Gamezooks Virus on Mac

Luring you with the promise of free games, GameZooks is an app that hides malicious intentions. This unwanted application can take over your Mac’s web browser, serving up intrusive ads and pointing you toward even more serious malware.

If you’re unfortunate to pick up the GameZooks virus on Mac, what can you do? Keep reading, and we’ll show you how to remove this annoying software from your Apple computer.

Before we start:

Trying to manually remove GameZooks and other malware it might have downloaded can be slow and challenging. Save time with MacKeeper’s Antivirus tool.

1. Download, install, and run MacKeeper.
2. Select Antivirus from the side menu and click Start Scan.
3. When the scan is done, select what to remove, and click Delete.

In just a few clicks, you can rid yourself of annoying adware and other malware. Give MacKeeper a try today.

What is GameZooks on Mac?

Technically, GameZooks is adware rather than a virus. It can also be classed as a potentially unwanted program (PUP). GameZooks promises to give you access to free browser-based games, and while it may let you play, you’ll likely get more than you bargained for.

In most cases, GameZooks comes bundled with other software. This is a common tactic for adware and browser hijackers, so you should generally avoid software bundles.

Once GameZooks is on your Mac, it will start displaying intrusive ads in your web browser, whether you’re using Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or something else. This can include annoying pop-ups, as well as on-page ads, such as banners.

Not only can these unwelcome ads be irritating, but they can be malicious too, directing you to dangerous sites packed with malware. As if that wasn’t bad enough, GameZooks has the ability to record information about you and your Mac. That’s all sent back to the creators of this malware.

Why does it do all this? To make money, of course. GameZooks generates advertising revenue but its creators may also be selling your data.

A note from our team: 

We often hear people ask: can Macs get viruses? The short answer is yes, they can. macOS is not immune to malware.

Symptoms of GameZooks on MacBook

Thankfully it’s generally easy to spot a GameZooks infection. Signs to look out for include:

• A sudden increase in aggressive ads while browsing the web.
• Pop-up ads labeled “Powered by GameZooks”, “Brought to you by GameZooks”, and similar.
• Unwanted browser redirects, where your web browser automatically takes you to pages you didn’t request. It may also force you to use a particular search engine.
• Slow performance, particularly when using your web browser.
• New, unwanted apps and extensions on your Mac.

How GameZooks affects on Mac

As you’ve seen, GameZooks can have a significant impact on your Mac. In addition to bombarding you with annoying and intrusive ads, this dishonest application can install even more malicious software on your computer. That means it can jeopardize your privacy and security, by stealing your data or installing viruses. Many of the ads it serves may be scams too. On top of all that, GameZooks can slow your Mac down.

In other words, GameZooks is bad news. However, there’s good news too—we’re about to show you how to rid yourself of the GameZooks virus on Mac.

How to remove GameZooks virus from Mac

If you think your Mac has been infected by GameZooks, it’s important to take action immediately. Our team has come up with some simple ways to remove this adware from your system and get your computer back to normal.

1. Remove GameZooks app

If GameZooks has installed any apps on your Mac, you should delete them immediately. You can follow the usual process for deleting apps:

1. In Finder, navigate to your Applications folder.
2. Look for anything related to GameZooks.
3. Send unwanted apps to your Trash.
4. Finally, make sure you empty your Trash.

2. Delete browser extensions

Usually, GameZooks will install web browser extensions on your Mac. This allows it to control your browser’s behavior, including what search engine you use and what ads you see.

Fortunately, it’s not difficult to remove unwanted extensions and add-ons from your browser. However, you will have to do it separately for every browser you use.

We’ve looked at how to remove extensions from four of the most popular web browsers, but these instructions should be similar for other browsers too.

2.1. Delete extensions in Safari

Because Safari is Apple’s official web browser for Mac, it functions differently from other browsers. That includes the way it handles extensions, which it installs into your macOS Applications folder.

Here’s what you do when you want to delete a Safari extension:

1. In Safari, select Safari > Settings from the menu bar at the top of your screen.
2. Open the Extensions tab of Safari’s settings. If you see an extension you want to remove, select it and click its Uninstall button.
3. A system dialog will pop up. Click the Show in Finder button.
4. Safari will reveal the extension in your Applications folder. Send the extension to your Trash and empty it.

2.2. Remove extensions from Google Chrome

With Google Chrome, extensions are managed from within the browser itself. Unlike Safari, you won’t need to manually delete anything in Finder.

This is what you need to do:

1. Open Chrome, and click the three dots in the top right of the browser. Select Extensions > Manage Extensions.
2. Look through the list of currently installed extensions. To disable one, toggle the switch in the bottom right of its panel.
3. If you’re ready to erase an extension, click its Remove button.
4. In the dialog that pops up, click Remove.

2.3. Get rid of extensions from Opera

As with Chrome, you can disable and uninstall extensions directly within Opera. We recommended fully uninstalling GameZooks, though, rather than simply disabling it.

Follow these steps to remove extensions from Opera:

1. Click the extensions icon in the top right of your Opera browser. Select Manage Extensions.
2. Click the switch to disable an extension.
3. Click the Remove button to remove an extension completely from Opera.
4. To confirm removal of the extension, click the Remove button in the pop-up.

2.4. Remove extensions from Firefox

The process for removing extensions from Firefox is similar to other browsers. Just remember to completely uninstall GameZooks and anything that might be associated with it.

Just follow our advice on erasing Firefox extensions:

1. While you’re in Firefox, click the extensions icon in the top right of the browser. Select Manage Extensions.
2. If you see an extension that you want to delete, click the three dots at the end of its panel. Select Remove.  
3. Finalize the removal of the extension by clicking Remove.

3. Use antivirus software

So far, we’ve looked at how to remove adware manually by deleting apps and extensions related to GameZooks. However, we recommend going further than that by running an antivirus scan. Why? Because malware often makes itself harder to find and remove, hiding in parts of your operating system that you may not know about. The fact GameZooks can install additional software makes it even more of a threat, because you may not even know what to look for.

If you’re looking for antivirus for Mac, a great option is MacKeeper. Our Antivirus tool offers both on-demand and real-time scanning.

You can run an antivirus scan with MacKeeper like this:

1. Run MacKeeper, and select Antivirus from the side menu.
2. Click Start Scan.
3. Wait for the scan to finish. If MacKeeper finds anything, look through the list, select what you want to remove, and click Delete.

Bonus support from us: 

Want to know more about getting malware off your Mac. Read our guide on how to check your MacBook for viruses.

Remember that ‘free’ stuff often has a cost

Dealing with a GameZooks infection is a good reminder to be wary of free apps and software bundles. Although there are some amazing free, open-source programs for Mac, if something seems too good to be true, it might be a scam. Our advice—try to stick to apps from the Mac App Store. If you’re going to get apps from elsewhere, download from reputable sources, check out user reviews, and see what mainstream technology news sources say.

You should also make sure you have an antivirus app installed. We recommend trying MacKeeper’s Antivirus tool. As well as helping you get rid of viruses on your Mac, its real-time protection can prevent GameZooks and other malware from ever infecting your computer in the first place.