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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Dec 2017

How to remove Combotab.com virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Gabriel E. Hall · Passionate web researcher

Combotab.com might become your default search engine without asking your permission

The image of Combotab.com

Combotab.com (alternatively known as Search.combotab.com) is a suspicious search engine that mimics the search giant Google. However, cyber security specialists suggest staying away from this program in order to protect your device and personal information. 

ComboTab belongs to the group of browser hijackers[1] which are known for infiltrating computers silently with the help of various free applications that users can download from the web. The virus is spread in the form of a browser extension, and, after the hijack, it might alter browser’s settings and set its domain as startup page.

The main page of Combotab.com has shortcuts to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and other popular social networks as well as shopping sites such as Amazon and Ebay. On the top page, users can find the similar bar as offered by Google. There’s also an expanded menu that offers quick access to other Google services, such as Drive, Play, Photos, etc. This search tool also has a weather widget that allows setting the location manually and provides all details related to a current weather forecast.

Judging from the first look, it might look like a useful and reliable program. However, if it hijacks your browser, we recommend scanning the computer with FortectIntego or other reputable anti-malware software. Updated security tools can quickly detect and remove Combotab from the PC. This browser hijacker might not only deliver tons of suspicious ads but suggest to fill numerous surveys or participate in questionable contests.

Search.Combotab.com generates results from Google search; thus, it’s quite safe to use. Usually, browser hijackers are capable of altering search results and including sponsored third-party links. It seems that authors of this tool are generating revenue in a different way. This potentially unwanted application (PUP) might deliver numerous ads on each visited website.

The illustration of Combotab.com virus

Clicking on misleading ads might lead you to malware-infested[2] websites causing even more trouble on your computer. Nevertheless, ads caused by ComboTab virus might look useful and offer various great deals, so you might be tempted to check them.

Do not agree to install any updates or software that fix detected viruses. Do no try to catch an unbelievable discount. All these commercial offers might be a part of malvertising[3] campaign or redirect to questionable sites. Bear in mind that there’s no other way to avoid these ads, only Combotab removal. We want to point out that ads might be displayed on legitimate and your favorite sites; thus, they might easily trick you into clicking.

The final problem related to this suspicious search engine is described in its Privacy Policy. After the virus hijacks the system, this browser extension starts spying on users and collecting information about them. According to the document, it collects anonymous user information, such as IP address, referral data, browser, and platform type.

However, occasionally it might also collect personally identifiable information such as name, email, shipping address, zip code, age, gender, occupation and household income. If you do not want to reveal such details to an unknown company or its partners, you know what you need to do.

Infiltration techniques of the browser hijacker

The PUP spreads in bundled with freeware[4] and shareware[5] as an optional component. If you install a new program under Advanced/Custom setup, you may find this extension or pre-selected statement claiming to make the unknown site your default search engine.

It goes without saying that you need to deselect such sayings and other third-party apps offered to install together with the primary program.

However, the majority of computer users rely on Quick or Standard settings which do not openly disclose about an installation of third-party apps. As a result, all PUPs get permission to enter the system. Thus, so-called Combotab virus might have infected your computer during recent software installation. Next time be more careful!

Instructions for Combotab removal

Manual Combotab.com removal instructions are presented at the end of the article. By following them, you need to delete all programs installed on your PC, as well as browser extensions installed on web browsers. Then reset web browsers in order to delete tracking cookies and other suspicious entries.

If you follow these steps carefully, you should no longer see this search engine on your browser. However, if it still bothers you, you should scan your computer with a reputable anti-malware program and remove Combotab with its help.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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