Lonkem.com ads: what it is and how to remove it
Lonkem.com is the adware-type intruder that makes a difference in the speed and performance of the machine with all the suspicious redirects and pop-ups, banners that keep you from accessing normal material. The program is based on social engineering tactics that allow tricking users into subscribing for more site notifications or different content.
Facts checked October 6, 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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Lonkem.com ads: summary
| Distribution | Freeware installations when you choose recommended or quick options automatically allows all the applications to get downloaded on the machine. Other PUPs can easily install the adware or browser hijacker to affect your time online |
|---|---|
| Name | Lonkem.com |
| Type | Adware-type potentially unwanted program |
| Symptoms | The site shows pop-ups and encouragements to subscribe to additional notifications and content by clicking the allow or agree button. This way your screen gets filled with banners, redirects, pop-ups, and other types of advertising material |
| Danger | Potentially unwanted programs are related to various sites and advertising services that can access, track, and collect information about your online preferences, browsing history, location, or even more personalized details |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| 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 7 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | lonkem.com |
| Ads shown as | Redirects through ad pages |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 25 February 2020 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Lonkem.com ads dangerous?
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Lonkem.com is the misleading advertising network that redirects users to questionable websites and commercial platforms
Lonkem.com is the adware-type intruder that makes a difference in the speed and performance of the machine with all the suspicious redirects and pop-ups, banners that keep you from accessing normal material.
The program is based on social engineering tactics that allow tricking users into subscribing for more site notifications or different content. The page displays no particular content only pop-ups with Show notifications message encouraging to allow or block additional material from the domain.
Unfortunately, when you interact with the pop-up or other advertising content, the Lonkem.com virus gets access to your browser settings and other parts of the device that can interfere with the browsing sessions and general performance or security.
You should note that these symptoms and other advertising-related issues, performance problems are caused by the PUP running in the background, not the appearance of this page. You need to terminate the adware-type intruder itself that is causing all the issues, to end the unwanted behavior.
Lonkem.com is an unwanted application that controls your online traffic to ensure that you visit needed pages with sponsored and affiliated content, so views and visits on needed pages can get generated. Pop-ups with advertisements fill up the screen daily and ensure that content is more personalized and more triggering your attention.
Lonkem.com collects various data about your preferences while you browse online about most viewed items and visited pages, so when the advertisement appears on your screen it is more attractive and it is more likely that you will click on the pop-up, banner or blinking box.
The information about your preferences and browsing history gets collected by Lonkem.com PUP itself and other advertisers related to the redirects occurring due to the infection. The potentially unwanted program itself lands on your machine without permission or even knowledge and starts interfering with all the processes regarding the internet. All these things and alterations happen even when you ignore the following message:
The pop-up on the domain encourages people to allow notifications so the video can get started or file downloaded. The Lonkem.com domain can claim various things just to trick people into clicking the allow button or interacting with the pop-up on the web browser alone. Any clicks on Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Safari browser pop-ups can trigger the automatic subscription.
Even though you cannot notice the infiltration of this shady program, you should remove Lonkem.com as soon as possible because an occasional pop-up advertisement and redirect is nothing when compared to system damage or other PUP installed. When the PUP has more time on the machine, it can interfere with the vital functions of the device and set up particular preferences to ensure persistence.
Even when you encounter the redirect to Lonkem.com once or twice it is already a sign that your machine is affected by a cyber threat. The potentially unwanted program runs in the background and triggers all those processes of redirecting your online traffic and showing you commercial content. It can also change the preferences of the web browser and set itself as the go-to homepage or new tab settings.
You should go straight for the Lonkem.com removal process, so you can avoid getting other programs installed and can ensure that particular startup preferences or registry entries don't get altered. Once those get altered it significantly affects the persistence of the PUP itself, so you cannot that easily get rid of this program.
However, the best method for proper termination of these PUPs is still anti-malware tools that can find all Lonkem.com associated files and applications possibly added by the intruder behind your back. Also, a program that can detect PUPs can clean your machine and should be able to find other threats and potentially damaging files.
Choose a tool like .
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Freeware installations hide additional downloads of PUPs
Experts always talk about how shady malware spreading methods can get over time and especially when it comes to these PUPs and other browser-based threats.
These applications are not considered malware or exceptionally dangerous viruses, so users often don't panic when something like this domain appears.
However, the more time you give these PUPs the more affected your device can get because PUP keeps affecting various processes, files, and installing other extensions or plugins that control your traffic and collect information. You need to pay attention to symptoms and tackle those as soon as possible.
Nevertheless, you can avoid infiltrations in advance, too by choosing the right methods of freeware installations and relying on official sources or developers every time you want to get any software or tools. Advanced or Custom installations can show you all included programs and provide the opportunity to deselect any suspicious additions yourself.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Lonkem.com
- Lonkem.com removal gives the best results when you rely on proper anti-malware tools because such programs can check various places and fully eliminate the PUP
- You also need to run the check on the system that indicates affected or damaged files for you.
- Tools like , or system optimizers, repair tools can fix such issues without damaging crucial parts of the computer
- Lonkem.com wants to Show notifications Press Allow to watch video
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
lonkem.com
How to remove Lonkem.com ads
How to remove the Lonkem.com 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
Lonkem.com often works through an extension, so go through the extension list of each browser:
chrome://extensionsedge://extensions- Extensions and themes in Firefox
Switch suspicious extensions off one at a time and reload the page where the problem shows, then remove the one that stops it, and any other you did not add.
Remember the other browsers and profiles on the PC. If Remove is missing or greyed out, a policy forces the extension, which the policy step deals with. Windows 11 and Windows 10 show the same pages.
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
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10, and sort the list by install date. Look at what appeared around the day the problem started and uninstall every program you do not recognise or did not choose.
