The Firefox update pop-up offering install an questionable “Firefox Update” appeared on your machine without any notice? After that, you are faced with the fact that your web browser is now rerouted to other unwanted web-sites and filled with a variety of pop-ups and banners. The cause of all your problems with your PC system is adware virus or (sometimes called ‘ad-supported’ software) that has been installed on many computers around the world without users permission, so you’re one of many. Most probably, you do not even know how and where “Firefox update” virus has got into your machine. In the guidance below, we will explain all the general features of virus and its typical behavior on the personal computer, as well as effective methods for manually removing “Firefox update” virus from your PC system.
While your machine is infected with the adware, the Firefox, Chrome, IE and Microsoft Edge may be redirected to “Firefox update” annoying site. Of course, the adware virus may not cause damages to your files or Windows system, but it may show a ton of annoying ads. These ads will be injected within the content of sites that are you opening in your web browser and can be varied: pop-up ads, in-text ads, different sized banners, offers to install an questionable software. The advertisements will appear on all web-sites, including web sites where previously you have never seen any advertisements.
The Firefox update virus often change all web browser shortcuts which located on your Desktop to force you visit certain undesired ad pages. As a result, your browser can still reroute you to an unwanted ad page despite your PC system is actually clean of adware and other malicious software.
We strongly recommend that you perform the step by step instructions below which will allow you to delete Firefox update adware virus using the standard features of Windows and some proven free software.
Remove “Firefox update” pop-up virus
As with removing ‘ad supported’ software, malicious software or potentially unwanted programs, there are few steps you can do. We advise trying them all. If you do only one part of the guide, then it should be run malicious software removal tool, because it should remove adware and stop any further infection. But to completely remove Firefox update virus you’ll have to at least reset your browser settings such as home page, newtab page and search provider by default to default state, disinfect computer’s web browsers shortcuts, delete all unwanted and suspicious applications, and get rid of virus with malware removal utilities. Certain of the steps below will require you to exit the web-page. So, please read the instructions carefully, after that bookmark or print it for later reference.
Manual Firefox update adware removal
The useful removal guidance for the Firefox update . The detailed procedure can be followed by anyone as it really does take you step-by-step. If you follow this process to delete Firefox update let us know how you managed by sending us your comments please.
Removing the Firefox update, check the list of installed programs first
Check out the MS Windows Control Panel (Programs and Features section) to see all installed programs. We suggest to click on the “Date Installed” in order to sort the list of software by the date you installed them. If you see any unknown and suspicious programs, they are the ones you need to delete.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
First, press Windows button
, then click Search 
. Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter as displayed on the image below.
After the ‘Control Panel’ opens, press the ‘Uninstall a program’ link under Programs category as displayed in the figure below.
You will see the ‘Uninstall a program’ panel as displayed on the image below.
Very carefully look around the entire list of programs installed on your PC. Most likely, one or more of them are responsible for the appearance of pop up ads and web browser redirect to the unwanted Firefox update web-page. If you have many programs installed, you can help simplify the search of malicious applications by sort the list by date of installation. Once you have found a suspicious, unwanted or unused application, right click to it, after that click ‘Uninstall’.
Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, click ‘Start’ button and select ‘Control Panel’ at right panel like below.
Once the Windows ‘Control Panel’ opens, you need to click ‘Uninstall a program’ under ‘Programs’ like below.
You will see a list of applications installed on your system. We recommend to sort the list by date of installation to quickly find the software that were installed last. Most likely they responsibility for the appearance of popup ads and web-browser redirect. If you are in doubt, you can always check the program by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. When the program which you need to uninstall is found, simply press on its name, and then press ‘Uninstall’ as displayed below.
Remove Firefox update from Mozilla Firefox by resetting web-browser settings
Resetting your FF is good initial troubleshooting step for any issues with your internet browser program, including the redirect to Firefox update web page.
First, launch the Firefox and click 
button. It will display the drop-down menu on the right-part of the browser. Further, click the Help button (
) as displayed in the figure below
.
In the Help menu, select the “Troubleshooting Information” option. Another way to open the “Troubleshooting Information” screen – type “about:support” in the browser adress bar and press Enter. It will display the “Troubleshooting Information” page as shown on the screen below. In the upper-right corner of this screen, click the “Refresh Firefox” button.
