How to remove Losx.xyz redirect in Windows 10?

If you notice that your browser’s homepage and search page have been altered, you could be a victim of a browser hijacker. Some Windows users have reported that Losx.xyz Redirect is wreaking havoc on their devices and they don’t seem to understand how it got into their computers.

In today’s post, you’ll learn everything about Losx.xyz Redirect, including whether or not it’s a virus. Additionally, we’ll show you how to remove Losx.xyz and prevent the many dangers it poses to your privacy.

What Is Losx.xyz Redirect?

Losx.xyz Redirect is a fake application that has been categorized as adware, a browser hijacker or a potentially unwanted application/program (PUA/PUP). It’s a threat to your computer, and the longer it stays, the more damage it causes.

Losx.xyz Redirect affects most types of browsers, including popular ones like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. The virus is promoted by two apps, namely APP on Chrome and SDL on Firefox. Once it manages to manipulate its way into your Windows machine, it changes the default settings on your web browsers. This process usually happens without your knowledge or authorization, and you’ll just be surprised to find a new homepage and search page the next time you launch your favorite browser.

Losx.xyz is the main domain address of this PUA, and every time you try to search for a webpage, you’ll be rerouted to the Losx.xyz domain. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you don’t remove the application immediately, you risk exposing your private information to all the servers connected to the Losx.xyz browser hijacker.

The obvious telltale signs that Losx.xyz is running on your computer include:

• your web browser’s default search engine is Losx.xyz,
• your browser’s default homepage is changed to Losx.xyz,
• your search queries are redirected to ambiguous domains showing irrelevant information,
• you will notice a suspicious browser extension that you don’t remember installing,
• your PC becomes sluggish and unresponsive,
• false and annoying notifications and messages start to pop up on your computer,
• you may notice high CPU usage caused by your browser due to repeated pop-ups.

Is Losx.xyz a Virus?

Losx.xyz Redirect is a virus that affects all types of Windows versions. It’s a fake search engine whose purpose is to redirect users to bogus websites that might contain potentially malicious programs. The browser hijacker by itself might not be dangerous. However, it can cause irreparable damage to your Windows computer since it acts as a backdoor through which other types of malware can infiltrate your system. For instance, when you enter a search parameter, it reroutes you to an unsafe website, where if you accidentally click on a link, you risk infecting your computer with malware.

The intrusion of Losx.xyz Redirect can happen in several ways, some of which wouldn’t seem suspicious. Here’s a list of the most common methods of entry:

• Through advertisements or bundled with other software. Certain free programs that are offered free of charge have a catch – the installer is likely to contain other programs suggested by the installer by default. Most users usually don’t bother to read the instructions provided in the installer and end up with unwanted software. It’s, therefore, advisable that you choose the custom or advanced installation of programs to prevent additional and potentially harmful applications from being installed without your consent.
• Fake software updates, such as Flash Player updates, are also a common method of spreading the fake search engine. The updates may appear to be genuine, but if you’re not careful and end up clicking on the link, you’re redirected to install a browser extension or add-on that might harm your computer. If you look closely at these fake updates, you’ll realize that they appear somewhat generic with additional names like APP or SDL.
• Another notorious method of distributing PUAs like Losx.xyz is through email attachments where the recipient is tricked into clicking on a link that might be set up to inject malware into the PC.
• The program can be spread via third-party applications like SDL and APP. The Losx.xyz virus operates in the background, which makes it difficult to identify and remove from your machine.
• The virus can also be distributed from one machine to another via an infected storage device like a USB drive.

Losx.xyz is capable of modifying the registry and other important components in your system and should, therefore, be treated as a high-level security threat.

What Does Losx.xyz Do?

These types of browser hijackers are usually designed to look like useful and legitimate applications, such as productivity utilities. Once such an application manages to install itself on your computer, you’ll instantly notice a change in your browser’s settings. All your efforts to try to restore your browser’s settings to the factory defaults will go to waste unless you use an advanced malware removal tool.

