AdPop Block Search Hijacker - How to remove

AdPop Block is an ad-blocker that hijacks the user’s searches and forces them to go to Search-7.com or another adware site. It hijacks Google, Bing, and Yahoo searches. All the while, it hides its presence in the browser by redirecting away from its details page and using an invisible icon for display in the user interface. Needless to say, if you discover AdPop Block installed in your browser, remove it as soon as possible to stop it from hijacking your searches.

AdPop Block in short:

Type of threat	Adware, browser hijacker.
Remove AdPop Block	Uninstall bad browser extensions, scan your extensions and programs with anti-malware programs (Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, or others).
How AdPop Block works	When the user tries to search the internet on a popular search engine, a new tab for Search-7.com is opened and the old search tab is closed.
How adware gets installed	Bundled with freeware, advertised online as an ad blocker.

How to remove AdPop Block

Open the browser that is affected by the search redirects. Open its main menu and then go to Settings. Then, go to Extensions. Check what’s installed and remove or disable all the extensions that are even slightly suspicious.

AdPop Block is extremely similar to PopStop. Look for it and don’t spare any browser add-on from your scrutiny.

Likely, other malware is also present on the computer. Maybe a bundler that installed AdPop Block or an adware infection. It’s recommended to scan your computer with an anti-malware program, like Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, or others.

Problems with AdPop Block

According to the privacy policy on Adpopblock.com, AdPop Block collects search logs, which ads and results are clicked, and other technical data, such as the computer’s language and the user’s IP address. The company is supposedly called Safe Download. The only other site that I can find that is related to AdPop Block is Sdownload.net, which is a nonfunctional site promoting a browser extension called Safe Download.

So, it’s hard to say who is behind AdPop Block. This is a red flag on its own.

Once AdPop Block is installed, it always hijacks Google, Bing, and Yahoo searches to a site called Search-7.com. This site looks like a version of Conduit – a search engine maker that’s been abused by malicious actors. It works in that you do get search results accurate to your query. But you also get around four big ads above the search results.

These ads link to shady sites, ads for browser hijackers, and links to sites that only show more ads. Many of the ads are deceptive, targeting certain keywords and offering unrelated stuff. AdPop Block may block some pop-up ads but it certainly makes up for it tenfold by flooding the user with low-quality ads.

How AdPop Block infects browsers

One piece of advice given to people for how to avoid installing malicious browser extensions is to check what permissions the extension is asking for. Examples of permissions to be avoided include:

• Read and change your data on all the sites that you visit.
• Read and change your data on certain sites – sites that include personal information, like search engines, social networks, and online stores.
• Change your default search engine.
• Replace your new tab page.

But AdPop Block asks for none of those. It only wants to read your browsing history. What AdPop Block teaches us is that a malicious browser extension doesn’t need many permissions to completely ruin the browsing experience.

But the user who is only interested in AdPop Block as an ad blocker might not know this. In AdPop Block’s description is this line:

+ We HATE permission-greedy extensions: We value your privacy!

This is just a huge lie.

In addition, it is possible that some of the 20,000+ users of AdPop Block didn’t actually install it themselves. Many browser hijackers use optional offers in freeware to reach more users. Some free programs offer additional sponsored items and install them if you don’t decline. It’s important to be careful with where you download your programs.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Restore browser settings

TopHow To remove AdPop Block Search Hijacker from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
• If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to AdPop Block Search Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How to remove AdPop Block Search Hijacker from Microsoft Edge:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Microsoft Edge window. Select “Extensions”.

• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.

• Click on the three-dot menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings

• Select Privacy and Services and scroll down. Press on Address bar.

• Choose Manage search engines.

• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list: open the three-dot menu and choose Remove.

• Go back to Settings. Open On start-up.
• Delete malicious search websites at Open specific page or pages by opening the three-dot menu and clicking Delete.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to AdPop Block Search Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings

• Click on Edge's menu button and select Settings. Click on the Reset Settings button on the left.
• Press the Restore settings to their default values option.

• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.

How To remove AdPop Block Search Hijacker from Firefox:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything AdPop Block Search Hijacker related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to AdPop Block Search Hijacker, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.