How To Remove Search-tab.info From Infected Browser

Complete Guideline To Delete Search-tab.info From System

Search-tab.info is a notorious web domain that convinces users to click on the “Allow” button to get notifications directly on their desktop screen. The perilous website usually appears with a small white box that includes two options that is to allow or to block. Once you agree to the content, you are flooded with thousands of annoying ads and pop-ups all over the day that makes your web sessions very complex and problematic. These ads are in various forms such as coupons, banners, deals, discounts, offers etc. which work on pay-per-click mechanism and earn profits for the developers upon being clicked.

You should stay away from ads by Search-tab.info as even these eye-catching deals and offers are misleading and might redirect you to phishing, scamming or even malware-laden sites that are filled with malevolent contents. Due to visiting on such harmful web portals, you may end up with getting more perilous infections in the machine. Once this nasty hijacker successfully gets installed on your computer, you might notice various unwanted changes in your default browser’s settings. Your home page, search engine and new tab URL are replaced with this notorious domain without your approval. Your search results are manipulated that include commercial contents and other forms of advertisements. Search-tab.info keeps displaying bothersome ads and redirecting your browser to affiliated websites all the time that turns your web sessions into nightmare.

Search-tab.info Intrudes Bundled With Freeware:

This pernicious malware can infect your PC through various deceptive tricks. As most of the times, it sneaks into the targeted machine bundled with free third-party programs that you download from unreliable websites. This hazardous PUP can also get downloaded on your PC hidden under cracked software or theme packs. Developers of this hijacker also spread it via spam emails attachments pretending to be some legitimate company or service message. Besides, you can also get this PUP by clicking on malicious links, visiting torrent or porn websites and sharing files on unsafe network. After getting into your PC, Search-tab.info can deactivate your anti-virus security tool to avoid its removal. It can also block the firewall security to make your system vulnerable.

How To Prevent Your Device From Such Attacks:

As we mentioned little ago, the most popular distribution method is software bundling and hence, you need to be very careful while installing a third-party program. You should always choose Custom/Advanced configuration settings instead of the Quick/Recommended one, as here you can get full control over the incoming components. Apart from this, ignore suspicious emails coming from unknown source even if they are labelled as ‘important’ or ‘vital’. Such mails contain bogus attachments and lead to the malware intrusion upon being opened. Additionally, avoid visiting harmful web pages and using infected removal drives. And last but not the least, use a reliable anti-malware application and keep it up-to-date.

Threat Summary

Name- Search-tab.info

Category- Browser hijacker, Push notification virus

Description- Tries to get as many subscribers as possible and promote third-party products, services and websites to make quick revenues for the developers.

Symptoms- Changes in default browser and system’s settings, appearance of intrusive ads and pop-ups, redirects to unknown web pages and so on.

Distribution- Malicious File Downloads, Freeware or shareware installers, P2P file sharing, and many more.

Removal- Manual and automatic guidelines as provided under this article

Other Common Symptoms of Search-tab.info:

Search-tab.info plants tracking cookies on the affected web browser and constantly monitors your Online activities like your search queries, pages, viewed, links opened and so on. It collects important information regarding your interests and needs which is then utilized by the scammers for generating and displaying attractive advertisements to get as many clicks as possible and earn maximum profits. Moreover, it can also steal your personal data relating to banking and other financial details that can be misused by scammers for the advertisement campaign. This hazardous PUP downgrades the overall computer performance severely as it consumes huge amount of memory resources and increases the usage of CPU. And therefore, looking at all these threats, you must remove Search-tab.info from the PC quickly by following the effective removal guideline like the one given below.

Antimalware Details And User Guide

Click Here For Windows

Click Here For Mac

Important Note: This malware asks you to enable the web browser notifications. So, before you go the manual removal process, execute these steps.

