FF AdBlock Protection (Tutorial) - Easy Removal Guide
FF AdBlock Protection Removal Guide
What is FF AdBlock Protection?
Malicious FF AdBlock Protection Firefox add-on warns about necessity to update the browser
FF AdBlock Protection is another suspicious Mozilla Firefox extension that was detected at the beginning of 2018. The add-on is actively being pushed with the help of adware programs which redirect users into a compromised website that urged install a manual Firefox update.
Security specialists from NoVirus.uk[1] warn Firefox users to be careful because these type of scams are extremely popular and aggressive. Thus, if you have been redirected to a website that asks to install FF AdBlock Protection, FF Search Informer, FF AntiVir Monitoring or similar extension, you have to leave this site immediately.
However, the research has shown that the malicious website might be preventing users from closing the browser. If you cannot close this browser tab, you should kill Firefox processes in the Windows Task Manager. If these redirects continue, you should also use FortectIntego or another anti-malware software to check if adware was not installed on your device.
The ad-supported program which is responsible for redirecting to FF AdBlock Protection scam website usually is installed together with free programs. Thus, the hijack is often unnoticed. However, soon users are bothered by redirects, ads and other suspicious activities on the affected web browser.
So-called FF AdBlock Protection virus is designed to redirect a user to fake Firefox update page that states the following information:
Firefox requires a manual update
This update is required to ensure that you are protected on the Internet
Install now* This update is required * Protect yourself immediately on the internet
* Internet pages are automatically examined and possibly blocked
* Increased protection against malware and viruses
Keep in mind that Firefox updates do not arrive in such form. Thus, you should not install any app or update offered by FF AdBlock Protection adware. The installation of this tool might end up with infiltration of spyware, malware[2] or trojan horse. Hence, you might suffer from further computer-related problems.
If redirects to this site repeats itself and you also noticed an increased amount of pop-ups while browsing the web, you should take care of your computer’s state. As we have mentioned already, it might be the sign of adware infection. Thus, FF AdBlock Protection removal is needed.
This suspicious application can be removed either manually or automatically, so you have to choose the method that suits your needs and skills. Anti-malware tools can quickly remove FF AdBlock Protection from the system, but if you are not willing to installing additional software, you should follow the manual removal guide below.
FF AdBlock Protection is a fake Firefox add-on that is promoted with an adware program.
Explanation on how PUPs get into the system and how to avoid them
FF AdBlock Protection redirect virus was spotted spreading in the same way as other potentially unwanted programs – bundled with freeware or shareware. Hence, if you have installed a free program using “Quick” or “Recommended” settings.
You should always have in mind that these settings do not reveal additional components that might be included in the freeware package. Thus, you have to get used to “Advanced” or “Custom” installers and read notifications provided there attentively.
If you see any programs, PC optimizers, browser add-on[3] or similar entries offered to download, please remove the ticks next to them to avoid unwanted changes to the browser or computer.
Uninstall FF AdBlock Protection from Firefox entirely
If you have accidentally installed this malicious Firefox add-on, you have to delete it from the extensions list immediately. Checking the list of browser add-ons is also needed if you are continuously being redirected to this corrupted site too.
The guide below will give you detailed explanation how you can locate and eliminate all adware-related entries. Follow it carefully because if you overlook some entries or forget to reset the browser, FF AdBlock Protection removal wouldn’t be completed successfully.
If you want to avoid failure and save your time, you should remove FF AdBlock Protection automatically with anti-malware software. After the scanning the system and letting the program to clean malicious components, you should still reset Mozilla Firefox.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of FF AdBlock Protection. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Follow these steps to eliminate FF AdBlock Protection virus from Windows computer:
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- 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.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- 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.
Delete from macOS
These instructions will help you to get rid of the Firefox virus entirely:
Remove items from Applications folder:
- 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)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- 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.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Check the list of add-ons. Remove FF AdBlock Protection and other questionable entries to stop unwanted activities on the browser. Then reset Mozilla Firefox as show below:
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of FF AdBlock Protection registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
Protect your privacy – employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
- ^ NoVirus. NoVirus. Latest cyber security and spyware news.
- ^ Larry Seltzer. Fake Firefox Update Page Pushes Malware. PCMag. Technology product reviews, news, prices and downloads .
- ^ Dan Price. 4 Malicious Browser Extensions That Help Hackers Target Their Victims. MakeUseOf. The guide in modern tech.