Luckybeginning.com hijack (Removal Instructions) - updated Nov 2019
Luckybeginning.com hijack Removal Guide
What is Luckybeginning.com hijack?
Luckybeginning.com is a browser hijacker that aims to earn revenue by leading users to affiliated websites
Luckybeginning.com is a browser hijacker that, upon infiltration, changes the settings of the installed browser without permission
Luckybeginning.com is a search engine that has been developed by a company MobiTech Inc – the developers state that “LuckyBeginning is here to make your web experience faster, easier, and more organized.” However, this application is also considered a browser hijacker[1] and is a minor security threat, as its affiliates might bring users to misleading websites. Additionally, the site is marked as “Not secure” by Google Chrome, Opera, MS Edge, and other reputable web browsers.
In most cases, users will find Luckybeginning.com set as their homepage, new tab URL, and the search engine after the installation of freeware or shareware. This is due to a technique called software bundling – a deceptive marketing practice that results in infection of browser hijackers, adware, and even malware.
While Luckybeginning.com redirects all the searches to Google.com, its search engine cannot be trusted, as sponsored links are often presented at the top, leading to [sometimes unsafe] websites that might be misleading and result in the installation of other potentially unwanted programs. Besides, MobiTech also expresses that both anonymous and personal information might be gathered when users interact with the Luckybeginning.com site.
Name | Luckybeginning.com |
Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
Infiltration | The unwanted application is usually installed along other software or downloaded from third-party hosting sites |
Potential risks | Users who are infected are at the higher risks of being convinced to pay for useless software, install other potentially unwanted programs and disclose their information to unsafe third-parties |
Symptoms | Homepage, new tab URL and the search engine altered; sponsored links appear at the top of search results; the overall amounts of ads increased |
Termination | To get rid of browser hijackers and other PUPs, you can scan your machine with anti-malware or follow our manual removal guide at the bottom section |
Recovery | To ensure a successful recovery and optimization, scan your computer with FortectIntego |
In general, browser hijackers are not considered to be high threats to user safety, as they do not compromise the machine's vital functions like startup repair. Additionally, they usually do not engage in illegal harvesting of keystrokes or credit card details. Nevertheless, be aware that Luckybeginning.com does indeed uses tracking technologies like cookies in order to gather valuable information about users' web browsing habits. The data includes:
- Time and date of sites' visits
- IP address
- Computer configuration settings
- Search terms
- Links clicked, etc.
Be aware that search queries and IP addresses might disclose your identity, and, depending on the location you live in, it is considered to be personally-identifiable data. Also, Luckybeginning.com Privacy Policy discloses that some PII might also be collected:
We may receive personal information about you from a broad range of activities on luckybegining.com,including surveys,contests,program registrations,tell-a-friend services and general correspondence. Also,we may receive personal information about you from certain third party distribution partners or service providers as part of providing our search services to such third parties. Depending on the service used,the personal information we collect may include contact information (such as first and last name,mailing address,email address and telephone number),demographic information (such as age,gender,occupation and household income) and location and billing information (shipping and billing address,credit card information).
While the site claims that it uses appropriate measures to retain the gathered info security, there are no guarantees that this data will not be leaked by unwanted parties or even cybercriminals. Note that the search engine does not use an encrypted connection[2] to the site, hence it makes it easier for the attackers to steal it. We believe that this is one of the main reasons for Luckybeginning.com removal.
Luckybeginning.com is a potentially unwanted program that usually gets installed with other software from third-party websites
Additionally, those infected with the so-called Luckybeginning.com virus will also experience an increased amount of ads on all sites that they visit. While most of the content is safe, those who interact with suspicious ads might be linked to sites that deceptively prompt users to download scareware[3] apps or promise free/extremely cheap gifts like “The new iPhone X for $1.”
Please do not fall for these scams, as you might end up infecting your device with other PUPs or even malware, or spend money on software that is useless. Instead, remove Luckybeginning.com from your machine by following our detailed instructions below. Additionally, due to changes to web browser settings, we also highly advise you to reset Google Chrome, MS Edge, Safari, or any other installed browser. Finally, we also suggest you use FortectIntego to fix the inconsistencies left after the Luckybeginning.com hijack.
Browser hijackers might slip into computers unnoticed
Browser hijackers can be downloaded and installed via two main methods. The first one might be treated as direct – when you visit the official website of the app and install it right there. In most of the cases, users install various PUPs intentionally when looking for certain functionality, such as video converting, video display, system optimization, or other.
Another, and probably the most likely way to get infected with a browser hijacker is during the installation of free applications obtained from third-party sites. Such and similar software packages are widely spread on the Internet, especially on such popular download websites as download.com, soft32.com, softonic.com, cnet.com, and so on.
Fortunately, it is possible to opt-out of optional components easily. For that, you have to pick Advanced/Custom settings, watch out of deceptive button placements and pre-ticked boxes, and decline all the offers on the way. The unintentional installation of PUPs usually happens due to users' inability to check each installation step carefully – so keep that in mind when you decide to download a new app.
Luckybeginning.com is not using adequate protection to prevent attackers from stealing information entered on the site
Get rid of Luckybeginning.com hijacker
If you want to start Luckybeginning.com removal, you should first remind yourself the last time you installed new software on your computer. Since the homepage and new tab changes can be assigned by different PUPs, it might sometimes be difficult to determine which apps are related. This is especially true if you like to install new programs frequently or accept all the offers after landing on a deceptive site.
Therefore, soft the installed programs based on the date and check for any suspicious entries. To finalize Luckybeginning.com removal, you should also reset all the installed browsers. If you are struggling to find which app is responsible for the hijack, you might want to try to scan your machine with anti-malware software that recognizes PUPs.
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 Luckybeginning.com hijack. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To get rid of Luckybeginning.com from Windows, access the installed program list via Control Panel:
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
Macs can also be affected by PUPs. Perform the following steps to get rid of them:
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)
Once you terminate the unwanted app, make sure you reset Mozilla Firefox to fully regain control of it:
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 Luckybeginning.com 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 browser hijacker
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.
- ^ Vangie Beal. Browser hijacker. Webopedia. Online Tech Dictionary for Students, Educators and IT Professionals.
- ^ Secure Connection. Techopedia. Where IT and Business Meet.
- ^ What is Scareware?. Kaspersky. Definitions.