The MirageISO is a PUP (potentially unwanted program) from the ‘ad-supported’ software (also known as adware) category. The adware can end up on your computer in various methods. Most often is when you download and install freeware and forget to uncheck the box for the third-party software installation. Do not panic because we’ve got the solution. Here’s a instructions on how to remove annoying MirageISO from the Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and MS Edge and other browsers.
It’s likely that you might be worried with the MirageISO adware that causes a ton of annoying ads. You should not disregard this unwanted software. The ad-supported software might not only open annoying ads, but reroute your internet browser to malicious web pages. What is more, the ad-supported software can analyze your surfing, and gain access to your privacy information and, subsequently, can use it for marketing purposes. Thus, there are more than enough reasons to remove MirageISO adware from your computer.
The adware often modify all web browser shortcuts that located on your Desktop to force you visit certain unwanted ad web-pages. As a result, your web browser can still redirect you to an undesired ad web site despite your machine is actually free of adware and other malware.
The tutorial below explaining steps to remove MirageISO ad-supported software problem. Feel free to use it for removal of the ad-supported software that may attack Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge and other popular web-browsers. The steps will allow you delete adware and thus clean your web-browser from all intrusive advertisements.
Remove MirageISO ad-supported software (removal guidance)
As with removing ad supported software, malicious software or potentially unwanted software, there are few steps you can do. We advise trying them all. If you do only one part of the guide, then it should be use malicious software removal utility, because it should remove adware and block any further infection. But to completely remove MirageISO you will have to at least reset your web-browser settings such as homepage, new tab page and search provider by default to default state, disinfect system’s internet browsers shortcuts, delete all unwanted and suspicious software, and get rid of ad supported software with malware removal tools. Certain of the steps below will require you to shut down this site. So, please read the instructions carefully, after that bookmark or print it for later reference.
To remove MirageISO, perform the following steps:
- Manual MirageISO adware removal
- MirageISO ‘ad supported’ software automatic removal
- Use AdBlocker to stay safe online
- How did you get infected with MirageISO
- To sum up
Manual MirageISO adware removal
The following instructions is a step-by-step guide, which will help you manually remove MirageISO ‘ad supported’ software from the Google Chrome, FF, IE and Edge.
Remove potentially unwanted apps using Windows Control Panel
First, go to Microsoft Windows Control Panel and uninstall suspicious applications, all applications you do not remember installing. It is important to pay the most attention to software you installed just before MirageISO ad-supported software appeared on your browser. If you don’t know what a program does, look for the answer on the Internet.
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 as shown on the image below.
Further, click “Uninstall a program” 
It will open a list of all apps installed on your PC system. Scroll through the all list, and delete any questionable and unknown software.
Fix internet browser shortcuts, changed by adware
After installed, the adware may add an argument similar to “http://site.address” into the Target property of the desktop shortcut for the Google Chrome, FF, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Due to this, every time you launch the browser, it’ll show an undesired ad site.
Right click to a desktop shortcut for your hijacked web browser. Select the “Properties” option. It’ll open the Properties window. Select the “Shortcut” tab here, after that, look at the “Target” field. The ‘ad supported’ software can modify it. If you are seeing something like “…exe http://site.address” then you need to remove “http…” and leave only, depending on the web browser you are using:
- Google Chrome: chrome.exe
- Opera: opera.exe
- Firefox: firefox.exe
- Internet Explorer: iexplore.exe
Look at the example as on the image below.
Once is finished, click the “OK” button to save the changes. Please repeat this step for browser shortcuts that redirects to an undesired web-pages. When you have finished, go to next step.
Delete Ads by MirageISO from FF
If the Firefox settings like startpage, newtab and search provider by default have been modified by the ‘ad supported’ software, then resetting it to the default state can help.
Click the Menu button (looks like three horizontal lines), and press the blue Help icon located at the bottom of the drop down menu as displayed on the image below.
A small menu will appear, press the “Troubleshooting Information”. On this page, press “Refresh Firefox” button as shown on the screen below.
Follow the onscreen procedure to return your Firefox web-browser settings to its original state.
