Q. Why am I automatically getting “Ads by plug_js” popup ads no matter what I do? What can I do to stop this madness?
A. You probably downloaded and installed an adware (sometimes named ‘ad-supported’ software) or PUP (potentially unwanted program) that makes that happen.
What is adware? Adware is a form of software that is used as an online promotional tool. It’s created with the sole purpose to display dozens of pop-ups, and thus to promote the goods and services in an open web-browser window. The adware software can substitute the legitimate ads on misleading or even banners that can offer to visit harmful webpages.
When adware gets inside your computer, it might carry out various harmful tasks. It can analyze the location and which Net web-sites you visit, and then display ads to the types of content, goods or services featured there. Adware software creators can gather and sell your surfing information and behavior to third parties.
Therefore it is very important to follow the few simple steps below as soon as possible. The guidance will assist you to remove adware as well as clean your PC from the “Ads by plug_js” pop-up ads. What is more, the step-by-step instructions below will help you remove other malicious applications like unwanted toolbars and browser hijackers, that can be installed onto computer along with the adware.
How to remove “Ads by plug_js” pop-up advertisements
When the adware software gets installed on your PC without your knowledge, it’s not easy to remove. Most often, there is no Uninstall program that simply delete the adware that causes a large number of unwanted “Ads by plug_js” popups from your PC system. So, we recommend using several well-proven free specialized utilities like Zemana Anti Malware, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) or Hitman Pro. But the best method to get rid of “Ads by plug_js” ads will be to perform several manual steps, after that additionally use antimalware tools.
To remove Ads by plug_js, complete the following steps:
- How to delete “Ads by plug_js” popups without any software
- How to remove “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups automatically
- How to stop “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups
- Prevent “Ads by plug_js” pop-up ads from installing
- Finish words
How to delete “Ads by plug_js” popups without any software
If you perform exactly the step-by-step guidance below you should be able to remove the “Ads by plug_js” advertisements from the Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Edge web-browsers.
Uninstall “Ads by plug_js” associated software by using Windows Control Panel
Some of potentially unwanted apps, adware software and hijacker infections can be removed using the Add/Remove programs tool which can be found in the Windows Control Panel. So, if you’re using any version of Windows and you have noticed an unwanted program, then first try to remove it through Add/Remove programs.
- If you are using Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 then press Windows button, next click Search. Type “Control panel”and press Enter.
- If you are using Windows XP, Vista, 7, then click “Start” button and click “Control Panel”.
- It will open the Windows Control Panel.
- Further, click “Uninstall a program” under Programs category.
- It will display a list of all software installed on the computer.
- Scroll through the all list, and uninstall dubious and unknown software. To quickly find the latest installed apps, we recommend sort apps by date.
See more details in the video instructions below.
Remove “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups from Microsoft Internet Explorer
If you find that IE browser settings such as new tab, default search provider and start page had been replaced by adware which redirects your web browser to the unwanted “Ads by plug_js” webpage, then you may return your settings, via the reset web-browser procedure.
First, launch the Microsoft Internet Explorer. Next, click the button in the form of gear (
). It will open the Tools drop-down menu, press the “Internet Options” as on the image below.
In the “Internet Options” window click on the Advanced tab, then press the Reset button. The Internet Explorer will open the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” window like below. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then press “Reset” button.
You will now need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.
Remove “Ads by plug_js” popups from Chrome
Reset Google Chrome will assist you to get rid of “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups from your web browser as well as to restore web browser settings hijacked by adware. All unwanted, malicious and adware extensions will also be deleted from the web browser. However, your themes, bookmarks, history, passwords, and web form auto-fill information will not be deleted.
Open the Google Chrome menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal dotes (
). It will open the drop-down menu. Choose More Tools, then click Extensions.
Carefully browse through the list of installed extensions. If the list has the add-on labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guide: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy otherwise, just go to the step below.
Open the Google Chrome main menu again, press to “Settings” option.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the Reset settings section is visible, as shown below and press the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.
Confirm your action, click the “Reset” button.
Remove “Ads by plug_js” from Mozilla Firefox by resetting internet browser settings
The Mozilla Firefox reset will get rid of redirects to unwanted “Ads by plug_js” web-page, modified preferences, extensions and security settings. Essential information such as bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, cookies, auto-fill data and personal dictionaries will not be removed.
First, open the Mozilla Firefox and click 
button. It will show the drop-down menu on the right-part of the web-browser. Further, press the Help button (
) as on the image below.
In the Help menu, select the “Troubleshooting Information” option. Another way to open the “Troubleshooting Information” screen – type “about:support” in the web browser adress bar and press Enter. It will show the “Troubleshooting Information” page as displayed on the image 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 Mozilla Firefox will begin a process to fix your problems that caused by the “Ads by plug_js” adware. Once, it’s complete, press the “Finish” button.
How to remove “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups automatically
Manual removal guide does not always allow to completely get rid of the adware, as it is not easy to identify and delete components of adware software and all malicious files from hard disk. Therefore, it’s recommended that you use malicious software removal tool to completely delete “Ads by plug_js” off your web-browser. Several free malicious software removal utilities are currently available that can be used against the adware. The optimum solution would be to use Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM), MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) and Hitman Pro.
