Access+ Adware - How to remove

Do your internet search results have a few too many ads? Access+ is a browser hijacker and an adware infection that injects sponsored links into the victim’s web search results. Access+ is a browser extension that can be categorized as adware. Victims may not even know that they have it, but it does interfere with internet searches and should be removed as quickly as possible.

In short about Access+ adware:

Type of threat	Adware, browser hijacker.
How Access+ gets installed	Advertised on free streaming sites, presented as helping those sites remain free.
Effects of the infection	More ads in internet search results, potentially dangerous ads, internet search history is logged by Access+.
Removing Access+	Uninstall all unwanted extensions, use antivirus programs (Spyhunter for PC, Combo Cleaner for Mac, Malwarebytes, etc.), block notifications.

Access+ is adware

Web browsers work fine on their own. They’re great for searching the web, displaying pages, reading files. And they can benefit from browser extensions, which are small add-ons that, once installed, change how a browser works by adding new functions. Some useful extensions can block ads, download media files, or change the colors of webpages.

Unfortunately, not all browser extensions are good. Access+ is a piece of adware that intercepts internet search result pages to inject sponsored links into them. This makes it appear like each page of web search results has a few more ads than before.

Effects of an Access+ infection include:

• increased number of ads in internet search results,
• the victim’s IP, search queries, and browsing history being logged by Access+,
• the victim’s search queries are used to decide which ads are relevant to them.

The goal here is for Access+ to infect as many browsers as possible. Then, the people who control this hijacker can sell the ad-space to advertisers. Each victim of Access+ becomes an unwitting audience for these ads.

Another problem with Access+ is that the ads that it shows are not quite safe. A lot of them are for other malware and for various scams. Sites like Zapmeta, Izito, Kensaq, and others use adware extensions like Access+ to spread, too. If you ever click on an ad on Google.com and it takes you to another site with internet search results, that’s a classic symptom of an adware infection. Such ads go against Google’s ad policy, but Access+ gets around it.

How Access+ gets installed

There are a few instances of Access+ on the Chrome Web Store, the site where Chrome browser extensions are hosted. There’s one version of Access+ with over 100,000 users, as well as Access (without the plus symbol) that works the same way as Access+ and has over 50,000 users. They’re made by someone who uses the email address [email protected], showing a link with MoreResults, AddFind, Oniria, Stream+, and QuickFind browser extensions.

Access+ gets installed on Verified-extensions.com. That site promises that, after installing Access+, “you will be redirected to your free 4K streaming site”. Illegal streaming sites show that as a pop-up ad. People see it not as an ad, but as a message, and they listen to its instructions. They install Access+, hoping to get their free 4K streams – and they don’t. Illegal streaming sites, such as Stream2watch and Jokerlivestream, are full of misleading ads and even scams.

Verified-extensions.com claims that revenue generated by Access+ helps those streaming sites remain free, but whether Access+ actually helps fund the sites that advertise it, I don’t know. The sites do get paid for people clicking on the ads that they show. However, there’s no reason to believe in the fairness and kindness of adware developers. Malicious actors are willing to say anything to trick people.

How to remove Access+

To get rid of Access+, it’s enough to uninstall it manually or have an antivirus program (like Spyhunter for Windows, Combo Cleaner for macOS, Malwarebytes, etc.) do it.

Because there might be more malware than just Access+, an antivirus scan would be especially useful to catch any sneaky infections. When removing Access+ manually, other browser extensions should be carefully reviewed and removed if they are suspicious at all.

If Access+, Verified-extensions.com, or another site is showing unwanted notification pop-ups, those can be blocked. The sites that can send notifications to a browser can be found in the browser’s settings:

• Chrome – type “chrome://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
• Safari – in the Safari menu, choose Preferences, Websites, Notifications.
• New Edge – type “edge://settings/content/notifications” in the address box.
• Firefox – open Settings, Preferences, Privacy & Security, scroll down to Permissions, and click on Settings next to Notifications.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Manually remove unwanted extensions

TopRemoving Access+ Adware from Chrome

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Google Chrome window. Select “Settings”.
  
• Click “Extensions” on the left menu bar.
• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Access+ Adware. Click on the trash bin icon next to Access+ Adware or other add-ons you want to remove.
  
• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.
  
• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.
  
• Restart Chrome.

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to Access+ Adware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
  
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on the Reset 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 Access+ Adware from Microsoft Edge:Top

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

• Go through the extensions list and remove programs you do not need, especially similar to Access+ Adware. Click on the "Remove" icon next to Access+ Adware or other add-ons you want to remove.

• Press on the “Remove” button on the Confirmation window.

• If unsure, you can disable them temporarily.

• Restart Microsoft Edge.

TopRemoving Access+ Adware from Firefox

• 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 Access+ Adware 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.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings If you are still experiencing any issues related to Access+ Adware, 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.
  
• Choose Troubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

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