GameLauncher ads
GameLauncher ads Removal Guide
What is GameLauncher ads?
What are the main reasons GameLauncher is not a safe application?
GameLauncher virus is a name of a malware which automatically installs on the computer and hijacks Internet browsers. It may arrive to your device as a browser extension or add-on, sadly, such installation is often carried out without the user’s permission. The malware has so far been noticed on Windows operating system and its popular browsers, however, that does not mean that the users of competitive or less popular systems can be sure their devices will not be infected either. The computer experts have already put this program into a category of adware viruses which tells a lot about what can be expected from this program. Such viruses are focused on generating ads and collecting advertising profit for their creators. Thus, soon after its install the users would typically notice and increase of various online advertising on their browsers. “Ads by GameLauncher,” “Powered by GameLauncher,” “Brought by GameLauncher” are just a few examples of the ads that will start increasingly multiplying over the time this adware is installed on your computer. Do not be misled! These ads are mainly generated to help GameLauncher redirect users to sponsored sites which have ordered such advertising service to boost their traffic or sales. Sadly, adware that sneaks up on computers is unlikely to promote anything worth your time or even safe to download. In fact, GameLauncher ads are all a part of the pay-per-click system which sole purpose is to benefit the advertiser. Every click brings another penny to the pocket of the fraudulent advertisers. We think that gives enough reasoning to remove GameLauncher from the computer. If you have already decided upon the virus removal, we suggest doing it the easy way and obtain automatic antivirus utility, for instance, RestoroIntego.
We have already talked about the most obvious signs of GameLauncher hijack. But there are some more subtle indications that prove that what you are seeing on your browser are not simply Google Ads. First, it’s the suspicious Clicker_new_cis.exe process running in your Task Manager. This process is directly associated with the adware in question and immediately points to the potential infection. If you notice it, you should terminate the process without delay and proceed with further GameLauncher removal steps. If you do not perform the system cleanup in time, the issues which may have been subtle at first may start manifesting more apparently. For instance, your computer may become sluggish, browsers and other random applications might start crashing out of the blue, and your computer may start overheating. Such activities may result in data loss and even corruption of hardware so you must make sure the adware is removed from your computer ASAP.
How did GameLauncher appear on my PC?
GameLauncher is one those programs that might appear on your computer out of nowhere. Or it only seems so. In reality, it is a lightweight cyber infection that simply has no capacity or resources of infecting your computer completely without your interference. Usually, malware creators integrate potentially unwanted programs in packages of third party software, and we inadvertently install them on computers ourselves. If you recently downloaded any freeware or shareware application and rushed through its installation using “Quick” or “Recommended” installation modes, you may have already allowed GameLauncher or any other potentially dangerous program to enter your PC. Thus, we suggest scanning your computer with an antivirus utility immediately and opt for the “Advanced” or “Custom” installation settings next time you install something on your device. You will at least have a chance to cancel the unwanted applications manually.
GameLauncher removal guidelines:
Though GameLauncher virus as an adware may not be malicious itself, it is still very important to eliminate this program from your computer. You know all the reasons to do it already, so why not get to work? Open your antivirus utility and choose the full system scan option. That’s it. That is all that takes to finish the GameLauncher removal. If you do not own an antivirus utility yet, there are numerous options to choose from, starting with professional anti-malware tools, free software, online scanners, etc. Choose the program that fits your computer capabilities, is reliable and lasting. If, however, you would choose to remove GameLauncher manually — we have some recommendations for you as well. Check them out below.
You may remove virus damage with a help of RestoroIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of GameLauncher ads. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To remove GameLauncher from your computer manually, you will have to locate what process is responsible for the emergence of these ads and terminate it. The sources show that Clicker_new_cis.exe might be the application you need. Also, you should remove GameLauncher from the Add/Remove programs’ list. The malware creators may try to trick you here as well by naming the adware some different name. So, we can only advise you to stay vigilant or use automatic antivirus software like RestoroIntego to do the detective’s work for you.
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of GameLauncher registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: RestoroIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online. One of the basic means to add a layer of security – choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features. However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN – it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
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To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.