Shopping Guide ads: what it is and how to remove it
Potentially unwanted applications are relatively common, although users are often not even aware that they have one of those installed on their systems. To be more precise, we are talking about the Shopping Guide extension, which is one of the prime examples of how deceptive adware apps operate while disguising themselves as something useful.
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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Shopping Guide ads: summary
| Distribution | Software bundles, third-party websites, misleading ads |
|---|---|
| Name | Shopping Guide |
| Type | Adware |
| Alleged function | Shopping discounts and deals |
| Dangers | Installation of other potentially unwanted software or malware, personal data disclosure to third parties/cybercriminals, monetary losses due to fake offers |
| 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 6 more facts
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
|---|---|
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Program | Shopping Guide |
| First seen | 10 February 2022 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is Shopping Guide ads dangerous?
From our report of Feb 2022 · not reviewed since
Shopping Guide is a potentially unwanted browser extension that might show you ads instead of discounts
Potentially unwanted applications are relatively common, although users are often not even aware that they have one of those installed on their systems.
To be more precise, we are talking about the Shopping Guide extension, which is one of the prime examples of how deceptive adware apps operate while disguising themselves as something useful.
First and foremost, most people commonly install PUPs unintentionally due to their deceptive distribution methods. Software bundling, or product bundling, is among the most popular ones - that's where several applications are compiled into a standalone installer. If not paying attention to the installation steps, many might not notice that they were offered optional components and install them inadvertently.
Alternatively, Shopping Guide adware might also be installed after users come across an ad for it - they might think that an app offering discounts and offers would be a great addition. However, it soon becomes clear that instead of helping users with shopping, the extension inserts its own ads on websites that users visit, which can be quite intrusive.
Another way adware earns money to its developers is by tracking user data and even sharing or selling to third parties. The information is mostly anonymous, although some details, such as the IP address or device identifier, might be considered private in some jurisdictions or countries.
From our report of Feb 2022 · not reviewed since
The fake offers
Coupons, discounts, and offers are words that greatly attract users in general.
Who wouldn't want to shop online for much cheaper? However, shopping deals are not always as straightforward as they might initially seem, especially when it comes to browser extensions that offer this functionality, which initially seems like it's without downfalls. Not everything is that simple, though.
Adware and other potentially unwanted applications have been disguised as shopping apps for a long time - MyShopcoupon, Discount Dragon, and OfferssDirect are just a few examples of this scheme.
Not only do they usually fail to provide effective discounts and offers, but they may also include advertisements that are completely unrelated or even dangerous. For example, adware is known to be the reason why users encounter phishing, scam, and similar dangerous websites.
Shopping Guide ads might be shown in various forms, for example, as sponsored search results at the top or as pop-ups, interstitial ads, auto-play videos, and similar. Without a doubt, the browsing experience might be very much ruined due to this and some people might not even be aware that it is the adware that is causing it.
Therefore, it is always important to ensure that powerful security software is running in the background to warn you about potentially dangerous applications. Additionally, you should always download freeware apps with caution, as they commonly include optional components that are hidden within a standalone installer.
From our report of Feb 2022 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Shopping Guide
- You should delete web browser caches and other data from your browsers to protect your privacy and prevent information leaks.
- You can do that quicker with
How to remove Shopping Guide ads
How to remove the Shopping Guide 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
Shopping Guide 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 Shopping Guide
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10. Sort the list by install date and find Shopping Guide, then choose Uninstall from the three-dot menu next to it (in Windows 10, click the entry and then Uninstall).
Remove anything else installed on the same day that you do not recognise, because such programs usually arrive together in one installer. If the uninstaller opens a browser page with an offer or a survey, close it: the program is removed either way.
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
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. 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 the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like 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.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
From our report of Feb 2022 · not reviewed since
How to remove the unwanted Shopping Guide ads?
While some adware might cause difficulties when trying to remove it, extensions are usually not that difficult to get rid of.
However, it is important to keep in mind that there might be other PUPs or even malware running in the background.
Step 1. Uninstall the browser extension
Browser extensions are really easy to eliminate under normal circumstances. The easiest way to do so is by checking the "Extensions" button close to the URL bar.
MS Edge (legacy)
Most adware apps come in the form of extensions nowadays - they are lightweight and hold enough functionality for the developers to receive the benefits of promotional links and other sponsored content. In this case, the surface of the operation is usually smaller than that of a program installed on the system level.
In the case of the latter, a PUP can affect all the browsers and show ads outside of them, resulting in aggressive forms of adverts known as pop-ups. Likewise, malware can make background connections to generate traffic in the background without users knowing anything about it.
Considering that adware and malware are distributed in rather deceptive ways, there could be additional unwanted or malicious applications installed on your device.
Step 3. Clean your browsers to prevent data tracking
As soon as you remove the extension and other unwanted/malicious programs, you should also take care of your browser caches. Adware is known for its ability to track user data - IP addresses, cookies, visited websites, clicked links, location, device identifiers, and much more. These details might later be shared with unknown third parties, which does not benefit users in any way - they might instead receive ads from unknown advertisers.
Therefore, you should either perform a scan with PC repair and maintenance utility to eliminate cookies and other web data to ensure the unwanted ad activity does not come back and you are no longer tracked by unknown advertisers. Alternatively, you can follow the instructions to get rid of browser caches manually (we also recommend repeating this process from time to time for better privacy and security).
MS Edge (Chromium)
MS Edge (legacy)
- 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.
- 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 plugin and click Remove.
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
- 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.
- Click Safari > Preferences...
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
- 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.
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content, and press Clear.
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
- 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.
- Click Safari > Clear History...
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Questions about Shopping Guide ads
Can I safely uninstall Shopping Guide?
If you did not install Shopping Guide 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.
Shopping Guide 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 Shopping Guide 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.
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.
Did Shopping Guide 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.
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.
My scan found nothing, but the ads continue. Why?
Because the source may not be a file a scanner looks for. Browser notifications are a permission stored in the browser, and many adware extensions are not flagged because they come from an official store.
Some ad-supported programs are only reported if you enable detection of potentially unwanted apps. So a clean scan does not mean the job is done. Check each browser's notification permissions and extension list by hand, and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security before scanning again.
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.
Is Shopping Guide a virus?
Not in the strict sense: Shopping Guide is unwanted software, classed here as an adware extension, not a self-copying virus. Security programs often label such software as adware, a potentially unwanted program or a browser hijacker.
It still needs removal, because it changes browser settings, shows ads and can lead you to unsafe pages. The larger risk is clicking an ad that leads to a fake update or scam page.
Will Fortect remove Shopping Guide?
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 Shopping Guide, 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
- Kaspersky: What is an IP Address – Definition and Explanation (read October 7, 2026)
- Wikipedia: HTTP cookie (read October 7, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)