Before proceeding with the process of removing the Firefox Defender adware, it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the details of what it is and how is it a threat to your system.
It is basically a malware program, but the “adware” label is given because its main job is to reroute you to pages displaying advertisements which you are not interested in.
And the hackers won’t stop at that—they can deploy the adware to deny access to Windows 8 (if you are still running on this operating system) and post ransom demands to release the system.
What could be worse is that the hackers can steal important information from your system that put you in direct jeopardy if such information can be misused to inflict losses to your account.
You will, therefore, need to know how to remove the Firefox Defender adware from your system. Here are the steps you must take:
Step #1
- The first thing you will have to do, once you realize your system has been invaded by the Firefox Defender adware, is to start your system in “safe” mode.
- For this, press the F8 key on your keyboard and follow the menu to select the ‘Safe Mode with Networking’ option, under Advanced Boot Options.
This is if you are on Windows XP/Vista; if you are on Windows 8 or 10, then here’s what to do:
- Press Windows + C together and tap on Settings option.
- Click on the Power button, hold the Shift button and click on Restart. Follow the same steps to reach the ‘Safe Mode with Networking’ option.
Step #2
Once Windows starts, follow these steps:
- Use the Ctrl+ Del+ Alt keys simultaneously to open the Windows Task Manager window.
- Under the Processes button, pick the unwanted programs and click on End Process to remove the malware program running.
Step #3
You will now have to remove the Firefox Defender adware from the control panel. This is the procedure you will follow to remove any program from your system:
- You will first go to control panel.
- Then select Firefox and ‘Uninstall.’
Step #4
Even this does not ensure the removal of the malware completely. You will have to dig deeper and remove any malicious registry components related to Firefox Defender adware.
For this, you will have to follow these steps:
- Click on the Start button and then click on ‘Run.’
- In the box, enter ‘regedit’ to open the Registry Editor dialogue box.
- Select the entries related to the Firefox Defender adware from this and just cut them out.
Step #5
In the next move, the browser extensions and add-ons have to be disabled. You can do this through your browser settings.
Step #6
Finally, there are a few steps required to be taken to reset the Firefox browser to remove any part of the adware still remaining within your system. This process sanitizes the environment to free your PC or desktop from any kind of infection.
Please note that in this entire process, no software is required to remove the adware. And this also means that there is no cost attached to these steps.
However, even though they are not required, there are tools and programs available to do the job.
Some of the methods, other than the steps described above, are as follows:
Use an available anti-malware program, like Zemana. You should be able to download the program, install it and use it to scan your computer.
This anti-malware program is capable of identifying the unwanted programs triggered by the Firefox Defender adware and present you with the exhaustive list. You will then be able to clean the system completely of the offending malware.
There are also other programs which aim at removing not only the Firefox Defender adware but also all the unwanted browser extensions and tool bars which cause webpages to reroute to sites with advertisements which you never wanted to visit in the first place.
Another program put to use is called Malwarebytes. The tool is capable of taking care of all the malicious extensions.
It is so dynamic that it can get rid of practically all unwanted programs, malicious software, browser hijackers, toolbars, ransomware and any other security threats. And, there is a free version of Malwarebytes, which makes your job easier.
Malwarebytes needs to be downloaded and installed and once in, it will automatically update itself and you can then put it to scan the system. It is possible the scan may run for a few minutes.
If your system has huge files, then it may even take close to an hour for the scan to be completed.
It might be useful to learn how to use the software before you begin running it. This way, you will feel more comfortable going through the process of applying the tool to its full potential.
As mentioned, this program has wide-ranging capabilities.
Get a Good Ad-Blocking Program Installed
Having cleaned up your system of the Firefox Defender adware as well as the other malicious extensions and files, you may feel relieved that your system is now clean. But you can only relax if you are certain that it will remain clean in the future.
For this, you will require an effective tool that blocks the unwanted ads and intrusive popups preemptively.
These tools have a built-in filtering mechanism that can identify malicious websites and block them even if you were to be rerouted by any malware.
The ultimate aim of any computer user is to be able to smoothly use the system to browse and visit the sites he or she would like to visit without being intruded upon.
All steps needed to protect your system from any kind of malware or hacking attacks must be taken upfront.
In short, the Firefox Defender adware is a malicious program that affects systems and directs the users to pages with advertisements not intended to be visited by the user.
Luckily, there are ways to remove this unwanted program. After removing the malware, put in place a good ad-guard that can block these intrusive webpages.