Quickstart.ninja virus (Free Instructions) - Virus Removal Instructions
Quickstart.ninja virus Removal Guide
What is Quickstart.ninja virus?
Quickstart.ninja is a search engine that you shouldn’t trust
Quickstart.ninja is an untrustworthy search engine which is considered a browser hijacker. It can take control of each of your web browsers[1] and make them to start opening it at random times. The suspicious program hijacks them without asking for user’s permission and expects that the user will ignore the changes in homepage and new tab page settings and continue using the new search tool just like he/she used the previous one (Google, Yahoo or Bing). As you can see, the Quickstart browser hijacker also claims to be providing Bing search results; however, you shouldn’t rely on them or start clicking on them because you might shortly encounter the biggest problem that this browser hijacker causes – redirects to various third-party pages that might pose a threat to your computer system.
Remember that you should never use any modifications of most popular search engines because they simply clutter search results with ads[2] and paid entries, which simply prevent the user from reaching needed information quickly. What is even worse, developers of such strange search tools hardly ever check the reliability of advertised pages, which means that you have to rely on your common sense when visiting them. Please be careful and better immediately quit websites that raise a suspicion to you – websites that display too many ads, sites that ask to complete surveys, participate in questionable lotteries and so on[3]. Continuous redirects to questionable websites should force you to think about Quickstart.ninja removal methods – you can delete this hijacker manually or automatically, and we provide a comparison of both methods below the article. Researcher shows how Quickstart.ninja search engine looks compared to real Bing.com search. The first one provides customized search results that are likely to be filled with links that point to certain third-party sites.
Another worrisome fact is that suspicious applications such as browser hijackers and adware tend to silently collect certain information about computer user’s habits and activity online. Usually, they do not directly collect personally identifiable information[4], although such can be found in user’s search queries. Typically, such ad-supported programs gather personally non-identifiable information such as IP address, geolocation of user’s computer, search queries, a list of recently visited websites, downloads, browser type, and even more. Usually, such shady programs use the collected data to select and display targeted ads, although such information can be sold to other third-parties as well. You can never know how such information is stored and who can access it, so we definitely recommend you to remove Quickstart.ninja – the sooner, the better. Although it is possible to remove it manually, we strongly recommend you to opt for automatic removal option. We believe that FortectIntego is the right tool for this task.
How can I prevent installation of unwanted programs?
If you wish to prevent installation of questionable programs, you should be careful when browsing the Internet, avoid downloading software from shady web sources, and keep your security programs up-to-date. No one wants to use a computer that always displays ads and works slowly, so pay attention to details provided by software installers. Even if you downloaded a legitimate program from websites like download.com or softonic.com, do not think that it is entirely safe and that you can install it in a couple of minutes without facing any negative consequences. First of all, you should always adjust installer’s settings and not allow it to install your chosen program with Default or Standard settings. Remember – these settings usually contain some statements that say you agree to install “recommended” software, which means potentially unwanted programs. These apps are marked as recommended because their developers paid for the author of the main software to present them this way[5]. Do not rely on these settings and warn everybody you know not to!
How can I completely remove Quickstart.ninja hijacker?
To remove Quickstart.ninja virus for good, you should carefully delete all of its components via Control Panel and then check your browsers for suspicious browser add-ons that were installed without your knowledge. You can find a comprehensive tutorial on how to find these components below; once you delete all questionable files, run a system scan with anti-malware software to complete Quickstart.ninja removal. This way, you will be sure that your computer was cleaned from this browser hijacker and other PUPs successfully.
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 Quickstart.ninja virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
There are two ways to remove this browser hijacker, and we usually recommend choosing the automatic one for those who seek for accuracy and safety. However, if you’re not willing to get an automatic software to delete the hijacker from your PC, follow the steps below and uninstall the program manually.
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)
To make Firefox function normally again, we highly suggest you remove everything related to Quickstart ninja virus.
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
Search for suspicious extensions in Chrome and remove them – the tutorial given below explains how to find the Extensions tab and remove unwanted add-ons manually.
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 Quickstart.ninja 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 stealing programs
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.
- ^ Browser hijacking. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.
- ^ Graham Charlton. Do 50% of adults really not recognise ads in search results?. Search Engine Watch. News Articles, Guides, Reviews and Commentary About Search, PPC, Social, Mobile, Analytics and More.
- ^ 10 Online Survey Tips to Keep You Safe!. SurveyPolice. The Web's Largest Directory of Online Survey Panels.
- ^ Personally identifiable information. Wikipedia. The Free Encyclopedia.
- ^ Chris Hoffman. How to Avoid Installing Junk Programs When Downloading Free Software. How-To Geek. For Geeks, By Geeks.