Remove Instant Support ads (Removal Guide) - Jul 2017 update
Instant Support delivers fake security alerts and wants users to call to fake support line
Instant Support is a suspicious adware[1] that sneaks inside computer unnoticed and pretends to be a reliable technical support provider. What is more, adware might deliver other commercial content and reduce browsing quality. Adware mostly aims at Win 10 and Win 7 users; however, other Windows versions might be affected as well.
Questions about Instant Support ads
It does not matter which Internet browser you prefer to use – Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox – this adware will affect all of them. Instant Support toolbar installs its browser extension that might send you various pop-up messages which will make you concerned about the state of your computer. Typically, they claim:
Our Microsoft trained technicians are standing by ready to help you resolve all your PC issues and more.
In addition, Instant Support ads will offer you to get free assistance via these phone numbers: (888) 693-5841 or (866) 818-5310 but you should never call these numbers! Otherwise, you will be shocked when you will receive your next phone bill. The Instant Support staff is going to talk with you about your computer, but you should know that the minute rate of this support number is extremely high.
We strongly advise you to ignore such pop-ups. Remember that you can receive such misleading pop-ups offering PC support not only from Instant Support but also from any other adware as well. Thus, you should be aware of signs of adware infiltration, such as increased amount of online ads or redirects to sponsored sites.
This PUP belongs to Trojan.Tech-Support-Scam group. Thus, Instant Support virus might display error messages from Windows taskbar and Windows Event logs. However, you should not be fooled by this hoax.[2] Keep in mind that Windows support service does not require to call technicians to solve various problems. Thus, you are dealing with tech support scam[3].
In order to remove Instant Support and all other PUPs or possible computer threats automatically, we suggest installing Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego anti-malware, which will detect and eliminate this cyber infection. What is more, it will protect your PC from similar cyber threats in the future.
If you are looking for manual Instant Support removal instructions, you can find them at the end of the article. Keep in mind that adware may have installed numerous components and other PUPs to the system and web browsers. Thus, you need to get rid of them all.
Instant Support shows fake pop-ups informing about various errors that have to be fixed immediately.
Bundling helps adware to step inside the computers
Instant Support adware is spread with other freeware and shareware. If you download free programs from the web from time to time, you have to be super cautious, because there's a chance of installing a bundled software[4] pack.
Developers of this PUP will not clearly notify you about extra applications added to your download pack, and you will not know about them unless you check it yourself. At the moment of writing, it was mentioned that this parasite spreads in a bundle with PC Accelerate.
To avoid this and similar applications, you have to find out about optional downloads by following these tips:
- Skip the traditional ''Standard'', ''Basic'', ''Regular'' or ''Default'' modes and choose whether ''Advanced'' or ''Custom'' ones instead.
- Follow each of the steps carefully and attentively in order not to overlook the list of pre-selected third-party programs.
- Once you see the list, you can reject unwanted applications by taking off the tick sign near the suggestions to install them.
- Now, you can proceed further and finish the installation process.
Keep in mind that doesn’t matter where you live – in the U.S., the U.K, or China[5] – this tricky potentially unwanted application can enter the device if you do not pay proper attention to the installation of freeware or shareware. Otherwise, you will need to uninstall Instant Support or other annoying applications.
Showing how to get rid of the Instant Support virus
You can choose how to remove Instant Support – with or without the anti-spyware program. You can also try to delete this PUP manually. For that, we have provided step-by-step removal instructions below this article.
However, if you are a fresh computer user, it can be quite a challenging task to detect all infectious files that this program may have hidden deep in the computer's system. For this reason, we strongly recommend using a professional computer security tool, which will find all hidden junk files and eliminate them.
If you want to opt for automatic Instant Support removal, you should not choose professional and reputable security tool, but update it too. Only up-to-date software is capable of detecting and eliminating all PUPs and suspicious entries from the device.
You may remove virus damage with a help of Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego. 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.
To remove Instant Support ads, follow these steps:
Remove Instant Support from Windows systems
When trying to remove Instant Support malware from your computer, you should look for PC Accelerate, PC Accelerate Pro and similar entries. We recommend uninstalling them as well.
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Click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
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If you are Windows 10 / Windows 8 user, then right-click in the lower left corner of the screen. Once Quick Access Menu shows up, select Control Panel and Uninstall a Program.
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Uninstall Instant Support and related programs
Here, look for Instant Support or any other recently installed suspicious programs. -
Uninstall them and click OK to save these changes.
