How to remove the Game Searcher PRO browser hijacker

What is Game Searcher PRO?

Game Searcher PRO is a browser hijacker, endorsed as a tool for easy access to various free online games. This software operates by making alterations to browser settings to promote search.gamesearcher.pro (a fake search engine). Game Searcher PRO also monitors users' browsing activity.

Due to the dubious methods used to proliferate this browser hijacker, it is also classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).

Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and other popular browsers are common targets of browser hijackers. They assign the addresses of bogus search engines as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URLs. Game Searcher PRO promotes search.gamesearcher.pro by making these modifications as well.

Therefore, with this app installed, each search query typed into the URL bar and new browser tab/window opened redirects to search.gamesearcher.pro. Fake searching tools are typically unable to generate unique results, and so they redirect (or cause redirection chains leading) to legitimate sites.

The search engine associated with Game Searcher PRO (search.gamesearcher.pro) is no exception to this and simply redirects to Bing (bing.com). Browser hijackers can also limit/deny access to the browser settings and/or reset any permitted changes made.

Therefore, it is impossible to recover an affected browser without first removing the browser hijacker. Game Searcher PRO has data tracking capabilities, which are used to monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and collect sensitive information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

The gathered data often contains personally identifiable information. Furthermore, browser hijacker developers usually monetize this information by sharing it with and/or selling it to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). In summary, the presence of data-tracking content on devices can result in serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft.

You are strongly advised to eliminate all suspect applications and browser extensions without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	Game Searcher PRO
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	Game Searcher PRO, Game Searcher Pro
Supposed Functionality	Easy access to free online games.
Promoted URL	search.gamesearcher.pro
Serving IP Address (search.gamesearcher.pro)	172.67.191.137
Affected Browser Settings	Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine.
Symptoms	Manipulated Internet browser settings (homepage, default Internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the Internet using their search engines.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites.
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.

Stream, SearchSeries, News Precinct and Holy Bible Daily are some examples of other browser hijackers. They may seem legitimate and harmless, and users are often tempted into download/installation with various "useful" functionalities, however, these features seldom work as promised and, in most cases, do not work at all.

In fact, this information is true of most PUAs. These unwanted apps have just one purpose: to generate profit at users' expense. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs hijack browsers, cause redirects, run intrusive advertisement campaigns and gather vulnerable information.

How did Game Searcher PRO install on my computer?

Certain PUAs (e.g. Game Searcher PRO) have "official" download web pages, however, they are more commonly downloaded/installed together with other software. This deceptive marketing tactic of pre-packing regular products with unwanted or malicious additions is termed "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of unintentionally allowing dubious and/or bundled content onto the system. Intrusive ads proliferate these applications as well. When clicked, they can execute scripts to stealthily download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

All software should be researched before download/installation or purchase. Use official and verified sources. Unofficial and free file-hosting (freeware) sites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders are untrusted, since they can offer deceptive and bundled content.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features and other additions. It is also important to exercise caution when browsing. Intrusive ads may seem normal, however, they often redirect to dubious pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).

If you encounter advertisements/redirects of this kind, check the system and remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Game Searcher PRO, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Game Searcher PRO browser hijacker asking for various permissions:

Website promoting Game Searcher PRO browser hijacker:

Appearance of Game Searcher PRO (GIF):

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▼ 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 Game Searcher PRO?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Game Searcher PRO application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove search.gamesearcher.pro redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Game Searcher PRO browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.gamesearcher.pro homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove search.gamesearcher.pro redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Game Searcher PRO browser hijacker 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 recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "Game Searcher PRO"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the search.gamesearcher.pro website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Game Searcher PRO browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

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 extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://search.gamesearcher.pro and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.

Change your default search engine:

Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove "Game Searcher PRO".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.gamesearcher.pro redirect, 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 "Game Searcher PRO" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Game Searcher PRO" (or simply "Game Searcher Pro"), look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.search.gamesearcher.pro) below the “Open a specific or set of pages” option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select “Remove”.

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for "search.gamesearcher.pro", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.gamesearcher.pro redirect, 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 on "Extensions" and remove "Game Searcher PRO", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "Game Searcher PRO", remove hxxp://search.gamesearcher.pro and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type about:config and press Enter.
Click "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search.gamesearcher.pro redirect 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 and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.

In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.

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 top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.

Change your homepage and new tab settings:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".

Change your default Internet search engine:

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.gamesearcher.pro redirect, 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:

A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.

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