Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs: what it is and how to remove it
Tab Recovery, otherwise known as Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs, is a potentially unwanted application that users might install unintentionally via third-party software bundles. Once inside, the hijacker will change the homepage of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, or another browser to hxxps://tabrecovery.com and will redirect all searchers performed to Google.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs: summary
| Damage | Installation of other potentially unwanted programs or malware, personal information disclosure to unknown parties (potentially, cybercriminals), financial losses |
|---|---|
| Name | Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs |
| Type | Browser hijacker, potentially unwanted program |
| Infiltration | In most cases, users install PUPs after being tricked by attractive ad/fake update, of after downloading freeware/shareware from third-party sites that use software bundling scheme |
| Related domains | tabrecovery.com, explormatrix.com |
| Symptoms | New tab address, homepage, and the search engine altered; all search results are injected with sponsored links at the top; ads are more frequently encountered on all visited websites; web browser fails to load certain pages or does that slowly; unwanted browser extensions and apps installed on the computer |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 7 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Search page | tabrecovery.com |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 6 April 2020 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
tabrecovery.com
How to remove Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs
How to remove Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs and get your search engine back
Remove the extension first.
The search settings only stay fixed once nothing on the PC can change them again.
Step 1: Remove extensions you did not add
In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Edgeedge://extensions, and in Firefox the menu > Extensions and themes.Remove every extension you do not remember adding, especially search, new tab, coupon, PDF, weather or video downloader add-ons. Check every browser and every profile, because each keeps its own list.
If an extension has no Remove button or comes back, a browser policy holds it (see "Managed by your organization" in the procedure below). The pages are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove a browser extension
Step 2: Put the search engine back and delete tabrecovery.com
In Chrome open Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search, make an engine you trust the default, and delete
tabrecovery.comfrom the list.In Edge type
search engineinto the search box at the top of Settings and open Manage search engines; in Firefox use Settings > Search. Then check the homepage and the new tab page in the same settings, because hijackers change all three.If tabrecovery.com is back after a restart, an extension, a program or a policy still sets it, so finish the other steps and check again. The settings are the same on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Chrome on Windows 11: check Search engine and On startup. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 3: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 4: Reset the browser
A reset removes what the steps above could miss:
- changed start pages
- site permissions
- hidden settings
In Chrome open Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their original defaults; in Edge Settings > Reset settings; in Firefox Help > More troubleshooting information > Refresh Firefox.
Tip: Bookmarks and saved passwords stay, while extensions are turned off and the search engine and start page return to the defaults.
Reset every browser on the PC, including Edge, which Windows 11 and Windows 10 always have.
Chrome on Windows 11: Settings > Reset settings. Full procedure with screenshots: Reset a browser and fix a hijacked search engine
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
Get rid of Tab Recovery from Windows by follow these instructions:
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Remove from Google Chrome
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 suspicious extensions 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.
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 Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
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.
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.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
In case you are unable to remove Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs extension in a regular way, you can reset Mozilla Firefox as explained below:
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 the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
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 and Temporary cached files and pages, then click 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.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Delete from macOS
In order to uninstall unwanted apps on macOS systems, users should put them to Trash as follows:
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
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 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.
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 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, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
From our report of Apr 2020 · not reviewed since
Tab Recovery is a minor security threat that will display annoying ads and engage in browser redirect activities
Tab Recovery, otherwise known as Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs, is a potentially unwanted application that users might install unintentionally via third-party software bundles.
Once inside, the hijacker will change the homepage of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, or another browser to hxxps://tabrecovery.com and will redirect all searchers performed to Google. Despite that, due to the presence of Tab Recovery hijack, users will see several sponsored links and ads in the search results - this is one of the main symptoms of the infection.
Behind the scenes, Tab Recovery virus will also collect various information about users' web browsing habits to feed their browsers with targeted ads. As a result, they will often encounter redirects, pop-ups, auto-play, banners, and other kinds of advertisements on sites that they visit. To get rid of this unwanted activity, Tab Recovery removal should be performed - find out how below.
