What is Gcouncerne.xyz?
Gcouncerne.xyz pop-ups are a social engineering attack which is designed to fool users into allowing push notifications from malicious (ad) push servers. Although push notifications cannot harm users directly, scammers use them to display unwanted advertisements, promote fake software, and encourage users to visit unsafe web sites.
When you visit the Gcouncerne.xyz website which wants to send you browser notifications, you’ll be greeted with a confirmation request which asks whether you want to agree to them or not. Your options will be ‘Block’ and ‘Allow’. Once you click on ALLOW, then your internet browser will be configured to show annoying adverts on your desktop, even when the web-browser is closed.
Threat Summary
| Name | Gcouncerne.xyz pop-up |
| Type | browser notification spam, spam push notifications, pop-up virus |
| Distribution | suspicious pop up ads, social engineering attack, PUPs, adware |
| Symptoms |
|
| Removal | Gcouncerne.xyz removal guide |
How did you get infected with Gcouncerne.xyz popups
Cyber threat analysts have determined that users are redirected to Gcouncerne.xyz by adware software or from malicious advertisements. Adware is type of malware that quietly collects information about user, such as online searches, login details and browsing history, while at the same time feeding the user ads, and it does all of this without asking permission. Adware can track activity, display annoying ads, hijack and mislead browsers and even infect the personal computer with trojans and worms. In some cases, adware can promote p*rn web pages and adult products.
Adware software spreads along with certain free software. So always read carefully the installation screens, disclaimers, ‘Terms of Use’ and ‘Software license’ appearing during the install procedure. Additionally pay attention for bundled software which are being installed along with the main program. Ensure that you unchecked all of them! Also, use an adblocker program that will help to stop malicious and illegitimate websites.
Remove Gcouncerne.xyz notifications from browsers
If the scammers have achieved their goal and you clicked the Allow button, then you need to open internet browser settings as soon as possible and turn off rogue browser notifications. To delete the Gcouncerne.xyz notifications, complete the steps below. These steps are for Windows, Apple Mac and Android.
Google Chrome:
- Click on ‘three dots menu’ button at the top right corner of the screen.
- In the menu go to ‘Settings’, scroll down to ‘Advanced’ settings.
- In the ‘Privacy and Security’ section, click on ‘Site settings’.
- Go to Notifications settings.
- Click ‘three dots’ button on the right hand side of Gcouncerne.xyz URL or other rogue notifications and click ‘Remove’.
Android:
- Open Chrome.
- In the top right hand corner, find and tap the Chrome menu (three dots).
- In the menu tap ‘Settings’, scroll down to ‘Advanced’.
- Tap on ‘Site settings’ and then ‘Notifications’. In the opened window, find the Gcouncerne.xyz URL, other rogue notifications and tap on them one-by-one.
- Tap the ‘Clean & Reset’ button and confirm.
Mozilla Firefox:
- In the top-right corner, click the Firefox menu (three bars).
- In the menu go to ‘Options’, in the menu on the left go to ‘Privacy & Security’.
- Scroll down to the ‘Permissions’ section and click the ‘Settings’ button next to ‘Notifications’.
- Find Gcouncerne.xyz site, other rogue notifications, click the drop-down menu and select ‘Block’.
- Save changes.
Edge:
- In the right upper corner, click on the three dots to expand the Edge menu.
- Scroll down, locate and click ‘Settings’. In the left side select ‘Advanced’.
- In the ‘Website permissions’ section click ‘Manage permissions’.
- Click the switch under the Gcouncerne.xyz URL so that it turns off.
Internet Explorer:
- Click ‘Tools’ button in the right upper corner of the screen.
- When the drop-down menu appears, click on ‘Internet Options’.
- Click on the ‘Privacy’ tab and select ‘Settings’ in the pop-up blockers section.
- Select the Gcouncerne.xyz site and other questionable URLs under and delete them one by one by clicking the ‘Remove’ button.
Safari:
- On the top menu select ‘Safari’, then ‘Preferences’.
- Select the ‘Websites’ tab and then select ‘Notifications’ section on the left panel.
- Check for Gcouncerne.xyz domain, other questionable sites and apply the ‘Deny’ option for each.
