If you find that your internet browser has become display annoying ads marked with Taboola, “Ads by Taboola”, “Sponsored links by Taboola” then it is possible that your personal computer is infected with malicious software from the adware family. The adware (also known as ‘ad-supported’ software) is a form of unwanted software that can open a ton of ads without a user’s permission. Moreover, it can redirect the browser on harmful and misleading web-pages. Also, if you seeing that the Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Microsoft Edge tries to load an unknown page, when you try to open a long-known web-site, then you do not need to wait! Press the stop button in internet browser’s address bar. You need to follow the guide below and clean your PC system from adware as quickly as possible. It’ll assist you to remove the reroute to Taboola and any annoying pop-ups.
The ad-supported software can change the settings of the Google Chrome, FF, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer, but often that a malicious software such as this can also infect all types of web-browsers by changing their desktop shortcuts. Thus forcing the user each time run the internet browser to see Taboola annoying advertisements.
The ad-supported software is not a virus, but the virus behaves similarly. As a rootkit hides in the system, changes web browser settings and blocks them from changing. Also the adware can install additional web browser extensions, addons and modules that will inject advertising banners within the Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge and IE’s screen. Moreover, the adware may install browser hijacker that once started, will change the browser’s startpage and search engine. And finally, the ad-supported software can collect a wide variety of personal information such as what web-sites you are opening, what you are looking for the Internet and so on. This information, in the future, may be transferred to third parties.
Instructions, which is shown below, will allow you to clean your machine from the ad-supported software as well as remove Taboola unwanted ads from the Google Chrome, FF, Internet Explorer and Edge and other internet browsers.
How to Taboola pop-up ads get installed onto computer
The adware spreads with a simple but quite effective way. It is integrated into the install package of various freeware. Thus on the process of install, it’ll infect your internet browser. To avoid ad supported software infection, you just need to follow a few simple rules: carefully read the ‘Terms of Use’ and the ‘License’, select only a Manual, Custom or Advanced installation mode, which enables you to make sure that the application you want to install, thereby protect your system from the malicious software like this adware which shows the Taboola ads.
How to manually remove Taboola pop-up ads
This useful removal guide for the Taboola advertisements. The detailed procedure can be followed by anyone as it really does take you step-by-step. If you follow this process to remove Taboola redirect let us know how you managed by sending us your comments please.
- Delete suspicious and unknown software by using Windows Control Panel
- Disinfect the browser’s shortcuts to delete Taboola redirect
- Remove Taboola from Google Chrome
- Get rid of Taboola pop-ups from Mozilla Firefox
- Remove Taboola advertisements from Internet Explorer
- Remove unwanted Scheduled Tasks
Delete suspicious and unknown software by using Windows Control Panel
First, you should try to identify and remove the program that causes the appearance of unwanted ads and browser redirect to unwanted pages, using the ‘Uninstall a program’ which is located in the ‘Control panel’.
Windows 8, 8.1, 10
Press Windows key
, then click Search 
. Type ‘Control panel’and press Enter as on the image below.
When the ‘Control Panel’ opens, click the ‘Uninstall a program’ under Programs category as shown on the screen below.
You will see the ‘Uninstall a program’ panel as shown in the figure below.
Very carefully look around the entire list of installed programs. Most likely, one or more of them are responsible for the web-browser redirect to annoying Taboola advertisements. 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 and press ‘Uninstall’.
Windows XP, Vista, 7
First, press ‘Start’ button and select ‘Control Panel’ at right panel like below.
When the Windows ‘Control Panel’ opens, you need to click ‘Uninstall a program’ under ‘Programs’ as shown on the screen below.
You will see a list of applications installed on your machine. We recommend to sort the list by date of installation to quickly find the programs that were installed last. Most likely they responsibility for the appearance of unwanted pop-up ads and internet browser redirect. If you are in doubt, you can always check the application by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. When the program, you need to remove, is found, simply press on its name, and then click ‘Uninstall’ as shown on the screen below.
Disinfect the browser’s shortcuts to delete Taboola redirect
Once the ad-supported software is started, it can also change the internet browser’s shortcuts, adding an argument like “http://site.address” into the Target field. Due to this, every time you start the internet browser, it will be redirected to an annoying ads.
To clear the internet browser shortcut, right-click to it and select Properties. On the Shortcut tab, locate the Target field. Click inside, you will see a vertical line – arrow pointer, move it (using -> arrow key on your keyboard) to the right as possible. You will see a text which begins with “http://” which has been added here. You need to remove it.
When the argument is removed, click the OK button. You need to clean all shortcuts of all your web-browsers, as they may be infected too.
Remove Taboola from Google Chrome
Reset Chrome settings is a easy way to remove the malicious and ad-supported extensions, as well as to restore the browser’s home page, newtab page and search provider by default that have been modified by ad-supported software.
- Open the Google Chrome, then click the Menu icon (icon in the form of three horizontal stripes).
- It will open the Google Chrome main menu. Click the “Settings” menu.
- Next, click the “Show advanced settings” link, that located at the bottom of the Settings page.
- Further, click the “Reset settings” button, that located at the bottom of the Advanced settings page.
- The Google Chrome will open the reset settings dialog box as shown on the image above.
- Confirm the web-browser’s reset by clicking on the “Reset” button.
- To learn more, look the post How to reset Chrome settings to default.
Get rid of Taboola pop-ups from Mozilla Firefox
If the Firefox settings have been modified by the adware, then resetting it to the default state can help you to remove the reroute onto Taboola web page.
