How to remove GamingSearch browser hijacker? — Fix Guide

About GamingSearch hijacker origins

GamingSearch search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)¹, that is spread as a plugin for your web browser. It is typically promoted as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that assists to browse some specific details, for example, about sporting activity events, make your browser much more safe, allow downloading of any video, and so on.

Nevertheless, the GamingSearch plugin is rather useless since all such features are already embedded to your browser and/or system. Such advertising slogans are targeted on low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. But occasionally even professional users are getting caught on such an appeal. In certain scenarios, this hijacker is spread together with free programs.

How harmful is GamingSearch hijacker?

Besides its uselessness, GamingSearch hijacker is additionally rather harmful for web browser usage. It transforms your search engine to its specific – gaming-search.com, and likewise changes your background, putting its watermark on your background image (or, sometimes, changing it to default with the mentioned symptom).

Aside from visual changes done by GamingSearch hijacker, you can discover that many of your search inquiries are redirecting to the uncertain sites, full of links and promotions – so-called doorway websites. Such websites can have the web links for malware downloading. The chance of redirecting boosts if you attempt to start Google search page by force.

But all these actions are much more annoying than truly harmful. The most important risk, primarily for people who have a huge amount of confidential information in their internet browsers, is embedded in data gathering functionalities. Cookie files, conversations, often-visited sites as well as various other activities are simply collected by GamingSearch hijacker.

How to remove GamingSearch search hijacker?

• Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
• Open GridinSoft Anti-Malware and perform a “Standard scan“.
• “Move to quarantine” all items.
• Open “Tools” tab – Press “Reset Browser Settings“.
• Select proper browser and options – Click “Reset”.
• Restart your computer.

Browser hijackers are almost always pretty simple to deal with. Most of the times, they have an independent app that can be located in the list of installed software. As a result of the particular marketing tactic of GamingSearch hijacker, it can be quickly tracked and removed manually. Nonetheless, if you got GamingSearch in the bundle with a free application( s), your PC might be infected with much more serious malware – trojans, spyware or perhaps ransomware. That’s why I ‘d suggest you to make use of anti-malware programs to remove the GamingSearch PUA and all various other malware.

You can use Microsoft Defender² – it is capable of discovering and eliminating various malware, including mentioned hijacker. But severe malware, that might exist on your computer in the discussed case, can disable the Windows antimalware tool by modifying the Group Policies. To avoid such scenarios, it is better to utilize GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

To detect and remove all unwanted programs on your personal computer with GridinSoft Anti-Malware, it’s better to use Standard or Full scan. Quick Scan is not able to find all the malicious programs, because it scans only the most popular registry entries and folders.

You can see the detected viruses sorted by their possible hazard during the scan process. But to perform any actions against the viruses, you need to hold on until the scan is finished, or to stop the scan.

To set the action for every spotted malicious or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of detected malicious program. By default, all malware will be removed to quarantine.

Reset browser settings to original ones

To revert your browser settings, you need to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action cannot be counteracted by any virus, hence, you will surely see the result. This option can be found in the Tools tab.

After pressing the Reset Browser Settings button, the menu will be shown, where you can choose, which settings will be reverted to original.

Deleteing GamingSearch hijacker manually

Besides using anti-malware software for browser restoration, you may choose the “Reset browser settings” function, which is usually embedded in all popular browsers.

1. Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :
2. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :

1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :
2. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :

After choosing this option, you will see the next message :

1. Open Settings tab, find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab choose the “Reset and clean up” button :
2. In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” :
3. Finally, you will see the window, where you can see all the settings which will be reset to default :
   

1. Open Settings menu by pressing the gear icon in the toolbar (left side of the browser window), then click “Advanced” option, and choose “Browser” button in the drop-down list. Scroll down, to the bottom of the settings menu. Find there “Restore settings to their original defaults” option :
2. After clicking the “Restore settings…” button, you will see the window, where all settings, which will be reset, are shown :

As an afterword, I want to say that the time plays against you and your PC. The activity of browser hijacker must be stopped as soon as possible, because of possibility of other malware injection. This malware can be downloaded autonomously, or offered for you to download in one of the windows with advertisements, which are shown to you by the hijacker. You need to act as fast as you can.

References

1. More information about PUAs
2. Detailed review of Microsoft Defender