What is Personalized Background

Personalized Background is a fake search provider that operates as a typical browser hijacker. this intruder enters users’ computers without their consent and alters the settings of each installed browsers, including Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and so on. As a result, you are forced to see https://goog.personalizedbackground.com domain as a homepage of your browser. Moreover, you will notice an increase in the number of diverse advertising whose main goal is to lure you to partner sites. Beware of clicking them as many of them are not safe and may contain viruses. You can remove Gamesearchclub.com by following our manual guide or you can let the antimalware software do it for you. If you are interested in the latter method, we recommend using automated tools for Windows and Mac users.

Brief overview:

Name	Underwater Tab
Type of threat	Browser hijacker
URL address	goog.personalizedbackground.com
Symptoms	Browser hijacker changes the homepage and search engine of the browser so that users are forced to use them. It fills the targeted browser with commercial content in form of pop-ups, banners, in-text links, audio/video ads, etc. Also, hijackers can occasionally cause redirects to third-party websites
Infiltration	Freeware programs, illegal software, software cracks, torrents, fake updates
Manual Removal	To eliminate the threat manually, you should remove all files and applications related to the browser hijacker
Removal Tool	To completely get rid of hijacker, We recommend using SpyHunter. This is the only way you can be 100% sure that all components of the threat are removed from the system.

Personalized Background modifies your browser’s settings, such as the default search engine, new tab page, and homepage, to promote third-party advertisements and search results. The hijacker may also install additional toolbars, extensions, or plugins without your consent, which can slow down your browser’s performance and compromise your privacy. Personalized Background may also collect your browsing history, search queries, IP address, and other sensitive information to display personalized ads or share with third-party advertisers.

How Personalized Background browser hijacker spreads

Personalized Background browser hijacker typically spreads through software bundling, which is a method of distributing free or pirated software with additional unwanted programs. When you download and install a program from an untrustworthy website, the installer may also include Personalized Background or other PUPs as a “recommended” or “custom” installation option. If you rush through the installation process without reading the terms and conditions, you may inadvertently agree to install the hijacker along with the desired program.

Personalized Background may also spread through malicious ads, fake software updates, or phishing emails. Malicious ads may redirect you to a website that automatically downloads and installs the hijacker without your knowledge. Fake software updates may prompt you to download and install a critical update for your browser or operating system, but in reality, it is a disguised installer for the hijacker. Phishing emails may contain a link or attachment that downloads and installs the hijacker when clicked or opened.

Signs That Your Browser Has Been Hijacked by Personalized Background

If your browser has been hijacked by Personalized Background, you may notice some of the following signs:

1. Your default search engine has been changed to Personalized Background or another unknown search engine.
2. Your new tab page and homepage have been replaced with Personalized Background or another unknown website.
3. You see more pop-up ads, banners, coupons, or deals than usual, especially on shopping or gaming websites.
4. Your browser is slower than usual or crashes frequently, especially when opening new tabs or windows.
5. You cannot uninstall or remove certain toolbars, extensions, or plugins from your browser.
6. Your browser’s security settings have been changed without your consent, such as disabling the built-in firewall or antivirus.

If you experience any of these signs, it is likely that your browser has been hijacked by Personalized Background or another PUP.

Risks Associated with Personalized Background Browser Hijacker

Personalized Background browser hijacker is not only annoying, but it can also pose several risks to your system and privacy. The hijacker may track your browsing history, search queries, and other online activities to display personalized ads or share with third-party advertisers. This can compromise your privacy and expose you to targeted phishing attacks or identity theft. The hijacker may also install additional PUPs or malware that can damage your files, steal your passwords, or hijack your webcam or microphone. Moreover, the hijacker may slow down your browser’s performance and consume your system’s resources, leading to crashes or freezes.

How to uninstall Personalized Background hijacker from your computer?

The easiest and most modern way of removing pop-ups, trojans, ransomware, or other viruses is to use automatic removal tools. This tool can detect and remove stubborn PUPs and malware that may be hiding in your system. See our Anti-malware tools below for further instructions.

