What is VPN Shield
According to security specialists, VPN Shield is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that belongs to the Adware category. Adware is not as dangerous as such as a Trojan horse or Ransomware, but its presence can bring constant popups and/or annoying adverts. Actually authors of adware is associated with some merchants and by displaying advertisements to users they earn profit for yourself. These adverts not only bother your browsing experience but also redirect you to unsafe websites.
Unwanted ads
The worst is, the VPN Shield adware has the ability to gather privacy information about you such as what web pages you are opening, what you are looking for the Net and so on. This personal information, afterwards, may be sold to third party companies. So, if you happen to encounter the adware, then be quick and take effort to remove it immediately. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to remove VPN Shield adware. Let us know how you managed by sending us your comments please.
How does VPN Shield get on your device
Usually, adware gets into personal computers as part of a bundle with freeware, sharing files and other unsafe applications that users downloaded from the Net. The makers of adware pays software makers for distributing adware within their programs. So, third-party applications is often included as part of the setup file. In order to avoid the setup of any adware software: choose only Manual, Custom or Advanced install type and uncheck all optional applications in which you are unsure.
Threat Summary
| Name | VPN Shield |
| Type | adware, potentially unwanted program (PUP), pop up virus, popup advertisements, pop-ups |
| Symptoms |
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| Removal | VPN Shield removal guide |
How to remove VPN Shield adware from Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
Most commonly adware requires more than a simple uninstall with the help of Microsoft Windows Control panel in order to be fully deleted. For that reason, our team developed several removal solutions which we have combined in a detailed instructions. Therefore, if you have the VPN Shield adware on your personal computer and are currently trying to have it deleted then feel free to follow the guide below in order to resolve your problem. Certain of the steps below will require you to close this web page. So, please read the step-by-step guide carefully, after that bookmark it or open it on your smartphone for later reference.
To remove VPN Shield, perform the steps below:
- Manual VPN Shield adware removal
- Automatic Removal of VPN Shield adware software
- How to stay safe online
Manual VPN Shield adware removal
Most adware software can be deleted manually, without the use of anti-virus or other removal utilities. The manual steps below will show you how to remove VPN Shield step by step. Although each of the steps is easy and does not require special knowledge, but you doubt that you can complete them, then use the free utilities, a list of which is given below.
Remove adware through the Windows Control Panel
The best way to start the PC system cleanup is to remove unknown and dubious applications. Using the MS Windows Control Panel you can do this quickly and easily. This step, in spite of its simplicity, should not be ignored, because the removing of unneeded software can clean up the Microsoft Edge, Chrome, IE and Firefox from popup advertisements, hijackers and so on.
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Remove VPN Shield from Firefox by resetting web browser settings
Resetting your Mozilla Firefox is basic troubleshooting step for any issues with your web-browser application. However, your themes, bookmarks, history, passwords, and web form auto-fill information will not be deleted.
First, run the Firefox. Next, click the button in the form of three horizontal stripes (
). It will display the drop-down menu. Next, press the Help button (
).
In the Help menu click the “Troubleshooting Information”. In the upper-right corner of the “Troubleshooting Information” page click on “Refresh Firefox” button as displayed on the screen below.
Confirm your action, click the “Refresh Firefox”.
Remove VPN Shield adware from Chrome
If you’re getting unwanted ads, then you can try to remove it by resetting Chrome to its default values. It will also clear cookies, content and site data, temporary and cached data. Essential information like bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, cookies, auto-fill data and personal dictionaries will not be removed.
- First run the Google Chrome and press Menu button (small button in the form of three dots).
- It will show the Chrome main menu. Choose More Tools, then press Extensions.
- You will see the list of installed plugins. If the list has the plugin labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following steps: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.
- Now open the Google Chrome menu once again, click the “Settings” menu.
- You will see the Chrome’s settings page. Scroll down and click “Advanced” link.
- Scroll down again and click the “Reset” button.
- The Chrome will open the reset profile settings page as on the image above.
- Next click the “Reset” button.
- Once this task is complete, your internet browser’s homepage, search provider and newtab will be restored to their original defaults.
- To learn more, read the article How to reset Chrome settings to default.
Remove VPN Shield adware from Internet Explorer
The Microsoft Internet Explorer reset is great if your web-browser is hijacked or you have unwanted add-ons or toolbars on your internet browser, which installed by an malicious software.
First, run the Internet Explorer, then click ‘gear’ icon 
. It will open the Tools drop-down menu on the right part of the browser, then press the “Internet Options” such as the one below.
In the “Internet Options” screen, select the “Advanced” tab, then click the “Reset” button. The Microsoft Internet Explorer will display the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” dialog box. Further, click the “Delete personal settings” check box to select it. Next, click the “Reset” button as displayed on the screen below.
Once the process is done, click “Close” button. Close the IE and restart your personal computer for the changes to take effect. This step will help you to restore your internet browser’s new tab, homepage and search engine to default state.
Automatic Removal of VPN Shield adware
The manual tutorial above is tedious to use and can not always help to completely get rid of adware software. Here I am telling you an automatic way to get rid of any adware from your personal computer fully. Zemana Anti-Malware, MalwareBytes and Hitman Pro are antimalware utilities that can search for and get rid of all kinds of adware including VPN Shield.
