ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato ads: what it is and how to remove it
ClickPotato, sponsored by Pinball Corporation, is an adware app that can bring other PUPs such as HotBar, ShopperReport, and Zwangi to the computer. The adware drops pop-ups that encourage users to install some type of Movie Codec tool to watch a movie.
Facts checked October 7, 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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ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato ads: summary
| Name | ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato |
|---|---|
| Type | Adware app/potentially unwanted program |
| Sponsor | Pinball Corporation |
| Goal | This suspicious app provides movie-watching offers that can be accepted by installing some type of Movie Codec tool |
| Other apps | During the installation process, the PUP can appear together with other adware apps such as HotBar, ShopperReport, and Zwangi |
| Bundling | The app can come bundled with third-party products such as VLC media player, Xvid codec, Easy Video, OpenOffice, Lime Wire, Audacity, FLVBlaster, ARES 2010 version, and 7zip |
| 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 11 more facts
| Related file | When the adware appears on the computer system, it can bring the ClickPotatoLiteSA.exe process and place it in the Windows Task Manager |
|---|---|
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Symptoms | Redirects to an unknown domain |
| Evidence | 6 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | cnet.com |
| Ads shown as | Redirects through ad pages |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 5 February 2020 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What the ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato ads ads look like
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Is ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato ads dangerous?
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
ClickPotato - an adware app that appears on computers with third-party software such as the VLC media player and Xvid codec
ClickPotato, sponsored by Pinball Corporation, is an adware app that can bring other PUPs such as HotBar, ShopperReport, and Zwangi to the computer.
The adware drops pop-ups that encourage users to install some type of Movie Codec tool to watch a movie. According to Microsoft, this type of suspicious product mostly infects web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox but can also appear on other browsing apps such as Chrome, Edge, and Safari.
Also, ClickPotato virus can bring the ClickPotatoLiteSA.exe process to the computer system and include it in the Windows Task Manager.
It is known that ClickPotato can get downloaded together with other free software such as Xvid codec, VLC media player, Easy Video, FLVBlaster, OpenOffice, Lime Wire, eMule, Audacity, 7zip, and ARES 2010 version. These types of programs can be downloaded from third-party downloading sources such as cnet.com, brothersoft.com, and softonic.com.
Adware.ClickPotato can arrive as a browser helper object to your Internet Explorer web browser or as a plug-in on Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and others. Afterward, you are very likely to get loaded with offers to watch some types of movies by downloading the Movie Codec tool. You should not follow this type of suggestion as you cannot know what type of virus you might install on your computer system.
Some users claim that they have been encountering trouble while trying to uninstall ClickPotato from their machines. One person complains that he is not able to get rid of the program even while logging into the administrative profile. This is the type of message that he receives:
Watching movies online for free is a common and highly desired activity for most Internet users. Thus, Click Potato might catch your attention.
This program is a potentially unwanted program deemed as adware. It works as an add-on which imprints its toolbar into the browser. It offers users to access the movie streaming website instantly.
Nonetheless, this program might cause more disturbances rather than benefits as it aims to bring profit for the developers only. Find out more about the drawbacks and possible ClickPotato removal options in the following sections of this article.
Searching for a website where you can watch movies online comprises a significant part of the majority of users' online activities. Thus, the scammers, being aware of this demand, have created this PUP offering such utility. However, this program would not have caused suspicion for IT specialists if not for its excessive advertising. The popping-ads of ClickPotato redirect you to possibly malicious websites.
You might often find yourself on gaming or other movie streaming websites. On their behalf, they might supply you with more ClickPotato ads. The emerging advertisements might exceed your patience limits even if you boast about being the most patient person.
Furthermore, ClickPotato might warn you in an additional pop-up window that it tends to collect the information about your commonly visited domains, browsing frequency, and geographical information. Are you wondering who might benefit from this type of activity? Such a compilation of data is of high value for advertising companies that use the gathered information for generating relevant advertisements.
Since they processed the information and identified what is relevant and intriguing for certain groups of users, they try to attract as much attention as possible with their pay-per-click ads. The third-parties which get a hold of your data receive income while you get a vivid stream of commercial offers and banners flooding your browser. Thus, the sooner you remove ClickPotato, the better.
If ClickPotato has appeared only on a couple of untrustworthy networks and websites, there might be no infection residing on your device. To check this possibility, perform a full system scan and view the results. If your AV tool does not find any adware in your system, you can try blocking the incoming ads with the help of AdBlock or Adblock Plus.
However, if the scan results reveal that ClickPotato is an adware program hiding in your computer system, you should definitely remove the app and all the additional products that it might have brought. Also, if you have spotted some altered areas on your Windows or Mac computer system, try repairing them with the help of .
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
The transmission of adware programs
Cybersecurity specialists from LesVirus.fr claim that adware viruses are delivered by employing stealth distribution techniques.
The most simple way to receive a potentially unwanted program is by downloading freeware and shareware from an unsecured third-party downloading source such as cnet.com, download.com, or softonic.com.
This mostly happens to people who download various VLC players, download managers, PDF converters, and similar products without paying enough attention to the downloading process.
So, once you are installing a piece of software, you have to look at each step and opt-out of unknown additional products that you are prompted to download. Besides, always choose the custom or advanced downloading mode only as this one allows you to control all of your incoming products.
