How to uninstall Power-Cleaner from Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge

What is Power-Cleaner?

The security professionals have determined that Power-Cleaner is categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) from the family of Browser hijackers. Browser hijacker is a type of software that is created to take over the web-browser and control user’s surfing preferences. It commonly aims at Google Chrome web browser, but it’s possible that it can hijack other web-browser too. Browser hijackers and potentially unwanted programs can sneak into the personal computer unnoticed due to the fact that it’s actively being promoted in free software. We advise that you remove Power-Cleaner as soon as you notice the changes it has made to your web-browser settings.

When you’re performing searches using the browser that has been affected with Power-Cleaner, the search results will be returned from Bing, Yahoo or Google Custom Search. The Power-Cleaner creators are most likely doing this to generate advertisement profit from the advertisements displayed in the search results.

In addition to the above, the browser hijacker is able to collect lots of confidential information which can be later transferred to third parties. You don’t know if your home address, account names and passwords are safe. And of course you completely don’t know what will happen when you click on any ads on the Power-Cleaner website.

How can a browser hijacker get on your PC system

Browser hijackers cand PUPs can be spread with the help of trojan horses and other forms of malware, but most commonly, browser hijackers get on computers as a part of some freeware. Many creators of freeware include bundled software in their setup file. Sometimes it is possible to avoid the setup of any browser hijackers like Power-Cleaner: carefully read the Terms of Use and the Software license, select only Manual, Custom or Advanced installation mode, unset all checkboxes before clicking Install or Next button while installing new free software.

Threat Summary

Name	Power-Cleaner
Type	browser hijacker, start page hijacker, PUP, redirect virus, search engine hijacker
Affected Browser Settings	startpage, newtab page URL, search provider
Distribution	free software installation packages, fake updaters, malicious pop-up advertisements
Symptoms	Unexpected ads appear on webpages that you are visiting. When you go to a web-site, you’re occasionally re-directed to another webpage that you do not intend to visit. Your computer starts automatically installing unexpected programs. Unwanted icons on your desktop. Your web browser home page has modified and you are unable to modify it back.
Removal	Power-Cleaner removal guide

How to remove Power-Cleaner browser hijacker

The answer is right here on this web-page. We have put together simplicity and efficiency. It will help you easily uninstall the browser hijacker from your PC or internet browser. Moreover, you can select manual or automatic removal method. If you are familiar with the computer then use manual removal, otherwise run free malware removal tools that are designed specifically to remove browser hijackers and PUPs. Of course, you can combine both methods. Some of the steps will require you to restart your computer or exit this web-site. So, read this guide carefully, then bookmark this page or open it on your smartphone for later reference.

To remove Power-Cleaner, perform the steps below:

1. How to manually get rid of Power-Cleaner
   • Remove Power-Cleaner associated software by using Windows Control Panel
   • Get rid of Power-Cleaner hijacker from Mozilla Firefox
   • Get rid of Power-Cleaner browser hijacker from Internet Explorer
   • Remove Power-Cleaner from Chrome
2. Automatic Removal of Power-Cleaner
   • Run Zemana Anti-Malware to delete Power-Cleaner hijacker
   • Delete Power-Cleaner browser hijacker from web-browsers with HitmanPro
   • Use MalwareBytes Anti-Malware to remove Power-Cleaner browser hijacker
3. How to stop Power-Cleaner redirect

How to manually get rid of Power-Cleaner

Power-Cleaner is a hijacker that can replace your web browser settings and redirect you to the web sites which may contain lots of ads. Not every antivirus application can find and delete browser hijackers from the web-browser. Follow the few simple steps below and you can remove the browser hijacker by yourself.

Remove Power-Cleaner associated software by using Windows Control Panel

The best way to begin the personal computer cleanup is to uninstall unknown and suspicious software. Using the 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 programs can clean up the Chrome, Firefox, Edge and IE from pop up ads hijackers and so on.