Delete Ads by MirageISO from Internet Explorer
If you find that IE browser settings like newtab, homepage and search engine by default having been changed by MirageISO that causes multiple annoying advertisements and pop ups, then you may revert back your settings, via the reset internet browser procedure.
First, run the Internet Explorer. Next, press the button in the form of gear (
). It will show the Tools drop-down menu, press the “Internet Options” as displayed on the screen below.
In the “Internet Options” window click on the Advanced tab, then click the Reset button. The Internet Explorer will display the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” window like below. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box, then click “Reset” button.
You will now need to reboot your computer for the changes to take effect.
Remove MirageISO ads from Google Chrome
Like other modern web browsers, the Google Chrome has the ability to reset the settings to their default values and thereby recover the web browser’s settings such as new tab, start page and search engine by default that have been modified by the MirageISO ‘ad supported’ software which created to redirect your web browser to various ad pages.
- First, launch the Chrome and press the Menu icon (icon in the form of three dots).
- It will show the Chrome main menu. Choose More Tools, then click Extensions.
- You will see the list of installed extensions. If the list has the extension 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 Chrome menu once again, click the “Settings” menu.
- Next, click “Advanced” link, which located at the bottom of the Settings page.
- On the bottom of the “Advanced settings” page, click the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.
- The Google Chrome will display the reset settings dialog box as shown on the image above.
- Confirm the internet browser’s reset by clicking on the “Reset” button.
- To learn more, read the blog post How to reset Google Chrome settings to default.
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 boot your system, it will show MirageISO ads. So, you need to check the Task Scheduler Library and remove all malicious tasks which have been created by ‘ad-supported’ programs.
Press Windows and R keys on the keyboard together. This opens a prompt that called Run. In the text field, type “taskschd.msc” (without the quotes) and click OK. Task Scheduler window opens. In the left-hand side, click “Task Scheduler Library”, as shown on the image below.
Task scheduler
In the middle part you will see a list of installed tasks. Please choose the first task, its properties will be display just below automatically. Next, click the Actions tab. Pay attention to that it launches on your personal computer. Found something like “explorer.exe http://site.address” or “chrome.exe http://site.address”, then remove this malicious task. If you are not sure that executes the task, check it through a search engine. If it’s a component of the ‘ad-supported’ software, then this task also should be removed.
Having defined the task that you want to remove, then click on it with the right mouse button and select Delete as displayed below.
Delete a task
Repeat this step, if you have found a few tasks which have been created by malicious program. Once is done, close the Task Scheduler window.
MirageISO ‘ad supported’ software automatic removal
After completing the manual removal guide above all unwanted apps, malicious web-browser’s extensions and MirageISO ad supported software that causes internet browsers to show intrusive pop up advertisements should be deleted. If the problem with MirageISO ad supported software is still remained, then we suggest to scan your computer for any remaining malicious components. Use recommended free ad-supported software removal software below.
Remove MirageISO with Zemana Anti-malware
You can get rid of MirageISO ad-supported software automatically with a help of Zemana Anti-malware. We suggest this malware removal tool because it can easily remove hijackers, potentially unwanted applications, adware with all their components such as folders, files and registry entries.
Download Zemana by clicking on the following link.
164100 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
Once the downloading process is done, close all programs and windows on your PC. Double-click the set up file named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup. If the “User Account Control” prompt pops up like below, click the “Yes” button.
It will open the “Setup wizard” which will help you install Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) on your system. Follow the prompts and do not make any changes to default settings.
Once setup is finished successfully, Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) will automatically start and you can see its main screen as displayed in the following example.
Now click the “Scan” button .Zemana Anti Malware (ZAM) program will scan through the whole machine for the MirageISO adware that causes multiple intrusive ads and pop ups. Depending on your computer, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. When a threat is found, the number of the security threats will change accordingly.
After the checking is done, Zemana will show you the results. Review the report and then press “Next” button. The Zemana Anti Malware will get rid of MirageISO adware that causes multiple annoying ads and pop-ups and add threats to the Quarantine. When disinfection is finished, you may be prompted to restart the PC system.
