Lktoday.ru (Virus Removal Instructions) - Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge
lktoday.ru Removal Guide
What is lktoday.ru?
lktoday.ru is an unsafe website that prompts users to participate in surveys to extort personal details
lktoday.ru is a potentially unwanted program that is distributed within software bundles
lktoday.ru is a dubious website that users get redirected to due to adware infection. The latter is usually obtained after downloading and installing shareware or freeware applications from third-party sites. Adware programs are deceptive and are often hiding under legitimate names. Additionally, it is sometimes hard to tell which program is a PUP because they often pretend to be useful: media players, rogue anti-spyware, and other bloatware.[1] Once inside the system, the lktoday.ru virus proliferates certain settings to establish itself. For that reason, it does not matter which browser is set to default: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari. All browsers will redirect users to the lktoday.ru site, exposing them to fake surveys, tech support scams, and other dangerous material.
Name | lktoday.ru |
Also known as | PUP.LKTODAY, http://lktoday.ru |
Type | Potentially unwanted program/adware |
Infiltration | Software bundling, unsafe sites |
Symptoms | Frequent redirects to lktoday.ru and other unsafe domains |
Main dangers | Malware infection, money loss, info-stealing |
Elimination | Use security software that can detect the PUP or opt for manual removal method as per out guide |
Recovery | To refresh the system and make sure all the malicious components are eliminated, scan your device with FortectIntego |
Online scams have been prevalent for a while now, and while many efforts are made to stop this criminal activity,[2] unfortunately, the internet will never be free of these unsafe practices. Therefore, it is vital to learn what is legit and what is fake. In case your browsers are suffering from redirects, make sure you remove lktoday.ru virus with reputable anti-malware software or with the help of our manual removal instructions below.
lktoday.ru infection might display the following symptoms:
- Continual redirects to lktoday.ru and other suspicious websites;
- Altered homepage and new tab address;
- Additional applications like browser extensions or toolbars installed without permission;
- Suspicious processes running in the Task Manager;
- Unknown shortcuts added directly to the desktop or Bookmarks bar;
- Altered search results display sponsored links;
- Various pop-ups, banners, coupons, in-text links, and similar sponsored content disturb web browsing sessions and prevent finding relative information online;
- Slow operation of the browser or the device, etc.
As evident, lktoday.ru hijack will ensure to make any web browsing session a real nightmare. However, the annoying behavior of the threat is not the most dangerous, as experts note.
The most alarming situation arises when users start to interact with the content displayed by lktoday.ru. Quite often, they are presented with fake surveys like the 2018 Annual Visitor Survey, Amazon Rewards Event and similar. Users are promised a great gift (such as a brand new iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, PlayStation or another valuable gadget) for simply filling a registration form to allegedly enter the contest. Unfortunately, these fake games only seek to retrieve valuable credit card information or other details for cybercriminals.
Therefore, if you encountered redirects to dubious sites, we strongly advise users to take care of lktoday.ru removal. Not only will you stop the malicious activity, but also protect your personal details from bad actors.
Once you complete the elimination of lktoday.ru virus, you should scan your device with FortectIntego to ensure that all Windows settings are back to normal and no PUP will continue its activity.
lktoday.ru is a redirect virus that can bring users to malware-laden or scam sites
Shareware and freeware installers are infested with PUPs
Software bundling is a notorious technique that is used to deliver optional programs to users PCs. While the scheme might be even useful when practiced correctly, it is not the case mostly.
To create new software, funds are needed. Imagine it as going to the grocery store – you would not get anything for free, as it requires tax payments, production and labor expenses, etc. However, software developers realized that, by inserting affiliated applications into their installers, they could finance the project practically infinitely, instead of receiving one-off payment. Therefore, it is in the developer's best interest to make users install as many bundled program as possible, so they often use various tricks to not adequately expose the free apps.[3]
Therefore, you should be vigilant. Avoiding potentially unwanted programs only require some extra attention. You should always pick your download source carefully, as third-party sites are more likely to distribute PUPs. Additionally, once prompted, always opt for Advanced or Custom installation settings, so that you can remove the ticks from all the pre-ticked boxes.
Remove lktoday.ru adware from your machine with the help of these instructions
Adware, while not usually malicious on its own, can be very sneaky when it comes to its infiltration and elimination. Therefore, if your machine suffers from persistent redirects, pop-up ads and similar unwanted activity, it is time to remove lktoday.ru virus for good.
Because the PUP might install additional applications without your permission, we suggest you use anti-malware software to ensure complete lktoday.ru removal. Nevertheless, the manual option is available too – check the instructions below.
Once you get rid of the unwanted applications, you should reset each of the installed browsers to make sure no suspicious links, redirects or pop-ups come back.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of lktoday.ru. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To remove lktoday.ru redirects and other annoying activity from Windows, follow these steps:
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Adware often modifies web browser settings. For that reason, reset Mozilla Firefox as explained below:
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of lktoday.ru registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
- ^ Bloatware. Techopedia. Where Information Technology and Business Meet.
- ^ Olivia Morelli. Indian police raids 26 call centers: arrests 63 tech support scammers. 2-spyware. Cybersecurity and spyware news.
- ^ Lowell Heddings. Here’s What Happens When You Install the Top 10 Download.com Apps. Hot-To Geek. Site that explaines technology.