It will show the confirmation prompt. Further, click the “Refresh Firefox” button. The FF will start a task to fix your problems that caused by the Firefox update virus that designed to redirect your internet browser to various ad web sites. When, it is complete, press the “Finish” button.
Clean up the browsers shortcuts that have been hijacked by Firefox update adware
Once the adware is started, it can also alter the web-browser’s shortcuts, adding an argument similar to “http://site.address” into the Target field. Due to this, every time you open the internet browser, it will open an undesired web site.
Right click to a desktop shortcut for your web browser. Choose the “Properties” option. It will open the Properties window. Select the “Shortcut” tab here, after that, look at the “Target” field. The adware can change it. If you are seeing something like “…exe http://site.address” then you need to remove “http…” and leave only, depending on the browser you are using:
- Google Chrome: chrome.exe
- Opera: opera.exe
- Firefox: firefox.exe
- Internet Explorer: iexplore.exe
Look at the example as displayed below.
Once is finished, click the “OK” button to save the changes. Please repeat this step for internet browser shortcuts which redirects to an annoying web sites. When you have completed, go to next step.
Get rid of unwanted Scheduled Tasks
If the intrusive Firefox update web page opens automatically on Windows startup or at equal time intervals, then you need to check the Task Scheduler Library and remove all the tasks which have been created by ‘ad-supported’ program.
Press Windows and R keys on the keyboard simultaneously. This displays a dialog box that titled with Run. In the text field, type “taskschd.msc” (without the quotes) and click OK. Task Scheduler window opens. In the left-hand side, click “Task Scheduler Library”, as displayed below.
Task scheduler
In the middle part you will see a list of installed tasks. Please choose the first task, its properties will be show just below automatically. Next, press the Actions tab. Pay attention to that it launches on your personal computer. Found something like “explorer.exe http://site.address” or “chrome.exe http://site.address”, then get rid of this harmful task. If you are not sure that executes the task, check it through a search engine. If it’s a component of the malicious applications, then this task also should be removed.
Having defined the task that you want to get rid of, then click on it with the right mouse button and choose Delete as displayed on the screen below.
Delete a task
Repeat this step, if you have found a few tasks which have been created by ‘ad-supported’ software. Once is finished, close the Task Scheduler window.
Firefox update virus removal tools
If your computer is still infected with Firefox update adware which redirects your internet browser to unwanted ad web-pages, then the best way of detection and removal is to use an anti-malware scan on the system. Download free malicious software removal tools below and start a full system scan. It will help you remove all components of the adware from hardisk and Windows registry.
How to remove Firefox update adware virus with Zemana Anti-malware
We suggest using the Zemana Anti-malware. You can download and install Zemana Anti-malware to find adware and thereby get rid of Firefox update virus from the Mozilla Firefox and other web-browsers. When installed and updated, the malware remover will automatically scan and detect all threats exist on your machine.
Download Zemana Free from the link below and save it directly to your Microsoft Windows Desktop.
164034 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Once the download is finished, close all windows on your computer. Further, start the install file called Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup. If the “User Account Control” prompt pops up like below, click the “Yes” button.
It will show the “Setup wizard” that will assist you install Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) on the machine. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once installation is done successfully, Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) will automatically start and you can see its main window as shown on the image below.
Next, click the “Scan” button for scanning your computer for the Firefox update adware which causes annoying pop up advertisements. A system scan may take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your PC. When a threat is found, the count of the security threats will change accordingly.
Once that process is done, Zemana Anti Malware will display a screen which contains a list of malicious software that has been found. When you are ready, press “Next” button.
The Zemana Anti Malware will remove Firefox update adware which developed to reroute your internet browser to various ad web pages. When finished, you can be prompted to reboot your PC.
Automatically remove Firefox update adware virus with Malwarebytes
You can remove Firefox update adware virus automatically with a help of Malwarebytes Free. We suggest this free malware removal utility because it can easily delete browser hijacker infections, ad-supported software, potentially unwanted software and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and registry entries.
Download MalwareBytes Anti-Malware by clicking on the link below and save it to your Desktop.
