Remove Search.basicgeneration.com (Removal Guide)

Search.basicgeneration.com – a search hijacker that might bring you dangerous sites across the web

Search.basicgeneration.com is a website address that you might briefly see when performing searches on Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, or another web browser. In other cases, you might be suddenly be redirected through this URL while simply browsing the web. Regardless, you should never be seeing it on your address bar, as it otherwise means that you have a potentially unwanted program installed on your system.

Search.basicgeneration.com hijack might be abrupt and sudden since the app responsible for it is not installed purposely. This is because PUP developers often employ deceptive distribution techniques such as software bundle packages hosted on third-party sites or fake update^[1] prompts. Once installed, the app would alter the way the browser operates, resulting in an increase of ads, sponsored links in search results, redirects to suspicious websites, and other incidences. In the background, the Search.basicgeneration.com virus would collect various information about user browsing habits.

Name	Search.basicgeneration.com
Type	Browser hijacker, search hijacker, potentially unwanted program
IP address	99.84.251.75
Distribution	PUPs can be downloaded via third-party websites (bundling), after clicking on various ads or fake software update prompts
Symptoms	Unknown extension or application is installed without permission; homepage and new tab address are set to something else; an alternative search engine redirects results to search.yahoo.com and search.basicgeneration.com; overall increase in ads, redirects, and other browser annoyances
Risks	Installation of other potentially unwanted programs, personal information disclosure to unknown parties, financial losses
Removal	You can uninstall potentially unwanted programs by following the manual guide below or by scanning the computer with powerful anti-malware
Further steps	Computer infections can cause significant damage to system files or disrupt normal settings. To revert these changes and remediate the OS, perform a full system scan with Fortect Intego repair software

Browser hijackers are relatively widespread across the web, and, while not the most dangerous, they still should not be ignored – especially if showed up on the system without permission. These potentially unwanted applications specialize in changing we browser settings in order to deliver users sponsored content and gain monetary benefit in the process. Thus, you see Search.basicgeneration.com because there is a program or an extension installed on your machine with browser-hijacking qualities.

As soon as the PUP is installed, the homepage of you web browser might look almost identical to Google, although you will not see the regular “Search Google or type the URL” text in the omnibar. Besides, the search bar on the homepage will also be absent. Instead, you might see nothing at all or a name of the app that is responsible for the Search.basicgeneration.com hijack.

After entering the search term and pressing Enter, you will be redirected to Yahoo, Bing, or another search provider, with Search.basicgeneration.com also showing up briefly before the landing page. Besides this, you will also see advertisements at the top of the results, typically marked as “Ads.”

Some users are used to clicking the first result that they see, so they are more compelled to click ads that are shown at the top. As a result, developers of the hijacker receive a commission each time clicks on these links are performed. In the meantime, many browser hijacker developers call this “enhanced search results” – what essentially is a disturbance for end-users, to say the least. These issues are just the tip of the iceberg, however.

There are few things that you might not be aware of, however. In the background, Search.basicgeneration.com virus might do the following:

Track your every move online via JavaScript, cookies, web beacons,^[2] and other technologies (some hijackers are capable of collecting personal information);
Establish settings that would prevent easy Search.basicgeneration.com removal.

As previously mentioned, while hijackers are not considered major computer threats, developers start playing dirty rather often. The most recent trick they employ is the “Managed by your organization” feature that installs a browser extension with administrator's rights. As a result, the extension is simply grayed out, and users can not get rid of it in a regular way.

In order to remove Search.basicgeneration.com from your web browser, you will have to locate and eliminate the program or the extension – we provide manual instructions below. However, we highly recommend you also perform a full system scan with SpyHunter Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes Malwarebytes, or another security software, and then follow up with Fortect Intego for best results.

You can easily avoid getting your browser hijacked: here's how

It is irrelevant whether a hijacked browser is redirecting your searches to Yahoo, Bing, or another, less trustworthy provider. While some of these providers are legitimate, it is only the search engine that is being used. Sponsored links and ads that are inserted into results are injected by the potentially unwanted program, and they might prevent you from finding relevant information or accidentally clicking on links you never intended to.

Security is another reason not to infect your computer with a browser hijacker or another potentially unwanted program. While most do not operate as malware does, they can weaken the defenses of a PC or a Mac, rendering it more prone to cyberattacks. Thus, check out these security tips from industry experts^[3] on ways how to avoid PUPs:

Prefer downloading apps from official sources instead of third-parties;
Before installing an unknown application, read up on it online – check blog posts, community forums, etc.
During the installation, always pick Advanced/Custom settings instead of Recommended/Quick ones;
Watch out for the installer tricks: remove pre-ticked marks from checkboxes, read the fine print, and look out for misplaced buttons;
Never download software updates from ransom websites – they are likely to be fake. Visit the official website and download the update from there.
Install powerful security software that would warn you about potentially unwanted programs.

Get rid of Search.basicgeneration.com easily

Typically, Search.basicgeneration.com removal should not be a difficult process, as long as you know what program is associated with the hijacker. However, since it might not be so apparent, this process might become a little more difficult. First of all, we would like to advise you to check the instructions below – you will find out how to uninstall programs from all the operating systems and clear extensions from your web browsers.

In case you struggle when trying to remove Search.basicgeneration.com virus from your computer, navigate to the following location, and delete the data from the following folder:

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Google\

Additionally, a full scan with a powerful anti-malware is also advised. Many security solutions that include the PUP detection feature can find and delete all the browser hijacker components automatically.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:

In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:

Select Go > Go to Folder.
Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
Pick Manage Add-ons.
You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:

Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
Select Internet Options.
In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:

Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
Under Browsing history, click Delete...
Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:

Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
Select Reset.
In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:

Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
Then find On startup section.
Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
Select Details tab.
Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:

Click on Menu and go to Settings.
Select Privacy, search and services.
Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
Under Time range, pick All time.
Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

Click on Menu and select Settings.
On the left side, pick Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values.
Confirm with Reset.
This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
Select Add-ons.
In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:

Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
Choose Settings.
Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

Click Menu and pick Settings.
Go to Privacy & Security section.
Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
Click on Clear Data...
Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

Click on Menu and pick Settings.
Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:

Click menu and choose Settings.
Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

Click on Menu and select Settings.
In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
Confirm with Reset settings.

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:

Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:

Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

How to remove Search.basicgeneration.com

Search.basicgeneration.com – a search hijacker that might bring you dangerous sites across the web

You can easily avoid getting your browser hijacked: here's how