Be aware of the appearance of Clean My Chrome extension
Clean My Chrome is a browser extension that claims to speed up Chrome’s performance and protect user’s privacy. However, this tool might hijack your browser and delivers lots of intrusive ads. Due to these reasons, it is known as potentially unwanted program (PUP) and adware.[1]
After the hijack, Clean My Chrome virus might:
- use a virtual layer to display pop-ups, banners, in-text, and other ads on any visited websites;
- redirect to promotional or potentially dangerous websites;
- track information about users;
- alter browser’s homepage or/and default search engine.
The increased amount of online ads give an opposite result that the official website of the Chrome extension tells. The browser might become sluggish or freeze due to the aggressive pop-ups. Though, security experts pay the biggest attention to Clean My Chrome redirect problems. The adware might redirect to Internet sites that are created for spreading malware or phishing attacks.
Typically, Clean My Chrome ads provide various shopping offers. However, they might also deliver misleading security alerts or offer to scan the computer with unknown security software. Clicking such ads or downloading offered tools might end up with ransomware or Trojan attack.[2] Thus, you should stay away from them.
The main purpose of the Clean My Chrome adware is to generate pay-per-click revenue to the developers. Unfortunately, they do not care about users’ security and partners’ credibility. Thus, evil-minded people can easily take advantage of this program.
What is more, Clean My Chrome official website includes neither Privacy Policy nor End-user License Agreement. Thus, you cannot be sure how your personal or non-personal information is treated. Ad-supported programs most of the time track browsing-related information in order to deliver targeted ads, which are supposed to be more encouraging.
All the reasons above should be more than enough to remove Clean My Chrome from the browser. Users from the UK[3] reported that they were not able to uninstall the extension normally. Indeed, it might happen. Potentially unwanted program might alter Registry and browser’s settings to strengthen itself.
To reject all the changes and get rid of the adware efficiently, you have to employ a professional anti-malware. We highly recommend FortectIntego for Clean My Chrome removal.
The official website does not have working download button
Nevertheless, the extension has an official website and claims to available on Chrome store; there’s no way you can download the extension from here. “Get Extension for Chrome” button is inactive and the link to Chrome store is not working too. It means the adware is being distributed using other channels.
The primary distribution method is known under the term “bundling.” The PUP spreads as an optional component in the software bundles and might be installed when a user relies on Quick/Standard/Recommended setup. These settings do not openly disclose about third-party software. So, Clean My Chrome hijack becomes silent. For this reason, you should only use Advanced/Custom setup which allows rejecting installation of additional apps.
Rescuing the browser from Clean My Chrome extension
Clean My Chrome removal might be complicated because the extension might get installed using Windows group policies. Therefore, if you cannot access the list of extension or cannot choose “Uninstall” option, you should not hesitate and employ powerful anti-malware.
Otherwise, you can remove Clean My Chrome manually. The instructions below will guide you through this procedure. Once you remove the extension, don’t forget to look up for other suspicious entries that may have been installed as well.
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.
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