326387 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
Once the download is finished, close all windows on your system. Further, run the file called mb3-setup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as displayed in the following example, click the “Yes” button.
It will show the “Setup wizard” which will allow you set up MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) on the PC. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once setup is done successfully, click Finish button. Then MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) will automatically start and you can see its main window as displayed on the image below.
Next, click the “Scan Now” button to begin scanning your PC system for the Firefox update adware virus that causes annoying pop-up ads. Depending on your machine, the scan may take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. During the scan MalwareBytes Free will detect all threats exist on your computer.
When finished, the results are displayed in the scan report. When you are ready, click “Quarantine Selected” button.
The MalwareBytes Anti Malware will remove Firefox update virus that reroutes your internet browser to annoying ad sites. Once that process is finished, you can be prompted to reboot your computer. We suggest you look at the following video, which completely explains the procedure of using the MalwareBytes Free to remove browser hijacker infections, adware and other malware.
Double-check for potentially unwanted programs with AdwCleaner
The AdwCleaner utility is free and easy to use. It can scan and remove malicious software, potentially unwanted programs and ad-supported software in Firefox and other internet browsers and thereby remove all intrusive Firefox update pop-ups. AdwCleaner is powerful enough to find and remove malicious registry entries and files that are hidden on the system.
Download AdwCleaner on your Windows Desktop from the following link.
225264 downloads
Version: 8.4.1
Author: Xplode, MalwareBytes
Category: Security tools
Update: October 5, 2024
After downloading is done, open the file location. You will see an icon like below.
Double click the AdwCleaner desktop icon. When the utility is launched, you will see a screen as displayed on the screen below.
Further, click “Scan” button . AdwCleaner tool will start scanning the whole PC to find out Firefox update virus that causes multiple undesired ads and pop-ups. A system scan may take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your computer. After the scan get finished, AdwCleaner will display a scan report as shown below.
You may move threats to Quarantine (all selected by default) by simply click “Clean” button. It will display a prompt as on the image below.
You need to press “OK”. Once finished, the AdwCleaner may ask you to reboot your PC system. When your system is started, you will see an AdwCleaner log.
These steps are shown in detail in the following video guide.
How to stop Firefox update pop-ups
It is also critical to protect your web-browsers from harmful sites and advertisements by using an adblocker program like AdGuard. Security experts says that it’ll greatly reduce the risk of malware, and potentially save lots of money. Additionally, the AdGuard can also protect your privacy by blocking almost all trackers.
- Download AdGuard program on your PC by clicking on the link below.
Adguard download
26627 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- When downloading is finished, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- Once the setup is complete, click “Skip” to close the setup program and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial which will allow you get to know AdGuard better.
- In most cases, the default settings are enough and you don’t need to change anything. Each time, when you start your system, AdGuard will start automatically and block pop up advertisements, Firefox update pop-ups, as well as other harmful or misleading web sites. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the icon named AdGuard, that may be found on your desktop.
How did Firefox update virus get on your computer
Most commonly, the free applications install package includes optional programs like this Firefox update adware virus that causes browsers to display annoying advertisements. So, be very careful when you agree to install anything. The best way – is to select a Custom, Advanced or Manual install mode. Here disable (uncheck) all optional programs in which you are unsure or that causes even a slightest suspicion. The main thing you should remember, you don’t need to install any additional software which you don’t trust! The only one thing I want to add. Once the free programs is installed, if you uninstall this software, the unwanted Firefox update adware will not be uninstalled. This must be done by yourself. Just follow the step-by-step guide above.
Finish words
After completing the steps outlined above, your PC system should be clean from Firefox update adware and other malware. The Chrome, Firefox, IE and Edge will no longer open intrusive “Firefox update” pop-up when you browse the Internet. Unfortunately, if the step by step instructions does not help you, then you have caught a new adware, and then the best way – ask for help.
Please start a new thread by using the “New Topic” button in the Spyware Removal forum. When posting your HJT log, try to give us some details about your problems, so we can try to help you more accurately. Wait for one of our trained “Security Team” or Site Administrator to provide you with knowledgeable assistance tailored to your problem with the intrusive Firefox update virus.
