What is Steam Sheriff
Steam Sheriff is supposed to be a browser extension that created to check URLs visited by users to help prevent Steam phishing attacks, but according to security researchers, this browser extension is an adware. Adware is type of software that shows unwanted ads on a personal computer, redirects search requests to advertising webpages and collects sensitive information for marketing purposes. Adware can display banner advertisements, full-screen ads, pop ups, videos, or other varieties of online advertising.
Unwanted ads
Steam Sheriff can attack your PC’s web-browsers such as Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Firefox. Maybe you approve the idea that the ads or popups is just a small problem. But these annoying ads eat PC resources and slow down your computer performance. Even worse, it can track which webpages you visit, which products you look at upon those pages. Adware creators are then able to choose the type of advertisements they display you. So, if you had adware on your computer, there is a good chance you have another that is collecting and sharing your personal data with third parties, without your consent.
To find out how to remove Steam Sheriff adware, we suggest to read the steps added to this article below. The instructions was prepared by experienced security professionals who discovered a solution to remove the annoying adware out of the PC.
How does Steam Sheriff get on your computer
The majority of adware software is bundled within free programs or even paid programs which Internet users can easily download online. The installers of such programs, in many cases, clearly show that they will install third-party software. The option is given to users to stop the install of any bundled applications. So, in order to avoid the installation of any adware software: read all disclaimers and install screens very carefully, choose only Custom or Advanced setup mode and reject all additional apps in which you are unsure.
Threat Summary
| Name | Steam Sheriff |
| Type | adware, PUP (potentially unwanted program), pop-up advertisements, pop-ups, pop up virus |
| Symptoms |
|
| Removal | Steam Sheriff removal guide |
How to remove Steam Sheriff adware from Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
The adware is a form of malware that you might have difficulty in removing it from your PC. Happily, you have found the effective Steam Sheriff adware removal guide in this article. Both the manual removal solution and the automatic removal way will be provided below and you can just select the one that best for you. If you’ve any questions or need help then type a comment below. Read this manual carefully, bookmark it or open this page on your smartphone, because you may need to close your web-browser or reboot your computer.
To remove Steam Sheriff, follow the steps below:
- Manual Steam Sheriff adware software removal
- Automatic Removal of Steam Sheriff adware
- How to stay safe online
Manual Steam Sheriff adware software removal
This part of the post is a step-by-step guidance that will show you how to get rid of Steam Sheriff adware manually. You just need to follow every step. In this case, you do not need to install any additional apps.
Delete newly installed potentially unwanted programs
The main cause of Steam Sheriff could be potentially unwanted programs, adware or other unwanted software that you may have unintentionally installed on the PC. You need to find and remove all dubious software.
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 displayed in the following example.
Further, click “Uninstall a program” 
It will display a list of all applications installed on your PC. Scroll through the all list, and remove any questionable and unknown applications.
Get rid of Steam Sheriff adware from Internet Explorer
If you find that Internet Explorer browser settings like default search provider, new tab and start page had been replaced by Steam Sheriff adware, then you may restore your settings, via the reset internet browser procedure.
First, start the Internet Explorer, press 
) button. Next, click “Internet Options” as shown on the screen below.
In the “Internet Options” screen select the Advanced tab. Next, click Reset button. The Microsoft Internet Explorer will display the Reset Internet Explorer settings prompt. Select the “Delete personal settings” check box and press Reset button.
You will now need to reboot your PC for the changes to take effect. It will remove Steam Sheriff adware, disable malicious and ad-supported browser’s extensions and restore the Microsoft Internet Explorer’s settings such as new tab, start page and default search engine to default state.
Remove Steam Sheriff from Chrome
Run the Reset web-browser tool of the Chrome to reset all its settings like startpage, default search engine and new tab page to original defaults. This is a very useful tool to use, in the case of browser redirects to intrusive ad web sites.
- First, run the Google Chrome and press the Menu icon (icon in the form of three dots).
- It will show the Chrome main menu. Select More Tools, then press Extensions.
- You’ll see the list of installed add-ons. If the list has the extension labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following instructions: 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 open the reset settings dialog box as shown on the screen above.
- Confirm the browser’s reset by clicking on the “Reset” button.
- To learn more, read the post How to reset Google Chrome settings to default.
Get rid of Steam Sheriff from Firefox by resetting browser settings
If your Firefox web-browser is hijacked by Steam Sheriff or an unknown search provider opens results for your search, then it may be time to perform the web-browser reset. Keep in mind that resetting your browser will not remove your history, bookmarks, passwords, and other saved data.
