Extensions are an easy way for hijackers to inject malware, viruses, and browser hijackers like Bar1 New Tab into your Chrome browser. Malicious extensions can steal your personal information, automatically change your search engine and new tab page, display advertisements, and perform other unauthorized activities. Learn how to identify and remove malware extensions from Chrome
In this article, we will show you how to identify and remove malware extensions and plugins from the Google Chrome browser.
How to identify and remove malware extensions from Chrome
The Chrome Web Store provides support for thousands of extensions on Chrome. These are small tools that can be installed inside the browser to help you with productivity and other utilities. While most extensions are legitimate, some may include malware, especially when downloaded from unofficial sources.
Browsing and downloading from random websites exposes you to the risk of unwanted extensions being installed on your browser. And this, in turn, can be detrimental to your privacy, Chrome performance, and productivity. Here is how you can quickly identify and remove malware plugins and extensions from Chrome on Mac and Windows PC
How to identify malicious Chrome extensions?
Before proceeding to remove malicious extensions, it is essential to identify which particular extension is the culprit. Here are the common telltale signs to look for:
- Unknown extension: Is there an extension you don’t remember installing on your browser? Malicious extensions usually appear and unknowingly get installed on your computer.
- Changes in browser settings: Many malicious extensions are mainly browser hijackers that change your search engine and new tab page. Check if your homepage and search engine have changed to a random and suspicious one like QSearch after installing a particular extension.
- Extension permission: if the extension asks for too many permissions than is necessary for the job it is intended to do, it could be trying to steal your passwords or other private data.
- Unofficial source: It is best to install the extensions directly from the Chrome Web Store. By downloading extensions from random websites or other unverified sources, you may be infected with malware.
- Abnormal behavior: Has your Chrome browser started to lag, open and close tabs automatically, or run slower than normal? A recently installed extension could be causing the problem.
- Excessive Ads: Some malicious extensions are designed to earn money by showing you unwanted ads. If you have started seeing excessive ads throughout your browser, look for a recently installed extension.
Method 1: Remove the extension from Chrome settings
The easiest way to remove an unauthorized extension or plug-in is from your browser settings, as shown below:
Step 1: open Chrome on your Windows or Mac.
Step 2: play the three point menu in the upper right corner.
Step 3: select Plus tools > Extensions .
Step 4: here click Remove to remove the extension.
If it doesn’t show the remove button for any particular extension, enable developer mode to see if it resolves the issue. Else demonstrated with the other methods below.
Method 2 – Use the Chrome security check
Google Chrome comes with a built-in security checker tool that helps you check and protect against dangerous extensions, among other things, like leaked passwords, updates, and more. Here’s how to run a security check in Chrome:
Step 1: open Chrome and go to Setting .
Step 2: Select Privacy & Security in the sidebar on the left.
Step 3: Press check now and security check.
Chrome will now run a full scan and alert you if the browser has dangerous extensions.
Method 3 – Use anti-malware software
The next way to find and remove a malicious extension from Chrome and other browsers on your PC is to use anti-malware software. Before you begin, check the list of installed applications (on Windows) Y Finder > Applications (on macOS) to see if you see any unknown or suspicious apps. If yes, delete them and uninstall them from your machine.
Next, install the free Malwarebytes anti-malware tool on your computer. Run a full scan and see if there are any bad software or extensions installed on the device. You can then quarantine or delete the rogue app, extension, or file.
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Lastly, you can restore Google Chrome to its default settings. This will erase all data and plug-ins installed in the browser.
Step 1: Open Chrome, tap the three point menu and select Setting .
Step 2: Click on Advanced > reset and clean .
Step 3: Here, touch Restore settings to their original defaults.
Step 4: Click on reset settings to reset all data.
Method 5- Uninstall and reinstall Chrome
If nothing works, uninstall Google Chrome browser from your Mac or Windows PC. And then please download and reinstall from the official website. Doing so will give you a fresh start from scratch. However, make sure you have backed up and synced your important data with your Google account.
As you reinstall the browser, your data will sync again, including extensions installed from the Chrome Web Store. This will help you get rid of malicious plugins installed from unofficial sources.
Ending
This is how you can identify and remove malware extensions from Google Chrome. Hope this helps you to get rid of unwanted browser hijackers and viruses from your browser.
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