Installed by enterprise policy" extension ads: what it is and how to remove it

"Installed by enterprise policy" is a Google Chrome feature that makes browser add-ons, plugins and extensions impossible to remove easily. There's no doubt that this specification is highly employed by developers of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) to keep their application longer on the infected device.

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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Installed by enterprise policy" extension: installed by enterprise policy virus
Installed by enterprise policy" extension as our 2017 report showed it.

Installed by enterprise policy" extension ads: summary

Detection namesNo Microsoft detection name is known
DistributionNot recorded in the old report
DamageNot recorded in the old report
NameInstalled by enterprise policy" extension
TypeAdware extension
SymptomsAn unknown program in Installed apps
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 4 more facts
Evidence6 write-ups by security sites; details still limited
ProgramInstalled by enterprise policy" extension
First seen22 November 2017
Facts checked7 October 2026

How to remove Installed by enterprise policy" extension ads

How to remove the Installed by enterprise policy" extension extension

Do the browser steps in every browser and profile on the PC, then check Windows for the program that installed the extension.

  1. Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add

    In Chrome open chrome://extensions, in Edge edge://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 menu with Extensions and Manage extensions highlighted
    Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension

  2. Step 2: Uninstall Installed by enterprise policy" extension

    Installed by enterprise policy" extension 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 Installed by enterprise policy" extension, 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

  3. 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 Settings page with the Reset settings section open
    Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings.

    Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine

  4. Step 4: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan

    A scan finds the parts of Installed by enterprise policy" extension 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 Security Scan options with Microsoft Defender Antivirus offline scan selected
    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

While the experts recommend cleaning up the computer using automatic software, sometimes this option may not be available. In such cases, you can try to remove the parasite from your PC manually. First of all, you have to change Group Policy settings: Open Command Prompt by hitting Windows key + R and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) from the appeared list. Type the following commands and click Enter after each of them:rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy"gpupdate /force When the last command is executed, you will see these sayings that mean that Group Policy is reset: User Policy update has completed successfully.Computer Policy update has completed successfully. Once it's done, you have to uninstall malicious apps from Control Panel as shown below and check web browsers for a suspicious components. Even though "Installed by enterprise policy" is Chrome's feature, you should check all browsers installed on your PC because PUPs might install their components to other browsers as well.

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows
Remove from Google Chrome

Roll back Google Chrome settings by completing this browser reset guide:

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2
Remove from Microsoft Edge

To reset altered Microsoft Edge settings, you should perform a browser reset like explained below:

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Reset Mozilla Firefox like explained in the tutorial below:

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2
Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari
Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer after you are done with the virus removal. It will roll back the changes the virus has made to your browser.

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

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 Nov 2017 · not reviewed since

"Installed by enterprise policy" - a feature that prevents uninstalling PUPs easily

"Installed by enterprise policy" is a Google Chrome feature that makes browser add-ons, plugins and extensions impossible to remove easily.

There's no doubt that this specification is highly employed by developers of potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) to keep their application longer on the infected device.

Malicious browser extensions, adware, browser hijackers and other junkware are usually installed by enterprise policy to cause more problems for the victim. Typically these suspicious applications are designed to:

You should avoid such suspicious browser add-ons because they may start causing lots of unwanted activities. Some of these activities are annoying pop-up ads that report about discounts, coupons, and other tricky things, redirects to unfamiliar and sometimes really suspicious websites and other activities.

However "Installed by enterprise policy" prevents from a simple elimination of the potentially unwanted application. If you access the list of Chrome extensions, you will see that it is greyed-out and impossible to delete it by hitting Trash icon. Additionally, you won't be able to access disable extension feature.

In order to remove "Installed by enterprise policy," you have to remove Group Policy first. This feature allows controlling installation or uninstallation of particular apps. The malicious application restricts users from removal. However, they can change Group Policy and perform either manual or automatic elimination.

We have provided manual "Installed by enterprise policy" removal guide below. However, our team recommends terminating browser hijackers, adware and other PUPs using reputable anti-malware software, such as .

  • alter browser's settings;
  • changing default browser's homepage, search engine, new tab URL address with a suspicious domain;
  • deliver an excessive amount of ads or redirect to third-party commercial websites;
  • track information about users;
  • cause other browsing-related problems.
Installed by enterprise policy" extension: installed by enterprise policy virus
Installed by enterprise policy" extension in our 2017 report.
Installed by enterprise policy" extension: installed by enterprise policy virus image
Installed by enterprise policy" extension in our 2017 report.

