How to remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen [Virus removal guide]

If you’re reading this post, it means that your antivirus detects the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen threat. It indicates that your machine is infected with malware, which is often installs on the machine with the free programs. You probably want to know how to remove any security threats as well as remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus. In the steps below we will tell you about how to solve your problems.

Once started, this virus will be configured to start automatically when MS Windows starts. It may open a large amount of unwanted popup advertisements, add harmful code into web-pages that you are opening in your web-browser, hijack browser’s settings like startpage and search provider, and so on.

It’s not a good idea to use a system that infected with the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen . The reason for this is simple, it doing things you don’t know about. This virus can gather a wide variety of user data which may be later sold to third party companies. You don’t know if your home address, account names and passwords are safe.

Thus, it’s clear that the presence of this virus on your computer is not desirable, and you need to clean up your PC immediately. Follow the steps below in order to remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen from your computer.

How to remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen

Fortunately, we’ve an effective method which will assist you manually or/and automatically remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen from your computer and bring your computer settings back to normal. Below you’ll find a removal instructions with all the steps you may need to successfully remove this virus and its components. Read this manual carefully, bookmark or print it, because you may need to shut down your browser or reboot your system.

To remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen, execute the steps below:

1. What is GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen
2. Removing the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen, check the list of installed applications first
3. How to get rid of GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen with Zemana Anti-Malware
4. Scan your computer and remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen with Hitman Pro
5. Scan and free your machine of virus with Malwarebytes
6. Get rid of GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen from Internet Explorer
7. Remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen from Firefox
8. Get rid of GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus from Google Chrome
9. Use AdBlocker to stay safe online
10. Finish words

Removing the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen, check the list of installed applications first

We recommend that you begin the system cleaning process by checking the list of installed apps and delete all unknown or questionable applications. This is a very important step, as mentioned above, very often the harmful software such as adware and browser hijacker infections may be bundled with free applications. Delete the unwanted software can remove the undesired ads or internet browser redirect.

It will display the Windows Control Panel as on the image below.

Next, click “Uninstall a program”
It will display a list of all apps installed on your personal computer. Scroll through the all list, and remove any questionable and unknown programs. To quickly find the latest installed applications, we recommend sort apps by date in the Control panel.

How to get rid of GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen with Zemana Anti-Malware

We suggest using the Zemana that are completely clean your PC system of the virus. The tool is an advanced malicious software removal program created by (c) Zemana lab. It is able to help you remove PUPs, viruses, ad supported software, malicious software, toolbars, ransomware and other security threats from your computer for free.

Now you can set up and use Zemana to remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen from your browser by following the steps below:

Click the following link to download Zemana Free installer named Zemana.AntiMalware.Setup on your system. Save it on your Desktop.

Start the install package after it has been downloaded successfully and then follow the prompts to set up this tool on your system.

During installation you can change some settings, but we advise you don’t make any changes to default settings.

When install is finished, this malware removal tool will automatically start and update itself. You will see its main window like below.

Now click the “Scan” button . Zemana Anti-Malware application will scan through the whole machine for the virus related files, folders and registry keys. While the Zemana AntiMalware (ZAM) tool is scanning, you can see how many objects it has identified as being infected by malicious software.

After Zemana has completed scanning, Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) will show a scan report. You may get rid of threats (move to Quarantine) by simply click “Next” button.

The Zemana Anti-Malware (ZAM) will remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen and other malware and PUPs and move items to the program’s quarantine. When that process is finished, you may be prompted to reboot your machine to make the change take effect.

Scan your computer and remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen with Hitman Pro

The Hitman Pro tool is free and easy to use. It can scan and delete virus related files, folders and registry keys, malware, PUPs and ‘ad supported’ software from machine (Microsoft Windows 10, 8, 7, XP) and thereby revert back browsers default settings (default search engine, newtab page and start page). Hitman Pro is powerful enough to search for and get rid of malicious registry entries and files that are hidden on the PC system.

Hitman Pro can be downloaded from the following link. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop or in any other place.

Once downloading is done, open the folder in which you saved it. You will see an icon like below.

Double click the HitmanPro desktop icon. When the utility is launched, you will see a screen as displayed in the figure below.

Further, click “Next” button to perform a system scan with this tool for the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen and other security threats. A scan can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the count of files on your PC and the speed of your system. When the system scan is finished, the results are displayed in the scan report as displayed below.

