This setting is enforced by your administrator (Removal guide)

This setting is enforced by your administrator pop-up in Chrome’s settings, when you trying to change your browser settings or remove a malicious extension, is a sign that your PC is infected with a malware such as browser hijacker or adware. The malicious software modifies the Google Chrome web browser settings so that you will be re-directed to an unwanted site or annoying ads.

Of course this malware not a virus, but the virus behaves similarly. It alters browser settings and blocks them from changing. Moreover, the harmful sofware can collect a wide variety of personal information such as what web pages you are opening, what you are looking for the World Wide Web and so on. This information, in the future, may be transferred to third parties.

Therefore it’s very important to follow the instructions below as soon as possible. The step by step guidance will help you to get rid of malware as well as clean your Google Chrome from the “This setting is enforced by your administrator” alert. What is more, the tutorial below will allow you remove other malicious programs such as unwanted toolbars and browser hijackers, which could penetrate into system along with the malware.

How to remove “This setting is enforced by your administrator” from Google Chrome

There are a simple manual guide below which will help you to remove “This setting is enforced by your administrator” pop-up from Google Chrome. The most effective method to remove this malware is to follow the manual removal tutorial and then use Zemana Anti-malware, Malwarebytes or AdwCleaner automatic tools (all are free). The manual way will assist to weaken this malware and these malware removal tools will completely remove “This setting is enforced by your administrator” and return the Google Chrome settings to default.

1. Deleting malware, check the list of installed programs first
2. Reset Group Policy settings to defaults
3. Reset Google Chrome settings
4. Remove This setting is enforced by your administrator pop-up with Zemana Anti-malware
5. Automatically delete malware with Malwarebytes
6. Scan and free your computer of malware with AdwCleaner
7. Protect Google Chrome against malvertising

Deleting malware, check the list of installed programs first

Some PUPs, browser hijacking applications and ad supported software can be uninstalled by uninstalling the freeware they came with. If this way does not succeed, then looking them up in the list of installed applications in Windows Control Panel. Use the “Uninstall” command in order to remove them.

It will open the Windows Control Panel like below.

Next, press “Uninstall a program”
It will open a list of all programs installed on your PC system. Scroll through the all list, and delete any suspicious and unknown programs. To quickly find the latest installed software, we recommend sort software by date in the Control panel.

Reset Group Policy settings to defaults

Press Windows and X keys together. It will open a menu. Click Command prompt (Administrator). You will see a “black box” – Command prompt as shown below.

In the command prompt type

rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"

Press Enter.

Type

rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy"

Press Enter.

Type

gpupdate /force

Press Enter. Close command prompt and reboot your computer.

Reset Google Chrome settings

Reset Chrome settings is a easy way to remove the browser hijackers, harmful and ‘ad-supported’ extensions, as well as to recover the internet browser’s startpage, newtab page and default search provider that have been modified by adware that cause “This setting is enforced by your administrator” pop up to appear.

1. First start the Google Chrome and click Menu button (small button in the form of three horizontal stripes).
2. It will display the Chrome main menu. Select “Settings” option.
3. You will see the Chrome’s settings page. Scroll down and click “Show advanced settings” link.
4. Scroll down again and click the “Reset settings” button.
5. The Google Chrome will open the reset profile settings page as shown on the image above.
6. Next click the “Reset” button.
7. Once this procedure is complete, your web browser’s start page, new tab and default search provider will be restored to their original defaults.
8. To learn more, read the post How to reset Google Chrome settings to default.

Remove This setting is enforced by your administrator pop-up with Zemana Anti-malware

Zemana Anti-malware highly recommended, because it can scan for security threats such malware and ‘ad supported’ softwares that most ‘classic’ antivirus software fail to pick up on. Moreover, if you have the “This setting is enforced by your administrator” removal problems which cannot be fixed by this tool automatically, then Zemana Anti-malware provides 24X7 online assistance from the highly experienced support staff.

