Remove Hockey Start browser hijacker

Hockey Start is a browser hijacker, disguised as an extension that allows easier access to hockey-related content. Once installed on a computer, it will hijack your browser and change settings. It will mainly change your homepage/new tabs, as well as set search.nstart.online as your default search engine. Promoting questionable search engines is the main point of browser hijackers. Fortunately, browser hijackers aren’t serious computer infections that can cause damage to a computer. Instead, they try to expose users to as much sponsored content as possible.

 

 

Browser hijackers like Hockey Start are often advertised as useful extensions. However, once installed, they serve no purpose. Hockey Start will change your browser’s settings without explicit permission to push users into using questionable search engines.

If you did not install Hockey Start knowingly, you may be taken by surprise when you launch your browser and suddenly get redirected to search.nstart.online. Because the hijacker has hijacked your browser, it set that site as your homepage, new tabs, and default search engine. Your explicit permission was not necessary to make these changes. All popular browsers may be affected by this hijacker, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. As long as the hijacker is installed, you will not be able to undo these setting changes as the hijacker will just keep making the changes.

The search.nstart.online website that the Hockey Start browser hijacker is pushing is quite questionable. It’s supposed to be a site that makes it easier to keep up with hockey news but all it offers is a couple of quick links to hockey news sites. You can easily access them yourself, without installing some questionable extension. All your searches will also go through search.nstart.online, and that is the whole point of this hijacker. It will insert sponsored content into the search results in order to generate revenue. Those sites usually have nothing to do with the searches and will only expose users to ad content.

If you notice that your browser has been hijacked by a browser hijacker, do not click on the sponsored results. While the majority of them will simply expose you to ad content, some may lead you to malicious websites. You could be redirected to sites that promote scams or conceal malware. Considering those sites will be useless to you, there’s no reason to interact with the sponsored results anyway.

It’s also important to mention that hijackers like Hockey Start track browsing and collect information. It will gather data on your search history, websites visited, content interacted with, IP address, and other things. Although it won’t gather any personal data, it is nonetheless obtrusive enough to require removal. When you receive nothing in return, there is really no reason to put up with this kind of intrusive behavior.

Browser hijackers use a sneaky installation method to install without users even noticing. This is why you may not even remember installing it. A method known as software bundling is used for these programs to install. It’s a rather deceptive and controversial method, which is why programs that use it are often detected as potential threats by anti-virus programs.

How do browser hijackers install?

In what is known as the “software bundling method”, infections like adware, browser hijackers, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) are added to free programs as extra offers. It’s a deceptive installation technique that essentially permits unwanted programs to be installed without authorization. Hence, if this hijacker is present on your computer, it is because you recently installed a free program that also had the hijacker attached.

The added offers that come attached to programs are technically optional but are preselected to install alongside without requiring permission. If users don’t want to install the offers, they need to manually deselect them. However, the issue with this is that the offers are hidden in settings users don’t normally use. If users use Default settings to install programs, the offers will be hidden and permitted to install. Users will only be able to review what has been added if they choose Advanced settings.

If Advanced settings show that something has been added to the program, all you need to do is uncheck the boxes of those offers. Every time you install a free program, make sure to deselect all offers because they will be of no use to you. Even if they seem useful at first, allowing them to install would be a mistake. You would only fill your computer with junk that can be difficult to get rid of once installed.

Hockey Start browser hijacker may also be advertised as a reliable browser extension that will supposedly enhance your online experience by allowing you to access hockey-related content more easily. It’s not unusual for hijackers to use this method of advertising. It’s important to research programs before installing them to avoid installing potential infections. To determine whether a program is safe or not, a quick Google search is often enough. If you search Hockey Start on Google, you’ll see that the top results advise against using it.

How to delete Hockey Start browser hijacker

You should be able to remove Hockey Start browser hijacker manually in addition to using anti-virus software because the hijacker is not a particularly serious infection. For users with limited prior software removal experience, using anti-virus software is recommended. The anti-virus program would take care of everything and reverse any modifications made to your browser’s settings. You will be able to change your browser’s settings normally once the hijacker has been removed.

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Quick Menu

Step 1. Delete Hockey Start browser hijacker from your browsers

• Internet Explorer
• Chrome
• Firefox
• Safari

Terminate the unwanted extensions from Internet Explorer

1. Tap the Gear icon and go to Manage Add-ons.
2. Pick Toolbars and Extensions and eliminate all suspicious entries (other than Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Oracle or Adobe)
3. Leave the window.

Change Internet Explorer homepage if it was changed by virus:

1. Tap the gear icon (menu) on the top right corner of your browser and click Internet Options.
2. In General Tab remove malicious URL and enter preferable domain name. Press Apply to save changes.

Reset your browser

1. Click the Gear icon and move to Internet Options.
2. Open the Advanced tab and press Reset.
3. Choose Delete personal settings and pick Reset one more time.
4. Tap Close and leave your browser.
5. If you were unable to reset your browsers, employ a reputable anti-malware and scan your entire computer with it.

Erase Hockey Start browser hijacker from Google Chrome

1. Access menu (top right corner of the window) and pick Settings.
2. Choose Extensions.
3. Eliminate the suspicious extensions from the list by clicking the Trash bin next to them.
4. If you are unsure which extensions to remove, you can disable them temporarily.

Reset Google Chrome homepage and default search engine if it was hijacker by virus

1. Press on menu icon and click Settings.
2. Look for the “Open a specific page” or “Set Pages” under “On start up” option and click on Set pages.
3. In another window remove malicious search sites and enter the one that you want to use as your homepage.
4. Under the Search section choose Manage Search engines. When in Search Engines..., remove malicious search websites. You should leave only Google or your preferred search name.
   

Reset your browser

1. If the browser still does not work the way you prefer, you can reset its settings.
2. Open menu and navigate to Settings.
3. Press Reset button at the end of the page.
4. Tap Reset button one more time in the confirmation box.
5. If you cannot reset the settings, purchase a legitimate anti-malware and scan your PC.

Remove Hockey Start browser hijacker from Mozilla Firefox

1. In the top right corner of the screen, press menu and choose Add-ons (or tap Ctrl+Shift+A simultaneously).
2. Move to Extensions and Add-ons list and uninstall all suspicious and unknown entries.

Change Mozilla Firefox homepage if it was changed by virus:

1. Tap on the menu (top right corner), choose Options.
2. On General tab delete malicious URL and enter preferable website or click Restore to default.
3. Press OK to save these changes.

Reset your browser

1. Open the menu and tap Help button.
2. Select Troubleshooting Information.
3. Press Refresh Firefox.
4. In the confirmation box, click Refresh Firefox once more.
5. If you are unable to reset Mozilla Firefox, scan your entire computer with a trustworthy anti-malware.

Uninstall Hockey Start browser hijacker from Safari (Mac OS X)

1. Access the menu.
2. Pick Preferences.
3. Go to the Extensions Tab.
4. Tap the Uninstall button next to the undesirable Hockey Start browser hijacker and get rid of all the other unknown entries as well. If you are unsure whether the extension is reliable or not, simply uncheck the Enable box in order to disable it temporarily.
5. Restart Safari.

Reset your browser

1. Tap the menu icon and choose Reset Safari.
2. Pick the options which you want to reset (often all of them are preselected) and press Reset.
3. If you cannot reset the browser, scan your whole PC with an authentic malware removal software.