Remove GameSearchOnline Redirect — How to Fix Guide

Written by Wilbur Woodham
The GameSearchOnline search hijacker is an illustration of an average unwanted program; such applications are spread massively these days. In this article you will see the comprehensive instructions of “GameSearchOnline” hijacker removal in different tactics: making use of anti-malware software and manual removal method.
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GameSearchOnline – What is it?

“GameSearchOnline” search hijacker is a potentially unwanted application (PUA)1, that is promoted as a plugin for your internet browser. It is usually advertised as an add-on for Chrome or Firefox, that helps to browse some special info, for instance, about sporting activity events, make your browser far more safe, allow downloading of any type of web video, and so on. Also, this app adds the “Managed by your organization” feature (on Chrome browsers).

However, the “GameSearchOnline” plugin is quite pointless because all such features are already built-in to your web browser and/or system. Such marketing slogans are targeted at low-skilled computer users, like pensioners or schoolchildren. But in some cases even expert users are getting caught on such a lure. In particular instances, this hijacker is distributed along with free tools.

GameSearchOnline hijacker - Gamesearchonline.com

GameSearchOnline Search Hijacker

Here is a summary for the GameSearchOnline hijacker
NAME GameSearchOnline
Site Gamesearchonline.com
Hosting AS13335 Cloudflare, Inc.
United States, San Francisco
Infection Type Browser Hijacker, Unwanted Application
IP Address 104.21.31.192
Symptoms Changed search engine; search queries redirection
Similar behavior Thesafesearch, Freshy, Charmsearching
Fix Tool
To remove possible virus infections, try to scan your PC

How harmful is GameSearchOnline hijacker?

Besides its uselessness, GameSearchOnline hijacker is also fairly harmful for web browser usage. It alters your search engine to its particular – Gamesearchonline.com, and also alters your background, putting its watermark on your wallpaper (or, occasionally, altering it to default with the specified symptom).

Aside from viewable modifications done by GameSearchOnline hijacker, you can discover that some of your search queries are redirecting to the untrustworthy web pages, full of web links and ads – so-called doorway sites. Such sites can include web links for malware downloads. The possibility of redirecting increases if you try to open Google search page forcibly.

However all these activities are far more frustrating than truly dangerous. The major threat, primarily for individuals who have a huge amount of secret information in their browsers, is installed in information gathering functionalities. Cookie files, conversations, often-visited websites, as well as other activities are simply gathered by GameSearchOnline hijacker.

How to remove GameSearchOnline 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 often quite easy to deal with. Most of the times, they have an independent application that can be located in the list of installed software. As a result of the specific distribution manner of GameSearchOnline hijacker, it can be easily tracked and removed manually. Nevertheless, if you got GameSearchOnline in the package with a free program, your system may be contaminated with a lot more dangerous malwaretrojans, spyware or even ransomware. That’s why I’d advise you make use of anti-malware programs to deal with the GameSearchOnline PUA and all various other malware.

You can use Microsoft Defender2 – it is capable of finding and eliminating a wide range of malware, including named hijacker. However, serious malware, that can be present on your personal computer in the discussed situation, can disable the Windows antimalware program by modifying the Group Policies. To keep away from such scenarios, it is far better to make use of GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

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

Main screen in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

You can observe the detected viruses sorted by their possible hazard during the scan process. But to choose any actions against malicious programs, you need to hold on until the scan is over, or to stop the scan.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware during the scan

To choose the action for each detected virus or unwanted program, click the arrow in front of the name of the detected malware. By default, all malware will be removed to quarantine.

List of the detected malware after the scan

Reset browser settings to original ones

To reset your browser settings, you need to use the Reset Browser Settings option. This action is not able to be counteracted by any malware, hence, you will surely see the result. This option can be found in the Tools tab.

Tools tab in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

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

Reset Browser Settings options

Deleteing GameSearchOnline 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.

To reset Edge, do the following steps :
  1. Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :
  2. Reseting the Edge browser

  3. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :
For Mozilla Firefox, do the next actions :
  1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :
  2. The first step to revert Mozilla Firefox

  3. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :
  4. The second step of Firefox restoration
    After choosing this option, you will see the next message :
    The last step for Firefox

If you use Google Chrome
  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 :
Opera can be reset in the next way
  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 time plays against you and your PC. The activity of browser hijacker must be stopped as soon as possible, because of the 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.

I need your help to share this guide.

Browser hijackers are among the largest and also disruptive kinds of malware. I published this article to help you, so I wish you will help me to make the computer world completely clean of malware. Please, share this article in the social networks you use – Twitter, Reddit, Facebook – wherever.
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Wilbur Woodham
How to Remove GameSearchOnline?

Name: GameSearchOnline

Description: GameSearchOnline - a lot of users became a victim of browser hijacker. I have a lot of friends who literally bombed me with the questions like “how to remove GameSearchOnline?”. In this article we will show you how to deal with GameSearchOnline (Gamesearchonline.com), which may corrupt your browser’s correct performance, and create a lot of troubles while you are working.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Browser Hijacker

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References

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

About the author

Wilbur Woodham

I was a technical writer from early in my career, and consider IT Security one of my foundational skills. I’m sharing my experience here, and I hope you find it useful.

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