1. Download Zemana antimalware (ZAM) from the link below.
   
   

   Zemana AntiMalware
   164112 downloads
   Author: Zemana Ltd
   Category: Security tools
   Update: July 16, 2019
   
2. Once downloading is finished, close all software and windows on your personal computer. Open a file location. Double-click on the icon that’s named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup.
3. Further, click Next button and follow the prompts.
4. Once installation is finished, press the “Scan” button . This will begin scanning the whole PC system to find out malware. A scan can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of files on your system and the speed of your computer. While the application is checking, you can see count of objects it has identified as threat.
5. Once finished, you’ll be opened the list of all found items on your PC. Review the results once the tool has done the system scan. If you think an entry should not be quarantined, then uncheck it. Otherwise, simply click “Next”. After the procedure is complete, you can be prompted to restart your machine.

Automatically delete malware with Malwarebytes

Manual malware removal requires some computer skills. Some files and registry entries that created by the malware can be not completely removed. We suggest that use the Malwarebytes Free that are completely clean your computer of malware. Moreover, the free program will help you to get rid of adware, potentially unwanted programs, browser hijacker infections and toolbars that your computer can be infected too.

Download Malwarebytes Free by clicking on the link below.

When downloading is done, run it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the Malwarebytes will try to update itself and when this process is complete, click the “Scan Now” button for checking your computer for the malware which blocks Google Chrome. When a malicious software, ad supported software or PUPs are detected, the number of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the scanning is complete. Next, you need to click “Quarantine Selected” button.

The Malwarebytes is a free program that you can use to remove all detected folders, files, services, registry entries and so on. To learn more about this malware removal tool, we suggest you to read and follow the steps or the video guide below.

Scan and free your computer of malware with AdwCleaner

If MalwareBytes anti-malware or Zemana anti malware cannot get rid of malware, then we recommends to run the AdwCleaner. AdwCleaner is a free removal tool for browser hijackers, PUPs, toolbars and malware that causes the Google Chrome to display “This setting is enforced by your administrator” popups.

Download AdwCleaner from the link below.

When the downloading process is finished, open the folder in which you saved it. You will see an icon like below.

Double click the AdwCleaner desktop icon. After the utility is opened, you will see a screen like below.

Further, click “Scan” button to start scanning your computer for the adware and malware. This process may take some time, so please be patient. After it has completed scanning, you’ll be shown the list of all found items on your PC system like below.

All found items will be marked. You can delete them all by simply click “Clean” button. It will open a dialog box like below.

You need to click “OK”. After finished, the AdwCleaner may ask you to restart your personal computer. When your computer is started, you will see an AdwCleaner log.

These steps are shown in detail in the following video guide.

Protect Google Chrome against malvertising

If you browse the World Wide Web, you cannot avoid malvertising. But you can protect Google Chrome browser against it. Download and run an ad-blocker program. AdGuard is an ad blocker which can filter out a large number of of the malvertising, blocking dynamic scripts from loading harmful content.

Installing the AdGuard adblocker program is simple. First you will need to download AdGuard from the following link.

Once downloading is finished, double-click the downloaded file to start it. The “Setup Wizard” window will show up on the computer screen as shown on the screen 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 tutorial like below.

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

Each time, when you start your personal computer, AdGuard will start automatically and stop pop-up, as well as other harmful or misleading web pages. 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 desktop.

Final words

Now your Google Chrome should be free of the malware that causes the “This setting is enforced by your administrator” pop-ups. Remove AdwCleaner. We suggest that you keep Zemana Anti-malware (to periodically scan your system for new malicious software, browser hijackers and adware) and AdGuard (to help you stop annoying pop-ups and malicious web-pages). Moreover, to prevent adware, please stay clear of unknown and third party applications, make sure that your antivirus application, turn on the option to scan for PUPs (potentially unwanted programs).

If you need more help with This setting is enforced by your administrator related issues, go to our Spyware/Malware removal forum.