How to Remove Luckysearch123 (Firefox/Chrome)

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In this article we are going to try and help you remove Luckysearch123. Our instructions cover all Windows versions as well as most browsers – Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, etc.

In the event that you have been targeted with various online advertisements that say they’re “powered by Luckysearch123” or “presented by Luckysearch123” and are wondering what in the world is going on – you’ve come to the right place. Your Chrome or Firefox browser has been infected with a browser hijacker called Luckysearch123; this program is responsible for having possibly changed your homepage and search engine, redirecting your search queries to various promotional pages and distributing numerous ads. In this article we will share with you some basics about this specific type of software and also give you some advice on how to steer clear from any such infections in the future. In addition to this, at the end of the article you will find a detailed removal guide that will walk you through all the necessary steps to permanent removing Luckysearch123 and all of its related files from your system.

What Luckysearch123 is really all about

It’s understandable that there might be some confusion around programs like the one you are currently facing: it acts weirdly, its activity often obstructs your browsing and you probably don’t even know how it came to be on your computer. That’s what we’re here for; we would like to clarify a few things regarding browser hijackers. Firstly, these are pieces of software that serve as marketing tools for various enterprises and that is their only purpose. With the help of hijackers, their developers benefit from each and every click the separate banners, links, popups and box messages land. This is actually a very effective business model more commonly known as the Pay Per Click scheme or PPC. However, this clever money-making strategy does come with a bit of a catch.

You might find information about Luckysearch123 on various websites with references to a virus. This is because it performs certain tasks that arouse suspicions and doubts among numerous users and lead them to believe that they may have contracted some form of malware. The tasks we have in mind include your typical hijacker’s distinct ability to monitor your browsing patterns and take note of nearly each and every step you take online. It’s mainly after your browsing history and search queries, as these can allow the program to determine where your current interests lie and what products and services you would be more likely to be attracted by. Once Luckysearch123 has gathered enough ‘intel’ on you, it can then target you with an ad campaign that has been tailored to suit your preferences. Chances are you’ve already come to notice this yourself. Another thing that often leads people to mistaking hijacker for malware is the fact that due to the amount of system resources they call upon, they can often eventually slow your machine down and cause browser crashes and certain malfunctions on your computer.

So, it’s not a virus then?

No, it’s not. That’s not to say that you should completely relax and lower your guard around this kind of software. Though that program that has found its way on your system is in no way malicious, it can still indirectly expose you to certain threats and it is important that you are aware of this. For one, you might end up clicking on a contaminated ad that had been taken advantage of by hackers or cybercriminals. Ads like these are known as malvertisements and can contain dangerous malicious scripts such as those of ransomware of Trojans. We strongly advise users to abstain from any kind of interaction with all online ads, as malvertising is the number one distribution method for ransomware, which is currently the top cyber threat.

Speaking of distribution, you are probably very eager by now to hear exactly how you may have gotten infected with Luckysearch123. In most cases this happens through program bundles. If you had recently downloaded software from an open source download platform or some other form of file sharing website, it’s likely that it came bundled with the hijacker. This is a common technique employed by software developers to ensure that their hijackers and other ad-producing software do indeed reach users, as very few people would actually go out of their way to download one such program on their own. Users, on the other hand, don’t bother reading the EULA and go with the lazy ‘default’ setup in the installation wizard and thus end up with programs they never intended to have. So, the simplest and most obvious solution here is just to customize the setup by choosing the respective option within it (may sometimes also be titled ‘advanced’). That way you will be given full perspective on the contents of the bundle and you will also have the ability to deselect any undesired ones.

How to Remove Luckysearch123

Many types of malware will restrict your access to their core files. It is highly recommended that you reboot your PC in safe mode before attempting to use this guide.

• To enable Safe Mode reboot you PC, then hit F8 repeatedly. When the corresponding menu opens please select Safe Mode with Networking.

WARNING! If you are using Windows 8,0 or later and/or your operating system is installed on a fast SSD drive this may fail to work. In this case click here to see how to start your PC in Safe Mode.

#1: Uninstall the malicious program from your control panel

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Enter control panel to look for any suspicious programs, which may have installed on your PC. To do that:

1. Navigate to your Desktop
2. Press simultaneously the Win button together with the R button (Win+R)
3. In the Run window that just opened type appwiz.cpl

4. Go through the list of programs and find Luckysearch123 or anything else that may seem suspicious. Right-click on it and choose the uninstallation option

WARNING! Carefully read any confirmation messages that may be created in the process. Sometimes you may get offers to download more Adware applications and this can be linked to either the Yes or the No answer depending on the wording!

• Optional:

Go through the list of programs again and check online for any potentially unwanted programs. We have an article that covers this awesome free software that makes sure that your computer is free from bloatware and programs that you don’t need.

#2: Remove Luckysearch123 From Chrome

Now we’ll remove the extensions that the malware has attached to your browser.

1. Open your Google Chrome browser.
2. Type chrome://extensions/  in the URL address bar and press Enter.
3. Click on “Developer Mode” on the top right and look for the extension installed by Luckysearch123 and anything that might be related to it. Copy their IDs (the string of letters), then remove them by clicking on the trash bin icon.

1. Type Regedit in the Windows Start Menu and press Enter. Go in : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\Extensions and delete the entries corresponding to the suspicious IDs you recorded.

#3: Remove Luckysearch123 From Firefox

1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type “about:support” in the URL address bar and press Enter.
3. Click on the “Refresh Firefox” button on the right and confirm.

#4 Remove Luckysearch123 From Internet Explorer

1. Open your Internet Explorer internet browser.
2. Click on the Gear icon on the up right, then on manage add-ons.
3. Go through the list disable any suspicious extensions.

#5 Remove any leftover parasitic processes

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From the task manager:

1. Use Ctrl + Shift + Esc and open the Task manager, then click on the Processes
2. Go through the list of processes and look for unknown or otherwise suspicious entries.
3. If you see anything suspicious right click on the process and shoes Open File Location, then terminate the process and delete any files you find in the directory.

WARNING! If the directory you open from this menu has no files inside of it it’s probably because the malware has hidden them. You need to reveal hidden files and folders in order to be able to see them. Click here if you don’t know how to do that.

From the start menu:

1. Press simultaneously the Win button together with the R button (Win+R)
2. In the Run window that just opened type msconfig
3. Click on the Startup tab.

This menu controls which programs are loaded when windows starts after a reboot. Disable anything that seems suspicious. Optionally you can also disable any program that you don’t need and also has a high impact on your startup time.

Feel free to write to us in the comment section with any questions that you may have. Also if we have been helpful to you please share this article to help us reach more people like you.