Press Windows button , then press Search . Type “Control panel”and press Enter. If you using Windows XP or Windows 7, then click “Start” and select “Control Panel”. It will show the Windows Control Panel similar to the one below.

Further, click “Uninstall a program”
It will show a list of all apps installed on your device. Scroll through the all list, and delete any suspicious and unknown apps.

Get rid of Power-Cleaner hijacker from Mozilla Firefox

Resetting Firefox internet browser will reset all the settings to their original state and will remove Power-Cleaner, malicious add-ons and extensions. When using the reset feature, your personal information such as passwords, bookmarks, browsing history and web form auto-fill data will be saved.

Launch the Mozilla Firefox and press the menu button (it looks like three stacked lines) at the top right of the internet browser screen. Next, click the question-mark icon at the bottom of the drop-down menu. It will open the slide-out menu.

Select the “Troubleshooting information”. If you’re unable to access the Help menu, then type “about:support” in your address bar and press Enter. It bring up the “Troubleshooting Information” page as shown in the figure below.

Click the “Refresh Firefox” button at the top right of the Troubleshooting Information page. Select “Refresh Firefox” in the confirmation dialog box. The Firefox will start a task to fix your problems that caused by the Power-Cleaner browser hijacker. When, it’s finished, click the “Finish” button.

Get rid of Power-Cleaner browser hijacker from Internet Explorer

First, run the Internet Explorer. Next, press the button in the form of gear (). It will show the Tools drop-down menu, click the “Internet Options” as shown below.

In the “Internet Options” window click on the Advanced tab, then click the Reset button. The Internet Explorer will show the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” window as on the image below. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then press “Reset” button.

You will now need to reboot your personal computer for the changes to take effect.

Remove Power-Cleaner from Chrome

Reset Chrome settings will delete Power-Cleaner from search provider by default, startpage and new tab and disable harmful add-ons. It will also clear cached and temporary data (cookies, site data and content). However, your saved passwords and bookmarks will not be changed or cleared.

First start the Google Chrome. Next, click the button in the form of three horizontal dots ().

It will open the Google Chrome menu. Choose More Tools, then press Extensions. Carefully browse through the list of installed plugins. If the list has the addon signed with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guide: Remove Google Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.

Open the Google Chrome menu once again. Further, click the option called “Settings”.

The internet browser will open the settings screen. Another method to show the Google Chrome’s settings – type chrome://settings in the web-browser adress bar and press Enter

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the “Reset” section is visible, as shown on the image below and click the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.

The Chrome will display the confirmation prompt as displayed below.

You need to confirm your action, press the “Reset” button. The web browser will run the procedure of cleaning. When it’s complete, the web browser’s settings including default search engine, homepage and newtab page back to the values which have been when the Chrome was first installed on your personal computer.

Automatic Removal of Power-Cleaner

Manual removal steps may not be for everyone. Each Power-Cleaner removal step above, such as uninstalling dubious applications, restoring affected shortcut files, removing the hijacker from system settings, must be performed very carefully. If you are in doubt during any of the steps listed in the manual removal above, then we recommend that you use the automatic adware removal tools listed below.

Run Zemana Anti-Malware to delete Power-Cleaner hijacker

Zemana AntiMalware is a free removal tool for Microsoft Windows OS to search for and delete potentially unwanted programs, adware, harmful web browser extensions, browser toolbars, and other unwanted programs like Power-Cleaner browser hijacker.

Now you can setup and run Zemana AntiMalware to remove Power-Cleaner browser hijacker from your browser by following the steps below:

Click the link below to download Zemana installer named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup on your PC. Save it directly to your Microsoft Windows Desktop.

Launch the setup file after it has been downloaded successfully and then follow the prompts to set up this utility on your personal computer.

During install you can change some settings, but we suggest you don’t make any changes to default settings.

When installation is complete, this malicious software removal tool will automatically start and update itself. You will see its main window as displayed in the figure below.