Unlike many other browser hijackers like Shipment Trackers, My Login Helper, Protect My Search Daily, and many others, Tab Recovery uses a different web address for a new tab. While users will see tabrecovery.com as their homepage, the new tab address will be explormatrix.com - another untrustworthy search engine that delivers ad-filled search results and sponsored links and is not related to any reputable search providers like Google.
The problem with fake search engines like Tab Recovery is that they provide allegedly useful functionality, although the main goal of PUPs is to deliver commercial content to users, sometimes even compromising their online safety. Due to web browser changes and links to sponsored sites, users might expose themselves to dangers, such as:
However, this is not all suspicious activity that is related to Tab Recovery - it also performs information gathering behind users' backs, as this activity becomes evident only if they access the Privacy Policy of the app. Unfortunately, this is done very rarely, as users mostly miss the installation of the app in the first place, since deceptive practices are used to spread it.
Note that you can remove Tab Recovery functionality before it even manages to penetrate your web browsers - simply do not press the "Keep changes" prompt. This functionality has been implemented by most modern browsers in order to avoid unsolicited changes being made by browser hijackers.
Even if you do not apply the changes, the Tab Recovery PUP and Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs might still be present on your machine. Finally, reset the installed browsers and perform a scan with for the best results.
- A fake alert that prompts to download (an update for) Adobe Flash Player that would allow accessing the contents of the site. Such installations may end up in malware infection, such as ransomware or a banking trojan;
- A message which claims that visitors' computer is infected with malware, and needs cleaning. Users will download scamware or similar malicious program that will try to make them pay for the licensed version;
- Spoofing website that may look like original, despite using a different domain name. After entering sensitive information into provided fields, users send it directly to malicious actors;
- Notification prompt may ask users to allow notifications to be shown directly to desktops, later bombarding them with intrusive, inappropriate, scam, and similar ads.
From our report of Apr 2020 · not reviewed since
Stay away from potentially unwanted programs - they might be much more sneaky and dangerous than it may seem
While browser hijackers are considered to be minor computer infections, they should never be ignored.
The installation of such programs might not destroy your computer functions or harvest your credit card data, but it may serve as a link to sites that are less than secure. The main issue with PUPs is that users are sometimes forced to visit scam sites, claiming that their machines are infected and that they need to fix them with some alleged "security tool."
These fake programs are compiled in a way that act like malware and deliver false-positives in order to make users believe that their computers are in grave dangers. Such scenario is not unique, and can be thousands of others, resulting in infiltration of other PUPs/malware, financial losses, and many more negative consequences.
Thus, stay away from apps that do not bring anything to the table - the functionality that many programs offer is often misleading and generally useless. For example, links that are often inserted into the homepage of the hijacked browser can be created manually based on every person's preferences, instead of having a preset template that displays intrusive ads, disturbing the online web time.
To avoid getting infected with browser hijackers and other PUPs, users should pay close attention to the installation process of freeware apps. In general, official sources should be preferred if possible, as these have set measures to prevent deception used by some developers.
Nonetheless, if you choose to go for third-parties, make sure you watch over the installation process carefully and always opt for Advanced/Custom settings (instead of Recommended/Quick) when prompted. This will allow you to unckeck the pre-ticked boxes and get rid of browser extensions, fake system optimizers, file converters, and other deceptive software that could put your online privacy and safety at risk.
From our report of Apr 2020 · not reviewed since
Get rid of Tab Recovery browser hijacker
There are several parts to Tab Recovery removal, as there are several components that are involved in the infection routine.
A browser extension can usually be eliminated relatively easily - simply by right-clicking on it and selecting "Remove from Chrome" or "Remove extension" (depending on your web browser used). However, do not forget that the unwanted app might have modified several settings of the browser, so resetting it is sometimes the only way to remove Tab Recovery redirects, ads, and other suspicious activity.
Finally, Tab Recovery virus can also be installed as a standalone application and it needs to be uninstalled. For that, you should check our detailed removal guide below for macOS and Windows systems. Additionally, you could also employ anti-malware software and perform a full computer scan to ensure that no malicious software managed to infiltrate it during the operation of the browser hijacker.
Questions about Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs
How do I change my search engine back from tabrecovery.com?
