How to remove games-day.com from the settings of a web browser

What kind of application is Games Day?

Our investigation has revealed that Games Day is a browser extension that utilizes browser hijacking to promote the website games-day.com. Unfortunately, games-day.com is a fake search engine that does not offer unique search results. In most cases, users inadvertently download and install/add browser hijackers like Games Day without intending to.

Games Day browser hijacker overview

Games Day promotes a fake search engine, games-day.com, which shows search results generated by Bing (games-day.com redirects to bing.com). This extension forcefully sets games-day.com as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab page, and prevents users from removing it from these settings while it is present.

While Bing is a reputable search engine, fake search engines like games-day.com can provide misleading results and redirect users to potentially dangerous pages or show results from untrustworthy search engines. Thus, it is highly recommended to avoid relying on fake search engines, especially those that are promoted via applications like the Games Day.

Threat Summary:

Name	Games Day
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	Games Day
Supposed Functionality	Improved browsing experience
Promoted URL	games-day.com
Detection Names	N/A (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (games-day.com)	18.64.183.70
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.

More about browser hijackers

Our team has discovered that browser hijackers and fake search engines can collect data related to a user's browsing activity, which could then be sold to third-party entities or used for marketing purposes. The use of browser hijackers that gather user data raises significant privacy concerns.

In addition to the Games Day, there are other examples of browser-hijacking apps, such as the Nautica Browser Hijacker, SearchIT New Tab, and Worldwide Clock Extension.

How did Games Day install on my computer?

We have identified two websites promoting the Games Day application - one official and one deceptive. Following the instructions on either of these websites results in the application being added to a user's web browser.

Also, browser hijackers are distributed via fake installers, misleading ads, deceptive pages, and software bundles. In the case of software bundles, browser hijackers are often included as optional installations within the installer.

Users unintentionally install browser hijackers when they do not modify the provided settings to deselect the optional software. This happens when users complete installations without changing the default settings, such as "Advanced," "Custom," or similar options.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

Before downloading any application, make sure to read reviews from other users to ensure that it is a legitimate and trustworthy program. Only download applications from official websites and verified app stores. Avoid using other sources such as P2P networks, third-party downloaders, shady websites, and unverified stores.

Do not trust advertisements on suspicious websites, as they may lead you to download potentially harmful software. Avoid agreeing to receive notifications from untrustworthy websites. When installing software, always check the installation process for any unwanted additional apps or programs.

Be sure to deselect any unwanted apps before completing the installation. If your computer is already infected with Games Day, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Games-day.com redirects to bing.com (GIF):

Website promoting Games Day browser hijacker:

Deceptive website promoting Games Day:

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 Games Day?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Games Day application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Games Day browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove games-day.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove games-day.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Games Day 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, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications (which cause browser redirects to the games-day.com website), scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Games Day browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

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 "Games Day" and other recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Games Day", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.games-day.com) 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 "games-day.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the games-day.com 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 extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate "Games Day", as well as all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable "Games Day", remove hxxp://games-day.com 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 "Accept the Risk and Continue".

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 games-day.com 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 games-day.com 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users visit games-day.com website?

The income of individuals behind games-day.com  is closely tied to the number of visitors a website receives.

Is visiting games-day.com a threat to my privacy?

Websites like games-day.com can collect various types of information about their visitors, including browsing history, search queries, and possibly other data. This data can be misused.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Browser hijackers are often distributed using social engineering tactics, such as browser notifications, pop-up ads, or fake software updates.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove a browser hijacker?

Combo Cleaner is a legitimate security tool that can scan your computer for existing browser hijackers and other types of malware and remove them if found. Manual removal may not always be successful if multiple hijackers are present or if they are particularly sophisticated. In such cases, it may be necessary to remove all browser-hijacking apps at once.

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