NiceTab browser hijacker (virus) - Free Instructions

What is NiceTab browser hijacker?

NiceTab alters the whole user experience by changing the main settings in your browser

NiceTab changes the user experience by altering the settings of your browser

NiceTab is classified as a hijacker because it changes the main settings of the browser, like the homepage, new tab address, and search engine. It might even cause an increase in commercial content, like pop-ups, banners, and redirects. The developers of such applications care about only making a profit so user privacy or security is out of the question.

The plugin may use unsafe advertising networks that place questionable ads in your browser. As a result, you might end up on shady websites that can trick you into providing personal information or downloading PUPs (potentially unwanted programs),^[1] and malware.

The main trait of hijackers is that they do not provide any benefits for the users. They might change the background of your homepage into beautiful scenery wallpaper but that's about it. This add-on is not an exception. Because the owners want to generate revenue from your data and PPC advertising, they do not put any effort into actually developing useful functions.

Despite that, many browser hijackers claim that they can improve your productivity or else in their advertising campaign. People do not perform very good research or any at all and end up installing these apps, later regretting their impulsive decision, which leads to the question of how browser hijackers are spread on the Internet?

Distribution methods

Even though it is rare, some browser hijackers do end up on official web stores. The problem is that the owners of digital marketplaces find it hard to identify potentially unwanted programs. A certain extension could be found quite useful by one person, and the other one considered to be a virus. That is why some of them slip through the extensive review process.

However, more often users install them from shady websites or freeware^[2] distribution platforms. Many people think that the Internet is a safe space and viruses are a thing of the past. But in fact, it is the opposite. Fraudsters started using social engineering techniques to create clever marketing campaigns. They learned how to make the product look professional and trustworthy.

NiceTab may cause redirects, pop-ups, banners, and other types of commercial content

It is not uncommon for crooks to claim that the extension was created in collaboration with a big tech company like Google or Apple. Some even put on a big message “Recommended by Chrome.” It is important not to act on your impulses and always do the research on products and services that you introduce to your devices. Look for reviews, ratings, and media reports.

You will often find that there are not many search results if you search for the name of a browser hijacker. We recommend you to stick to extensions that are listed on official web stores, have good reviews, ratings, and a large number of users. You cannot trust random websites on the Internet to provide you with good and safe digital products for free.

In the times when data is the new currency, websites and web-based applications can use it to make a profit. Cookies^[3] are small data files that are used to store information like your IP address, geolocation, pages you visit, links you click on, and things you purchase online. This data can later be sold to advertising networks or other third parties and used to target you with ads even more.

That is why security experts recommend clearing cookies and cache regularly. Most users find the process annoying and time-consuming so they just brush it off. FortectIntego is a maintenance tool that can do it for you. It will not only eliminate this data and stop the tracking, but it can also optimize your machine, fix performance issues, system errors, corrupted files, etc.

Remove the NiceTab StartPage browser plugin

You can remove browser extensions by going to your browser settings:

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.

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 on Uninstall at the bottom.

MS Edge (Chromium)

• Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
• Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Mozilla Firefox

• 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.

Safari

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• In the new window, pick Extensions.
• Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Internet Explorer:

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 the PUP hiding in your system

Eliminating only the extension may not be enough because you might have adware installed in your system. If you still experience the settings changing, pop-ups and banners, the best option is to use professional security tools like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes to make sure you get rid not only of the PUA itself but also all the related files and entries.

What is more, the program may not be named the same as the extension, so it can be complicated to identify it. Sometimes developers disguise such apps as handy tools, so you would not suspect them. Anti-malware tools can detect suspicious processes in your machine and eliminate them entirely better than you can.

However, if you are sure you know which program is causing the symptoms and manual removal is what you still prefer, we have instructions for Windows and Mac machines:

Windows 10/8:

1. Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
3. From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
4. Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
5. If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
6. Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.

Windows 7/XP:

1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
3. Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
4. At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
5. In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
6. Click OK once the removal process is finished.

Mac:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
3. 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:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.

You should be aware that adware and other PUPs can be spread on freeware distribution sites. Individuals that run these platforms need to make money, so they include additional programs in the installers hoping that users will not notice them. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens most of the time, as people do not really pay attention to the installation process. This practice is called software bundling.^[4]

We recommend using only official stores and websites to get your software from, but we know it can get costly. You should at least implement some habits into your routine:

• Always choose “Custom” or “Advanced” installation methods.
• Read the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Although it may take some time, in these sections you can learn about what the program will be capable to do in your machine and what data it will collect.
• The most important part is to inspect the file list. If you see any additional files that are unnecessary, untick the boxes next to their names.