Software & Performance / Slow
A slow, cluttered browser and constant pop-ups are usually the same problem. Clear the right things in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox without losing your passwords.
The 30-second fix
Open a private or incognito window and load the same site. If it works there, it is your cache or cookies. That one test tells you whether clearing will help before you clear anything.
If that sorted it, you are done. If not, keep reading — the rest takes about 6 minutes.
You do not need to clear saved passwords or bookmarks. Leave those ticked off and you will stay signed in to almost everything.
People say "clear the cache" to mean "make the browser behave". But you are dealing with three separate things, and clearing the wrong one costs you every saved sign-in.
Clear the cache freely. Clear cookies deliberately. Deal with pop-ups separately.
A browser private window with the menu highlighted
Open a private (Safari, Firefox) or incognito (Chrome, Edge) window — usually under the three-dot or three-line menu. Load the site that is misbehaving.
If it works perfectly here, the problem is your cache or cookies, and clearing will fix it. If it is broken here too, clearing will not help — the site itself is the problem.
Chrome Settings, Privacy and security, Clear browsing data
The clear-data dialog with only Cached images and files ticked
Set the time range to All time, then tick:
Leave Passwords and Autofill unticked. That is what keeps you signed in to your email and bank.
A progress indicator while the browser clears data
Press Clear data. It takes a few seconds. Close and reopen the browser afterwards so it starts fresh.
Chrome Site settings showing the Pop-ups and redirects option
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Pop-ups and redirects and set it to block. Then check the Allowed list underneath and remove any site you do not recognise — a site you allowed once can keep popping up forever.
Chrome Extensions page listing installed extensions
Open the extensions page and look down the list. Every one you do not actively use and recognise should be turned off, then removed. Extensions are the number one source of surprise pop-ups, and half of them came bundled with something else.
The reason to keep a password manager is exactly this moment. When cookies get cleared, you sign back in with one click instead of hunting for a scrap of paper. If that is new to you, the password guide walks through it.
If none of that helped, it is usually a hardware or account problem rather than a settings one — and that is exactly the kind of thing worth handing to someone for an hour. Book a session →
If the steps above did not do it, that is what I am here for — remote, flat rate, plain language. You watch everything I do.
Book a session →REMOTE SESSIONS ONLY — ANYWHERE IN THE US — FLAT RATE, UP FRONT
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