How to remove Gcouncerne.xyz pop-ups (removal guidance)
We suggest opting for automatic Gcouncerne.xyz ads removal in order to delete all adware related entries easily. This solution requires scanning the computer with reputable antimalware, e.g. Zemana, MalwareBytes Free or Hitman Pro. However, if you prefer manual removal steps, you can follow the guidance below in this article. Some of the steps below will require you to exit this webpage. So, please read the step-by-step guide carefully, after that bookmark it or open it on your smartphone for later reference.
To remove Gcouncerne.xyz pop ups, perform the steps below:
- Remove Gcouncerne.xyz notifications from browsers
- How to get rid of Gcouncerne.xyz ads without any software
- Automatic Removal of Gcouncerne.xyz popup ads
- Stop Gcouncerne.xyz popups
How to get rid of Gcouncerne.xyz ads without any software
The most common adware software can be deleted manually, without the use of anti-virus or other removal utilities. The manual steps below will help you delete Gcouncerne.xyz pop-ups step by step. Although each of the steps is very simple and does not require special knowledge, but you are not sure that you can complete them, then use the free tools, a list of which is given below.
Delete newly installed adware
Check out the Microsoft Windows Control Panel (Programs and Features section) to see all installed software. We recommend 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 applications, they are the ones you need to remove.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
First, click the Windows button
, then press Search 
. Type “Control panel”and press Enter.Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, click “Start” and select “Control Panel”.
It will display the Windows Control Panel as displayed below.
Next, press “Uninstall a program” 
It will display a list of all programs installed on your computer. Scroll through the all list, and delete any dubious and unknown software. To quickly find the latest installed apps, we recommend sort apps by date in the Control panel.
Remove Gcouncerne.xyz ads from Google Chrome
Another method to get rid of Gcouncerne.xyz popups from Chrome is Reset Google Chrome settings. This will disable malicious addons and reset Chrome settings to original state. It’ll save your personal information such as saved passwords, bookmarks, auto-fill data and open tabs.
- First start the Chrome and click Menu button (small button in the form of three dots).
- It will open the Google Chrome main menu. Select More Tools, then press Extensions.
- You’ll see the list of installed addons. If the list has the addon labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guide: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.
- Now open the Chrome menu once again, click the “Settings” menu.
- You will see the Google Chrome’s settings page. Scroll down and click “Advanced” link.
- Scroll down again and click the “Reset” button.
- The Chrome will show the reset profile settings page as shown on the image above.
- Next press the “Reset” button.
- Once this process is finished, your web browser’s newtab, homepage and default search provider will be restored to their original defaults.
- To learn more, read the article How to reset Chrome settings to default.
Remove Gcouncerne.xyz pop-ups from Microsoft Internet Explorer
If you find that IE browser settings such as startpage, new tab page and search provider had been replaced by adware that causes Gcouncerne.xyz popups in your web-browser, then you may revert back your settings, via the reset browser procedure.
First, launch the Internet Explorer, press 
) button. Next, press “Internet Options” as displayed below.
In the “Internet Options” screen select the Advanced tab. Next, press Reset button. The IE will show the Reset Internet Explorer settings prompt. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box and press Reset button.
You will now need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect. It will remove adware responsible for Gcouncerne.xyz pop-ups, disable malicious and ad-supported browser’s extensions and restore the Internet Explorer’s settings like startpage, newtab page and default search provider to default state.
Remove Gcouncerne.xyz from Mozilla Firefox by resetting web browser settings
Resetting your Firefox is basic troubleshooting step for any issues with your web browser application, including the redirect to Gcouncerne.xyz web page. However, your saved passwords and bookmarks will not be changed or cleared.
Press the Menu button (looks like three horizontal lines), and click the blue Help icon located at the bottom of the drop down menu as shown on the image below.
A small menu will appear, click the “Troubleshooting Information”. On this page, click “Refresh Firefox” button as on the image below.
Follow the onscreen procedure to restore your Mozilla Firefox browser settings to their original state.
Automatic Removal of Gcouncerne.xyz popup ads
Malware removal tools are pretty effective when you think your PC system is infected by adware. Below we will discover best utilities which can remove adware software and Gcouncerne.xyz pop-up advertisements from your computer and web-browser.
Get rid of Gcouncerne.xyz pop ups with Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM)
If you need a free utility that can easily delete Gcouncerne.xyz advertisements, then use Zemana Free. This is a very handy program, which is primarily created to quickly look for and remove adware and malicious software infecting web browsers and modifying their settings.
- Click the link below to download Zemana Free. Save it directly to your MS Windows Desktop.
