Remove NetGameSearch Hijacker From PC

Proper Guide To Delete NetGameSearch

NetGameSearch is a browser hijacking application that has been designed by a team of vicious criminals to monetize mainly on ads and data tracking. In most cases, these potentially unwanted programs do not end on users’ PCs intentionally, they are commonly distributed via illusive techniques such as software bundling, fake updates or suspicious ads. However, some people might download the program purposely believing that it could have a useful functionality. Soon after the intrusion, this perilous hijacker starts to modify the operation of Chrome, Firefox or Safari and interrupts users’ web sessions badly.

Know More About NetGameSearch:

After getting infected with NetGameSearch, instead of seeing the regular homepage, victims will be forced to visit netgamesearch.com for their searches. On other words, their search results will be rerouted to Yahoo and filled with a bunch of ads and sponsored links. In the background, the program spies on users’ activities that they perform during online sessions and later shares the gathered data with third-parties for revenues. This notorious PUP presents itself as an add-on capable of providing several useful features.  On the contrary, it does not possess any special abilities of providing incognito search outcomes but instead serves advertisements at the top of the results.

NetGameSearch offers nothing but a basic search function and provides commercial contents in the process. While the functionality and usability of the app are questionable, some people might believe that they are useful simply because they are implanted with the homepage. Nonetheless, it is important to remember that these basic features come at the cost of manipulated search results and privacy. This perilous hijacker uses Yahoo’s search engine in order to generate results. Despite this, the search outcomes are not organic but altered by the NetGameSearch.

Due to this, victims can see plenty of sponsored links right at the top, making them likely to press on these sponsored web domains. This activity can interfere with normal internet browsing and mislead people into buying or subscribing to services that might be useless or fail to offer what was promised. And thus, financial losses could occur. As long as you keep this hijacker installed, it will track your web activities, gather important information and share those details with cyber criminals. And hence, a quick NetGameSearch removal is highly required.

Threat Details

Name: NetGameSearch

Type: Browser hijacker, Redirect virus, Potentially unwanted program

Short Description: Redirects users to affiliated sites, promotes sponsored products, services and programs and make online revenues for the creators, Also steals users’ personal and confidential information and share them with hackers for evil purposes.

Symptoms: Home page, search engine, new tab page altered, tons of annoying adverts, Fake pop-up messages, identity theft. Users are enforced to visit hijacker’s website and search the Internet using their search engines, slowness of infected system’s performance.

Distribution methods: Free software installers (bundling), Deceptive emails, malicious pop-ups ads, fake flash player installers.

Damage: Web browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), exhibition of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites.

Removal: To get rid of this infection and other malware threats, our security researchers recommend scanning your device with an effective anti-malware tool.

Penetration of NetGameSearch:

Many potentially unwanted programs have “official” sources from where users can download them. However, most of the times, they are distributed via the installation of freeware. This illusive marketing method of pre-packing regular software with additional objects is called “bundling”. This generally occurs when people download a freeware from untrustworthy domains like soft32.com, softonic.com download.com, cnet.com, etc. and then perform, careless installation process (ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, using “Easy/Express” settings etc.). These options don’t disclose the tools that are added to the package and hence, they manage to sneak into the machine without being noticed by the users.

How To Prevent Hijacker Intrusion:

It is important to research any products or software before downloading and installing them. Avoid downloading programs from unreliable channels like free file-hosting sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third-party downloaders and choose only official sources, trustworthy channels, direct links for the process. In addition, always opt for Custom or Advanced configuration settings to install software where you can de-select all the components that give a concerning look. Also, you should not click on ads or hyperlinks that you usually see while web surfing as they might take you to potentially infectious sites that host unwanted programs. But at the moment, you must remove NetGameSearch from the machine as early as possible.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove NetGameSearch:

Remove the related items of NetGameSearch using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing NetGameSearch issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (NetGameSearch) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to NetGameSearch removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter.  In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to NetGameSearch still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove NetGameSearch plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”.  Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in NetGameSearch removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete NetGameSearch (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications.  Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.