Our devices, such as computers or mobile phones, are regularly exposed to various dangers and threats. In many cases it can be a virus or malware, but there are also other types that we must also take into consideration. One that is quite common today is adware, which you have surely heard of on occasion.
Now, we tell you all about adware, so that you know what it is, in addition to the ways in which we can eliminate it on our computer or mobile phone, in the event that you have been infected on any occasion. It is something important to keep in mind, so it will surely help you.
What is adware
It is unwanted software that has been designed to constantly display ads on the screen. Having some adware installed on our computer or phone, we will see how ads appear at all times. In the case of a computer, it is usually in the browser, especially where we find these ads. On a phone it can happen that it is in a specific app, but it can also be displayed on the screen of the phone itself.
Typically, adware sneaks onto the device impersonating other software or embedded in another. It can impersonate a legitimate application or be embedded in an application and run once installed on the device in question. We can install it by mistake on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
The purpose of adware is to display advertisements continuously. In some cases it can be so extreme that it is practically impossible to use said device and perform normal tasks. In addition, in most cases these ads are inappropriate, with adult content or ads about products of dubious origin. The normal thing is that it is something very annoying, but that it does not pose a real threat to the user's security. It is its main difference with malware or spyware, for example.
What to do if I have been infected
It is possible that you have downloaded an application to your computer or smartphone which has turned out to be infected by adware. In this type of situation we have to take measures to prevent the problem from getting worse, in addition to being able to use the device normally again in this case. Fortunately, there are certain things we can do, like measures to protect ourselves.
Of course, we have to remove this adware from the device, but before this, it is good to protect the files and data that we have on the device in question, to avoid losing something in this regard. So take a backupEither on your computer or on your mobile phone, these files are surely recommended. Having a backup copy will help us in case we have to format the device as an extreme measure to eliminate said adware from it.
Next, it is important that we go to locate the application in question that has introduced such adware into the device. In many cases it is something easy, because we can see that ads have started to appear excessively after the installation of the most recent app on the computer or phone. From what we already know the cause in this sense. Unfortunately, it is not always that simple.
There are cases in which adware does not start to work or be active for several weeks since its installation. You may have installed more applications on your computer or phone in that time. So it may be the case that in the first instance you do not know exactly what is the origin of this excessive amount of ads on your device. Although in many cases it is an application that we have recently installed and that may have already given us problems. Also if we enter it and it is full of ads, we already know which one we have to eliminate.
How to remove adware from the device
The first step, which in most cases usually ends with adware, is the removal of said application or program. We have already located the application that caused this problem on our computer or phone, so we have to uninstall it from the device immediately. It is a measure that usually works to end this problem on the device, so in many cases we are already done.
If said application is resistant or we continue to have a problem, we can resort to programs that help us remove adware Of the device. There are programs that are very helpful in these situations, as Malwarebytes, which allow us to eliminate this type of annoying software from our computer, in case we have not been able to do it ourselves. Many of these programs are free or there are paid ones, but with free trial versions, which we can use at any time. Also a normal antivirus will help us in this case to be able to eliminate it on a computer. On an Android phone, Play Protect may help us in this regard.
Safe Mode
If the process still doesn't work at all, we can resort to safe mode. Starting our device in safe mode leads us to a situation in which we can eliminate threats from the computer, it is a closed environment in which we can do this. So it may be worth starting your computer or phone in safe mode, to remove such adware, if the above steps did not work. How do you do this:
- Windows 10: Restart the computer and when it is starting up and the start screen comes out, hold down the Shift key while clicking the power icon, until the computer restarts again. When this happens, click on the option Troubleshoot and then enter Advanced Options. Within it we enter Startup Settings and then click on restart. On the boot options screen, press the key next to Safe Mode with Networking. In many cases it is usually F5.
- Android: Safe mode starts the same way on Android phones in general. Keep the power button pressed for a few seconds until options appear on the screen and we keep pressed on the option to turn off for several seconds. A message will appear saying that it is going to restart in safe mode, we give it to accept and wait until the safe mode is restarted in Android.
Format / Factory Restore
If nothing has worked in this case, we can always format the device, so that the adware is permanently removed from the computer. In Windows 10 we have the ability to format without losing data, which undoubtedly makes this process much easier. But the recommendation in any case is to make backup copies, so that it can happen.
- Windows 10: Open the computer settings and enter Update and security. Go to the recovery section and then click on reset this PC. You can choose between formatting losing data or without deleting data, use the option you want and follow the steps on the screen.
- Android: Enter the phone settings and go to the System section. Enter the reset or reset section and choose the option to reset the phone. Follow the steps indicated on the screen.