Furthermore, adware apps can get delivered as fake flash player updates. If you are browsing on some type of questionable website and you are suddenly provided with an update request, do not rush to agree.
Most of the time, update offers will not pop out of anywhere, so you should check if the message is an original one. For this purpose, go to the product's official website and check the latest update releases.
To add, we want to warn you that PUPs such as adware can also be spread through infectious hyperlinks and advertisements that can be placed anywhere on the Internet. For safety, always close all suspicious pages that you have entered, avoid clicking on everything that you see, and download reliable antimalware software that will alert if there is something suspicious waiting ahead.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato
- If you have discovered any altered areas on your computer, you can try repairing them with
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
cnet.com
How to remove ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato ads
How to remove the ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato extension
Do the browser steps in every browser and profile on the PC, then check Windows for the program that installed the extension.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, and in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially search, new tab, coupon, PDF, weather or video downloader add-ons. Check every browser and every profile, because each keeps its own list.
If an extension has no Remove button or comes back, a browser policy holds it (see "Managed by your organization" in the procedure below). The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 3: 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 4: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato 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
Eliminate ClickPotato adware virus from your Windows computer system and get rid of all the additional components that were brought by the potentially unwanted program by employing the following steps
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
To take care of Google Chrome properly and get rid of bogus changes from the infected browser app, try using the below-provided instructing steps
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
To reverse the Microsoft Edge web browser back to its previous state and eliminate all of the suspicious extensions that were added by the adware program, employ these guidelines
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)
To remove all of the suspicious add-ons, extensions, and plug-ins from your Mozilla Firefox web browser, you should try the below-provided guide
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.
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
To clean your Internet Explorer web browser from questionable browser helper objects and reverse all unknown changes, you should follow these guiding lines
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.
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Get rid of ClickPotato quickly and effectively
ClickPotato virus might show various signs of infection, you just have to recognize them.
When the adware appears, you will likely see an increased number of advertisements, constant redirecting, and changes in your web browser settings such as the homepage and new tab URL. This is an accurate sign that you need to speed up the adware elimination process.
To initiate ClickPotato removal, you can employ proper antimalware software that will take care of the task within a few minutes. These types of tools work perfectly for those who lack the required experience in the adware elimination field or just have been running into a lack of time lately.
Nevertheless, reliable antivirus products will make sure that all adware-related components have been successfully eliminated and the PUP will not reappear on your computer screen.
However, you can still remove ClickPotato on your own, if you want to. Even though this process requires more of the user's effort, it can still be successful if you know what you are doing.
Below we have provided some instructions in order to guide you through this process. Check out the following lines and learn how to uninstall the adware from your Windows, Mac operating system and web browsers such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, and others.
Questions about ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato ads
cnet.com opens when I click links. What causes it?
When every click leads to cnet.com first, an extension or a script on the page is rewriting the links. If it happens only on one site, that site uses aggressive ads; close it and use another source. If it happens everywhere, open the browser in a private window, where extensions are normally off, and try again.
No redirect in the private window means one of your extensions is responsible: remove the ones you do not know. A redirect in the private window too means the cause is outside the extensions, such as a notification permission, a changed search setting or a program installed on the PC. The removal steps in this guide cover each of those.
Is it safe that my browser was redirected to cnet.com?
Landing on cnet.com does not infect the PC by itself. A browser does not run programs from a page without your action. The danger is in the pages that come next:
- some ask you to allow notifications
- some show fake virus warnings
- some offer downloads
- ask for card details
If you only saw those pages and closed them, nothing more is needed than removing whatever caused the redirect. If you allowed notifications, remove that permission.
If you downloaded a file, delete it unopened, or uninstall it if you ran it. If you typed a password or card number on one of the pages, change the password and call your bank.
Why does ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato show me ads?
Because that is its whole purpose. ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato is an adware extension, and its operators are paid for every ad it displays and every click it gets. In this case the ads take the form of redirects through ad pages.
They are chosen by ad networks that accept almost any advertiser, which is why so many look like warnings or prizes. The ads are not a sign that your PC is broken or infected with something worse; they are a sign that something on it, or in the browser, has permission to advertise. Removing that permission or program stops them.
Do I have to clean every browser?
Yes, if you use more than one. We saw ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and each browser keeps its own extensions, notification permissions and settings. Chrome and Edge share the same extension format, so one installer can add the same adware to both, while Firefox has its own add-ons.
Check every browser on the PC, including ones you rarely open. If you sync a browser with an account, clean it while signed in, so that the removal reaches your other computers rather than the adware returning from them.
How do I know the ads come from ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato?
Look for redirects to cnet.com. That is the trace ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato leaves, and it shows up as redirects through ad pages. Ads that appear on every site, including ones that never carried ads before, point to something on your PC or in the browser rather than to the sites themselves.
A quick test is a private window, where extensions are off by default: if the ads disappear there, an extension is responsible. If they appear even with the browser closed, the source is a notification permission or a program in Windows.
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 adware extension and clearing cookies is usually enough.
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 ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato?
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.
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.
Will Fortect remove ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato?
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 ClickPotato/Adware.ClickPotato, 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
- Wikipedia: Potentially unwanted program (read October 7, 2026)
- LesVirus: LesVirus.fr (read October 7, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)