Video Explorer ads: what it is and how to remove it
Video Explorer is a browser intruder that will modify your browser settings without your consent. It changes the default search engine parameter, which subsequently alters the homepage and new tab preferences.
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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Video Explorer ads: summary
| Distribution | Fake Flash Player updates, official web stores, software bundles, deceptive ads |
|---|---|
| Damage | Installation of other PUPs, malware infections, identity theft |
| name | Video Explorer |
| Type | Browser hijacker, redirect virus, PUP |
| Altered browser settings | The default search engine, new tab, homepage |
| Purpose | Generate income by redirecting internet traffic to affiliated domains |
| 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
| Symptoms | Browser preferences are changed without your direct consent; new tabs with shady portals open out of the blue; decreased browsing speed; diminished device performance |
|---|---|
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Name | Video Explorer |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Program | Video Explorer |
| First seen | 20 April 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is Video Explorer ads dangerous?
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
Video Explorer – a falsely advertised tool that's actually a browser hijacker
Video Explorer is a browser intruder that will modify your browser settings without your consent.
It changes the default search engine parameter, which subsequently alters the homepage and new tab preferences. That's done to redirect all search traffic through a website of its choice.
By doing so, it can inject deceptive ads into your search results, cause sudden redirects to affiliated websites, and collect various non-personal data. In most cases, appointed search engines are fake as they don't generate any results. They redirect to legitimate search engines like Yahoo, Bing, or others.
Therefore, please think twice before installing Video Explorer browser hijacker. We highly recommend not to do that as you might be putting yourself and your device in danger. By reading this article, you'll find out the risks of having such a PUP on your device, how it's spread, how to remove it, and getting your device system back on track.
All browser hijackers, including the article's culprit, WordSearch virus, SearchConverterIt virus, and others, function similarly. They change browser preferences, appoint a new search engine, cause sudden redirects, and display deceptive ads in the search results.
Ads can be displayed as banners, recommended searches, and possibly in other forms. Clicking on these ads is highly not recommended as you might end up on dangerous affiliated sites, which may include:
Some of the portals might be harmless, but some might be villainous and try to extract private information (credit card details, phone numbers, emails, etc.), try to lure you into gambling, or infect your device in use with malware instantly through drive-by downloads.
Furthermore, you might be redirected to any of the hazardous pages without clicking on any ads if a sudden redirect is triggered, and that can happen at any moment.
The easiest way to do that is by scanning your device in question with a reliable anti-malware tool. Free security software such as or should automatically detect, isolate, and terminate the browser hijacker.
Since all cyber infections alter system files and settings, you should perform a system tune-up.
- tech support scams,
- other PUPs,
- porn,
- malware,
- gambling, etc.


From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
Avoid software bundles to keep your device virus-free
The developers of potentially unwanted programs use many different methods to spread their creations.
File-sharing platforms, deceptive ads, false advertisement campaigns, and fake Flash Player updates are among the most common techniques used for that.
But one method stands out as the most popular - software bundles. They can are usually downloaded from third-party software vendors, but legitimate developers can also use this technique. The trick behind it is simple, all apps offered within the bundle are preselected for installation. Thus if you pick Recommended, Quick or Standart options, all of them end up on your device.
You can avoid PUPs from software bundles by not rushing through the installation of any new software. Choose the Advanced or Customs option and deselect all untrustworthy, suspicious, or unwanted apps from installation. Get only the app you initially wanted.

From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Video Explorer
- Remove all unwelcomed guests by running a full system scan with a dependable security tool
How to remove Video Explorer ads
How to stop the Video Explorer redirects
Work in this order and test a few links after each step, so you know which one was the cause.
Step 1: Check the browser's extensions
Redirects on sites that normally behave mean something in the browser is sending you there. In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially new tab, search, coupon, PDF or video downloader add-ons. The extension pages look the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Reset the browser if the redirects continue
If the unwanted pages still open after the extensions are gone, put the browser's settings back to their defaults. 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 site permissions, the start page and the search engine are reset.
Redirects that survive a reset in every browser point to a program installed in Windows 11 or Windows 10, so uninstall anything you do not recognise in Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Scan the PC if you downloaded anything from the ads
If you only saw the notifications and clicked nothing, you can stop before this step. If a notification led you to download or run something, delete that file, then scan Windows.
In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan, then choose Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and Scan now. The offline scan restarts the PC and takes about 15 minutes on Windows 11 and Windows 10.

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
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
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)
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.
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 Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
Detailed instructions to remove Video Explorer virus and get your device back to normal
Browser hijackers, such as Video Explorer, are often advertised as useful tools.
While they may offer some improvements to your browsers, they might overload the internet connection, slow down your device, and get you in trouble through sudden redirects and deceptive ads.
If you decide to remove this browser hijacker, please use a trustworthy security tool for that. Only then can you rest assured that it's properly eliminated and that no additional PUPs or malware are present. Remember to update virus signatures at least twice a week to keep your device safe.
Afterward, to get your device back on track, you should use a powerful system diagnostics tool to revert any changes Video Explorer browser hijacker may have caused to your device's system files and settings. If these alterations are left unattended, your device might exhibit abnormal behavior.
Questions about Video Explorer ads
Can I safely uninstall Video Explorer?
If you did not install Video Explorer 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.
Video Explorer came back after I uninstalled it. Why?
Something else is reinstalling it. Common causes are a second program from the same publisher, a scheduled task that downloads it again, or a browser extension that keeps prompting for it. Sort Installed apps by install date and uninstall each entry from the same day that you did not choose.
Then open Task Scheduler and look in the Task Scheduler Library for tasks with updater-style names that you do not recognise. Check Startup apps in Task Manager too. If Video Explorer still returns, start Windows in Safe Mode, uninstall it there and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan, which looks for loaders that ordinary scans can miss.
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.
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 ad redirect domain and clearing cookies is usually enough.
Why didn't my antivirus catch Video Explorer?
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.
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.
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.
What is Video Explorer?
Video Explorer is a browser intruder that will modify your browser settings without your consent. It changes the default search engine parameter, which subsequently alters the homepage and new tab preferences. Damage: Installation of other PUPs, malware infections, identity theft.
The summary table at the top of this guide lists the type, the detection names, the symptoms and the damage of Video Explorer. Reading it first helps you decide whether your computer shows the same signs. The removal plan below it works in order, from the safest step to the more thorough ones.
Will Fortect remove Video Explorer?
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 Video Explorer, 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
- Howtogeek: PUPs Explained: What is a "Potentially Unwanted Program"? (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)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)