How To Remove Malware from Chrome | Remove Browser Malware

August 15th · 3 min read

Guardio Research Team
Guardio Research Team

Google Chrome is without a doubt the most popular browser on the internet and even though Google does the best they can at keeping it secure, some vulnerabilities still fall through the cracks.

So what can we do to detect and remove malware?

Let’s talk about it.

What is malware?

Malware is software or files that are harmful to a computer user. There are different types of malware such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, adware, and spyware. Depending on the type of malware infection you have, you’ll have to try different methods to remove it.

Before we get into the solutions, though. Let’s diagnose to see if you actually have a malware problem.

How to detect malware

If you're seeing some of these problems with Chrome, you might have unwanted software or malware installed on your computer:

  • Pop-up ads and new tabs that won't go away
  • Your Chrome homepage or search engine keeps changing without your permission
  • Unwanted Chrome extensions or toolbars keep coming back after uninstalling them
  • Your browsing is hijacked and redirects to unfamiliar pages or ads
  • Alerts about a virus or an infected device

How to remove malware from Chrome

There are three things you can do to remove malware on Chrome, the first option is to install browser protection software, the second is to reset your browser settings, and the third is to remove unwanted programs.

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If you are experiencing any of the situations we mentioned above, do the following:

1. Install browser protection software

Install our browser protection tool to add an added layer of security and make sure your device is fully protected.

Here’s how to install it on Chrome:

  1. Head over to the Chrome store and click “Add to Chrome” and confirm you want to add the extension.

How to remove malware on Chrome

  1. Create an account. You can use an email address and password or you can use Facebook or Google for a faster sign-up process.

How to remove malware on Chrome

  1. Grant permission to block intrusive pop-up notifications by clicking the button at the top-right part of the screen. Then click “Allow” to confirm.

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And you are all set, Guardio will work in the background to make sure threats such as identity theft, virus downloaders, scams, compromised websites, malicious extensions, and more can’t harm you.

2. Reset your browser settings

Sometimes, malware changes your browser settings to redirect your searches to a different search engine, use affiliate links, and more. To make sure you disable extensions that might be causing problems, reset your browser settings. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Click the hamburger menu at the top right part of your browser.

  2. Click “Settings”.

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  1. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Advanced” to reveal more options.

  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page again and under “Reset and clean up” click “Restore settings to their original defaults”.

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  1. A pop-up window will appear, click “Reset settings” to confirm.

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Important: If the malware was introduced by a browser extension and you enable them again, this process won’t work because the extension may change your settings again.

3. Remove unwanted programs (in both Windows and Mac)

The last thing you should try is cleaning up your computer. Chrome has an integrated tool under the “Reset and clean up” section in your settings that helps you find harmful software on your computer and removes it. To find it, follow the same steps we shared above until step #3, then do the following:

  1. Click “Clean up computer”.

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  1. Then click “Find” to start your computer scan.

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If you have any questions about malware, we’re more than happy to talk and assist. You can contact us at yourfriends@guard.io

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