Betternewtabsearch.com virus (Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge) - Free Guide
Betternewtabsearch.com virus Removal Guide
What is Betternewtabsearch.com virus?
Should you continue using Betternewtabsearch.com search engine?
You can consider yourself infected with Betternewtabsearch.com virus if Betternewtabsearch.com URL automatically opens as soon as you launch any web browser on your computer. Although its white, simple and safe-looking design gives an impression of a typical search engine, do not rush to use it. In the bottom right corner, there is a line that says “BetterNewtab” extension, powered by Imali Media. Now let us provide you with some information about this shady company. It has already released dozens of browser extensions and ad-supported computer programs that are meant to change settings of major web browsers and set them to open a certain search engine on a startup. All of these search engines take control of web browsers when various “MediaNewTab,” “SocialMediaNewTab” or similar useless browser extensions are added to them. What is even worse is that you can unknowingly agree to add these browser-hijacking[1] extensions or associated computer programs by yourself. Therefore, we dedicate this article for those who want to learn how to avoid installing potentially unwanted programs, and those who want to remove Betternewtabsearch.com redirect virus from their computers. If you’re in a rush, we suggest using anti-spyware[2] programs like FortectIntego for Betternewtabsearch.com removal, but we also recommend trying to remove the infection by yourself with the help of instructions presented below.
Researcher shows the reason why your browser points to Betternewtabsearch.com as soon as you open it. It means that you have installed BetterNewTab extension by Imali Media. Delete it if you want to remove Betternewtabsearch.com.
Betternewtabsearch.com search engine, just like any other search engine created by Imali Media, fills up results’ pages with sponsored entries[3], so do not get surprised if it suddenly redirects you to one of its affiliate websites. These sites can be dangerous – remember that. The search engine itself cannot compromise your computer in a bad way, but we believe that search results it presents might steer you to insecure third-party websites[4] in order to increase their web traffic rates. To avoid such unpleasant situations, just uninstall this browser hijacker from your computer.
How can I protect my PC from browser hijackers and ad-supported programs?
Fact is, nobody likes programs that generate revenue by displaying too many ads for the user. Typically, users try to avoid such programs, but in some cases, ad-supported software is advertised in an indirect way – with a help of other free programs. In the majority of cases, users install free programs in a rush, allowing pre-selected installation settings install “recommended programs” on the system. If you wanted to prevent Betternewtabsearch.com hijack, you had to choose Custom/Advanced options when installing another free program on your computer. These settings reveal what additional software was bundled with your selected program. All you need to do is to deselect the permissions[5] to install such software.
What is the easiest way to uninstall Betternewtabsearch.com hijacker?
The easiest way to remove Betternewtabsearch.com virus would be to uninstall it automatically. For that, the user needs to use anti-spyware program. In case this hijacker slipps into a system of a more experienced PC user, we believe that following these Betternewtabsearch.com removal instructions should be enough to delete the infection successfully. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this potentially unwanted program – we will kindly answer all of them.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Betternewtabsearch.com virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Follow the instructions that 2-Spyware team has prepared. It usually takes between 5 to 15 minutes to delete a browser hijacker, so clearly, you won’t have to dedicate half of your day for this task. Make sure you complete each step as explained, and do not skip any of them!
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Launch Mozilla Firefox and follow these instructions. You should find BetterNewTab extension in the browser – you need to delete it.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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
Go to Google Chrome Extensions and delete BetterNewTab extension from there.
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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Betternewtabsearch.com registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
- ^ Robert Siciliano. What is Browser Hijacking?. McAfee Blogs: Securing Tomorrow. Today.
- ^ Anti-spyware. NoVirus. Cybersecurity news and virus removal guides.
- ^ Online Analytics: Sponsored search advertising. Analytics Magazine. Delivers the latest information on the use of analytics in business decision making.
- ^ Dann Albright. Which Websites Are Most Likely to Infect You with Malware?. MakeUseOf. Technology, Simplified.
- ^ Potentially Unwanted Programs and how to avoid installing PUPs. The Windows Club. Windows 10/8/7 Tips, Tricks, Help, Support, Tutorials, News, Freeware Downloads, Features.