Not set adware (Removal Guide) - updated Sep 2017
Not set adware Removal Guide
What is Not set adware?
Seeing “Ads by Not Set” in the browser warns about intrusive adware infection
“Ads by Not Set” might appear on Chrome, Mozilla, and other web browsers after infiltration of the adware. The main aim of such programs is to earn money by interrupting people with continuous pop-up ads and fake notifications reporting about missing updates.[1] However, these ads might dangerous,[2] and you should not click them!
Typically, Not Set ads compare prices or inform people about missing updates that can be downloaded right thru the ad. However, they can infect your computer with malware. Also, these ads can redirect you to a malicious site that can be used for swindling personal information or even money.
After looking at these ads closer, it becomes clear that they are extremely catchy. Typically, they provide incredibly great shopping offers, discount codes, price comparisons and similar content. Unfortunately, almost none of Not set ads are real offers because they are based on the information that is collected by cookies[3] traveling together with this adware.
As soon as Not set adware enters the system, it installs cookies that are capable of tracking users' activity on the Internet. Usually, they monitor people's search terms, mostly visited websites and similar information. Although such data is not considered personally identifiable, it might still contain some sensitive details that can help scammers identify you.
To protect yourself, you should stay away from this browser add-on and remove Not Set adware if it has already infiltrated your computer without your approval. Please, do not let this computer parasite trick you! Its ads can hide deceptive hyperlinks[4] that are displayed with the aim to lead users to malicious Internet sites.
If you believe that your computer system is infected with the Not set virus, you can remove it with the help of FortectIntego. You can recognize this parasite on your computer by paying attention to such ads as the one that is displayed below. If any of these ads have started interrupting you, you should perform a full system scan with security software or follow manual Not set removal guide.
The ad-supported program spreads in software packages
“Ads by Not Set” appear right after the related browser add-on is installed on the system. Typically, browser hijackers, adware, dubious plug-ins or add-ons infiltrate computers using bundling method which has been actively used by the developers of such programs. To hide them and increase their distribution rate, distributors bundle them with well-known free applications, such as PDF converters, download managers, video players, games, and similar apps.
We recommend you to be careful when installing any free program because you can never know which software includes optional components. So when you launch the installer of a program, you should:
- read all details provided in the Terms of Use and End User's License Agreement;
- pay attention to the installation process by opting for Advanced or Custom installation mode and deselect the components that you do not want to install.
Many computer users in the United States, the Great Britain and other European countries, including Portugal[5] and Spain, has already suffered from Not Set redirect virus. Thus, you have to be careful when installing new programs to avoid possible problems.
Fighting against Not set ads
There are several different techniques that can be applied for Not set removal. You can easily eliminate this adware using a spyware removal tool. It is a great solution for securing your computer from spyware and malware attacks, tool. After you download it, scan your system for threats and parasites. Then remove these parasites with a single click.
However, if you do not want to install such security software, you can try to remove Not set virus on your own. If you have no experience in removing spyware, we suggest you to follow removal guide, which we have just prepared for you. You can find it below the article.
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 Not set adware. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
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
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 Google Chrome
Fixing Chrome after infiltration of Not Set adware is not very hard. However, you should manage to find all suspicious components of this PUP. For that, you need to select Settings and go to Extensions directory. Then, make sure you reset your browser.
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
”Ads by Not Set” can be eliminated by removing suspicious add-ons from Safari. To see them, you need to go to Safari's Preferences..
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.
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)
If Mozilla Firefox is hijacked by Not Set adware, you need to remove related add-ons from this web browser. To see their list, you should go to Add-ons section.
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.
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 Not set 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
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 Private Internet Access 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, or 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, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Zeljka Zorz. Malicious ads lead to fake browser updates. Help Net Security. Daily information security news with a focus on enterprise security.
- ^ Juliana de Groot. What is malvertising? How to identify and protect against malvertising attacks. The Digital Guardian Blog. Latest news about cyber security.
- ^ Vangie Beal. What are Cookies and What Do Cookies Do?. Webopedia. Onlone tech dictionary.
- ^ Andy O'Donnell. How to Test a Suspicious Link Without Clicking it. Lifewire. The website about technology and modern gadgets.
- ^ SemVirus. SemVirus. Spyware and cyber security news.