All detected threats will be marked. You can remove them all by simply press “Next” button. It will display a prompt, click the “Activate free license” button.

Scan and free your machine of virus with Malwarebytes

Manual GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus removal requires some computer skills. Some files and registry entries that created by the virus can be not completely removed. We recommend that use the Malwarebytes Free that are completely clean your machine of virus. Moreover, the free application will help you to remove malware, PUPs, ‘ad supported’ software and toolbars that your machine may be infected too.

Visit the page linked below to download the latest version of MalwareBytes Anti Malware for Windows. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop or in any other place.

When the download is finished, run it and follow the prompts. Once installed, the MalwareBytes will try to update itself and when this task is complete, click the “Scan Now” button to perform a system scan for the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus related files, folders and registry keys. Depending on your machine, the scan can take anywhere from a few minutes to close to an hour. When a threat is found, the number of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the scanning is finished. Next, you need to click “Quarantine Selected” button.

The MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) is a free program that you can use to remove all detected folders, files, services, registry entries and so on. To learn more about this malware removal tool, we recommend you to read and follow the few simple steps or the video guide below.

Get rid of GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen from Internet Explorer

If you find that IE internet browser settings had been infected by the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen , then you may return your settings, via the reset internet browser process.

First, launch the Internet Explorer, then press ‘gear’ icon . It will open the Tools drop-down menu on the right part of the web-browser, then click the “Internet Options” as displayed in the figure below.

In the “Internet Options” screen, select the “Advanced” tab, then click the “Reset” button. The Internet Explorer will show the “Reset Internet Explorer settings” prompt. Further, press the “Delete personal settings” check box to select it. Next, click the “Reset” button as shown in the following example.

Once the process is finished, click “Close” button. Close the Microsoft Internet Explorer and restart your PC for the changes to take effect. This step will help you to restore your web-browser’s search provider by default, new tab page and startpage to default state.

Remove GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen from Firefox

Resetting Firefox internet browser will reset all the settings to their default state and will remove changes created by GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus and disable malicious extensions. When using the reset feature, your personal information like passwords, bookmarks, browsing history and web form auto-fill data will be saved.

Click the Menu button (looks like three horizontal lines), and click the blue Help icon located at the bottom of the drop down menu like below.

A small menu will appear, click the “Troubleshooting Information”. On this page, click “Refresh Firefox” button as shown on the screen below.

Follow the onscreen procedure to return your Mozilla Firefox internet browser settings to their default state.

Get rid of GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus from Google Chrome

Reset Chrome settings can allow you solve some problems caused by malware and remove unwanted changes caused by GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen . This will also disable malicious plugins as well as clear cookies and site data. However, your saved passwords and bookmarks will not be changed, deleted or cleared.

Open the Google Chrome menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal dotes (). It will show the drop-down menu. Choose More Tools, then click Extensions.

Carefully browse through the list of installed add-ons. If the list has the extension labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following steps: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy otherwise, just go to the step below.

Open the Chrome main menu again, click to “Settings” option.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the Reset settings section is visible, as displayed in the figure below and press the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.

Confirm your action, click the “Reset” button.

Use AdBlocker to stay safe online

We recommend to install an ad-blocker program that can stop malicious web pages, undesired ads and other annoying web-sites. Cyber security experts says that using ad-blocking software is necessary to stay safe when surfing the Web.

Please go to the link below to download AdGuard. Save it on your Microsoft Windows desktop or in any other place.

When the downloading process is finished, double-click the downloaded file to launch it. The “Setup Wizard” window will show up on the computer screen as displayed in the figure below.

Follow the prompts. AdGuard will then be installed and an icon will be placed on your desktop. A window will show up asking you to confirm that you want to see a quick tutorial as displayed below.

Click “Skip” button to close the window and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial that will allow you get to know AdGuard better.

Each time, when you run your personal computer, AdGuard will launch automatically and stop unwanted pop-up ads, as well as other malicious or misleading web-pages. For an overview of all the features of the program, or to change its settings you can simply double-click on the AdGuard icon, which is located on your desktop.

Finish words

Now your machine should be clean of the GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus. We suggest that you keep Zemana Free (to periodically scan your PC system for new malicious software and other security threats) and AdGuard (to help you block unwanted pop-up ads and malicious pages). Moreover, to prevent any malware, please stay clear of unknown and third party applications, make sure that your antivirus program, turn on the option to detect PUPs.

If you need more help with GrayWare/Win32.StartPage.gen virus related issues, go to here.