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If ads started appearing after you installed a game, a game installer, or a launcher, the fastest route to a clean PC is to find out what is actually showing the ads before you blame the game. “Adware game infection” is a useful suspicion, but it is not a diagnosis. Some unwanted software is adware, some is a bundled extra, and some is genuine malware, and each calls for a slightly different response. The steps below work through the Windows side in a calm order: identify, remove, scan, finish the detection, check the browser, escalate only if needed, and then prevent a repeat.
Start by working out what is producing the ads
Before you uninstall anything, note where the ads appear. The answer narrows the search considerably:
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- Inside the game itself. Ads appear in the game’s menus or loading screens. This points to the game or its bundled components, but it can also come from a separate program that was installed alongside it.
- In the browser. Pages you visit gain extra banners, pop-ups, or redirects, or your home page and search engine changed. This points to a browser add-on or a browser setting, which may have been added by a separate app, not the game.
- Across Windows. Ads or pop-ups appear even when no game or browser is open. This usually means an installed program or something running in the background is responsible.
Whichever pattern you see, check Windows Security for a detection name. Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Protection history and look for entries dated around the time the symptoms began. The name of the item often tells you more than the game’s title does. If there is no entry, that is useful information too: it means the scan has not flagged anything yet, and the steps below still apply.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteUnwanted app is not the same as malware
Microsoft distinguishes between potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) and malware. A PUA is not necessarily malicious, but it may display unwanted advertising, use your PC for cryptomining, install additional apps, or behave in other ways you did not agree to. Describing the observed behavior accurately matters here: “this program shows ads I did not ask for” is a defensible statement. “This game is infected” is a claim you need evidence for.
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In practice this changes the cleanup. A PUA is usually removed by uninstalling it, cleaning up its browser add-on or settings, and then completing Windows Security’s action on the detection. Malware may need the full scan and, if the scan does not finish the job, the offline scan described later.
Step-by-step cleanup
- Uninstall recent apps you do not recognize. Open Settings > Apps and select Installed apps. On older builds the list may be labelled Apps & features. Sort by install date, then look at everything installed around the time the ads began. Microsoft Learn specifically suggests this approach when symptoms are recent. Uninstall any app you do not remember installing, and any program that was bundled with a game installer, such as a toolbar, “optimizer,” or extra launcher. Remove the game itself only if you no longer want it.
- Update Windows Security intelligence. Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection and select Check for updates under virus and threat protection updates. Current definitions matter because older signatures may not identify newer unwanted software.
- Run a full Microsoft Defender Antivirus scan. In Virus & threat protection, select Scan options, choose Full scan, and select Scan now. A full scan takes considerably longer than a quick scan, so plan for it to run while you do other things.
- Complete the detection action. If Windows Security reports a PUA, open its details in Protection history, choose an available action, and select Start actions. A block by itself is not removal. Microsoft says the item stays blocked until you pick an action and start it, and future scans may keep reporting it until then.
- Clean the browser if the ads point there. Remove suspicious add-ons and extensions in your browser’s extension manager, then check the start page, search engine, and any notification permissions the browser lists for sites you do not recognize. Browser menus change between versions, so follow the labels your browser currently shows rather than a fixed path.
- Escalate if the problem persists. If unwanted software remains after the steps above, run Microsoft Defender Offline. Microsoft’s guidance treats the offline scan as the next step for unwanted software that stays on the system. Go to Virus & threat protection > Scan options, choose Microsoft Defender Offline scan, and select Scan now. Windows restarts and scans before it loads the desktop, which takes several minutes. Even then, a clean result confirms only what that scan checked; it is not a guarantee that nothing else is present.
Where the Malicious Software Removal Tool fits
The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is a separate, downloadable utility. Microsoft’s Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool support article (KB890830) states that “The MSRT does not replace an antivirus product.” The tool removes only a subset of prevalent, active threats and does not remove spyware. For a game-related ad problem, it is therefore a supplementary check rather than the main cleanup route. Use Defender Antivirus and, if needed, Defender Offline first.
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The support page lists a release date of September 8, 2026 for the current download. Because tools like this are updated over time, check the page for the version you are downloading rather than assuming a version is the newest.
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Why the cleanup can look incomplete
Some common situations are normal and do not mean the steps failed:
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- The detection reappears in later scans. This can happen if you have not yet selected an action and started it on the detection.
- Ads continue briefly after uninstalling. A browser add-on or a leftover setting may still be active. Check the browser extension list separately.
- The game still shows ads. If the ads are inside the game and the program that caused them was removed, a reinstall of the game may bring the component back. Confirm the source before reinstalling.
Check your PUA protection settings
Microsoft describes PUA blocking as off by default for both enterprise and consumer customers, and recommends turning on both app blocking and download blocking. Download blocking works only with Microsoft Edge. Settings and defaults can vary by Windows version and on managed or work devices, so check what your own Windows Security settings currently show instead of relying on an article’s description of them.
Signs that point to unwanted software
Microsoft’s unwanted-software guidance lists several indicators. Each is a clue, not a diagnosis:
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- Programs you did not install.
- Browser settings you cannot change.
- Frequent warnings about your PC’s health or files.
- Ads that are difficult to close.
- Modified browser features or intrusive ads, which Microsoft also associates with bundling.
Preventing a repeat
Microsoft’s unwanted-software guidance states: “To prevent unwanted software infection, download software only from official websites, or from the Microsoft Store.” The same guidance warns that pirated software may be bundled with malware, intrusive browser plug-ins, and adware. That is a risk statement, not proof that any particular game is affected. In practice:
- Download games from the publisher’s official site or the Microsoft Store.
- Read each installer step and decline optional bundled offers.
- Avoid cracked games, “free unlock” tools, and third-party download sites.
- Keep Windows, your browser, and your installed apps updated.
The Microsoft Learn “Unwanted software” page was last updated on April 24, 2024, so check the current version of that page for any changes to its guidance.
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Most game-related ad problems come down to one bundled app or one browser add-on. Find that item, remove it, complete Windows Security’s action, and confirm that the scan comes back clean. If the symptoms return after a clean scan, the most likely cause is a new install, so review your recent downloads before reinstalling anything.
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