by AnonymizerGadget"
- "Ads by AnonymizerGadget"
- "Ads powered by AnonymizerGadget"
- "AnonymizerGadget deals."
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
PUP in sections can be avoided completely
You can end up with adware on your system not only if you install it by downloading it from its official site.
You can also get this unwanted program from the deceptive promotional ad or together with third-party software, e.g. completely unintentionally.
For example, if you like to download and try free programs from the Internet, you should be super attentive and investigate each software installer's statement. Reading Privacy Policy, EULA, and other sections on the website may give you more information about the possible intruder.
The issue is, most of the potentially unwanted apps are spread using a bundling method, and it allows to distribute such shady programs silently. The bundled software looks like one application, and there are no signs that it holds several suspicious attachments unless you check it in the Advanced or Custom installation mode.
If the software has some "optional downloads" added, then Advanced and Custom installation options should reveal pre-selected agreements to install them. To reject these optional downloads, merely de-select the agreements to install them and continue with the safe install.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Anonymizer Gadget
- Use anti-malware tools and remove Anonymizer Gadget from the system
- You can solve issues related to affected or corrupted data with
How to remove Anonymizer Gadget ads
How to remove Anonymizer Gadget
Uninstall first, then remove what stays behind, so the ads do not come back after a restart.
Step 1: Uninstall Anonymizer Gadget
Anonymizer Gadget is removed like any other program, from the list of installed apps. In Windows 11 that is Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and in both you can also use Control Panel > Programs and Features.
Select Anonymizer Gadget, click Uninstall and follow the uninstaller to the end. Then look at the entries just above and below it when the list is sorted by date: bundled programs install at the same minute.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 2: Remove it from startup
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and select Startup apps (Windows 11) or the Startup tab (Windows 10). Disable entries you do not recognise, especially ones with no publisher or with a name that copies a Windows component.
Right-click an entry and choose Open file location to see where it runs from: programs in
%AppData%or%Temp%deserve a closer look. Some entries are not listed there but in the registry Run keys, which the procedure below shows how to check.Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 3: Delete the folders left behind
Uninstalling often leaves the program's folders, and some threats reinstall themselves from them.
Press Windows + R, type
%LocalAppData%and press Enter, then do the same for%AppData%and %ProgramData%, and look for folders named after Anonymizer Gadget, its publisher or created on the day the problem started.Delete those folders, and check
C:\Program FilesandC:\Program Files (x86)too.If Windows says a file is in use, end it in Task Manager or delete the folder after a restart in Safe Mode. The folders are the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 4: Reset the browser
A reset removes what the steps above could miss:
- changed start pages
- site permissions
- hidden settings
In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.
Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while extensions are turned off and the search engine and start page return to the defaults.
Reset every browser on the PC, including Edge, which Windows 11 and Windows 10 always have.
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
A scan finds the parts of Anonymizer Gadget that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Note that Anonymizer Gadget removal needs professional AV tools
The virus can be erased either manually or automatically.
Our research team recommends using the automatic removal option as some computer users claim that it is quite hard to understand how to remove PUPs manually.
If you still want to remove Anonymizer Gadget by yourself, you need to make sure that every additional browser extension or file is deleted from the device. If not, this virus termination process gives no results. Adware adds data and makes changes on the device to keep this virus elimination more difficult.
If you have any questions related to the infection removal, do not hesitate to contact us via the 'Ask us' form, which can be found at the top of the page. However, we believe that if you follow our provided guide step-by-step and use reputable anti-malware, there is no additional help needed.
Questions about Anonymizer Gadget ads
What is Anonymizer Gadget and why is it on my PC?
Anonymizer Gadget is a program that was installed on the PC, most likely together with something else you downloaded. Free software sites and many installers add extra programs on setup pages with pre-ticked boxes, so the extra install looks like your choice even though nobody read the page.
Check the install date in Settings, Apps, Installed apps: the program you installed that day is the probable carrier. If you do not need Anonymizer Gadget, uninstall it. If it belongs to your hardware or to a program you use, search its exact name and publisher first, because drivers and their tools can have unfamiliar names.
How do I stop programs like Anonymizer Gadget from being installed again?
Most unwanted programs arrive through installers, so the fix is in how you install software. Download programs from their official sites or the Microsoft Store, not from download portals or ads above search results. During setup, choose Custom or Advanced installation and untick every extra offer, including browsers, toolbars and optimizers.
Decline update prompts that appear inside other programs unless you know them. In Windows Security, turn on reputation-based protection and potentially unwanted app blocking. These steps would most likely have stopped Anonymizer Gadget before it reached the app list.
Anonymizer Gadget has no uninstaller. What now?
Some adware does not register itself properly, or its uninstaller only opens a web page. First try Settings > Apps > Installed apps and the older Control Panel > Programs and Features; one may list it when the other does not.
If neither works, disable its entry in Task Manager > Startup apps, restart, and run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan, which remove known adware files. Then, if anything is left, delete the folder it ran from, which you can find by right-clicking the process in Task Manager and choosing Open file location.
An ad showed a phone number and I called it. What now?
The number belongs to scammers, not to Microsoft or an antivirus company. If you only talked, hang up and do not call back. If you let them connect to the PC, disconnect it from the internet, uninstall the remote access program they used, such as AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or UltraViewer, and run a full and offline scan.
If you paid or gave bank details, call your bank at once on the number printed on your card. Change any passwords you typed while they were connected, and report the call.
Does adware steal passwords?
Ordinary adware is built to show ads, not to steal logins, and most of it never touches saved passwords. The line is blurry, though. Extensions that can read every page could capture what you type, and adware ads sometimes lead to phishing pages that ask for passwords directly.
If you entered credentials on a page reached through an ad, change that password from a clean device and turn on two-step verification. Otherwise, removing ad-supported program and clearing cookies is usually enough.
I clicked on one of the ads. Am I infected?
Probably not. Clicking an ad usually only opens a page, and a page cannot install programs on an up-to-date Windows PC without your help.
You are at risk only if you then downloaded and ran a file, allowed notifications, entered card or login details, or called a phone number shown on the page. Delete any download and run a full and offline scan.
Change passwords you typed, from a clean device. Call your bank if you gave card details. If you called a number or allowed remote access, see the next question.
Can adware slow down my PC?
Yes. Adware runs in the background, loads ad scripts, opens extra tabs and contacts its servers, all of which use processor time, memory and bandwidth. Ad-heavy extensions also slow down every page, because they inspect and change it before you see it.
The effect is strongest on older PCs and when several adware programs arrived together. After removal, restart the PC and check Task Manager for anything still using a lot of resources that you do not recognise. Speed usually returns to normal once the ads stop.
Why didn't my antivirus catch Anonymizer Gadget?
Many security products do not block adware or notification sites by default, because users often agreed to them, even through a misleading prompt. Notification spam installs nothing at all, so there is no file to detect.
In Windows 11 you can make Microsoft Defender block potentially unwanted apps: open Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking. If notifications caused the pop-ups, no scanner will report them; the fix is in the browser's site settings.
Will Fortect remove Anonymizer Gadget?
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 Anonymizer Gadget, 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
- Dieviren: Dieviren (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft: What is AnonymizerGadget?? (read October 6, 2026)
- Digitaltrends: How much do online advertisers really know about you? (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)