Recommended Anti-malware tools:

Also, you can try to uninstall Personalized Background hijacker manually.

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Sometimes, an extension cannot be removed because it is supposedly “Managed by your organization”. If this is your case, we recommend that you also use this guide – How to remove Managed by your organization from Chrome?

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Step 1: Remove Personalized Background hijacker from Control Panel/Applications

Windows XP:

1. Click Start.
2. Control Panel.
3. Then click Add or Remove Programs.
4. Find Personalized Background hijacker.
5. Click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows XP.

Windows 7/Windows Vista:

1. Click Start.
2. Then Control Panel.
3. Click Uninstall a Program.
4. Find Personalized Background and click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 7.

Windows 8/Windows 8.1:

1. Open the Menu.
2. Click Search.
3. After that click Apps.
4. Then Control Panel.
5. Then as in Windows 7, click Uninstall a Program under Programs.
6. Find Personalized Background, select it and click Uninstall.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 8 (8.1).

Windows 10:

1. Click on the Start button (or press the Windows key) to open the Start menu, and click on the Settings at the top.
2. Click on App & features on the left menu.
3. On the right side, locate Personalized Background and click it, then click on the Uninstall button.
4. Click on Uninstall to confirm.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 10

Note: If you can’t find the required program, sort programs by date in Control panel and search for the last installed programs.

Windows 11:

1. Right click on the Start button to open the Start menu.
2. Click on App & features on the left side.
3. In the opened window, search for the program you want to remove, click on the “3-dots icon”, and click Uninstall button.
4. Click on Uninstall again to confirm.

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Windows 11

Mac OSX:

1. Open Finder
2. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications
3. If you see Uninstall Personalized Background or Personalized Background Uninstaller (or other suspicious apps that you’ve never installed), double-click it, and follow the instructions
4. Drag unwanted application Personalized Background from the Applications folder to the Trash (located on the right side of the Dock)

Learn more about uninstallation of programs in Mac OSX

After that uninstall Personalized Background from your browser.

Step 2: Remove Personalized Background from browsers

Google Chrome:

If you cannot remove the extension from Google Chrome, as the delete icon is greyed out and the extension is marked as “managed by your organization”, you should first perform steps described in the How to remove Managed by your organization from Chrome? article and only then proceed with the removal.

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Click on 3-dots icon in the upper right corner and select Tools.
3. Choose Extensions.
4. Find Personalized Background.
5. Click the trash can icon to remove it.

Learn more about removing extensions from Chrome.

Safari:

1. Open Safari
2. Click Safari menu.
3. Choose Extensions.
4. Find Personalized Background or other suspicious extensions.
5. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Learn more about removing extensions from Safari.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Push Shift + Ctrl + A.
3. Choose Personalized Background.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Learn more about removing extensions from Firefox.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Press Settings and more button
2. Choose and Click on Extensions
3. Find Personalized Background extension and click settings
4. Press Uninstall button
5. Start Edge again

Learn more about removing extensions from Edge.

Internet Explorer:

1. Open IE.
2. Push Alt + T.
3. Click Manage Add-ons.
4. Select Toolbars and Extensions.
5. Click Disable Personalized Background.
6. Click More information link in the left-bottom corner.
7. Click Remove button.
8. If this button is grayed out – perform alternative steps.

Learn more about removing extensions from IE.

Step 3: Resetting your browser search and homepage settings

Reset browser setting in Safari:

1. Open Safari.
2. Click on the Safari menu.
3. Choose Reset Safari….
4. Click Reset button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Safari.

Reset browser setting in Google Chrome:

1. Click the Chrome menu (3 bar button) in the top right corner.
2. Choose Settings.
3. Click Show advanced settings.
4. Go to Reset browser settings section.
5. Click Reset browser settings.
6. In the dialog that appears, click Reset.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Google Chrome.

Reset browser setting in Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Go to Help.
3. Go to Troubleshooting information.
4. Click Reset Firefox… button.

Learn more about resetting browser settings in Mozilla Firefox.