StartJoy is an adware that shows ads and can redirect you to dubious websites
StartJoy is an adware-type program, so its workings are typical to the ones of a lot of other adware. First, this virus manifests itself through multiple ads that it injects into the infected computer’s browser. These ads may appear on random Internet pages you visit. Remember that you probably will not be able to close these ads as you would normally do with regular advertisements.
Besides, it is not advisable to interact with these ads in any way because there are multiple user complaints about the StartJoy redirect issue. Even accidentally clicking on one of the ads labeled as “Powered by StartJoy” or “Ads by StartJoy” may send you straight to some unreliable sites where your computer may be put at risk of being infected with some other computer threats.
On top of it all, the StartJoy virus may install additional software on your computer which will help it track your browsing habits, such as what sites you visit most frequently, what pages you view, and even what you search for online.
This information allows adware to generate more user-related ads and, as a result, gather more revenue.
Because of the mentioned reasons, we do not recommend having this application installed on your computer. You should remove StartJoy as soon as possible before it triggers more serious problems on your computer.
StartJoy is a suspicious application that may suddenly appear on the computers of online video lovers. Nevertheless, it does not simply emerge out of thin air. Users must consciously or inadvertently download and install this program themselves.

The first situation is unlikely to occur since the official download website of this program is rather obscure and it is not that easy to come across it while browsing the web. It is more possible that this program will stealthily install on your computer along with other software, and you will only notice the StartJoy hijack after this adware starts causing a variety of inconveniences on your computer.
Therefore, we advise you not to wait and get rid of this program without a delay. For a quick and guaranteed StartJoy removal, we recommend choosing sophisticated antivirus tools, such as SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes.
Quick installation is not the best option if you want to avoid adware
There are a few ways this potentially unwanted program can enter your computer. Adware can infiltrate your system through fake software downloads, deceptive ads, peer-to-peer networks. However, most commonly, this adware spreads with a help of software packages.
The undesirable content is usually hidden in the installation settings of some other programs also included in the package. So, while the user thinks he/she is installing a single program, in reality, other applications may be installed simultaneously.
To stop this from happening on your PC, you should always be careful when installing new software and choose advanced installation mode instead of quickly rushing through the process with some “Quick” or “Recommended” installation.
Tips on how to remove StartJoy from your computer
You can remove StartJoy in two ways: manually or automatically. In case you choose the first option, please follow the step-by-step instructions provided at the end of this article.
However, if you are new to virus removal and have never dealt with it before, we recommend a quicker and safer solution, automatic removal. This technique does not require any technical skill. When it comes to StartJoy removal, you will simply have to initiate a system scan with some reputable antivirus system, and it will take care of the rest for you. If you are experiencing any difficulties with this adware elimination, do not hesitate to contact us.
Also, you should remember to use the advanced/custom installation method to install new software. This way you will avoid potentially unwanted programs in the future.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

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