Free converters, PDF and video tools, "system optimizers" and unknown browsers are the usual carriers of Lonkem.com. If a name is unclear, search for it before you remove it, so you do not uninstall a driver or a Windows component.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 3: Reset the browser
Finish the browser part with a reset, which puts the search engine, start page, new tab page and site permissions back to their defaults and switches extensions off. Chrome: Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults.
Edge: Settings > Reset settings. Firefox: Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox, which also removes its extensions. Your bookmarks and saved passwords are kept, and the menus are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
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
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
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
Get rid of the intruder and end those shady Lonkem.com redirects
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
Make sure to clean the browser off of the Lonkem.com-related material
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
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)
Set Firefox to default, so you can forget about unwanted apps and extensions
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
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.
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 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 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. 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.
From our report of Feb 2020 · not reviewed since
Get rid of the questionable redirects be terminating the Lonkem.com virus in the first place
When you encounter threats like this, you need to consider a few things besides that advertisements and redirects to shady pages.
When you decide to remove Lonkem.com, you need to go for the automatic methods that involve anti-malware tools and still manually change settings on the web browsing tools for better results.
Lonkem.com removal takes time and cannot be the easiest process when you rely on resetting your browsers alone. It can terminate the program itself, but infection may renew itself due to the additionally added programs, extensions, or files. The same happens due to changes in the system, so make sure to find a good AV tool and PC repair program.
Questions about Lonkem.com ads
How do I stop lonkem.com from opening?
Find and remove whatever opens it. Start with the browser's extensions page and remove anything you do not remember adding. Next, open the notification settings and take away permission from sites you do not recognise.
Then check Settings > Apps > Installed apps for programs added around the day the redirects began, and uninstall those. Restart the browser and test a few links after each step.
If lonkem.com still appears, reset the browser, which restores the default search engine, start page and permissions without deleting bookmarks or saved passwords. Redirects that survive a reset in every browser point to a program in Windows, and a full scan is the next step.
Should I worry about redirects to lonkem.com?
Worry less about lonkem.com itself and more about what keeps sending you there. A single redirect from a free streaming or download site is normal and harmless once the tab is closed.
Repeated redirects on sites that used to work fine mean something in the browser or in Windows changed, often an extension or program installed alongside other software. It may also collect the pages you visit. Remove the cause with the steps in this guide, and do not act on anything the redirected pages ask:
- no Allow clicks
- no downloads
- no calls
If you already did one of those, the matching section of this guide explains what to do next.
What is Lonkem.com?
Lonkem.com is an adware extension, a kind of adware. It earns money by showing redirects through ad pages, and each view, click or redirect pays whoever runs it. It is not something people usually choose; it arrives through a free download, a fake button or a misleading prompt.
Lonkem.com does not encrypt files or take control of Windows, but its ads are sold to anyone, including scam operators, so they can lead to fake virus warnings and unwanted downloads. The steps in this guide remove it from Windows and from each browser.
Which browsers does Lonkem.com affect?
In the cases we checked, Lonkem.com showed up in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. That does not rule out others on your PC, since adware installers often target every browser they find, and permissions and extensions sync across computers signed in to the same browser account.
Open each browser you have, go to its extensions page and its notification settings, and remove anything you do not recognise. Profiles count separately: Chrome and Edge can each hold several, and each one needs checking on its own.
Are the pop-ups I see really from Lonkem.com?
Compare them with the details in the table above. Lonkem.com produces redirects through ad pages, and the clearest sign of it is redirects to lonkem.com. Other adware looks similar, so check the name of the sending site at the bottom of a notification, the address in the tab that opened, or the newest entries on the extensions page.
If those match, this guide fits. If you see a different name, the same kind of steps apply, but remove the item you actually find rather than guessing.
I let a "support technician" from an ad connect to my PC. What should I do?
Act quickly but calmly. Disconnect the PC from the internet first, so the connection ends. Uninstall the remote access tool they asked you to install and check Installed apps for anything else added during the call.
Run a Microsoft Defender full scan and offline scan. From another device, change your e-mail and banking passwords and sign out of all sessions.
If you paid by card, bank transfer or gift card, contact your bank or the card issuer immediately, and report the scam to the police. Do not answer if they call back.
Can an adware pop-up infect my PC just by appearing?
No. A pop-up, a notification or a new tab is only a web page or a message. It cannot run programs on Windows by itself, provided the browser and Windows are up to date. Infection needs a step from you:
- running a downloaded file
- installing an extension
- giving a stranger remote access
That is why scam pages work so hard to make you click. Close such pages with the tab's X or by closing the browser, not with buttons inside the page, which may start a download.
Did Lonkem.com collect my data?
Adware typically collects what it needs to choose ads:
- the sites you visit
- search terms
- approximate location
- browser and system details
Extensions with permission to read and change data on all websites can technically see everything on those pages, including forms. That is a privacy problem rather than proof of theft.
If you typed card details or passwords while it was active, changing the most important passwords is a reasonable precaution. Clearing cookies after removal ends the tracking sessions it may have started.
Why is my browser so slow since the ads started?
Each page now does extra work. An adware extension reads the page, decides where to put ads, loads them from ad servers and reports your visit, and that happens on every tab. Ad-supported programs add their own background activity.
Removing the extension or program usually makes the browser fast again at once. If it stays slow, open the browser's own task manager with Shift+Esc in Chrome or Edge and look for extensions using a lot of memory or processor time.
Will Fortect remove Lonkem.com?
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 Lonkem.com, 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
- CSOonline: Social engineering explained: How criminals exploit human behavior (read October 6, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Ad tracking (read October 6, 2026)
- Virusai: Virusai (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)