Get rid of VPN Shield adware with Zemana AntiMalware
Zemana AntiMalware is one of the best in its class, it can search for and get rid of tons of of various security threats, including adware software, browser hijackers, spyware and trojans that masqueraded as legitimate computer applications. Also Zemana Anti-Malware includes another utility called FRST – is a helpful program for manual removal of files and parts of the Windows registry created by malicious software.
Now you can set up and run Zemana AntiMalware to get rid of VPN Shield from your PC by following the steps below:
Visit the page linked below to download Zemana installer named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup on your personal computer. Save it on your Windows desktop.
164030 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Run the installer after it has been downloaded successfully and then follow the prompts to install this tool on your computer.
During setup you can change certain settings, but we advise you don’t make any changes to default settings.
When setup is finished, this malicious software removal tool will automatically run and update itself. You will see its main window as displayed in the following example.
Now click the “Scan” button to perform a system scan for the VPN Shield adware. This process can take quite a while, so please be patient. While the Zemana AntiMalware is scanning, you may see how many objects it has identified either as being malicious software.
After Zemana has finished scanning your personal computer, the results are displayed in the scan report. Make sure to check mark the items which are unsafe and then click “Next” button.
The Zemana Anti-Malware will uninstall VPN Shield and move the selected items to the program’s quarantine. After the procedure is done, you may be prompted to reboot your personal computer to make the change take effect.
Get rid of VPN Shield adware and harmful extensions with HitmanPro
HitmanPro is a free removal tool that can scan your PC for a wide range of security threats such as malware, adware, PUPs as well as VPN Shield. It will perform a deep scan of your personal computer including hard drives and Windows registry. When a malware is found, it will allow you to get rid of all found threats from your personal computer by a simple click.
Download Hitman Pro by clicking on the link below. Save it on your Desktop.
Once the download is finished, open the file location and double-click the Hitman Pro icon. It will start the HitmanPro utility. If the User Account Control prompt will ask you want to run the program, click Yes button to continue.
Next, click “Next” to start scanning your device for the VPN Shield adware. This task may take some time, so please be patient. During the scan HitmanPro will scan for threats present on your PC.
As the scanning ends, HitmanPro will open a list of all threats found by the scan as displayed in the following example.
Make sure to check mark the items that are unsafe and then click “Next” button. It will open a dialog box, click the “Activate free license” button. The Hitman Pro will remove VPN Shield adware software and move the selected items to the Quarantine. When the clean up is done, the utility may ask you to reboot your personal computer.
Run MalwareBytes Anti-Malware to delete VPN Shield adware
Remove adware manually is difficult and often the adware is not completely removed. Therefore, we advise you to run the MalwareBytes AntiMalware that are completely clean your computer. Moreover, this free program will allow you to get rid of malicious software, PUPs, toolbars and browser hijackers that your PC can be infected too.
Installing the MalwareBytes AntiMalware is simple. First you’ll need to download MalwareBytes from the following link. Save it to your Desktop.
326382 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
After the downloading process is complete, close all windows on your computer. Further, launch the file called MBSetup. If the “User Account Control” prompt pops up as on the image below, press the “Yes” button.
It will open the Setup wizard that will help you set up MalwareBytes AntiMalware on the computer. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once installation is finished successfully, press “Get Started” button. Then MalwareBytes will automatically run and you can see its main window as on the image below.
Next, press the “Scan” button to start scanning your device for the VPN Shield adware. This task can take some time, so please be patient. When a malware, adware or PUPs are found, the number of the security threats will change accordingly.
When the scan get completed, you’ll be displayed the list of all detected threats on your device. When you’re ready, click “Quarantine” button.
The MalwareBytes will remove VPN Shield adware. Once the cleaning process is complete, you may be prompted to restart your PC. We advise you look at the following video, which completely explains the process of using the MalwareBytes to delete browser hijackers, adware and other malware.
How to stay safe online
To put it simply, you need to use an ad-blocking utility (AdGuard, for example). It’ll stop and protect you from harmful web pages, unwanted ads and popups. To be able to do that, the adblocker program uses a list of filters. Each filter is a rule that describes a malicious web page, an advertising content, a banner and others. The ad blocker program automatically uses these filters, depending on the web pages you’re visiting.
- Please go to the following link to download the latest version of AdGuard for Microsoft Windows. Save it directly to your Windows Desktop.
Adguard download
26627 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- When the downloading process is complete, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- When the installation is done, click “Skip” to close the setup application and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial that will assist you get to know AdGuard better.
- In most cases, the default settings are enough and you do not need to change anything. Each time, when you launch your PC system, AdGuard will run automatically and stop unwanted advertisements, block VPN Shield ads, as well as other harmful or misleading websites. For an overview of all the features of the application, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the icon named AdGuard, that may be found on your desktop.
To sum up
We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you stop unwanted pop-up advertisements and intrusive harmful web-sites) and Zemana AntiMalware (to periodically scan your computer for new adwares and other malicious software). Probably you are running an older version of Java or Adobe Flash Player. This can be a security risk, so download and install the latest version right now.
If you are still having problems while trying to remove unwanted ads from Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and Firefox, then ask for help here.
