Chrome-tab.com (Removal Guide) - Tutorial
Chrome-tab.com Removal Guide
What is Chrome-tab.com?
Chrome-tab.com – a bogus search tool that does not allow finding needed information
Chrome-tab.com is a useless search engine that spreads in software bundles and might replace your default Chrome’s search provider. The program operates as a browser hijacker[1] and does not perform its primary feature properly, meaning it does not redirect to search results page.
The main page of Chrome-tab.com offers to change search engine’s themes and backgrounds which might seem like a useful feature. Quick access to Facebook, Aliexpress, Gmail and other popular services might also seem beneficial. Developers call this tool as “New awesome tab”; however, the entertaining interface should not trick you.
The search engine does not work. Thus, once you enter your search queries, you won’t be redirected to the results page. However, once Chrome-tab.com virus gets into the system, it might cause numerous unwanted changes, and barely gives some benefits to the user:
- hijacks homepage, default search engine or new tab URL address;
- display ads, pop-ups, banners or other types of ads;
- triggers redirects to commercial websites;
- tracks lots of information about users.
The most concerning issues are related to Chrome-tab.com redirect tendencies. The program might display ads or force you to visit commercial websites which might be annoying activity itself. However, some of the ads might be malicious, or redirects might end up on the phishing[2] site.
The problem is that after Chrome-tab.com hijack, this potentially unwanted program (PUP) starts collecting various information about users that allows creating personalized ads. It means that based on your search keywords you tried to enter, visited websites, clicked ads, IP address, and similar details you might be offered associated ads.
Thus, you might be tricked into clicking on a misleading targeted ad which may seem interesting at first. However, you can already understand that this activity might end up with virus infiltration or risks to your privacy. That’s why Chrome-tab.com removal is needed.
We have no doubts that you won’t want to keep useless search tool. However, it might not be easy to remove Chrome-tab.com from the startup page due to hijacker’s ability alter Windows Registry or browser’s settings. That’s why you should take advantage of FortectIntego and get rid of the virus with the help of it.
Distribution methods of the shady search tool
The shady search tool was available in Chrome web store. Fortunately, it was removed. However, the add-on continues spreading and hijacking browsers with the help of bundling. This method allows installing PUP without asking direct user’s permission.
The agreement to change your default search engine to Chrome-tab.com might be hidden in the Advanced/Custom settings that are rarely used by computer users, security specialists from dieviren.de[3] say. Hence, they rely on Quick/Recommended settings that do not openly disclose about optional components attached to the primary program. For this reason, they give indirect permission to install browser hijacker.
To avoid this unpleasant situation, you have to stick to Advanced installation and always monitor the installation process. Unmark the ticks from pre-selected third-party programs to prevent unwanted changes on the browser.
Removal of the Chrome-tab.com virus
To remove Chrome-tab.com from the startup page and replace your built-in search tool with a working search engine, you have to remove questionable Chrome extensions, reset the browser and make sure that any suspicious components were installed to the computer.
Chrome-tab.com removal guide is given below. However, if you want to speed up the process, you can scan the device with professional anti-malware and let it delete hijacker-related components for you.
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 Chrome-tab.com. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
To get rid of Chrome-tab.com browser hijacker, you have to wipe out all suspicious programs that might be related to it from Windows computer. Then take care of the browser itself.
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
To wipe out browser hijacker, you have to look up for suspicious applications and remove them as regular Mac Applications. Then uninstall questionable Chrome extensions and reset the browser.
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)
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
As soon as you uninstall questionable add-ons, plugins or extensions and reset Chromes' settings,Chrome-tab.com will be removed entirely.
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 Chrome-tab.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
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
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- ^ Browser hijacker. Malwarebytes Blog. Security blog.
- ^ Jack Danahy. Understanding the Lure of Phishing Scams. Barkly. Endpoint protection.
- ^ DieViren. DieViren. German cyber security news.