First, launch the Mozilla Firefox and click 
button. It will open the drop-down menu on the right-part of the web browser. Next, click 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 address bar and press Enter. It will show the “Troubleshooting Information” page like below. In the upper-right corner of this screen, click the “Refresh Firefox” button.
It will display the confirmation dialog box, click the “Refresh Firefox” button. The Mozilla Firefox will start a procedure to fix your problems that caused by the ‘ad supported’ software. When it’s finished, press the “Finish” button
Remove Taboola advertisements from Internet Explorer
First, run the Internet Explorer, then press the button in the form of gear (
). It will display the Tools drop-down menu as shown on the image below. Next, click the “Internet Options”.
In the Internet Options window click on the Advanced tab, then press the Reset button. The Internet Explorer will show the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” window as shown in the figure below. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then click on “Reset” button.
You will now need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.
Remove unwanted Scheduled Tasks
Once installed, the ‘ad supported’ software can add a task in to the Windows Task Scheduler Library. Due to this, every time when you start your computer, it will show Taboola annoying site. So, you need to check the Task Scheduler Library and get rid of all tasks that have been created by malicious program.
Press Windows and R keys on your keyboard at the same time. It will display a prompt that called Run. In the text field, type “taskschd.msc” (without the quotes) and press OK. Task Scheduler window opens. In the left-hand side, click “Task Scheduler Library”, like below.
Task scheduler, list of tasks
In the middle part you will see a list of installed tasks. Select the first task, its properties will be open just below automatically. Next, press the Actions tab. Necessary to look at the text which is written under Details. Found something such as “explorer.exe http://site.address” or “chrome.exe http://site.address” or “firefox.exe http://site.address”, then you need delete this task. If you are not sure that executes the task, then google it. If it is a component of the malicious programs, then this task also should be removed.
Further press on it with the right mouse button and select Delete like below.
Task scheduler, delete a task
Repeat this step, if you have found a few tasks that have been created by unwanted applications. Once is done, close the Task Scheduler window.
Delete Taboola automatically
You can remove Taboola redirect automatically with a help of Malwarebytes Free. We recommend this free malware removal tool because it can easily remove ‘ad supported’ software, browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and registry entries.
Download Malwarebytes Free on your computer from the link below. Save it on your Desktop.
326460 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
After downloading is finished, close all windows on your system. Further, launch the file named mb3-setup. If the “User Account Control” prompt pops up as on the image below, press the Yes button.
It will show the “Setup wizard” which will assist you install Malwarebytes on the computer. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
When the installation is complete successfully, click Finish button. Then Malwarebytes will automatically start and you can see its main window as on the image below.
Next, press the “Scan Now” button for checking your system for the malware and adware that cause the Taboola advertisements. When a threat is found, the number of the detected objects will change accordingly. Wait until the the checking is finished. Please be patient.
When it has finished scanning, you can check all threats detected on your computer. Make sure all entries have “checkmark” and click “Quarantine Selected” button.
The Malwarebytes will start removing malware and ad supported software that cause Taboola advertisements. Once the disinfection is complete, you may be prompted to restart your personal computer. I recommend you look at the following video, which completely explains the procedure of using the Malwarebytes to delete adware and other harmful software.
Stop Taboola ads and other annoying web-sites
To increase your security and protect your PC system against new annoying ads and malicious web sites, you need to use application that stops access to malicious ads and sites. Moreover, the program can block the display of intrusive advertising, which also leads to faster loading of sites and reduce the consumption of web traffic.
Download AdGuard program by clicking on the following link.
26656 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
When the download is complete, run the file named adguardInstaller. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen as shown on the image below.
Follow the prompts. When the installation is finished, you will see a window as shown on the screen below.
You can click “Skip” to close the setup application and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” button to see an quick tutorial that will allow 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 run your PC system, AdGuard will launch automatically and block pop-up ads, web-pages like Taboola, as well as other harmful or misleading web-sites. For an overview of all the features of the application, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, which is located on your Windows desktop.
Remove Taboola pop-ups and malicious extensions with AdwCleaner.
If MalwareBytes cannot remove the unwanted Taboola from the FF, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer and MS Edge, then we suggests to use the AdwCleaner. AdwCleaner is a free removal tool for adware, browser hijackers, PUPs and toolbars.
Download AdwCleaner by clicking on the link below.
225298 downloads
Version: 8.4.1
Author: Xplode, MalwareBytes
Category: Security tools
Update: October 5, 2024
After downloading is finished, open the directory in which you saved it. Double click the AdwCleaner icon. Once this tool is opened, you will see a screen such as below.
Now, click the “Scan” button to begin checking your personal computer for the malicious extensions and adware which shows advertisements from Taboola web-page. When the system scan is finished, it will display a scan report as shown below.
Review the report and then click “Clean” button. It will show a prompt. Click “OK”. Once the cleaning procedure is finished, AdwCleaner may ask you to reboot your personal computer.
Look at the following video, which completely explains the procedure of using the AdwCleaner to delete ‘ad supported’ software, browser hijackers and other harmful programs.
Finish words
Now your machine should be clean of the Taboola pop-ups. Remove AdwCleaner. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you block unwanted popup ads and unwanted malicious sites) and Malwarebytes (to periodically scan your PC system for new malware and adware). 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 Taboola pop-ups from your PC system, then ask for help in our Spyware/Malware removal forum.