From our report of Nov 2017 · not reviewed since

Dangerous browser extension spread in software installers

There are lots of suspicious browser extensions, plugins, and add-ons that are spread using "bundling".

In fact, this is the main method used for spreading "Installed by enterprise policy" virus and you can avoid it only if you monitor installation of free software.

How can you do that? Believe us, it is not hard. For that, you should always check Privacy Policy, End User's License Agreement, and similar things. In addition, you should always opt for Custom or Advanced installation option and uncheck all browser add-ons, extensions, and plugins that may be offered to you along the way.

Please, be very attentive while installing new programs because you may miss the sentence that allows installation of some suspicious browser add-on. If you think that malicious extension using "Installed by enterprise policy" is already hiding on your computer, there is no point of waiting for its removal because there is a long list of unwanted and sometimes even dangerous activities that may be initiated by it.

Think about redirects to unsafe websites or recording of your browsing activity and decide whether you really want this to continue.

From our report of Nov 2017 · not reviewed since

Reset Group Policy to uninstall "Installed by enterprise policy" extension

In order to remove "Installed by enterprise policy" extensions, add-ons or other apps, you have to change Group Policy settings firstby following these steps:

Once you hit Enter after the last command, you should receive these notifications: User Policy update has completed successfully. Computer Policy update has completed successfully.

It means that "Installed by enterprise policy" removal is completed and now you can uninstall all unwanted applications from the computer and the browsers. You can find manual removal guide below.

Additionally, you can remove "Installed by enterprise policy" virus from Windows and the browser using reputable anti-malware/anti-spyware that will identify and uninstall potentially dangerous or malicious applications.

First of all, you have to change Group Policy settings:

When the last command is executed, you will see these sayings that mean that Group Policy is reset:

User Policy update has completed successfully. Computer Policy update has completed successfully.

Once it's done, you have to uninstall malicious apps from Control Panel as shown below and check web browsers for a suspicious components. Even though "Installed by enterprise policy" is Chrome's feature, you should check all browsers installed on your PC because PUPs might install their components to other browsers as well.

  • Press Windows key + X and click Command Prompt (Admin) to open the program.
  • In the Command Prompt enter these commands and hit Enter after typing each of them: rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers" rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy" gpupdate /force
  • Open Command Prompt by hitting Windows key + R and choosing Command Prompt (Admin) from the appeared list.
  • Type the following commands and click Enter after each of them: rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers" rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy" gpupdate /force

Questions about Installed by enterprise policy" extension ads

Can I safely uninstall Installed by enterprise policy" extension?

If you did not install Installed by enterprise policy" extension yourself and it is not part of your hardware or a program you rely on, yes. Uninstalling an unwanted program does not harm Windows.

Before you do, search the exact name and publisher to be sure it is not a driver tool, a printer utility or a game launcher with an odd name. Then remove it from Settings, Apps, Installed apps.

Ignore any offers or warnings in its uninstaller about losing protection or performance. Afterwards check Startup apps and your browsers for leftovers, and restart once to confirm that it does not reinstall itself.

Installed by enterprise policy" extension will not uninstall. What can I do?

First restart the PC and try again, because the program may have been running and locked its own files. If the uninstaller is missing or fails, start Windows in Safe Mode, where most third-party programs do not start, and remove Installed by enterprise policy" extension from Installed apps there.

If it still refuses, delete its startup entry and its scheduled task, restart, and try once more. A program that actively prevents removal is behaving like malware, so finish with a Microsoft Defender offline scan. Avoid third-party uninstallers offered on search ads; several of them are unwanted programs themselves.

Why didn't my antivirus catch Installed by enterprise policy" extension?

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.

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.

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.

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.

How did Installed by enterprise policy extension get on my computer?

In fact, this is the main method used for spreading "Installed by enterprise policy" virus and you can avoid it only if you monitor installation of free software. Software of this kind often comes bundled with free programs, fake updates or downloads from unofficial sites.

It can also arrive through a browser extension or a notification you allowed on a spam page. Think back to what you installed or allowed just before the first ad or redirect appeared.

Will Fortect remove Installed by enterprise policy" extension?

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 Installed by enterprise policy" extension, 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

  1. Browser extension: Browser extension (read October 7, 2026)
  2. Wikipedia: Redirection (computing) (read October 7, 2026)
  3. GNU: What is free software? (read October 7, 2026)
  4. Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
  5. FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)

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