Lookbox
Lookbox is an aggressive ad-generating browser extension that can cover the screen of your web browser with various advertisements. Lookbox belongs to a software class known as browser hijackers and is commonly considered a potentially unwanted application.
If you have recently been harassed by hundreds of banners and pop-up ads all over your screen, then it is very likely that you have a browser hijacker like Lookbox on your system. Additional symptoms that may reveal the presence of such software on your machine may involve page redirects and unintended changes in the homepage or the search engine of your main web browser (it could be Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or another one).
On this page, we will help you uninstall this annoying software and remove all of its unwanted changes from any of the browsers that might have been affected. You will find a detailed removal guide with screenshots and instructions just below this post. Before you scroll to it, however, we will provide you with some more details about browser hijackers and their most prominent features.
Lookbox on Chrome
Lookbox is a big nuisance – it is designed for invasive and intrusive advertising. A Lookbox browser hijacker usually operates by integrating an add-on in your browser that may be concealed and/or difficult to uninstall.
The purpose of this add-on is to facilitate the generation of sponsored web ads in different shapes and sizes (banners, on-screen notifications, pop-ups, redirect links, text messages, etc.) for as long as you are browsing the web.
Yet, why would anyone want to create such an annoying advertising program? The simple answer is money. Browser hijackers, such as Lookbox or Sehen Site, use a pay-per-click remuneration model to generate profit – the more advertisements people click on, the more revenue the browser hijacker developers earn.
The persistent stream of unstoppable pop-ups, box notifications, and banners often make it hard to use your web browser, though. Sometimes, the ad-generation becomes so aggressive that many users wrongly assume that they have been invaded by some virus that has taken control of their browser and doesn’t want to be removed. The unauthorized changes in the browser’s search engine and homepage settings that often take place is another factor that contributes to the confusion.
The Lookbox Extension
Unlike malicious viruses, such as ransomware or Trojan horses, however, the Lookbox extension is nothing more than unwanted software which is simply irritating to have on your computer. In fact, most browser hijacker programs are completely legal – they typically offer some free services and features along with the ads that they display.
Lookbox, for instance, typically seeks to show you as many intrusive pop-up adverts as possible. This is usually done by installing some components in your browser that might look like toolbars or redirect buttons that reroute you to specific web locations and pay-per-click offers.
Unfortunately, more often than not, such a program may significantly hinder your normal online experience. Moreover, a lot of the pop-ups and banners that get promoted may show you inappropriate or irrelevant information. Thus, there is always a risk that you may land on a third-party page that may be potentially harmful (or infected with viruses, ransomware, Trojans, etc.). In the event that Lookbox is frequently redirecting you to unfamiliar websites, it is best to close these pages down and use the instructions in the guide below to eliminate the browser hijacking program.
SUMMARY:
Name | Lookbox |
Type | Adware/Browser Hijacker |
Danger Level | Medium (nowhere near threats like Ransomware, but still a security risk) |
Symptoms | The most prominent symptoms include a new search engine in the browser, a new homepage, and random auto-redirects to ad-supported sites. |
Distribution Method | In many cases, users install browser hijackers through free software bundles, spam messages, torrents and ads. |
Detection Tool |
Remove Lookbox from Chrome
To try and remove Lookbox quickly you can try this:
- Go to your browser’s settings and select More Tools (or Add-ons, depending on your browser).
- Then click on the Extensions tab.
- Look for the Lookbox extension (as well as any other unfamiliar ones).
- Remove Lookbox by clicking on the Trash Bin icon next to its name.
- Confirm and get rid of Lookbox and any other suspicious items.
If this does not work as described please follow our more detailed Lookbox removal guide below.
If you have a Windows virus, continue with the guide below.
If you have a Mac virus, please use our How to remove Ads on Mac guide.
If you have an Android virus, please use our Android Malware Removal guide.
If you have an iPhone virus, please use our iPhone Virus Removal guide
Some of the steps will likely require you to exit the page. Bookmark it for later reference.
Reboot in Safe Mode (use this guide if you don’t know how to do it).
WARNING! READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING!
Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC at the same time and go to the Processes Tab (the “Details” Tab on Win 8 and 10). Try to determine which processes are dangerous.
Right click on each of them and select Open File Location. Then scan the files with our free online virus scanner:
After you open their folder, end the processes that are infected, then delete their folders.
Note: If you are sure something is part of the infection – delete it, even if the scanner doesn’t flag it. No anti-virus program can detect all infections.
Hold together the Start Key and R. Type appwiz.cpl –> OK.
You are now in the Control Panel. Look for suspicious entries. Uninstall it/them.
Type msconfig in the search field and hit enter. A window will pop-up:
Startup —> Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer or otherwise look suspicious.
Hold the Start Key and R – copy + paste the following and click OK:
notepad %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/hosts
A new file will open. If you are hacked, there will be a bunch of other IPs connected to you at the bottom. Look at the image below:
If there are suspicious IPs below “Localhost” – write to us in the comments.
Open the start menu and search for Network Connections (On Windows 10 you just write it after clicking the Windows button), press enter.
- Right-click on the Network Adapter you are using —> Properties —> Internet Protocol Version 4 (ICP/IP), click Properties.
- The DNS line should be set to Obtain DNS server automatically. If it is not, set it yourself.
- Click on Advanced —> the DNS tab. Remove everything here (if there is something) —> OK.
- After you complete this step, the threat will be gone from your browsers. Finish the next step as well or it may reappear on a system reboot.
Right click on the browser’s shortcut —> Properties.
NOTE: We are showing Google Chrome, but you can do this for Firefox and IE (or Edge).
Properties —–> Shortcut. In Target, remove everything after .exe.
Remove Lookbox from Internet Explorer:
Open IE, click —–> Manage Add-ons.
Find the threat —> Disable. Go to —–> Internet Options —> change the URL to whatever you use (if hijacked) —> Apply.
Remove Lookbox from Firefox:
Open Firefox, click ——-> Add-ons —-> Extensions.
Find the adware/malware —> Remove.
Remove Lookbox from Chrome:
Close Chrome. Navigate to:
C:/Users/!!!!USER NAME!!!!/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data. There is a Folder called “Default” inside:
Rename it to Backup Default. Restart Chrome.
Type Regedit in the windows search field and press Enter.
Inside, press CTRL and F together and type the threat’s Name. Right click and delete any entries you find with a similar name. If they don’t show up this way, go manually to these directories and delete/uninstall them:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—–Random Directory. It could be any one of them – ask us if you can’t discern which ones are malicious.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—-Windows—CurrentVersion—Run– Random
HKEY_CURRENT_USER—-Software—Microsoft—Internet Explorer—-Main—- Random
If the guide doesn’t help, download the anti-virus program we recommended or try our free online virus scanner. Also, you can always ask us in the comments for help!
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