Zemana AntiMalware
164032 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
- Once you have downloaded the setup file, make sure to double click on the Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup. This would start the Zemana Free installation on your computer.
- Select installation language and click ‘OK’ button.
- On the next screen ‘Setup Wizard’ simply click the ‘Next’ button and follow the prompts.
- Finally, once the install is finished, Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) will start automatically. Else, if doesn’t then double-click on the Zemana Anti Malware icon on your desktop.
- Now that you have successfully install Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM), let’s see How to use Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) to delete Gcouncerne.xyz popups from your computer.
- After you have launched the Zemana AntiMalware, you’ll see a window as displayed on the screen below, just press ‘Scan’ button to perform a system scan with this tool for the adware software.
- Now pay attention to the screen while Zemana AntiMalware scans your PC.
- When the system scan is done, the results are displayed in the scan report. Review the scan results and then click ‘Next’ button.
- Zemana Anti Malware may require a restart PC in order to complete the Gcouncerne.xyz advertisements removal process.
- If you want to permanently delete adware from your computer, then press ‘Quarantine’ icon, select all malware, adware, potentially unwanted applications and other items and click Delete.
- Restart your PC to complete the adware removal process.
Remove Gcouncerne.xyz pop-ups from internet browsers with HitmanPro
Hitman Pro is a completely free (30 day trial) tool. You don’t need expensive solutions to remove adware software related to the Gcouncerne.xyz pop ups and other shady apps. HitmanPro will delete all the unwanted applications such as adware software and hijackers for free.
- Installing the Hitman Pro is simple. First you will need to download Hitman Pro by clicking on the link below. Save it on your Windows desktop.
- Once downloading is complete, double click the Hitman Pro icon. Once this utility is started, press “Next” button to locate adware related to the Gcouncerne.xyz pop up advertisements. This task can take some time, so please be patient. When a threat is found, the number of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the checking is done.
- After Hitman Pro completes the scan, HitmanPro will display you the results. Review the scan results and then click “Next” button. Now click the “Activate free license” button to begin the free 30 days trial to remove all malware found.
How to remove Gcouncerne.xyz with MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
Delete Gcouncerne.xyz ads manually is difficult and often the adware is not fully removed. Therefore, we suggest you to run the MalwareBytes that are completely clean your device. Moreover, this free program will help you to delete malware, potentially unwanted programs, toolbars and browser hijackers that your PC system can be infected too.
- Visit the page linked below to download MalwareBytes AntiMalware. Save it directly to your Windows Desktop.
Malwarebytes Anti-malware
326385 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
- After downloading is finished, close all software and windows on your PC system. Open a folder in which you saved it. Double-click on the icon that’s named MBsetup.
- Choose “Personal computer” option and click Install button. Follow the prompts.
- Once install is finished, click the “Scan” button for checking your PC system for the adware software responsible for Gcouncerne.xyz popups. Depending on your device, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. While the MalwareBytes Free is scanning, you can see number of objects it has identified either as being malware.
- Once finished, MalwareBytes Free will display a screen which contains a list of malware that has been detected. Review the scan results and then press “Quarantine”. After the task is finished, you can be prompted to restart your personal computer.
The following video offers a steps on how to remove browser hijackers, adware software and other malware with MalwareBytes Anti-Malware.
Stop Gcouncerne.xyz popups
If you want to get rid of intrusive advertisements, web browser redirects and pop-ups, then install an ad blocker application like AdGuard. It can block Gcouncerne.xyz, ads, popups and stop web-sites from tracking your online activities when using the Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Chrome and Internet Explorer. So, if you like surf the World Wide Web, but you don’t like intrusive ads and want to protect your PC system from malicious webpages, then the AdGuard is your best choice.
- Installing the AdGuard is simple. First you’ll need to download AdGuard on your Microsoft Windows Desktop by clicking on the following link.
Adguard download
26627 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- After downloading it, launch the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- When the installation is complete, press “Skip” to close the installation program and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial that 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 PC, AdGuard will start automatically and stop unwanted advertisements, block Gcouncerne.xyz, as well as other harmful or misleading web-pages. 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, which can be found on your desktop.
Finish words
After completing the steps outlined above, your computer should be free from adware responsible for Gcouncerne.xyz pop ups and other malicious software. The Internet Explorer, MS Edge, Google Chrome and Firefox will no longer redirect you to various annoying websites such as Gcouncerne.xyz. 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 here.
