Get rid of third-party components you probably installed with ad-supported programs using these tools

May 16, 2016 13:51 GMT  ·  By

If you frequently download, test and use applications from the Internet, chances are that you have installed web browser toolbars and add-ons without even noticing, which are typically bundled with ad-supported programs.

Such toolbars not only remain unused but they also burden browser loading time and overall performance, unnecessarily consuming CPU and RAM that you could allocate to other, more important programs. The worst part of it is that some of them can be stubborn to uninstall (like Ask Toolbar or Babylon Toolbar), popping up in the web browser after you thought you successfully removed it.

However, there are software products specialized in getting rid of these browser toolbars and add-ons, such as AdwCleaner, Soft4Boost Toolbar Cleaner and Junkware Removal Tool (JRT). These are small-sized and free tools with intuitive sets of options made to eliminate all sorts of adware, including browser toolbars and add-ons. We're going to show you how to use them in the following guide.

AdwCleaner

The software application doesn't require setup, so you can download and run the .exe file directly. It offers support for Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome. In the main window, click Scan to start a scanning operation on your entire hard disk. This may take a while, depending on the size of your hard disk. If any web browsers are opened, Adwcleaner asks for permission to close them to be able to run scans.

Once the scan is over, you can explore the results by clicking the various tabs: Services, Folders, Files, DLL, WMI, Shortcuts, Scheduled tasks, Registry, Firefox and Chrome. All items from these lists are auto-selected for deletion. If you want to protect any object, just clear its box.

Click Clean to proceed with the removal. Your computer must be rebooted to finalize this operation.

Soft4Boost Toolbar Cleaner

After installation and launch, Soft4Boost Toolbar Cleaner asks you to terminate your web browsing sessions. You can examine the list of results considered to be unwanted by the program, namely the Toolbar name and Path of each item. It works with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

All items are automatically selected for deletion, but you can keep any wanted ones safe by deselecting their boxes. You can also right-click an entry to Add to the ignore list and protect from future scans. Click Remove to start eliminating the toolbars and add-ons.

Junkware Removal Tool (JRT)

JRT is a command-line tool that you can allow to automatically remove any objects detected as unwanted or malicious, with minimal intervention and without reviewing search results to exclude items you'd like to keep safe. It's ideal if you want to completely clean your web browsers to install extensions from scratch.

No installation is required, so you can directly run the downloaded .exe file. JRT attempts to create a system restore point to enable you to revert changes if any Windows stability issues occur after the removal operation. Press any key to create a system restore point.

Even if it fails to do this, it lets you proceed with the system scanning: Processes, Startup - Logon, Startup - Scheduled Tasks, Services, File System, Browsers and Shortcuts. On the other hand, you should know that it automatically closes running programs, so make sure to save any projects you're currently working on before starting JRT.

On task completion, it removes the identified objects, auto-creates a report and opens it so you can inspect results if you're interested.

Check out our video guide to see how these three tools work. You can also download AdwCleaner, Soft4Boost Toolbar Cleaner and Junkware Removal Tool.

Speed Up & Secure Your Browser by Inspecting and Removing Toolbars

If you typically download and install software products for Windows, you've likely accepted the tricky offers of ad-supported apps without even realizing it, ending up with unwanted browser toolbars and add-ons that slow down loading time and use resources. Check out our video and guide to find out how to remove them: http://www.softpedia.com/blog/speed-up-and-secure-your-browser-by-inspecting-and-removing-toolbars-add-ons-504113.shtml

AdwCleaner, Soft4Boost Toolbar Cleaner and Junkware Removal Tool (JRT) Screenshots (5 Images)

Scan browsers for unwanted toolbars and add-ons with AdwCleaner
Deselect items you want to keep on the disk using AdwCleanerRemove unwanted browser toolbars and add-ons with Soft4Boost Toolbar Cleaner
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