Skip to content
  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jun 2020

How to remove Arcade Giant virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Jake Doevan · Computer technology expert

Arcade Giant is software that allows you playing flash games, but also fills your browsers with intrusive ads

Arcade Giant

Arcade Giant is a browser add-on or a standalone application that can be download from the official website, although that is not how most of the users end up installing it on their computers. In most cases, these potentially unwanted programs[1] travel within software bundle packages, and users end up installing them without being properly notified. Luckily, Arcade Giant and similar PUPs can be easily avoided by paying close attention to freeware installers.

Arcade Giant is an adware program, so it inserts pop-ups, in-text links, flashing windows, auto-play ads, deals, offers, banners, coupons, and other advertisement content into Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, or another browser. These ads might be insecure in some cases, and result in the installation of other potentially unwanted programs or make users lose money due to online scams.[2]

Name Arcade Giant
Type Adware
Infection means Potentially unwanted programs are often bundled with other applications, and get installed without notifying users properly; in other cases, users may install adware themselves without understanding its real purpose
Symptoms  Unwanted advertisements show up on all sites that you visit, web browser settings changes without permission, search results are filled with sponsored links, redirects lead to suspicious websites, etc.
Associated risks Users may be led to scam, phishing and similar sites that advertise other potentially unwanted programs or urge users to register for a fraudulent service (money loss)
Removal  Either eliminate the unwanted app manually as per our instructions below or employ anti-malware software
Optimization & recovery For best results, we recommend using FortectIntego and resetting all the installed browsers

The gaming industry is now worth billions of dollars – many want to get it for a quick buck. Browser-based arcade games are cheap to make, although they result in poor quality. Nevertheless, there are plenty of users who like to spend time playing these Flash games, as they think that they are free. However, it is not the case, since ArcadeGiant is adware, and it finances its activities by showing you ads.

Developers of Arcade Giant virus allegedly offer some “Premium” games for free, as explained in the ToS:

Premium Games are offered free of charge at the Site in exchange for your agreement to install the ArcadeGiant Software (the “Software”). The Software will allow us to display third party applications as well as text link, popup/under, shopping, transitional and banner advertisements on your computer based on the information we collect from you as described in the Privacy Policy.

Unfortunately, Arcade Giant ads might be far from secure and lead users to sites that are not deemed to be safe by security experts.[3] For example, adware is often associated with redirects to fraudulent push notification scams like Nlighttomayorw.info, Giantttraffic.comHernclinicsfun.info, and many others. These sites ask users to enable notifications by using social engineering and infuse browsers with even more ads. To get rid of them, users must not only remove Arcade Giant but also reset web browsers or modify their settings.

Arcade Giant virus

Besides, even after Arcade Giant removal, users might still experience browser hijack effects, like the cookies[4] and other settings do not get reset. Therefore, it is best to reset the installed browsers to avoid unwanted ads and redirects from Arcane Giant partners.

Additionally, we also advise users scanning their machines with anti-malware software to check for malware. Malicious software can be deleted with security software, but the damage done to the system might be significant. In such a case, we advise users to scan the computer with a repair tool FortectIntego, as it can fix various virus-damaged files in just a few seconds.

Unwanted programs are deliberately hidden from users' sight during the installation of freeware

ArcadeGiant has been categorized as an adware and potentially unwanted program because, very frequently, it is distributed in a bundle with freeware and displays unwanted advertisements afterward. In fact, it has its official site where you can play games online and download the program on your computer. However, in most of the cases, it infiltrates computers silently without the user's consent.

To prevent the installation of such and similar programs, you have to be careful when installing free software. Since developers get paid for allowing to bundle third-party advertisements along with their programs, most of the free applications travel with additional components, such as toolbars, add-ons, extensions, plug-ins, or offer to change homepage or search engine.

Arcade Giant data tracking

Always select Advanced or Custom installation and deselect checkboxes that offer the aforementioned additional tools because another way you can allow installation of Arcade Giant or another potentially unwanted program. In addition, we recommend installing a reputable anti-spyware, which will block such programs and will keep your computer safe.

Get rid of Arcade Giant virus

It does not matter if you have installed ArcadeGiant voluntarily or not, alongside free program or downloaded it from the official site; both ways you pose harm to your computer by keeping this useless program. Therefore, remove Arcade Giant immediately and use reputable gaming platforms instead – Steam, Origin, and others.

Arcade Giant removal can be performed either manually or automatically. We suggest you try uninstalling the unwanted app and resetting web browsing settings – it should terminate the unwanted activities. If the ads do not subside, there is a chance that there are other unwanted apps or malware installed on your machine. In such a case, you should scan your device anti-malware software.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

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

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

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

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

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

Change your homepage if it was altered:

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

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

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

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

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

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

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

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

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

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

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

Reset the homepage:

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

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

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

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

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

Clear history and website data:

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

Reset Safari:

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

Did this guide help?

Be the first to comment

Spyware News
Privacy preferences

We use cookies to improve your experience and analyze traffic. Some cookies enable embedded content like videos and social posts. Choose what you allow — you can change this anytime.