Search.movies-tab.com – a browser hijacker that fills your search results with deceptive ads

Search.movies-tab.com is a website related to the questionable application that allows watching the latest movies online for free. We won’t talk about the legitimacy of this tool, but we can ensure that the installation of this extension leads to numerous browsing-related problems.
| name | Search.movies-tab.com |
|---|---|
| type | Browser hijacker, redirect virus, PUP |
| Symptoms | Altered default browser settings; search result contain numerous ads and are provided from a different supplier; diminished browsing speed |
| Dangers | Privacy loss, malware infections |
| Distribution | Deceptive ads, official website, software bundling |
| Elimination | Use reliable anti-malware tools to remove the browser hijacker from your device |
| System health | Fix all system-related irregularities by performing system diagnostics with the FortectIntego optimization software |
The article's culprit's extension is classified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that operates as a browser hijacker. It has an official website and is available on Chrome Web Store.[1] If you decide to install this program (not recommended), you will receive a confirmation pop-up telling you that this add-on can:
- Read and change your data on movies-tab.com
- Replace the page you see when opening a new tab
Even though the official site does not include the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy on the official website, the latter document is included in the Chrome Store. It links to Personal Browser Privacy Policy which is a search tool created by Babylon Ltd. This company is known for creating numerous browser hijackers, such as Babylon Toolbar.
However, apart from legit download sources, the application might end up on the browser unnoticed with the help of a software bundle. Due to this distribution method, it is often referred to as Search.movies-tab.com virus. However, it does not deserve such a strong title. It’s only a potentially unwanted program that might:
- alter browser’s homepage, default search engine, and new tab URL address;
- display questionable ads;
- redirect to commercial or promotional websites aggressively;
- include sponsored links into search results page;
- track information about users;
- prevent removing its set default search engine.
After installing the browser hijacker on your device, the program quickly alters some system and browser settings in order to prevent users from uninstalling it easily. Additionally, these changes are needed to display third-party ads and initiate redirects.
The Search.movies-tab.com redirect virus helps to generate revenue for the developers from user’s clicks on ads and visits to third-party sites. It goes without saying that the authors of the program want to make as much income as possible and put the user’s experience to the second plan.
However, there might be few threats as well. Some ads or redirects might lead to potentially dangerous websites created for spreading malware[2] or trying to get users' personal information. Thus, it’s better to remove Search.movies-tab.com with MalwarebytesMalwarebytes or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner if it sneaked into your device unnoticed.
Manual removal is also possible and its instructions are presented at the bottom of the article. But we recommend using the automatic method as all components of the PUP are automatically deleted. Afterward, use the FortectIntego system diagnostics tool to fix virus damage.

How browser hijackers are distributed?
We have mentioned about three ways how users can directly or indirectly install the application:
- the official website;
- Chrome Web Store;
- software bundling.
The latter method is tricky because users might be tricked into installing an unwanted add-on without even realizing it. It might be included in software packages as an optional component and hidden under Quick/Standard settings. For this reason, using these installation settings is not recommended.
Security experts from Los Virus[3] advise using Advanced/Custom settings to avoid accidental installation of browser hijackers, adware, or other PUPs. The wizard will reveal “optional downloads” and allow unmarking the ticks to stop their installation.
Guidelines to quickly remove Search.movies-tab.com
Of course, you have to uninstall Movies Tab extension from the browser. However, it may not be enough to entirely remove the browser hijacker. You have to remove suspicious plugins that might have been installed without your knowledge too, reset the browsers, and of course, make sure that any unknown programs were not installed on the system.
You can follow the removal guides below if you want to get rid of this cyber threat without the help of reputable anti-malware software. However, we recommend downloading one of the suggested tools to completely remove the threat and prevent similar perils in the future.
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.
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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