How to automatically remove “Ads by plug_js” pop up advertisements with Zemana Anti-Malware
Zemana Anti Malware is a tool that can remove adware software, PUPs, hijacker infections and other malicious software from your machine easily and for free. Zemana Anti-Malware is compatible with most antivirus software. It works under Windows (10 – XP, 32 and 64 bit) and uses minimum of computer resources.
Download Zemana on your PC system from the following link.
164032 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Once the download is done, close all windows on your PC system. Further, run the setup file called Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as displayed on the screen below, click the “Yes” button.
It will open the “Setup wizard” that will assist you install Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) on the computer. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once installation is complete successfully, Zemana Free will automatically start and you can see its main window like below.
Next, press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this utility for the adware software that reroutes your web browser to the annoying “Ads by plug_js” web site. This task can take quite a while, so please be patient. During the scan Zemana will scan for threats exist on your PC system.
When the scan is done, the results are displayed in the scan report. All detected threats will be marked. You can delete them all by simply click “Next” button.
The Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) will remove adware that responsible for web-browser redirect to the unwanted “Ads by plug_js” web site and move threats to the program’s quarantine. After that process is done, you may be prompted to reboot your personal computer.
Scan your system and get rid of “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups with HitmanPro
In order to make sure that no more harmful folders and files related to adware are inside your personal computer, you must run another effective malicious software scanner. We recommend to use HitmanPro. No installation is necessary with this tool.
- Download Hitman Pro by clicking on the following link. Save it on your Windows desktop.
- Once the downloading process is done, double click the Hitman Pro icon. Once this utility is started, click “Next” button . Hitman Pro utility will begin scanning the whole machine to find out adware responsible for redirects to the “Ads by plug_js”. A system scan may take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your system.
- Once Hitman Pro has completed scanning, Hitman Pro will show a scan report. Next, you need to click “Next” button. Now press the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial to remove all malware found.
How to automatically remove “Ads by plug_js” with MalwareBytes AntiMalware
We advise using the MalwareBytes Anti Malware. You can download and install MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) to look for adware software and thereby remove “Ads by plug_js” pop ups from your browsers. When installed and updated, this free malware remover automatically searches for and deletes all threats present on the PC system.
- Click the following link to download the latest version of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) for Windows. Save it to your Desktop so that you can access the file easily.
Malwarebytes Anti-malware
326384 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
- At the download page, click on the Download button. Your internet browser will show the “Save as” dialog box. Please save it onto your Windows desktop.
- When the downloading process is complete, please close all applications and open windows on your personal computer. Double-click on the icon that’s named mb3-setup.
- This will start the “Setup wizard” of MalwareBytes Free onto your machine. Follow the prompts and don’t make any changes to default settings.
- When the Setup wizard has finished installing, the MalwareBytes will start and display the main window.
- Further, press the “Scan Now” button to perform a system scan with this utility for the adware that causes multiple undesired pop-up advertisements. When a threat is detected, the count of the security threats will change accordingly.
- After the scan is complete, MalwareBytes Free will show a list of found threats.
- Review the report and then click the “Quarantine Selected” button. After finished, you may be prompted to restart the computer.
- Close the Anti Malware and continue with the next step.
Video instruction, which reveals in detail the steps above.
How to stop “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups
In order to increase your security and protect your computer against new undesired advertisements and harmful web-pages, you need to run ad-blocker program that stops an access to harmful ads and web-pages. Moreover, the program can stop the open of intrusive advertising, which also leads to faster loading of web pages and reduce the consumption of web traffic.
AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link. Save it directly to your Microsoft Windows Desktop.
26627 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
Once the downloading process is complete, double-click the downloaded file to start it. The “Setup Wizard” window will show up on the computer screen as on the image below.
Follow the prompts. AdGuard will then be installed and an icon will be placed on your desktop. A window will show up asking you to confirm that you want to see a quick instructions as shown in the following example.
Click “Skip” button to close the window and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” to see an quick guidance that will allow you get to know AdGuard better.
Each time, when you start your computer, AdGuard will start automatically and stop undesired ads, block “Ads by plug_js”, as well as other malicious or misleading webpages. For an overview of all the features of the application, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, that can be found on your desktop.
Prevent “Ads by plug_js” pop-up ads from installing
The adware is usually spreads along with freeware and install themselves, with or without your knowledge, on your PC system. This happens especially when you’re installing a free software. The program install package tricks you into accepting the install of third-party software, that you don’t really want. Moreover, certain paid applications can also install additional applications that you don’t want! Therefore, always download free software and paid software from reputable download web pages. Use ONLY custom or manual setup method and never blindly press Next button.
Finish words
Once you’ve complete the few simple steps outlined above, your machine should be clean from this adware and other malicious software. The Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Edge will no longer open undesired “Ads by plug_js” webpage when you surf the World Wide Web. Unfortunately, if the few simple steps does not help you, then you have caught a new adware, and then the best way – ask for help.
Please create a new question by using the “Ask Question” button in the Questions and Answers. 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 “Ads by plug_js” pop-ups.
