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Undesired extension periodically appears in list

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Sometimes I get undesired ads popping up despite having Adblock Plus installed. When I check the list of extensions, I see Best Discounts app listed which I remove. Sometimes it appears in my Program Files folder.

Should I disable rather than remove in order to keep it from reappering and actively interfering with my online usage? Any idea why it continues to reappear?

Sometimes I get undesired ads popping up despite having Adblock Plus installed. When I check the list of extensions, I see Best Discounts app listed which I remove. Sometimes it appears in my Program Files folder. Should I disable rather than remove in order to keep it from reappering and actively interfering with my online usage? Any idea why it continues to reappear?

All Replies (1)

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Malware often travels in packs, or bundles. The most likely explanation is that another program keeps pushing that extension back into Firefox. Here's my suggested procedure for tracking down and cleaning up unwanted add-ons and other sources of ads. I know it seems long, but it's not that bad.

(A) Open the Windows Control Panel, Uninstall a Program. After the list loads, click the "Installed on" column heading to group the infections, I mean, additions, by date. This can help in smoking out undisclosed bundle items that snuck in with some software you agreed to install. Be suspicious of everything you do not recognize/remember, as malware often uses important or innocent sounding names to discourage you from removing it. Take out as much trash as possible here.

(B) Open Firefox's Add-ons page using either:

  • Ctrl+Shift+a
  • "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons
  • in the Windows "Run" dialog, type or paste
    firefox.exe "about:addons"

In the left column, click Plugins. Set nonessential and unrecognized plugins to "Never Activate".

In the left column, click Extensions. Then, if in doubt, disable (or Remove, if possible) unrecognized and unwanted extensions. Bear in mind that all extensions are optional, none come with Firefox.

Often a link will appear above at least one disabled extension to restart Firefox. You can complete your work on the tab and click one of the links as the last step.

Any improvement?

(C) You can search for remaining issues with the scanning/cleaning tools listed in our support article: Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware. These on-demand scanners are free and take considerable time to run. If they finish quickly and especially if they require payment, you may have a serious infection. I suggest the specialized forums listed in the article in that case.

Success?