Internet browser issues on Windows devices

Malwarebytes products provide a safer, faster and more secure browsing experience, but they do not fix issues with your browser. Below are some common browser issues that may impact your browsing experience, and tips on how secure your online activity. 

Common browser issues

Browser is slow or unresponsive

If your browser is slow to load a website, unresponsive or shows an error message, see the following articles:

• Google Chrome:
  • Repair Chrome if it crashes or won't open
  • Speed up Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox:
  • Firefox does not work - Common fixes to get you back up and running
  • Quick fixes if your Firefox slows down
  • Websites don't load - troubleshoot and fix error messages
• Microsoft Edge: 
  • What to do if Microsoft Edge isn't working

Browser appearance changed

If you see an unfamiliar website, search box, or advertisement when you open your browser, it's possible something you downloaded or installed caused those changes. Browser preferences can be restored to their default settings, which may resolve changed setting issues.

Note: Resetting your browser settings may impact the way you usually use your browser. Review the instructions carefully to understand what settings of your browser are affected.

• Google Chrome:
  • Set your homepage and startup page
  • Reset Chrome settings to default
  • Set your default search engine
• Mozilla Firefox:
  • How to set the home page
  • Disable or remove Add-ons
  • Add or remove a search engine in Firefox
• Microsoft Edge:
  • Change your browser home page
  • Find the settings/tools/internet options in Microsoft Edge
  • Change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge

Receiving unwanted ads

If pop-up advertisements are appearing in your browser, consider blocking advertisements directly from your browser.

To help prevent unwanted pop-ups, see the following articles:

• Google Chrome: Remove unwanted ads, pop-ups & malware
• Mozilla Firefox: Pop-up blocker settings, exceptions and troubleshooting
• Microsoft Edge: Block pop-ups in Microsoft Edge

Unwanted browser notifications

You can allow certain websites to send notifications to your computer. These notifications may resemble advertisements and appear in the upper-right corner of your screen, even if your browser is closed. If you are seeing advertisements, it's possible notifications were enabled for a specific website.

If you want to stop seeing notifications from a specific website, see the following articles:

• Google Chrome: Block or allow pop-ups in Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox: Web Push notifications in Firefox
• Microsoft Edge: Manage website notifications in Microsoft Edge

Secure online activity

Connecting to a site securely

Web addresses indicate if data transferred between a web browser and a website is done securely.  Hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP (the protocol used to transfer data). HTTPS is encrypted, increasing the security of data transfer, which is very important when sensitive data is being accessed or sent, like when logging in to your email inbox, or your web banking site.

All websites should use HTTPS, particularly the ones that require a login.

In addition to the web address protocol, browsers include an icon that shows the site's security status. When secure, the information sent and received will be encrypted and can't be intercepted by bad actors, but it doesn't tell you about the site's reputation. Find out more about connecting securely to websites below:

• Google Chrome: Check if a site's connection is secure
• Mozilla Firefox: How do I tell if my connection to a website is secure?
• Microsoft Edge: Securely browse the web in Microsoft Edge

Internet connection is not secure

When using a public internet connection, like in a coffee shop or library, it is usually not a secure network, because it is available to everyone. If a network isn’t secure, and you log into an unsecured site, other users on the network may see what information you access, send and receive.

If using a public internet connection, here are some things you can do to keep your information secure:

• Connect to websites securely: we tell you how to check if the connection to a website is secure in the previous section.
• Use mobile data: using mobile data, which is usually encrypted, and isn't shared with other users, is a safer option than a public connection.
• Use a VPN app: VPNs encrypt your online activity and make it look like your Internet traffic is coming from a VPN server rather than your own IP address. By using a VPN, people can’t find out who you are, where you are, or what you’re looking at. 

If you have similar issues on multiple devices

If you're having any of the issues above in more than one of your devices, it's possible your network is compromised. To troubleshoot issues with your network, contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance.