A pop-up or redirect after visiting a website does not, by itself, prove your device has malware. First close the suspicious page, then check notification permissions, extensions and recently installed apps. On Windows, scan the downloaded file and run a device scan with Microsoft Defender. If symptoms continue—or you entered a password on the page—check your accounts and get help.
Can visiting a website download malware?
It is possible for a drive-by download to exploit a vulnerability in a browser or add-on. A circa-2011 Microsoft security report described infections that could occur simply by visiting a site on a vulnerable computer. That historical definition does not tell you how likely an infection is today, and opening a page alone is not proof that your device was infected.
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Google Account Help defines malware as “unsafe or unwanted software that can steal your info or harm your device.” Browser behavior can offer clues, but it cannot confirm an infection on its own.
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- Close the suspicious page. If it displays urgent virus warnings or urges you to install a cleanup tool or update, do not click it. Close the tab or browser. Get software from the program’s official website, not from a warning page. Google’s Chrome cleanup guidance explains how to respond to unwanted ads and malware symptoms.
- Do not reopen the download or run it. If you saved a file, leave it alone until you scan it. A browser warning or a clean-looking page is not a substitute for checking a file stored on your device.
- Note what changed. Record the site, file name and when symptoms began. Look for recurring redirects, unfamiliar extensions, altered search or homepage settings, and unexpected alerts. These signs warrant checks, but none proves malware by itself.
Is that pop-up malware or a site notification?
If messages keep appearing from one site, they may be browser notifications allowed by a site permission rather than evidence of a device infection. In Chrome, review the site’s notification permission and block it if you do not want messages from that site. Notification permissions are separate from the setting that blocks pop-up windows, so disabling pop-ups may not stop notifications.
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Follow Chrome’s instructions for blocking or allowing pop-ups and notifications to inspect the relevant controls. Do not click a notification that claims your device is infected; close or block it through browser settings instead.
Check extensions and apps you do not recognize
Review browser extensions
Remove extensions you do not recognize or trust. Pay particular attention to extensions added around the time the redirects or other symptoms began. If an extension returns after removal, treat that as a reason to inspect recently installed software and scan the device, not as proof of a specific infection.
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Review recently installed apps
Check the device’s installed-app list for unfamiliar software, especially programs installed when the symptoms began. Google provides desktop guidance for Windows and Mac, with separate instructions for Chromebook, in its malware and unsafe-software help. Uninstall programs you identify as unwanted; avoid removing software you cannot identify confidently.
Scan the suspicious download and the Windows device
On Windows, you can scan a downloaded file or the folder containing it with Microsoft Defender. In File Explorer, right-click the file or folder and choose Scan with Microsoft Defender. Then update security intelligence and run a broader scan if you remain concerned. Microsoft describes the item-scan steps in its Windows Security instructions.
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Windows Security offers scans with different scope and disruption. Choose based on what you need to check:
- Quick scan: a first check of common locations.
- Full scan: a broader scan of the device.
- Custom scan: checks locations you select, useful when you want to target a particular folder.
- Microsoft Defender Offline scan: restarts the computer and scans outside the normal Windows environment. Save open work first, then review Protection history for the result.
See Microsoft’s Windows Security and Defender Offline guidance for scan controls. No scan result should be treated as a guarantee that a device is free of malware.
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If you use Firefox
Firefox can warn about deceptive sites and block dangerous downloads when its deceptive-content and dangerous-download protections are enabled. Those protections help prevent risky browsing and downloads; they do not establish that a file already saved to disk is harmless. Mozilla’s Firefox protection guide, updated September 3, 2026, explains the settings.
Reset Chrome only if the unwanted changes remain
If an app or extension changed Chrome settings and you cannot restore them, Chrome’s reset option returns settings to their defaults. It changes settings such as the search engine, homepage, startup tabs and content settings, and removes cookies and site data, extensions and themes. Google says saved bookmarks and passwords are not deleted or changed. After a reset, re-enable only extensions you trust.
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Use Google’s Chrome reset instructions for the current steps. A browser reset addresses browser settings; it does not replace a device malware scan.
Secure accounts and decide when to get help
If you typed a password into the suspicious site, or see account activity you do not recognize, use a trusted device to review the affected account’s security and change the affected password. For a Google account, use the Security Checkup linked from Google’s malware guidance. Browser cleanup cannot undo credentials already disclosed to a site.
Ask a trusted computer professional or your device maker for help if redirects, unwanted software, alerts or other symptoms persist after you remove untrusted extensions, check apps and scan the device. Google notes that a computer reset or device-maker assistance may be needed when malware signs continue. Do not assume that a clean browser or a single scan has resolved every possible account or device issue.
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