Pulse Browser on a Windows PC can be an unwanted browser associated with the PulseSoftware folder, surprise installations, and changed search or browser defaults. If it appeared after another download, or your security tool reports PUP.Win64.PulseBrowser.dd!c, check whether the alert concerns a blocked installer or an application already running. Those cases need different cleanup steps. The name alone is not enough: a separate experimental Firefox fork and other apps also use “Pulse.”
Choose the case that matches your PC
- Only an installer was blocked: keep it blocked or quarantined. If you never ran it and there are no Pulse apps or changed settings, an alert does not establish that Pulse installed successfully.
- Pulse appeared or became your default browser: stop using that unwanted installation for sensitive logins and follow the cleanup steps below.
- PulseBrowserUpdater remains or Pulse returns after reboot: scan for companion components, then inspect the exact updater path if symptoms persist.
- You deliberately installed a different Pulse product: compare its publisher, source, and platform before applying this Windows removal guide.
What is Pulse Browser, and is it safe?
This guide concerns the Windows browser promoted through pulsebrowser.com and associated with PulseSoftware. The site presents it as an AI-assisted browser. Gridinsoft’s domain report classifies the download site as an unwanted application distributor.1 Malwarebytes separately documents PUP.Optional.PulseBrowser as a browser that changes default search without consent and may arrive through bundling or misleading offers.2
That makes an unexpected installation worth removing. It does not establish that every file named Pulse is a trojan or that passwords were stolen. Check what actually installed, what your security tool detected, and which settings changed.
The Firefox fork is a different project. The pulse-browser/browser GitHub repository describes an experimental Firefox fork and was archived on September 30, 2024. Its maintenance notice says development will not progress beyond alpha.3 Do not transfer the Windows PUA classification to that project merely because the names match; equally, an archived project is not a recommendation for an up-to-date everyday browser. Mobile and finance apps with the same name also require their own identity checks.
How did Pulse Browser get on my computer?
A bundled offer or a misleading download prompt is consistent with the distribution described in the detection documentation. To reconstruct your own case, compare Pulse’s installation date with recent downloads and newly installed apps. Check your browser’s download history for the source page and your antivirus history for the original file path. Do not reopen the installer to investigate it.
A generic setup.exe filename does not identify Pulse. Conversely, clicking a download button on a familiar website does not establish that the advertised installer belongs to the software you wanted. Keep the source URL and detection details if you need support; avoid rerunning the same download after cleanup.
What does PUP.Win64.PulseBrowser.dd!c mean?
If your alert uses PUP.Win64.PulseBrowser.dd!c, treat it as a potentially unwanted program warning related to Pulse Browser, then read the affected file and action status. Detection names vary between products. Do not assume this exact label is a Microsoft Defender family, or equate it automatically with another vendor’s trojan classification.
- Quarantined download: a path in Downloads, such as
setup.exeorPulse_browser_setup.exe, identifies the file the scanner acted on. Keep it blocked. Check for an installed Pulse app only if you ran a copy, cannot remember, or see symptoms. - Installed component: a path beneath the PulseSoftware folder, a running browser, or a matching updater needs system cleanup, not just deletion of the download.
- Possible false positive: record the security product, detection name, file version, original source, and hash if available. Ask the detecting vendor to review the exact file. Do not restore the file or add a broad exclusion simply to inspect or launch it.
A PUP/PUA classification describes unwanted software behavior; it is not proof of a file-infecting virus or account theft. A separate malware detection deserves its own investigation.
How to remove Pulse Browser from Windows
If Pulse installed unexpectedly, removing the visible browser may leave another bundled app or updater behind. Our recommended cleanup route is Gridinsoft Anti-Malware: download and install it from the official site, update its detection database, run a Full Scan, review the detected items, apply cleanup, then restart Windows. Check whether Pulse, redirects, or the original alert return. Manual registry and task hunting is not a required extra sequence for this route.
A scan helps identify unwanted components and persistence; it does not guarantee removal of every component or prove that no earlier compromise occurred. Save the detection report if the problem returns.
Optional: uninstall the browser through Windows
- Close Pulse Browser. Save work first. If it will not close, use Task Manager to end the verified Pulse Browser process, rather than ending every process called
updater.exe. - Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps in Windows 11, or Apps → Apps & features in Windows 10. Find the matching Pulse Browser entry, open its menu, and choose Uninstall. Review same-date apps individually; installation timing alone is not a reason to remove them.
- If it is missing from Settings, check Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features, as Microsoft’s uninstall guide recommends.4 If the uninstaller is missing or fails, keep the error and use the scan route. Do not download a replacement uninstaller from an unknown site or rerun a quarantined installer.
- Restore your preferred browser under Settings → Apps → Default apps. If a trusted browser no longer starts correctly, repair or reinstall that browser from its official source before setting it as default again.
If you need bookmarks from the unwanted browser, preserve the existing profile or obtain help before choosing an option that deletes browsing data. Do not copy its extensions, executable files, or full configuration into your clean browser. Keep a quarantined installer quarantined; after identifying an unblocked leftover download, remove that copy so it is not accidentally run again.
