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Welcome to our Ourluckysites “Virus” removal guide. The following instructions will aid you in removing the unwanted software from your PC.
If you currently have the Ourluckysites “Virus” on your computer, then you probably want to have it removed since this piece of software is known to introduce undesirable changes to one’s Chrome, IE or Firefox browser. The most commonly encountered browser modifications caused by programs like Ourluckysites “Virus” are changed default search engine and replaced homepage without the user’s agreement. Additionally, it is possible that the unwanted program might also trigger page redirects to random websites some of which might be potentially illegal and hazardous. If a program does that, then it is considered to be a Browser Hijacker – a type of unwanted software that takes control over certain aspects of the user’s browser which significantly decreases the quality of one’s online experience and might also expose the computer to various online threats. The good news is that it is actually not that difficult to uninstall and remove a Browser Hijacker. Here, we will show you how you can do it yourself so that you won’t need to bring your PC to an IT specialist. However, before we explain to you the different steps of eliminating the irritating program, we must first provide you with some additional information and useful tips regarding Browser Hijackers.
What does a Browser Hijacker do?
The primary reason for the very existence of these programs lies in the ever-expanding online advertising industry. Most Browser Hijackers are basically software tools developed for the sole purpose of profiting their creators by employing various marketing techniques. The users themselves hardly ever benefit from Browser Hijacker programs since most software that falls under this category offers little to no real functionality. Still, there are exceptions where a Hijacker program would actually have some sort of helpful feature but unfortunately, in the majority of instances, this is not the case.
How harmful can a Hijacker be?
A lot of people mistakenly think that a Browser Hijacker program is the same as a a harmful and malicious Trojan Horse or a nasty Ransomware virus. It is true that many experts refer to Hijackers as malware, but there are a number of differences between applications the likes of Ourluckysites “Virus” and real harmful viruses such as the ones mentioned above. If you have had a Browser Hijacker installed on your computer, it is important to remain calm and not panic. Usually, there should be no reason to worry and as long as you remain cautions, no harm should come to your computer.
Why you need to be careful and remove Hijackers
As we already stated, Browser Hijackers are not like Ransomware or Trojans. They are normally not malicious and harmful. However, there’s always the chance that such a program might indeed expose your PC to real software threats, which is why you must be careful and why it is advisable to see to the removal of any such programs that might be on your PC.
Some of the things that you ought to keep in mind concerning Hijackers is that some of the changes they make to your browser and internet settings might potentially compromise the security of your system. For example, some applications like Ourluckysites “Virus” might modify the Registry of your PC, which can make the machine more vulnerable to virus attacks. Also, as we said in the beginning of the article, Hijackers might also redirect your browser to sites with shady reputation which might be harmful. Therefore, if you see that you are getting redirected to some obscure and unknown website, be sure to close that tab/window without interacting with any of the contents of the newly opened page.
How do those programs get installed onto people’s computers?
There are many ways you can land a Hijacker without even knowing it. You might open a spam e-mail and click on the link it contains or download the file that’s attached to it or you could mistakenly click on some sketchy ad or online offer (especially if it is from some unreliable file-sharing website) and there you have it – the Hijacker has gotten inside your PC. There, however, is another possibility for a Hijacker to get inside your machine where you are actually the one allowing it to get installed. The method used in those cases is known as program bundling where the unwanted application is put inside the installation file of another program that you might want to install. If you fail to see in the setup menu that there’s actually some obscure application bundled with the main software and you install the program without unchecking the added piece of programming, it will get inside your PC as well. Therefore, we always advise our readers to be very vigilant and cautious when installing any new programs, especially if they are free since this is where Browser Hijackers can usually be found.
SUMMARY:
| Name | Ourluckysites |
| Type | Browser Hijacker |
| Danger Level | Medium (nowhere near threats like Ransomware, but still a security risk) |
| Symptoms | Common Browser Hijacker symptoms are replaced browser starting page and changed default search engine. |
| Distribution Method | Usually, Hijackers get distributed via junk mail messages, deceitful browser adverts, banners and page redirects as well as program bundling. |
Ourluckysites “Virus” Removal
I – Safe mode and revealing hidden files
II – Uninstallation
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- Use the Winkey+R keyboard combination, write Control Panel in the search field and hit enter.
- Go to Uninstall a program under Programs.
- Seek the unwanted software, select it and then click on Uninstall
If you are unable to spot Ourluckysites “Virus”, search for any unrecognized programs that you do not remember installing on your PC – the unwanted software might disguise itself by going under a different name.
III – Cleaning all your browsers
- Go to your browser’s icon, right-click on it and select Properties.
- Go to the Shortcut tab and in the Target make sure to delete anything written after “.exe”.
- Now, open your browser and follow the instructions below depending on whether you are using Chrome, Mozilla or IE.
- Chrome users:
- Go to your browser’s main menu located in the top-right corner of the screen and select Settings.
- Scroll down, click on Show Advanced Settings and then select Clear browsing data. Just to be sure, tick everything and clear the data.
- Now, in the left pane, go to Extensions and look through all extensions that are integrated within your browser. If you notice any suspicious add-on, disable it and then remove it.
- Firefox users:
- Similarly to Chrome, go to the main menu and select Add-ons and then Extensions.
- Remove any suspicious browser extensions that you may have even if they do not have the name Ourluckysites “Virus” on them.
- IE users:
- Go to Tools and select Manage add-ons.
- Click on all add-on types from the left pane and check if there is anything suspicious in the right panel. In case you find anything shade, make sure to remove it.
IV – Removing Shady processes
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- Go to your start menu, type Task Manager in the search field and from the results open View running processes with Task Manager.
- Thoroughly look through all processes. The name Ourluckysites “Virus” might not be there, but if you notice any shady looking process that consumes high amounts of memory it might be ran by the unwanted program.
- If you spot the process ran by Ourluckysites “Virus”, right-click on it, open its file location and delete everything in there. Then go back to the Task Manager and end the process.
V – DNS check
- In the start menu search box write View Network Connections and open the first result.
- Right-click on the network connection you are using and go to Properties.
- Select Internet Protocol Version (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties.
- If Obtain DNS server addresses automatically is not checked, check it.
- Go to Advanced and select the DNS If there is anything in the DNS server addresses field, remove it and click OK.
- Click OK on the rest of the opened windows.
