How To Remove Hockey Start Hijacker

Easy Steps To Terminate Unwanted App

Hockey Start is presented as a tool that can help users quickly access hockey sports related web material. Nonetheless, research says that it’s indeed a browser hijacker that promotes the search.nstart.online fake search engine. When this undesired software manages to get into your browser, it changes its default settings and sets the said domain as the new homepage, new tab page and the search engine without asking for any consent. It does it in order to reroute your internet searches to sponsored webpages. Moreover, it also floods users’ screen with tons of annoying advertisements and severely interrupts their online experience.

Threat Details

Name: Hockey Start

Type: Browser Hijacker, Redirect virus

Features: Makes changes to browser’s settings, causes invasive ad-generation and page-redirects to different web locations

Danger level: Medium

Signs: Browser modifications, unexpected page-redirects, annoying ads display

Infiltration methods: Sneaks into the systems via bundled freeware

More Facts About Hockey Start:

Hockey Start tends to display pop-ups, banners, in-texts, special deals, exclusive offers, discounts, and other advertising contents all over the day in order to generate the pay-per-click advertising income. Every time an ad shown by the hijacker is clicked, the program authors get paid a small bit of money. The more the clicks, the higher is the money earned. In order to make ads seem more enticing so that they’re more likely to be clicked on, the intruder even customizes them according to users’ browsing preferences and interests. To obtain such information, programs like Hockey Start, Searchresultsfast.com, etc. constant monitor their victims’ virtual activities.

Although, browser-based threats are not considered as the most dreadful computer infections out there, however, risks related to them cannot be overlooked. Not all the ads displayed by the PUP can be trusted. Some of the seemingly attractive ads may reroute you to potentially dangerous sites if you click on them that would be hosting dangerous malware pests like spyware, Trojans, worms, ransomware, etc. If any of these parasites could manage to infiltrate your device, this would be true nightmare to deal with. So, to avoid such occurrence, remove Hockey Start from the computer as quickly as possible.

How Does The Hijacker Enter Systems?

Browser hijackers in general sneak into the PC systems along with other free applications. This illusive marketing technique of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malevolent ones is said to be bundling. This distribution tactic usually succeeds when people choose Quick or Standard installation setting after downloading freeware from third-party sources. What you need to do to evade hijacker intrusion is, choose the Advanced or Custom configuration wizard instead of the Quick one. By doing so, you will be able to view the entire file list and deselect the checkboxes next to any unnecessary or suspicious programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Hockey Start designed?

Browser hijackers are specially crafted to generate quick online revenue. To achieve the purpose, they tend to display too many ads and force users to click on them, thus creating the PPC income. Also, they redirect people to sponsored sites, as well as sell their browsing-related information to other parties.

Can the hijacker damage my computer?

Browser hijackers are not kind of apps that can harm your PC by any means as they lack the ability of real viruses and malware. At their most, they can disrupt your online sessions with regular ads display and page-redirects to different websites, some of which can be harmful ones.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove Hockey Start:

Remove the related items of Hockey Start using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing Hockey Start issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (Hockey Start) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to Hockey Start removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter.  In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to Hockey Start still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove Hockey Start plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”.  Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in Hockey Start removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete Hockey Start (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications.  Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.