How to remove MirageISO with Malwarebytes
Remove MirageISO manually is difficult and often the ‘ad supported’ software is not completely removed. Therefore, we advise you to run the Malwarebytes Free which are completely clean your PC. Moreover, the free program will help you to get rid of malicious software, potentially unwanted programs, toolbars and hijacker infections that your computer can be infected too.
- Download MalwareBytes Free by clicking on the link below. Save it on your Desktop.
Malwarebytes Anti-malware
326454 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
- When the download is finished, close all programs and windows on your system. Open a directory in which you saved it. Double-click on the icon that’s named mb3-setup.
- Further, click Next button and follow the prompts.
- Once installation is finished, click the “Scan Now” button to search for MirageISO that causes multiple undesired ads and popups. A scan may take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of files on your PC system and the speed of your system. While the utility is checking, you can see count of objects and files has already scanned.
- When finished, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware will create a list of unwanted and ‘ad supported’ software applications. All detected threats will be marked. You can remove them all by simply click “Quarantine Selected”. When the cleaning procedure is complete, you can be prompted to reboot your PC system.
The following video offers a step by step guide on how to remove hijacker infections, ad-supported software and other malicious software with MalwareBytes Anti Malware.
Remove MirageISO adware and malicious extensions with AdwCleaner
AdwCleaner is a free utility which can identify MirageISO which causes intrusive pop-ups. It is not always easy to locate all the junk software that your PC might have picked up on the Web. AdwCleaner will detect the ‘ad supported’ software, browser hijackers and other malicious software you need to delete.
Visit the page linked below to download AdwCleaner. Save it directly to your Microsoft Windows Desktop.
225298 downloads
Version: 8.4.1
Author: Xplode, MalwareBytes
Category: Security tools
Update: October 5, 2024
Download and use AdwCleaner on your system. Once started, press “Scan” button to begin checking your PC system for the MirageISO that causes web-browsers to open annoying ads. Depending on your personal computer, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. While the AdwCleaner tool is checking, you may see how many objects it has identified as being infected by malicious software.. Once the scan get finished, AdwCleaner will display a screen which contains a list of malicious software that has been found. Once you’ve selected what you want to delete from your PC, click Clean button.
All-in-all, AdwCleaner is a fantastic free utility to clean your computer from any undesired software. The AdwCleaner is portable application that meaning, you don’t need to install it to use it. AdwCleaner is compatible with all versions of MS Windows OS from Windows XP to Windows 10. Both 64-bit and 32-bit systems are supported.
Use AdBlocker to stay safe online
It’s also critical to protect your web browsers from malicious pages and ads by using an ad-blocking application like AdGuard. Security experts says that it’ll greatly reduce the risk of malicious software, and potentially save lots of money. Additionally, the AdGuard can also protect your privacy by blocking almost all trackers.
- Download AdGuard program by clicking on the following link. Save it to your Desktop.
Adguard download
26655 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- When the download is finished, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- When the installation is complete, click “Skip” to close the installation program and use the default settings, or click “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 don’t need to change anything. Each time, when you run your personal computer, AdGuard will start automatically and stop popup ads, as well as other malicious 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 icon named AdGuard, that can be found on your desktop.
How did you get infected with MirageISO
The ‘ad supported’ software usually is bundled within various free software. Most commonly, it may be bundled within the setup files from Softonic, Cnet, Soft32, Brothersoft or other similar web-sites. So, you should run any files downloaded from the Net with great caution, read the User agreement, Software license and Terms of use. In the process of installing a new program, you should choose a Manual, Advanced or Custom install option to control what components and third-party software to be installed, otherwise you run the risk of infecting your system with other unwanted software.
To sum up
Once you’ve complete the step by step tutorial outlined above, your computer should be free from MirageISO that causes undesired popup ads and other malware. The Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and MS Edge will no longer reroute you to various annoying web pages. Unfortunately, if the step-by-step tutorial does not help you, then you have caught a new adware, and then the best way – ask for help in our Spyware/Malware removal forum.
