I wrote this article to help you remove Instant Support. This Instant Support removal guide works for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Instant Support is a bogus application, related to technical support. The clandestine program generates fake alerts, claiming there is a security threat or another kind of issue on the computer. The rogue tool gives a solution to the supposed problem in the form of a technical support hot line. According to the messages Instant Support displays, the assistance is provided by certified Microsoft technicians. There is no merit to this statement. The insidious program is operated by cyber criminals who make a living by swindling inexperienced computer users. You should know that the only types of utilities you can trust are the default Windows components and the tools you have installed yourself. Instant Support is an adware program. This is a type of rogue software which often sneaks into computers unnoticed.

What threats does Instant Support expose me to?

The term adware is a portmanteau for advertising software. To further elaborate, adware tools display pop-up windows. In most cases, the generated content is advertisements. Instant Support differs from the classic adware programs. Rather than promoting shopping deals, it shows warning messages. This is a sound strategy, as security alerts are by far more important than random product deals. Therefore, they are much more likely to get a reaction from the user.

The monetizing technique Instant Support puts into practice works in a different manner, as well. The traditional adware programs accumulate revenue by collecting clicks. The people whose websites they link to pay a certain unit for every time a user is redirected. This method is built around quantity. The tools which use this technique need to score a lot of clicks. Furthermore, they could benefit from each user on multiple occasions, if he keeps following the ads. Instant Support requires a single hit to make an entire week’s wage. The covert program instructs users to call a bogus support hot line. The people behind it are in on the scheme. They will try to sell you an expensive anti-virus utility which would do you no good. Their shady software cannot detect and remove actual threats. It may even be malicious.

Instant Support has another capability which poses an even greater threat to users’ security. The rogue program monitors people’s browsing sessions and collects input on them. It will record your browsing history, tracking cookies, keystrokes, IP address, geographic location, demographic details, telephone number, email, user names, passwords and other sensitive information. The owners of the adware will trade your data on darknet markets without asking for permission. Your personal and financial details can fall into the hands of cyber criminals.

How did Instant Support get installed to my computer?

You may be wondering how you got stuck with Instant Support to begin with. Bundling is a common propagation vector for the sinister program. The adware has been accustomed to traveling with other software tools. It can get attached to freeware, shareware and pirated copies of paid utilities. To avoid having insidious programs like Instant Support penetrate your machine, read the terms and conditions of the software you intend to install. If there are extra tools included with it, you should deselect them or terminate the process altogether. It is best to stick to confirmed sources when looking for programs.

The other entry point for Instant Support are spam emails. The adware can travel secluded behind an attached file. The sender will state that the attachment contains important information. He can list it as a letter, a receipt, an invoice, a bill, a fine, a notice or another item of documentation. Spammers often write on behalf of reliable companies and entities to convince people that the email is genuine. To tell between legitimate emails and spam, check the contacts the person has provided in the message.

Instant Support Removal

Before starting the real removal process, you must reboot in Safe Mode. If you are familiar with this task, skip the instructions below and proceed to Step 2. If you do not know how to do it, here is how to reboot in Safe mode:

For Windows 98, XP, Millenium and 7:
Reboot your computer. When the first screen of information appears, start repeatedly pressing F8 key. Then choose Safe Mode With Networking from the options.

For Windows 8/8.1
Click the Start button, next click Control Panel —> System and Security —> Administrative Tools —> System Configuration.‌

Check the Safe Boot option and click OK. Click Restart when asked.
For Windows 10
Open the Start menu and click or tap on the Power button.

While keeping the Shift key pressed, click or tap on Restart.

Here are the steps you must follow to permanently remove from the browser:

Remove From Mozilla Firefox:

Open Firefox, click on top-right corner , click Add-ons, hit Extensions next.

Look for suspicious or unknown extensions, remove them all.

Remove From Chrome:

Open Chrome, click chrome menu icon at the top-right corner —>More Tools —> Extensions. There, identify the malware and select chrome-trash-icon(Remove).

Remove From Internet Explorer:
Open IE, then click IE gear icon on the top-right corner —> Manage Add-ons.

Find the malicious add-on. Remove it by pressing Disable.

Right click on the browser’s shortcut, then click Properties. Remove everything after the .exe” in the Target box.

Open Control Panel by holding the Win Key and R together. Write appwiz.cpl in the field, then click OK.

Here, find any program you had no intention to install and uninstall it.

Run the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar and choosing Start Task Manager.

Look carefully at the file names and descriptions of the running processes. If you find any suspicious one, search on Google for its name, or contact me directly to identify it. If you find a malware process, right-click on it and choose End task.

Open MS Config by holding the Win Key and R together. Type msconfig and hit Enter.

Go in the Startup tab and Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer.

Still can not remove Instant Support from your browser? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.