Now press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this utility for the Power-Cleaner browser hijacker. This process can take quite a while, so please be patient. While the Zemana is checking, you can see how many objects it has identified either as being malware.

After the scanning is complete, you’ll be shown the list of all detected threats on your computer. Review the results once the utility has finished the system scan. If you think an entry should not be quarantined, then uncheck it. Otherwise, simply click “Next” button.

The Zemana AntiMalware will delete Power-Cleaner browser hijacker and move the selected items to the program’s quarantine. Once disinfection is done, you can be prompted to restart your PC to make the change take effect.

Delete Power-Cleaner browser hijacker from web-browsers with HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a portable program which requires no hard installation to find and delete Power-Cleaner browser hijacker. The program itself is small in size (only a few Mb). HitmanPro does not need any drivers and special dlls. It is probably easier to use than any alternative malware removal tools you’ve ever tried. Hitman Pro works on 64 and 32-bit versions of Windows 10, 8, 7 and XP. It proves that removal utility can be just as useful as the widely known antivirus programs.

Download Hitman Pro on your Windows Desktop from the link below.

Once the download is done, open the folder in which you saved it. You will see an icon like below.

Double click the HitmanPro desktop icon. After the tool is launched, you will see a screen as shown in the following example.

Further, click “Next” button to search for Power-Cleaner browser hijacker. A system scan can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your PC system. After Hitman Pro has completed scanning, it will open the Scan Results as displayed below.

Once you’ve selected what you want to delete from your PC click “Next” button. It will display a prompt, click the “Activate free license” button.

Use MalwareBytes Anti-Malware to remove Power-Cleaner browser hijacker

We suggest using the MalwareBytes Anti-Malware. You can download and install MalwareBytes AntiMalware to detect and remove Power-Cleaner browser hijacker from your computer. When installed and updated, this free malicious software remover automatically searches for and deletes all threats exist on the PC.

First, visit the page linked below, then press the ‘Download’ button in order to download the latest version of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware.

Once downloading is complete, close all programs and windows on your personal computer. Double-click the install file called MBSetup. If the “User Account Control” dialog box pops up as displayed on the image below, click the “Yes” button.

It will open the Setup wizard which will help you install MalwareBytes on your PC. Follow the prompts and don’t make any changes to default settings.

Once installation is finished successfully, click “Get Started” button. MalwareBytes will automatically start and you can see its main screen as displayed below.

Now click the “Scan” button to start checking your personal computer for the Power-Cleaner hijacker. When a malware, adware or potentially unwanted applications are detected, the count of the security threats will change accordingly.

After the scan is finished, MalwareBytes will show a screen which contains a list of malicious software that has been found. When you’re ready, click “Quarantine” button. The MalwareBytes will begin to delete Power-Cleaner hijacker. When disinfection is finished, you may be prompted to restart the personal computer.

We suggest you look at the following video, which completely explains the process of using the MalwareBytes to delete adware, browser hijacker and other malware.

How to stop Power-Cleaner redirect

We recommend to install an ad-blocker application that can block Power-Cleaner and other unwanted web-sites. The ad blocking tool such as AdGuard is a application which basically removes advertising from the World Wide Web and blocks access to malicious web-sites. Moreover, security experts says that using ad blocker applications is necessary to stay safe when surfing the World Wide Web.

AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop or in any other place.

After downloading it, double-click the downloaded file to start it. The “Setup Wizard” window will show up on the computer screen as shown 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 guidance as on the image below.

Click “Skip” button to close the window and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” to see an quick instructions that will help you get to know AdGuard better.

Each time, when you run your personal computer, AdGuard will start automatically and stop unwanted ads, block Power-Cleaner redirects, as well as other harmful or misleading webpages. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, which is located on your desktop.

To sum up

We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you block unwanted ads and unwanted harmful web pages) and Zemana (to periodically scan your PC system for new browser hijacker 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 get rid of Power-Cleaner from Chrome, IE, Firefox and MS Edge, then ask for help here.