Eliminate Instant Support from Mac OS X system
To prevent the reappearance of Instant Support ads, you should also remove its related components. It has been approved that one of them is PC Accelerate (also known as PC Accelerate Pro).
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If you are using OS X, click Go button at the top left of the screen and select Applications.
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Wait until you see Applications folder and look for Instant Support or any other suspicious programs on it. Now right click on every of such entries and select Move to Trash.
Uninstall Instant Support from Internet Explorer (IE)
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Remove dangerous add-ons
Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top right corner of the browser and choose Manage Add-ons.
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You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for Instant Support and other suspicious plugins. Disable these entries by clicking Disable:
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Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Click on the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of the browser and select Internet Options. Stay in General tab. -
Here, remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Click Apply to save changes.
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Reset Internet Explorer
Click on the gear icon (menu) again and select Internet options. Go to Advanced tab. - Here, select Reset.
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When in the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete Instant Support removal.
Get rid of Instant Support from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
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Remove dangerous extensions
Open Mozilla Firefox, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Add-ons → Extensions.
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Here, select Instant Support and other questionable plugins. Click Remove to delete these entries.
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Reset Mozilla Firefox
Click on the Firefox menu on the top left and click on the question mark. Here, choose Troubleshooting Information.
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Now you will see Reset Firefox to its default state message with Reset Firefox button. Click this button for several times and complete Instant Support removal.
Delete Instant Support from Google Chrome
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Delete malicious plugins
Open Google Chrome, click on the menu icon (top right corner) and select Tools → Extensions.
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Here, select Instant Support and other malicious plugins and select trash icon to delete these entries.
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Click on menu icon again and choose Settings → Manage Search engines under the Search section.
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When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search sites. You should leave only Google or your preferred domain name.
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Reset Google Chrome
Click on menu icon on the top right of your Google Chrome and select Settings. -
Scroll down to the end of the page and click on Reset browser settings.
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Click Reset to confirm this action and complete Instant Support removal.
Remove Instant Support from Safari
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Remove dangerous extensions
Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.
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Here, select Extensions and look for Instant Support or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.
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Reset Safari
Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari....
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Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete Instant Support removal process.
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. It is a hassle when your website is protected from suspicious connections and unauthorized IP addresses.
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 server or network manager that need to monitor connections and activities. This is how you bypass some of the authentications factors and can remotely use your banking accounts without triggering suspicious with each login.
VPN software providers like Private Internet Access 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. It is better to clock the access to your website from different IP addresses. So you can keep the project safe and secure when you have the dedicated IP address VPN and protected access to the content management system.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer various losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Software issues created by malware or direct data loss due to encryption can lead to problems with your device or permanent damage. When you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work.
It is crucial to create updates to your backups after any changes on the device, so you can get back to the point you were working on when malware changes anything or issues with the device causes data or performance corruption. Rely on such behavior and make file backup your daily or weekly habit.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware occurs out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the system restoring purpose.
About the author
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References
- ^ Olivia Morelli. How to remove adware viruses. NoVirus. British site about computer viruses and their removal.
- ^ Joel Lee. How to Spot and Avoid Fake Virus & Malware Warnings. MakeUseOf. The website about technology and modern gadgets.
- ^ Marcin Kleczynski. The Very Real, Difficult Fight Against Tech Support Scams. Forbes. The website about business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle.
- ^ Bundled software. Webopedia. Online tech dictionary for IT professionals.
- ^ Wubingdu. Wubingdu. The website about recent cyber infections in China.
October 21st, 2015 at 4:03 am
I have seen these pop-ups messages on my screen! However, I have never though that they can be so deceptive. Luckily I havent called this number!!!
October 21st, 2015 at 5:58 am
This is so frustrating! Sadly, I had to experience the tear-off… So I have received my phone bill, and I could not believe my eyes! The phone bill was HUGE. I feel the need to tell everybody – if you ever start receiving any pop-up windows repeatedly, you should know that an infectious program has sneaked into your computer!! Before clicking on any pop-up windows, or doing what they command you, firstly s look for any keywords that can reveal the presence of these ads. Then look it up on the web!
June 27th, 2016 at 8:17 am
Sadly, I could not remove this manually – it seems so difficult to me ;( I will invite a technician to fix this for me
June 27th, 2016 at 8:19 am
You shouldnt! It will cost you a lot!