Remove Pics4NewTab virus (Chrome, Firefox, IE, Edge) - Free Guide
Pics4NewTab virus deteriorates your browsing experience
Pics4NewTab is categorized as an unreliable search engine developed by an infamous Aztec Media, Inc. It can also be called a new version of 4newtab.com hijacker mentioned on our site several weeks ago. Typically to such type of PUPs, this virus hijacks your Google Chrome browser and modifies its settings. Of course, it can be improved and be prepared to affect other web browsers in the nearest future.
You can get tricked into installing Pics4NewTab virus as a way to decorate your new tab and a homepage with free wallpapers and backgrounds. Unfortunately, researchers have discovered that this browser extension[1] can cause additional problems on your computer, so you are highly recommended to avoid it.
Delusional offers to customize your browser can end up with a desire to remove Pics4NewTab from the system because it sets www.4newtab.com/pics as browser’s default search engine, new tab and homepage without your consent, and resets settings mentioned above once you attempt to change them to the primary state. Therefore, you can get trapped and continue to use its services daily.
Moreover, cybersecurity experts from UtanVirus.se[2] warn about the possible redirects to suspicious websites by Pics4NewTab. This fake search engine floods computer users with provoking ads that are filled with shady coupons and quick prizes. If you click on those advertisements, you might get switched to pages used to distribute malware and other threats posing a serious danger to your system[3].
Some users even link Pics4NewTab virus with New Tab ads since both of them deliver excessive amounts of dangerous advertisements. These popups might come up as:
- Commercial offers;
- Discounts;
- Deals;
- Similar content related to e-shops.
Pics4NewTab tries to attract naive computer users to download the suspicious extension by displaying a deceptive description on Chrome Web Store.
Finally, we need to warn you that Pics4NewTab gathers information about its users. It might include your computer's IP address, its location, clicked ads or entered information. While many of users might not be concerned, the real problem arises when users unconsciously provide these credentials to the developers of a browser hijacker.
For example, if they submit their e-mail address in the search bar, they might receive spam later. It has become a common practice for cyber criminals and hackers to distribute high-risk computer infections via malicious attachments. Thus, to avoid getting infected with malware, we highly recommend you to get rid of this ad-supported program.
You can remove Pics4NewTab by following the instructions at the end of this article or by getting help from ReimageIntego or any other reliable security software.
Techniques employed to distribute the browser hijacker
Even though Pics4NewTab is not a malicious virus, it is still classified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP). Typically, developers bundle PUPs with regular software to take advantage of people who rush to finish the installation process and skip many steps.
If you do not want to get infected with the hijacker, carefully follow the download/installation procedure — search for optional downloads that have already been selected before and de-select them immediately.
Besides, analysts say that Pics4NewTab behavior is similar to New Tab Search. Thus, there is a possibility that developers tried to confuse computer users by releasing a new version. Be aware that both of these shady browser extensions are offered on the Chrome Web Store. You shouldn’t be deceived by the attractive descriptions and stay away from the potentially unwanted programs (PUPs).
The easiest way to uninstall Pics4NewTab
If you are searching for the quickest and easiest way to remove Pics4NewTab virus, choose a professional anti-spyware software and get rid of the hijacker within seconds. You should download a security program and run a full system scan.
Our IT experts have prepared a detailed elimination guide for those who are up for a manual Pics4NewTab removal challenge. You can find it at the end of this article.
You may remove virus damage with a help of ReimageIntego. 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.
To remove Pics4NewTab virus, follow these steps:
Erase Pics4NewTab from Windows systems
To uninstall Pics4NewTab from Windows completely, search for additional Chrome browser extensions that might be related to the hijacker. In order to do that, follow the instructions given below.
To remove Pics4NewTab virus from Windows 10/8 machines, please follow these steps:
- 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 entries related to Pics4NewTab virus (or any other recently installed 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.
Remove Pics4NewTab from Mac OS X system
If your macOS is displaying some infection symptoms, proceed with the following guide:
Remove Pics4NewTab virus from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for Pics4NewTab virus-related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove Pics4NewTab virus, 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 related to Pics4NewTab virus and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the Pics4NewTab virus-related entries.
Delete Pics4NewTab from Internet Explorer (IE)
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for Pics4NewTab virus and other suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete…
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset again to complete Pics4NewTab virus removal.
Uninstall Pics4NewTab virus 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 Pics4NewTab virus-related 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.
Reset MS Edge if that 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 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.
Get rid of Pics4NewTab 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 plugins that are related to Pics4NewTab virus and click Remove.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- 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.
In case Pics4NewTab virus did not get removed after following the instructions above, 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 – this should complete Pics4NewTab virus removal.
Eliminate Pics4NewTab from Google Chrome
To fix your Google Chrome browser, uninstall Pics4NewTab extension and other suspicious programs that might have been installed without your knowledge. You can get help from the guide provided below:
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 Pics4NewTab virus 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.
If the above-methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the Pics4NewTab virus-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 to complete Pics4NewTab virus removal.
Erase Pics4NewTab from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension related to Pics4NewTab virus 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 Pics4NewTab 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: ReimageIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
Protect your privacy – employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
- ^ Chris Hoffman. Beginner Geek. Everything You Need To Know About Browser Extensions. How to Geek. We Explain Technology.
- ^ UtanVirus. UtanVirus. Security and Spyware News.
- ^ Carl Levin, John McCain. Online Advertising and Hidden Hazards to Consumer Security and Data Privacy. Online Trust Alliance. Internet Society Initiative.
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