AmazingTab – fake tool that makes unwanted changes to your browser
| Summary of the PUP | |
|---|---|
| Name | AmazingTab |
| Type | Adware and browser hijacker |
| Danger level | Medium. Might take control over the browser and redirect dangerous sites |
| Distribution | The official website and software bundling |
| Affected browsers | Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. |
| Symptoms | Changed browser's startup and default search engine, increased amount of ads and browser redirects to sponsored sites |
| To uninstall AmazingTab, install FortectIntego and run a full system scan | |
AmazingTab promises to enhance your web browsing experience. However, you should not believe what this application promises to do – it hardly fulfills its promises. This is what this rogue application states about itself on its official website:
AmazingTab is a metro style Chrome new tab page, which organize all your favorite links in one place. Customize wallpaper, arrange your favorite links in groups and enjoy our recommended apps.
As you can already see, AmazingTab gives you a hint that it is going to make you “enjoy recommended apps.” Be careful, because it means that this application is going to promote various freeware and shareware, brought to you by third-party sponsors. It is important to know that such programs can be very risky and even contain malicious components.
However, users are not likely to download it themselves. Usually, it appears on the system unnoticed and surprises people with changed homepage or search engine. The app is actively advertised in software bundles, and can sneak into the machines unnoticed. For this reason, this cyber threat is often called as AmazingTab virus.
The term virus is too aggressive to describe a potentially unwanted program. It cannot cause direct damage to the system. However, having it installed does not mean that your computer is safe. This PUP might trick you into visiting potentially dangerous sites.
After the AmazingTab hijack, you might have to deal with the following problems and activities:
- Your internet browser’s default homepage, search engine and new tab are set toAmazingtab.com, feed.amazingtab.com or info.amazingtab.com;
- You see new toolbars or bookmarks added to your browser;
- Your browser starts to work sluggishly;
- You get redirected to questionable websites every time you click on a page;
- You see an increased number of advertisement in a pop-up, banner, and other forms.
Immediately after infiltration, the program starts tracking search-related information in order to provide accurate and interesting ads. Such data collection activities make people more eager to remove AmazingTab from their browser. The amount of pop-ups, banners and other types of ads increase each time you open your browser. And every click on redirect causes more of them.
One of the most threatening aspects of the AmazingTab ads is that some of them might be malicious or redirect to phishing or infected sites. Developers of destructive programs and viruses often create malware-laden ads and place them with the help of such shady PUPs.
To protect from cyber attacks in the future and stopping unwanted activities on the browser, you have to proceed with AmazingTab removal. The quickest way to do it is to use anti-malware tools, like FortectIntego. It can help to delete every little piece related to this PUP and in this way prevent other possible threats.
People are lured into installing unwanted programs by deceptive techniques
Experts at Novirus.uk[3] report that despite this PUP has an official website; direct downloads is not the main method of distribution. This application spreads just like many other hijackers or adware-type threats – bundled with freeware and shareware.
Software bundling is a very popular technique to trick users into installing apps they do not need. This usually happens when people do not pay attention to freeware installation. Often users choose unreliable download sources and do not read Terms and Conditions where information about partners' software and data tracking peculiarities are explained.
Another problem is that users do not choose the right installation settings. Always choose Advanced/Custom settings instead of Recommended/Quick; when you have the opportunity to see what you are installing de-select boxes with additional ones.
Get rid of AmazingTab right from the browser
The quickest AmazingTab removal option is scanning the affected machine with anti-malware or anti-spyware software. This method will ensure that you have no traces of any unwanted program left. Also, these tools can be an excellent addition to your computer’s security system to prevent infiltration of undesired apps in the future.
If you do not want to remove AmazingTab automatically, below you can find manual elimination instructions, but you have to be very attentive. Any traces left can be a source of infection repetition. Clean your browser extension settings often and make sure that you are not downloading anything from dubious websites.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- 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.
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- 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:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
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