Pop-Ups Won’t Stop -How to Make Them Stop for Good

Pop-Ups Won’t Stop – Start Here
If pop-ups won’t stop appearing on your computer, even when you are on trusted websites, this guide will help you fix the problem. Constant pop-ups are usually caused by browser hijackers, adware, or unwanted extensions, and in most cases they can be removed for free.

Why Pop-Ups Won’t Stop Appearing
When people say pop-ups won’t stop, the cause is almost always one of the following:

• A malicious browser extension
• A hijacked homepage or search engine
• Notification permissions given to a dodgy website
• Adware installed with another program

The good news is that you rarely need paid software to fix this.

Step 1: Close the Pop-Up Safely (Do Not Click Inside It)
If pop-ups won’t stop, never click buttons inside the pop-up such as “Allow”, “Fix Now”, or “Close”.

Do this instead:

• Press ALT + F4 to close the window
• If it won’t close, press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC
• Open Task Manager
• Select your browser (Chrome or Edge)
• Click End task

This prevents the pop-up from installing more malware.

Step 2: Do Not Restore Previous Browser Tabs
When you reopen your browser, you may be asked to restore previous tabs.

If pop-ups won’t stop, always choose:

• “No”
• “Don’t restore”
• “Start fresh”

Restoring tabs often reloads the same malicious page.

Step 3: Remove Suspicious Browser Extensions
Unwanted extensions are the most common reason pop-ups won’t stop.

For Chrome:

• Open Chrome
• Click the three dots → Extensions → Manage Extensions
• Remove anything you don’t recognise

For Edge:

• Open Edge
• Click the three dots → Extensions
• Remove unknown extensions

If you’re unsure, disable the extension first. If nothing breaks, remove it.

Step 4: Reset Browser Settings to Default
If pop-ups won’t stop after removing extensions, reset the browser.

For Chrome:

• Settings → Reset settings
• Restore settings to their original defaults

For Edge:

• Settings → Reset settings
• Restore settings to default values

This resets the homepage, search engine, and startup behaviour.

Step 5: Remove Notification Permissions From Rogue Websites
Many users don’t realise that pop-ups won’t stop because they accidentally allowed notifications.

For Chrome:

• Settings → Privacy and security
• Site settings → Notifications
• Remove or block any sites you don’t recognise

For Edge:

• Settings → Cookies and site permissions
• Notifications
• Remove suspicious websites

This alone fixes the issue for many people.

Step 6: Check for Adware Installed on Your PC
If pop-ups won’t stop, the problem may not be the browser itself.

Check installed programs:

• Start → Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
• Sort by Install Date
• Look for toolbars, “helpers”, or unknown apps
• Uninstall anything suspicious

Restart your PC after removing programs.

Step 7: Run a Free Malware and Adware Scan
To fully fix the issue when pop-ups won’t stop, run a full scan.

Recommended approach:

• Run Windows Security full scan
• Run one additional free malware scanner
• Remove or quarantine anything found

This clears hidden adware that browsers can’t remove alone.

Step 8: Check Your Browser Home Page and Search Engine
Some hijackers reset settings after every restart.

Check:

• Homepage setting
• Startup pages
• Default search engine

Set them back to Google, Bing, or another trusted provider.

Step 9: Restart and Test the Browser
After completing all steps:

• Restart your PC
• Open your browser
• Visit a trusted website

If pop-ups won’t stop, there may be deeper malware on the system.

What to Do If Pop-Ups Still Won’t Stop
If the problem continues after all steps:

1. Follow the full cleanup guide from Post 2 again
2. Scan in Safe Mode
3. Consider professional help if this is a work or business PC

Persistent pop-ups often indicate deeper system-level malware.