Goalked.com POP-UP Redirect

What is goalked.com?

goalked.com is a rogue website designed to redirect users to other untrustworthy/unwanted sites.

This website is usually visited inadvertently - potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) trigger redirects to it. PUPs are also installed inadvertently and, in addition to unwanted redirects, deliver intrusive advertisements, collect information, and misuse computer resources. Some examples of other rogue websites arefixnnetwork.com, rakbler.ru, and mobile-feednews.com

When the potentially unwanted program is installed, it triggers browsers to open new tabs/windows and redirects users to goalked.com, which then causes more (typically 2-3) redirects to other untrustworthy sites that could be potentially malicious (and contain malicious content). Being redirected to these websites could cause high-risk computer infections.

Another downside of PUPs is information tracking, since they tend to record information, such as IP addresses, geo-locations, search queries, visited websites, keystrokes, etc. Some of the information might be personally identifiable, or include other sensitive details. Furthermore, this data is shared with third parties (potentially cyber criminals) and used to generate revenue.

These actions can lead to various privacy issues or even identity theft. PUPs record data, but also deliver intrusive ads that are displayed via tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site (and conceal underlying content).

Clicking Them can cause unwanted redirects to untrustworthy websites (potentially malicious) or even execute scripts that download and install potentially unwanted programs.

Furthermore, some potentially unwanted programs run programs in the background (background tasks) that can significantly affect computer performance. We advise you to uninstall potentially unwanted programs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	goalked.com pop-up
Threat Type	Adware, Unwanted ads, Pop-up Virus
Symptoms	Seeing advertisements not originating from the sites you are browsing. Intrusive pop-up ads. Decreased Internet browsing speed.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers.
Damage	Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

PUP developers offer "useful" tools, however, these programs do not deliver the functionality promised or any other real value for regular users. As a rule, these programs are designed only to generate revenue by delivering intrusive ads, causing unwanted redirects, and sharing collected information.

How did adware install on my computer?

It is possible to download potentially unwanted programs willingly (from their official websites), however, in most cases, PUPs are installed inadvertently through intrusive ads or together with other software. Developers often use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" to stealthily install PUPs with regular software.

To achieve this, developers hide PUPs in "Custom"/"Advanced" and other similar sections of the installation processes. Information about these installations is rarely disclosed properly. Furthermore, many users skip installation steps without studying them carefully. Developers are aware of this, and use it to their advantage.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software using only legitimate, official, and trustworthy sources. Avoid using third party software downloaders and torrents. Install software with care - do not finish any installation without first checking all available "Custom", "Advanced" and other settings of the installation process.

Do not leave any checkbox unticked that indicates your approval to install potentially unwanted programs. Once these checks are made, you can finish the installation. Bear in mind that intrusive ads often appear legitimate/legitimate, but can be malicious or cause unwanted redirects to potentially malicious websites such as gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc.

If you happen to click an ad of this type and it opens a suspicious website, close it immediately and check for any suspicious extensions, plug-ins, or add-ons installed on your browser, or programs installed on your computer. Remove them immediately. Finally, keep your antivirus software enabled at all times.

If your computer is already infected with rogue applications, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

IMPORTANT NOTE! This deceptive site asks to enable web browser notifications.

Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:

Google Chrome (PC):

• Click the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen
• Select "Settings", scroll down to the bottom and click "Advanced"
• Scroll down to the "Privacy and security" section, select "Content settings" and then "Notifications"
• Click three dots on the right hand side of each suspicious URL and click "Block" or "Remove" (if you click "Remove" and visit the malicious site once more, it will ask to enable notifications again)

Google Chrome (Android):

• Click on the Menu button (three dots) on the right upper corner of the screen and click "Settings"
• Scroll down, click on "Site settings" and then "Notifications"
• In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs and click on them one-by-one
• Select "Notifications" in the "Permissions" section and click "Block"

Mozilla Firefox:

• Click the Menu button (three bars) on the right upper corner of the screen
• Select "Options" and click on "Privacy & Security" in the toolbar on the left hand side of the screen
• Scroll down to the "Permissions" section and click the "Settings" button next to "Notifications"
• In the opened window, locate all suspicious URLs, click the drop-down menu and select "Block"

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is goalked.com?
• STEP 1. Uninstall adware applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove adware from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue plug-ins from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove adware-type extensions from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove malicious extensions from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Adware removal:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window, look for any potentially unwanted programs, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted program that causes goalked.com redirects, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove adware from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the goalked.com pop-up, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.

Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Click the Reset button.

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and remove them.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the goalked.com pop-up, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click "Extensions", in the opened window, remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with goalked.com pop-up removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....

In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the goalked.com pop-up, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.

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