Open the browser's search engine settings, choose the search engine you want and set it as default, then remove tabrecovery.com from the list.
If the option is greyed out or a note says it is controlled by an extension, remove that extension first and try again. If the browser says it is managed by your organization, a policy holds the setting, and the policy steps in this guide apply.
When the change will not stick, reset the browser: it restores the default search engine and start page and turns off extensions, but keeps bookmarks and saved passwords. Then check Installed apps for a program that may put tabrecovery.com back.
Can tabrecovery.com see my searches?
Yes. Every search typed into the address bar goes to tabrecovery.com first, which is how it earns money. It can log the query, the time and an identifier for your browser, and some hijackers also collect the pages you visit through their extension.
The privacy policy of such sites usually allows sharing that data with partners. Once the hijacker is removed and your own search engine is set again, new searches no longer reach it. Searches already sent cannot be taken back, so avoid entering sensitive information until the clean-up is finished, and clear cookies afterwards.
What is tabrecovery.com?
It is the search page used by the browser hijacker Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs. It has no search index of its own: it forwards your queries to another search engine and adds ads and tracking along the way.
People rarely choose it on purpose; it becomes the default search engine, home page or new tab after an extension, program or policy changes the browser settings. The page itself is not malware, but it should not be in your browser if you did not set it. The steps above remove the source and restore your settings.
Is tabrecovery.com dangerous?
It is not designed to infect the PC, but it is not neutral either. It logs searches, adds sponsored results that are hard to tell apart from real ones, and its ad partners are not checked as strictly as those of major search engines.
Some hijacker pages have shown ads for fake updates, tech support scams and unwanted software. The main harm is to privacy. Remove Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs, and if you entered personal data on sites reached through its results, check those sites carefully.
Do I have to fix every browser?
Yes, every one where the search engine or start page changed. In the cases we checked, Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs affected Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
Each browser stores its own search settings and extensions, so fixing one does not fix the others, and Windows-level changes such as shortcuts can affect each browser differently. Work through them one at a time:
- remove the extension
- check the policies
- restore the search engine
- start page
If you sync a browser, stay signed in so the fix spreads to your other computers.
Did tabrecovery.com record my searches?
Almost certainly. Logging is the point of a hijacker search page: each query, with your IP address, browser details and the result you clicked, is valuable to advertisers.
The operators of tabrecovery.com can store and share that data under their own privacy policy, which you never agreed to knowingly. There is no way to delete it from their side. What you can do is stop the flow:
- remove Tab Recovery
- Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs
- clear cookies and site data for tabrecovery.com
- treat sensitive searches made in the meantime as known to a third party
Can I just block tabrecovery.com?
You can, but it treats the symptom. Blocking the domain in a firewall or the hosts file makes searches fail instead of redirecting, while the extension or program that set it keeps running and collecting data.
Hijacker operators also switch to new domains in updates, so a block may stop working within weeks. Remove the source instead, then set your own search engine. If you want extra protection afterwards, turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking in Windows Security, which stops many hijacker installers before they run.
Is only one browser affected?
Often not. Programs that install hijackers tend to change every browser they find, and sync can carry the extension to other computers signed in to the same browser account. Check Chrome, Edge and Firefox, even the ones you rarely use, and look at the shortcut targets on the desktop and taskbar for each.
If you use sync, remove the extension while signed in so the removal syncs too. Also check the On startup setting and the new tab page, because hijackers change those as well as the search engine.
What do I lose if I reset Chrome or Edge?
Less than you might think. A reset turns off all extensions, which you can turn back on one by one, restores the default search engine, home page, new tab and pinned tabs, and clears cookies, so you are signed out of most sites.
Bookmarks, history, saved passwords and autofill data stay. Firefox's equivalent, Refresh Firefox, keeps the same essentials but removes add-ons completely. Before you reset, make sure you know your main passwords or have them saved, since you will need to sign in again.
Will Fortect remove Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery – Save & Organize Your Tabs, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- F5 Labs: Banking Trojans: A Reference Guide to the Malware Family Tree (read October 6, 2026)
- Weber State University: Scamware (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)