Start the Mozilla Firefox and click the menu button (it looks like three stacked lines) at the top right of the web-browser screen. Next, press the question-mark icon at the bottom of the drop-down menu. It will show the slide-out menu.
Select the “Troubleshooting information”. If you are 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 on the screen 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 begin a procedure to fix your problems that caused by the Steam Sheriff adware. When, it’s done, click the “Finish” button.
Automatic Removal of Steam Sheriff adware
Manual removal guide may not be for an unskilled computer user. Each Steam Sheriff removal step above, such as removing dubious applications, restoring affected shortcut files, uninstalling the adware from system settings, must be performed very carefully. If you’re unsure about the steps above, then we recommend that you follow the automatic removal guide listed below.
How to get rid of Steam Sheriff adware with Zemana Free
Zemana is a malicious software scanner that is very useful for detecting and removing Steam Sheriff . The steps below will explain how to download, install, and use Zemana to scan and remove malicious software, spyware, adware software, potentially unwanted software, hijackers from your PC system for free.
- Download Zemana on your Microsoft Windows Desktop by clicking on the following link.
Zemana AntiMalware
164115 downloads
Author: Zemana Ltd
Category: Security tools
Update: July 16, 2019
- Once the downloading process is finished, close all apps and windows on your personal computer. Open a directory in which you saved it. Double-click on the icon that’s named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup.
- Further, press Next button and follow the prompts.
- Once installation is finished, click the “Scan” button for scanning your PC for the Steam Sheriff adware. While the Zemana Free utility is scanning, you can see how many objects it has identified as being infected by malware.
- After the scan get finished, Zemana will open a screen which contains a list of malware that has been detected. When you are ready, click “Next”. After finished, you may be prompted to restart your device.
Delete Steam Sheriff adware and malicious extensions with HitmanPro
If the Steam Sheriff adware issue persists, use the Hitman Pro and check if your web browser is infected by adware. The HitmanPro is a downloadable security tool that provides on-demand scanning and helps remove adware software, PUPs, and other malicious software. It works with your existing antivirus software.
Please go to the following link to download the latest version of Hitman Pro for Windows. Save it directly to your Windows Desktop.
After the download is complete, open the file location. You will see an icon like below.
Double click the HitmanPro desktop icon. Once the tool is started, you will see a screen as displayed in the following example.
Further, click “Next” button to start checking your computer for the Steam Sheriff adware. Depending on your PC, the scan may take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. As the scanning ends, a list of all items found is created as shown in the following example.
Once you’ve selected what you wish to remove from your computer click “Next” button. It will display a prompt, click the “Activate free license” button.
Run MalwareBytes Anti-Malware to delete Steam Sheriff
Manual Steam Sheriff removal requires some computer skills. Some files and registry entries that created by the adware can be not fully removed. We suggest that use the MalwareBytes Free that are completely free your personal computer of adware software. Moreover, the free application will allow you to get rid of malware, PUPs, browser hijackers and toolbars that your computer can be infected too.
First, visit the page linked below, then press the ‘Download’ button in order to download the latest version of MalwareBytes.
326468 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: April 15, 2020
When the downloading process is finished, run it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) will try to update itself and when this task is complete, press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan for the Steam Sheriff adware. A system scan can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your computer. While the MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) tool is scanning, you can see how many objects it has identified as being infected by malware. Review the report and then click “Quarantine” button.
The MalwareBytes Free is a free program that you can use to delete all detected folders, files, services, registry entries and so on. To learn more about this malware removal tool, we advise you to read and follow the tutorial or the video guide below.
How to stay safe online
It is also critical to protect your internet browsers from malicious websites and advertisements by using an ad-blocking program like AdGuard. Security experts says that it will greatly reduce the risk of malware, and potentially save lots of money. Additionally, the AdGuard can also protect your privacy by blocking almost all trackers.
- AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link. Save it on your Desktop.
Adguard download
26660 downloads
Version: 6.4
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: November 15, 2018
- After downloading it, run the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
- Once the installation is complete, click “Skip” to close the setup program and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial which will allow 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 start your computer, AdGuard will start automatically and stop unwanted advertisements, block Steam Sheriff redirects, as well as other harmful or misleading web-pages. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the icon named AdGuard, that may be found on your desktop.
Finish words
Now your PC system should be free of the Steam Sheriff adware. We suggest that you keep Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) (to periodically scan your computer for new adwares and other malware) and AdGuard (to help you stop intrusive pop up advertisements and harmful web sites). Moreover, to prevent any adware, please stay clear of unknown and third party programs, make sure that your antivirus application, turn on the option to detect potentially unwanted apps.
If you need more help with Steam Sheriff related issues, go to here.
