Search.joygame.com Removal Guide

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Category: Browser Hijackers

Search.joygame.com is a suspicious search engine which users usually detect on their systems after they install the extension called Joygame Homepage from the Chrome Web Store or a game called Joygame from Joygame.com. It does not really matter whether a user has downloaded this piece of software himself/herself or it has slithered onto the system without consent because it is still a must to get rid of Search.joygame.com browser hijacker. We are sure that there is a number of more trustworthy search tools available on the web, so you should set any of them instead of Search.joygame.com. We promise to help you with the Search.joygame.com removal further in this article.

As Joygame Homepage extension (it promotes Search.joygame.com) is available on the Chrome Web Store, it is probably perfectly clear that this software is compatible with Google Chrome. This is, of course, not the only browser it works on. It has been observed that it is compatible with Internet Explorer as well, and there is even a slight possibility that Search.joygame.com will appear on Mozilla Firefox too. Users living in Turkey are the main targets of Search.joygame.com, so they have to be cautious all the time. Unfortunately, users living in the rest of the world are not safe too. Research carried out by our specialists at 411-spyware.com has shown that the extension which distributes Search.joygame.com is also very prevalent in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. According to the security specialists, the Joygame Homepage extension is getting more and more popular, for example, Google Chrome users have already downloaded it 391 708 times from the Chrome Web Store.

Search.joygame.com itself is hosted on 212.68.37.6 IP. The IP itself shows that the company which has created this search provider is located in Istanbul, Turkey. The domain itself is registered through GODADDY.com and the rank of this search engine, according to Alexa rank, is only 667. Even though Search.joygame.com looks like a decent search engine, we do not think that it can be trusted. The main reason is simple - Search.joygame.com might provide users with the modified search results, i.e. all kinds of bad links and third-party advertisements might be incorporated among the legitimate results. Untrustworthy links might be placed on the main page too. After you click on any of them, you might be simply taken to a corrupted third-party web page full of malicious software. You can, of course, protect your system from harm. All you have to do is to stop using Search.joygame.com to search for the information and set another reputable search provider.

This search engine will not only provide you with the sponsored content, but it might also collect details about users’ browsing habits. As we have managed to find out, it is interested in the web pages users tend to visit, the links they click on, time and date of their computers, the version of Windows OS installed, IP address, and other similar details. Different data tracking technologies exist these days; however, it is still very likely that Search.joygame.com gathers information about peoples’ activities using cookies and beacons.

Last but not least, it has been observed that users initiate the download of this software from Joygame.com because they believe that they will get a fun game. Unfortunately, they not only get a game, but also notice their homepage altered. Researchers at 411-spyware.com have noticed that the software connects to the following (see below) domains in order to install the game. It might be true that commands and files are stored in these servers.

  • http://launcher.softnyx.net/launcher/OnFetch.txt
  • http://rotatorsglb.joygame.com/ar/softnyx/wolfteam
  • http://cdn.joygamedl.com/wtas/patch/game/495/wolfr_495.xfs

This piece of software is not only spread through Joygame installers and Chrome Web Store, but it might also enter your system using other ways. For example, you might notice that Search.joygame.com is set after you download a software bundle from a third-party web page or some kind of torrent. It is highly recommended to install a reputable security tool in order to prevent suspicious software from entering the system. You will also protect your browsers from unauthorized changes too.

In order to get rid of Search.joygame.com, you need to remove its extensions from all your browsers. Yes, it is not possible to delete it via Control Panel. Have you already erased all the extensions? If so, do not forget to remove leftovers too. These are registry keys and search.joygame[1].xml. You can also use our instructions which are placed below. This method might be slightly more difficult, but you will fully delete the unwanted extension yourself and change your homepage. Finally, you can also scan your system with an automatic malware remover, such as SpyHunter, to erase all the existing infections. This software will protect your PC from similar future threats as well.

How to get rid of Search.joygame.com

From the registry

  1. Access the Registry Editor (Windows key + R and then enter regedit).
  2. Go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Google\Chrome\RestoreOnStartupURLs and find the HomepageLocation value. Right-click on it and delete http://search.joygame.com for the Data line.
  3. Delete http://search.joygame.com from the value HomepageLocation in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\RestoreOnStartupURLs.
  4. Go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Google\Chrome\Recommended and erase http://search.joygame.com from the HomepageLocation value.
  5. Find the HomepageLocation value in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\Recommended and erase http://search.joygame.com from the Data line.
  6. Find the HomepageLocation value in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Policies\Google\Chrome, right-click on it, and reset it.
  7. Check the HomepageLocation value in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome and remove http://search.joygame.com, if you see it there.
  8. Right-click on SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\LowRegistry\DOMStorage\search.joygame.com and delete it.
  9. Move to HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main and find the Start Page value. Modify it.

Delete folders

  1. Launch RUN again (Windows key + R).
  2. Enter %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ and find the ojmcefcpojnkmmblchnllkaphlpdobgd folder. Delete it.
  3. Enter %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\ in the RUN field and click OK.
  4. Find ojmcefcpojnkmmblchnllkaphlpdobgd, right-click on it, and click Delete.

Delete files

  1. Launch RUN.
  2. Type in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow and click OK.
  3. Locate search.joygame[1].xml, right-click on it, and select Delete, if you use Windows 7 or newer versions of Windows OS.
  4. Enter %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\LocalLow\ if you use Windows XP.
  5. Locate the search.joygame[1].xml file.
  6. Right-click on it and click Delete to get rid of it.
  7. Delete Preferences, Secure Preferences, and Web Data files from the following locations:
  • %LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
  • %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
Download Remover for Search.joygame.com *
*SpyHunter scanner, published on this site, is intended to be used only as a detection tool. To use the removal functionality, you will need to purchase the full version of SpyHunter.

Search.joygame.com Screenshots:

Search.joygame.com
Search.joygame.com
Search.joygame.com

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