What is Pulse Browser Updater?
A PulseBrowserUpdater entry can belong to the Windows PulseSoftware installation. Its name alone does not identify the file it runs. For optional troubleshooting, inspect the task’s Actions tab or the startup entry’s full command; use the path, file details, and scan result together.
Dr.Web’s report for the particular sample Trojan.DownLoader49.36098 documents a versioned updater, a scheduled task, and a current-user Run value that launches the updater with --wake.6 These are useful recognition clues, not a claim that every Pulse installation is that sample:
- Updater location: the version folder may differ from the reported
133.0.6943.175.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\PulseSoftware\PulseBrowserUpdater\{version}\updater.exe- Task: under the PulseSoftware/PulseBrowserUpdater folder, with a name beginning
PulseBrowserUpdaterTaskUser. - Startup value: a matching updater entry under the following current-user key.
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunThe browser installation folder documented by Malwarebytes is:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\PulseSoftware\PulseBrowserIf a task still points to the unwanted PulseSoftware installation after cleanup, record its command and seek targeted cleanup or support. Disable an entry only after confirming that association. A missing target file can leave an orphaned task; it does not by itself prove that the browser has reinstalled. Do not delete unrelated Windows tasks, entire Run keys, or every folder containing “Pulse.”
Likewise, if a trusted browser’s shortcut or App Paths registration unexpectedly points into PulseSoftware, repair the trusted browser and restore its defaults. Do not delete all App Paths entries. A work or school PC should go through its administrator.
Pulse is gone, but redirects or browser changes remain
After system cleanup, test your usual browser. If only one browser profile redirects, inspect that profile’s extensions, startup pages, search engine, and notification permissions. Remove unfamiliar extensions you can identify as unwanted; a shared installation date alone is not enough. Check shortcuts for an unwanted URL appended after the browser executable.
- Chrome: Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their original defaults. Google says bookmarks and saved passwords remain, while settings such as startup pages, search, and extensions are reset.5
- Edge: Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to their default values. Read the reset confirmation before applying it.
- Firefox: Help → More troubleshooting information → Refresh Firefox. Review the displayed data and customization changes first.
Reset only the affected browser. A reset does not uninstall a Windows app or remove its scheduled updater. If Pulse itself returns after reboot, return to system cleanup; if settings return only after browser sign-in, inspect synced extensions/settings before restoring them again. The broader browser hijacker removal guide covers these follow-up checks.
If Chrome still says “Managed by your organization” on a personal PC, our Chrome policy-check guide helps identify the active policy before any change. Do not remove legitimate work, school, or security-software policies. For related unwanted-browser cases, see the Ace Browser guide and Carbonate Browser safety check.
What if you used Pulse Browser for passwords?
The unwanted-browser label alone does not establish credential theft. If a scan finds credential-stealing malware, you entered credentials on a phishing page, or account activity indicates compromise, use a separate clean device to change affected passwords, revoke existing sessions, and enable multifactor authentication. Do not wait for PC cleanup to finish before protecting an actively compromised account. Removing browser files cannot invalidate stolen sessions or recover passwords.
Avoid reinstalling the same unwanted browser
Use the software publisher’s actual download page, inspect optional offers, and decline bundled browsers or search tools you do not want. A “recommended” button can approve more than the application you intended to install. If an unexpected installation follows a particular download, avoid that installer and check Windows default apps again after cleanup.
FAQ
Is Pulse Browser a virus?
The Windows PulseSoftware browser is documented as a potentially unwanted application. That is different from proving that every copy is a virus or password stealer. Check the exact file detection and behavior; similarly named products are not automatically the same application.
Why does Pulse Browser keep coming back?
A surviving updater, companion application, or another run of the installer may restore it. Distinguish an actual reinstalled app from a leftover shortcut or browser setting. Scan, restart, and compare the returning file or task path; use the optional updater checks above only if needed.
Do I need Pulse Browser on my computer?
It is not required to use Windows or your usual web browser. If you did not choose the PulseSoftware installation, remove it and restore your preferred browser. On a managed device, ask the administrator before changing installed software.
Do I need to reset Windows?
An unwanted browser alone is not a reason to reset Windows. Start with cleanup and verify the original symptom after restart. Persistent malware, damaged system settings, or an unresolved compromise may require professional help or recovery beyond browser removal.
References
- Gridinsoft. “Pulsebrowser.com Website Reputation Report.” Accessed November 5, 2026. Domain reputation report.
- Malwarebytes. “PUP.Optional.PulseBrowser.” Detection documentation, accessed November 5, 2026. Detection and installation-folder description.
- Pulse Browser project. “pulse-browser/browser.” GitHub repository, archived September 30, 2024; accessed November 5, 2026. Firefox-fork identity and maintenance notice.
- Microsoft Support. “Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows.” Accessed November 5, 2026. Windows uninstall options.
- Google Chrome Help. “Reset Chrome settings to default.” Accessed November 5, 2026. Chrome reset behavior.
- Doctor Web. “Trojan.DownLoader49.36098.” Virus description added March 8, 2026; accessed November 5, 2026. Analyzed sample’s updater and startup artifacts.