Furthermore, this application is capable of tracking your browsing habits and gathering your private information, such as your geolocation, search queries, and IP address, as well as the URLs of the visited web pages. This data is later distributed to third parties, who in turn use it to send you targeted advertising, which can be extremely irritating. Besides, the data can be sold on the dark web and used to demand a ransom.

To prevent browser hijackers, such as Losx.xyz Redirect and others, from making unauthorized changes to your web browsers and exposing your computer to malware attacks, here’s what you can do:

• Avoid using third-party installers or downloaders, peer-to-peer networks, torrent clients, and other untrusted tools to download and install any type of program or software on your computer. It’s advisable to only visit official websites and use direct links to download and install official programs. Likewise, we recommend reading carefully the instructions provided by the installer before installing any program. Additionally, avoid clicking on any type of link whose source you can’t verify.
• Install a powerful anti-malware tool capable of detecting and removing malware and PUAs that your antivirus might have missed.
• Always make sure that Windows Firewall is enabled.
• Keep your Windows system and security programs up to date. Outdated software is easily exploited by malware and may open a backdoor for malware infection.
• Avoid clicking on links on the internet, especially while on social media platforms.

How to Remove Losx.xyz Redirect

Uninstall Losx.xyz Redirect and Related Programs

It’s typical for browser hijackers like Losx.xyz Redirect to install some of their associated components like regular Windows applications. This means that you can find the additional software in the list of “Apps & features” and remove it from your PC.

Here’s the step-by-step guide:

1. Press and hold the Windows Key and hit X.
2. Select “Apps and Features” from the Quick Link menu that appears.
3. Click the “Uninstall a program” link under “Programs”.
4. Look for the “Losx.xyz” application, right-click it and select “Uninstall”.
5. Next, search for any suspicious programs or software that you don’t remember installing or using on your computer and uninstall them using the same procedure as outlined in step 4. Some of the commonly known malicious applications to look out for include Search APP, APP, MyPrintable Coupons, PDFOnline-express, and Babylon Toolbar.
6. Next, remove the Losx.xyz shortcut from your Windows PC. To do this, right-click your browser, select “Properties” and switch to the “Shortcut” tab.
7. Look in the “Target:” field to check if you’ll see a suspicious URL that’s not related to your browser. If you find it, select the URL and delete it. Repeat the same process for all the browsers that you have installed on your Windows device.

Delete Losx.xyz Redirect from File Explorer

In some instances, malicious software like Losx.xyz might not show up in “Programs and Features”. Moreover, uninstalling the applications might not remove the associated files and components. In such cases, you’ll have to manually search for and delete the malicious applications in “File Explorer”, especially in the %AppData% and %LocalAppData% folders.

Follow these paths and delete all occurrences of Losx.xyz Redirect:

• C:\Program Files\Losx.xyz
• C:\ProgramData\Losx.xyz
• C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Losx.xyz

To access the ProgramData and AppData folders, click “View” on “File Explorer” and check the “Hidden items” box. This process might take longer to complete since you’ll be required to look for unfamiliar and suspicious names in each folder and google them to learn if they are legitimate or fake. Therefore, it’s advisable to back up your data before deleting them in case things go south.

Run a Malware Scan

In today’s cyber world, everything you do online is risky. Hackers are developing sophisticated adware, ransomware, spyware, Trojans, and other types of malware intending to infect your computer. For this reason, you need to install an equally powerful and highly advanced malware removal tool like Auslogics Anti-Malware. This program is designed to perform a deep scan of your entire system, including the system memory, temporary folders, browser extensions, the registry, and auto-start programs in Task Scheduler, among other areas.

As a result of this comprehensive analysis, the tool can detect and remove any traces of suspicious applications or files that could be hiding on your computer. Auslogics Anti-Malware is regularly updated to ensure that it catches even newly created malware. This ensures that you can browse the web and download files peacefully. And that’s not all, this security tool is designed to work alongside your antivirus, including Windows Defender, without causing conflicts.

What’s more, you can also schedule automatic scans to ensure 24/7 protection against unauthorized intruders.

