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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Apr 2018

How to remove GoGameGo

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

Lucia Danes · Virus researcher

GoGameGo – a suspicious Google Chrome New Tab classified as a browser hijacker

GoGameGo toolbar hijacks Chrome

GoGameGo is a browser hijacker and Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP)[1] developed by The Whiz Ltd. It is promoted as a Google Chrome New Tab for gaming fans enabling quick access to the newest and most popular games. However, security experts highly question its behavior since GoGameGo toolbar has been found spreading by bundling and altering Chrome’s settings without PC’s user’s permission. Once installed, it not only injects the toolbar but also replaces startup page and search site with http://search.mysearch.com, as well as drops tracking cookies to monitor user’s web browsing activities.

Name GoGameGo
Developer The Whiz Ltd
Classification Browser hijacker, PUP
Danger level Low. Does not operate as a virus, but can corrupt web browser's settings and display misleading content
Symptoms GoGameGo toolbar installed, MySearch set as default search engine, redirects to http://search.mysearch.com, http://gogamego.thewhizproducts.com, excessive amount of ads
Distribution Bundling
Removal possibilities Automatic removal with FortectIntego recommended due to multiplicity of PUP-related files

Although the tool is not malicious, the search queries, such as how to remove GoGameGo virus prevail on various security websites and blogs. Such references have serious grounds. This PUP is almost never installed intentionally. It does not have a proper official website, except a Terms of Use website, which can hardly be accessed accidentally.

Potential users are typically tricked into downloading it along with freeware like third-party converters, viewers, download managers, and similar. Right after the install, Google Chrome gets hijacked subsequently exhibiting GoGameGo toolbar, MySearch search engine, and http://search.mysearch.com as a default start page and new tab URL. Nevertheless, stealthy installation and unpermitted browser’s changes are not the only reasons why we recommend initiating GoGameGo removal. This PUP might also:

  • Display third-party content in the form of pop-up ads, banners, in-text links, etc.
  • Alter search results in a way to display links to affiliate websites in priority.
  • Generate misleading online surveys or tech-support-scam alerts.
  • Continuously redirect to sites like http://gogamego.thewhizproducts.com offering similar products.
  • Install tracking cookies and accumulate user’s Search Data.

Although less experienced PC users might find it useful at first since it displays games in categories right on Chrome’s start page (Games of the day, Top Games, Our Picks, Most Popular, Newest), the links provided may redirect you to irrelevant websites. As pointed out in app’s Privacy Policy,

There are a number of places on the Site where you may click on a link to access other websites that do not operate under these Terms of uses, including third-party websites and even other websites operated by The Whiz, but which are governed by separate terms of Use, end-user license agreements and/or privacy policies.

In other words, the developer rejects responsibility for inadmissible data collection. Therefore, there’s a risk to expose personal information like email address, your name, location or telephone number to highly suspicious third parties.

GoGameGo virus can appear to be both intrusive and potentially dangerous. It aims at generating financial profit to its developers and partners from affiliate marketing. Thus, it may display an excessive amount of ads during web browsing, as well as continuously redirect the browser to questionable domains.

Thus, even though it’s not a virus, dieviren.de[2] urge people who have been tricked into installing it to download a professional anti-malware tool or update the one that is already running on the system and get rid of GoGameGo virus without delay. Our top pic tools for PUP and malware removal are FortectIntego, SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, and MalwarebytesMalwarebytes.

GoGameGo virus printscreen

PUPs still rely on freeware

For more than a decade, PUPs, such as adware, are distributed by bundling,[3] and that does not seem to change shortly. Freeware developers monetize their free services by adding suspicious add-ons, toolbars, and other attachments as additional components.

Therefore, each time you decide upon installation of a new application, make sure to install a reliable one. Before downloading, make online research on it and check cybersecurity sites if they have it included in the database of PUPs.
Besides, choose Advanced or Custom installation option to unpack the bundle. Read the terms submitted on each installation window and unmark additional components.

Learn how to get rid of GoGameGo virus

GoGameGo is not a trustworthy Google Chrome's New Tab. It may initiate various browser's modifications to promote suspicious websites and earn money from advertising. Therefore, we would strongly recommend you to remove GoGameGo from Chrome and the system entirely.

GoGameGo removal process consists of two parts, i.e., elimination of PUPs and immunization of extensions. If you have no experience in dealing with unwanted programs, we would recommend performing the removal with an anti-virus tool, such as FortectIntego. If you want to get rid of it regularly, please follow these steps:

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

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