How to correct?I have several bookmarks that now go to: http://arcadeplaymax.com
I have a few websites that now automatically go to http://arcadeplaymax.com I'm not sure if it's a virus but there isn't anyway that I can get rid of it. It's not in my uninstall program list. A few of the websites are Ask.com, Westjet.com and Comcast.com
Same result when I use search or the bookmark.
Chosen solution
If you hover your mouse pointer over the problem bookmarks, does Firefox show the correct URL in the lower left corner, or a changed URL? If Firefox shows the bookmarks still have the correct URL, then it seems that an add-on or some other process is changing or redirecting it after you click those bookmarks.
As the first step, here's my suggested procedure for tracking down and cleaning up unwanted add-ons. 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?
If you have some additional time:
(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?
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Chosen Solution
If you hover your mouse pointer over the problem bookmarks, does Firefox show the correct URL in the lower left corner, or a changed URL? If Firefox shows the bookmarks still have the correct URL, then it seems that an add-on or some other process is changing or redirecting it after you click those bookmarks.
As the first step, here's my suggested procedure for tracking down and cleaning up unwanted add-ons. 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?
If you have some additional time:
(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?
You seem to have accumulated a whole bunch of Adobe Flash Player plugins over time, due to Flash not cleaning up after itself during an update. Shockwave Flash 18.0 r0 Shockwave Flash 15.0 r0 Shockwave Flash 13.0 r0 Shockwave Flash 12.0 r0 Shockwave Flash 11.7 r700 That shouldn't cause the issue that brought you here, but it needs to be corrected as it can cause problems with Flash presentations on some websites.
First, grab the Adobe uninstaller from here: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.html
Then download the latest Flash Plugin version from here: Select the Windows > Plugin-based browsers - the EXE version. https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html
Run the Flash uninstaller program, then reboot your PC. Then install the Plugin version of Flash, so you'll have a clean installation of Flash for Firefox.