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  • Active
  • Severity: High
  • Stealing programs
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jun 2016

How to remove Search.greatsocialtab.com virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Julie Splinters · Anti-malware specialist

Can you trust search.greatsocialtab.com search engine?

Search.greatsocialtab.com virus might attack you despite whether you use Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or another browser. Do not fall into its trap thinking that it is yet another trustful search engine. In fact, it possesses the qualities of a browser hijacker. It might assault your search provider wherever you browse the Web or, most likely, occupy the PC when you install a new program. It does not take long until you notice the negative outcomes of this search engine. You might need to ward off severe search.greatsocialtab.com redirect web pages or cancel persistent advertisements covering your online screen. What is more, the browsing tool spies on you all the time. If this behavior is not acceptable, do not delay search.greatsocialtab.com removal. For that purpose, FortectIntego comes in handy.

Regarding the Privacy Policy of this browser hijacker, it has striking resemblances to the ones written by Imali Ltd. It is infamous Israel online company which creates questionable search engines. It seems that the company decided to keep a low profile as the name of the company is removed from the provisions, though the very text is the same. Moreover, the design is also similar to other browsing tools created by this company. Their former browser hijackers were distinctive for their absurdly long URL addresses; the current ones do not possess this quality.

The image revealing search.greatsocialtab.com virus

Furthermore, Great Social Tab does not keep up with a legitimate search engine because it fails to provide objective search results. This might be the cause since it uses Yahoo as the source for providing search results. In comparison with a reliable search engine, search.greatsocialtab.com forwards advertising web pages to the top positions while the required web page is delivered in the lower rank. Therefore, it does not mean that you will reach the domain of your interest right from the first try. The hijacker tends to mislead you to the affiliate third-party websites before letting you access the primary destination. This phenomenon is not only bothersome, but it may be damaging as well. Due to the redirect problem, you might find yourself in an unsafe domain, enhanced with potentially dangerous files. Therefore, the sooner you remove search.greatsocialtab.com, the better.

When did the PUP attack my computer?

Search.greatsocialtab.com browser hijacker exploited the chance to invade your computer when you recklessly installed a new program. The majority of adware applications and browser hijackers spread the same way. They cling onto a free movie watching application. When a user launches the installation wizard and then finishes the “Install” button, the add-on usually stays unnoticed. Likewise, search.greatsocialtab.com hijack occurred. There is a way how you can escape the fate of getting infected with this hijacker. The next time you are about to install a new application, make sure you opt for “Advanced” settings and then finish the installation guide without leaving any pre-checked attachments. In the next section, we will present your solutions which help you successfully remove search.greatsocialtab.com.

Is there a way how I can eliminate search.greatsocialtab.com virus quickly?

The most suitable option which ensures proper and complete removal of the hijacker is automatic elimination. Download and install the anti-spyware application. It will locate and remove search.greatsocialtab.com in just a few clicks. The program should be present in every user’s computer since it is an irreplaceable guardian of the entire operating system. It can ward off such threats as trojans and ransomware as well. Lastly, if you are used to dealing with browser hijackers on your own, check manual search.greatsocialtab.com removal guidelines delivered below.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from 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 Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. 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.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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