How to remove Blekko virus

Blekko is a browser-hijacking app that delivers sponsored links constantly

Blekko is a web search engine, which claims that it is capable of providing the best search results for its users after changing web browser settings upon installation. Please do not think that they are better than those offered by Google Search, Bing, Yahoo, and other well-known search sites. One of the main symptoms of browser hijacking is that its homepage and new tab address is set to blekko.com.

There is no guarantee that search results won't be filled with suspicious links that may lead you to suspicious, questionable, and even dangerous websites. After clicking them, you may be tricked into downloading other suspicious programs to your computer, so you should never visit them.

Name	Blekko
Type	Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program
Distribution	Software bundles, fake updates, insecure sites
Associated URLs	blekko.com
Dangers	Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, financial losses, privacy risks
Removal	To delete potentially unwanted programs, you can follow the guide we provide below. Alternatively, you can employ security software for an automatic elimination option
Additional steps	Computer infections can cause significant damage to system files or disrupt normal settings. To revert these changes and remediate the OS, perform a full system scan with Fortect Intego repair software

Users reported that they found the app installed on their computers seemingly out of nowhere. While this might be unexpected and a mystery to many, it is not a secret that many freeware websites spread various potentially unwanted programs as an optional component within software bundles.

Besides, this site, which was launched to the public on November 1, 2010, may cause slowdowns and annoying pop-up ads on each of your web browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.). The delivered advertisements and sponsored links at the top of search results ensure that users are exposed to as much commercial content as possible.

This way, developers of the app monetize on ads – they use a pay-per-click scheme. Unfortunately for end-users, they have to endure ads whether they want them or not, until Blekko removal is performed at least.

Last but not least annoying problem with this app is that it is capable of tracking people's browsing habits. In most cases, it is interested in the following:

search terms,
bookmarks,
ads clicked,
mostly visited websites,
IP address and geolocation, etc.

No matter that such information is called 'personally non-identifiable' we don't recommend sharing it with unknown parties, as it can be passed on further and not adequately protected. If you want to protect yourself, you have to remove Blekko hijacker from your computer. This can be done with a help of Fortect Intego or other reputable tool.

Unwanted programs can be avoided easily

Blekko is not as rogue anti-spyware or ransomware – it will not infect vital Windows system files. However, as you may have already understood, it may cause lots of issues on your computer. That's why we highly recommend you to avoid this search engine and continue using Google, Yahoo, or Bing. For more privacy, you can opt for DuckDuckGo.

Industry experts advise:

In order to protect yourself from this and other browser hijackers that may try to redirect your browser to unknown websites, you should start monitoring installation of the freeware. Select only Custom or Advanced installation of the freeware because there are hundreds of download managers.

PDF creators, video streaming software and similar programs that have been involved to Blekko distribution. After doing so, you should deselect pre-checked check boxes that may inform you that you want to set blekko.com as your start page or default search engine. If it has already showed up on your computer, you can fix this issue with a help of a guide below.

Remove Blekko virus from your device for good

Sudden browser changes might be something unexpected and surprising to many. Most users who get infected with browser hijackers or potentially unwanted programs are totally unaware that they themselves let these programs in without realizing it. Regardless of this fact, sudden alterations to the homepage, new tab, and the search engine should be investigated immediately. Upon closer inspection, it would be clear that Blekko removal is needed to regain all the normal web browser functions.

You can remove Blekko manually – we provide detailed instructions below. Since this app might insert various components into web browsers, we also explain how to clean them properly to avoid an unexpected plugin's reinstallation. In case you do not want to bother with this process as it might seem too complicated for you, or you want a quick solution, we recommend you try using anti-malware instead. Upon scanning the device, it can quickly detect and delete all the foreign objects at once.

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.