Delete Losx.xyz from Your Browsers

Removing Losx.xyz Redirect from your computer is not enough. This type of adware is cunning and usually designed to infect various parts of your PC. Therefore, you also need to remove the Losx.xyz adware from your browsers.

Remove Losx.xyz from Internet Explorer

1. Launch “Internet Explorer” and open the menu (the gear icon in the top right corner of Internet Explorer).
2. Select “Manage Add-ons” and look for any recently installed extensions that look dubious.
3. Select the extensions, one by one, and click “Remove”.
4. To change your homepage, open the menu and click on “Internet Options”.
5. Under the “General” tab, delete the Losx.xyz URL and input your preferred URL that will open every time you launch Internet Explorer. If you prefer Internet Explorer to open a blank page, type about: blank.
6. Alternatively, you can simply reset Internet Explorer. To do so, launch “Internet Explorer” from your desktop and click the gear icon to open the menu.
7. Select “Internet Options” and then switch to the “Advanced” tab.
8. Click the “Reset” button.
9. On the window that pops up, confirm that you want to reset Internet Explorer and click “Reset”.
10. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Remove Losx.xyz from Google Chrome

1. Click the menu button (three vertical dots) located in the upper right corner of the browser.
2. Select “More tools” and then choose “Extensions”.
3. Look for any suspicious add-ons, especially those that were recently installed, and click on the “Remove” button.
4. Once you’re done deleting the suspicious add-ons, you need to restore the default homepage and search page. To do this, click the menu icon and go to “Settings”.
5. Under the “On startup” section, select “Open a specific page or set of pages” and delete all specific pages.
6. Next, open the “Manage search engines” option.
7. Click on the three vertical dots after each of the search engines that you’re not familiar with and select “Remove from list”.
8. Finally, you need to reset your Google Chrome browser. To proceed, open the “Reset and clean up” option.
9. Click “Restore settings to their original defaults”.
10. On the window that pops up, click on “Reset settings”.

The default homepage and search page for the Google Chrome browser should now be restored.

Remove Losx.xyz from Mozilla Firefox

1. Launch Mozilla Firefox and open its menu located in the top right corner of the browser.
2. Click on “Add-ons” to open the “Extensions” page.
3. Here, look for Losx.xyz and any other suspicious extensions that you don’t remember installing and click “Remove”.
4. Once you’re done, you must restore Firefox’s homepage. To do so, click the menu icon and select “Options”.
5. Open the “Home” tab, click the drop-down menu next to “Homepage and new windows” and select “Firefox Home (Default)”. Do the same for the “New tabs” option.
6. Open the “Search” tab and select “Google” or your preferred choice as “Default Search Engine”.
7. Alternatively, you can reset Firefox to its default settings. To do this, click the menu icon and select “Help”.
8. Click on “Troubleshooting Information” and select “Refresh Firefox…”.
9. On the pop-up window, click on the “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Losx.xyz from Microsoft Edge

1. Run Microsoft Edge and click on the menu icon (the three dots in the top right corner of the browser).
2. Click on “Extensions” and then look for suspicious extensions. Once you locate them, right-click on each one of them and select “Uninstall”.
3. Next, you need to restore Edge’s homepage. To proceed, open the menu (the three horizontal dots in the top right corner of the browser) and select “Settings”.
4. Under the “General” pane, click the drop-down list under “Open Microsoft Edge with” and choose “Start page”.
5. Next, click on the “Set your home page” drop-down list and select your preferred choice. If you choose “A specific page”, enter the URL for that particular page.
6. To reset Microsoft Edge, open the menu and click on “Settings”.
7. Switch to the “Privacy & Security” pane and click on the “Choose what to clear” button.
8. Check all the boxes and then click on “Clear”.
9. Alternatively, go to the “Settings” app (Windows Key + I), open “Apps” and look for “Microsoft Edge”.
10. Once you find it, select it to highlight it and then open the “Advanced options” link.
11. Scroll down and select the “Reset” button.

If you found this guide useful in removing Losx.xyz Redirect from your Windows 10 computer, please let us know by commenting below.