Google Chrome (PC)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the Menu button
• Select “Settings”. Scroll the mouse downward to choose “Advanced” option
• Go to “Privacy and Security” section by scrolling downward and then select “Content settings” and then “Notification” option
• Find each suspicious URLs and click on three dots on the right side and choose “Block” or “Remove” option

Google Chrome (Android)

• Go to right upper corner of the screen and click on three dots to open the menu button and then click on “Settings”
• Scroll down further to click on “site settings” and then press on “notifications” option
• In the newly opened window, choose each suspicious URLs one by one
• In the permission section, select “notification” and “Off” the toggle button

Mozilla Firefox

• On the right corner of the screen, you will notice three dots which is the “Menu” button
• Select “Options” and choose “Privacy and Security” in the toolbar present in the left side of the screen
• Slowly scroll down and go to “Permission” section then choose “Settings” option next to “Notifications”
• In the newly opened window, select all the suspicious URLs. Click on the drop-down menu and select “Block”

Internet Explorer

• In the Internet Explorer window, select the Gear button present on the right corner
• Choose “Internet Options”
• Select “Privacy” tab and then “Settings” under the “Pop-up Blocker” section
• Select all the suspicious URLs one by one and click on the “Remove” option

Microsoft Edge

• Open the Microsoft Edge and click on the three dots on the right corner of the screen to open the menu
• Scroll down and select “Settings”
• Scroll down further to choose “view advanced settings”
• In the “Website Permission” option, click on “Manage” option
• Click on switch under every suspicious URL

Safari (Mac):

• On the upper right side corner, click on “Safari” and then select “Preferences”
• Go to “website” tab and then choose “Notification” section on the left pane
• Search for the suspicious URLs and choose “Deny” option for each one of them

Manual Steps to Remove Search-tab.info:

Remove the related items of Search-tab.info using Control-Panel

Windows 7 Users

Click “Start” (the windows logo at the bottom left corner of the desktop screen), select “Control Panel”. Locate the “Programs” and then followed by clicking on “Uninstall Program”

Windows XP Users

Click “Start” and then choose “Settings” and then click “Control Panel”. Search and click on “Add or Remove Program’ option

Windows 10 and 8 Users:

Go to the lower left corner of the screen and right-click. In the “Quick Access” menu, choose “Control Panel”. In the newly opened window, choose “Program and Features”

Mac OSX Users

Click on “Finder” option. Choose “Application” in the newly opened screen. In the “Application” folder, drag the app to “Trash”. Right click on the Trash icon and then click on “Empty Trash”.

In the uninstall programs window, search for the PUAs. Choose all the unwanted and suspicious entries and click on “Uninstall” or “Remove”.

After you uninstall all the potentially unwanted program causing Search-tab.info issues, scan your computer with an anti-malware tool for any remaining PUPs and PUAs or possible malware infection. To scan the PC, use the recommended the anti-malware tool.

How to Remove Adware (Search-tab.info) from Internet Browsers

Delete malicious add-ons and extensions from IE

Click on the gear icon at the top right corner of Internet Explorer. Select “Manage Add-ons”. Search for any recently installed plug-ins or add-ons and click on “Remove”.

Additional Option

If you still face issues related to Search-tab.info removal, you can reset the Internet Explorer to its default setting.

Windows XP users: Press on “Start” and click “Run”. In the newly opened window, type “inetcpl.cpl” and click on the “Advanced” tab and then press on “Reset”.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 Users: Press the Windows logo, type inetcpl.cpl in the start search box and press enter.  In the newly opened window, click on the “Advanced Tab” followed by “Reset” button.

For Windows 8 Users: Open IE and click on the “gear” icon. Choose “Internet Options”

Select the “Advanced” tab in the newly opened window

Press on “Reset” option

You have to press on the “Reset” button again to confirm that you really want to reset the IE

Remove Doubtful and Harmful Extension from Google Chrome

Go to menu of Google Chrome by pressing on three vertical dots and select on “More tools” and then “Extensions”. You can search for all the recently installed add-ons and remove all of them.

Optional Method

If the problems related to Search-tab.info still persists or you face any issue in removing, then it is advised that your reset the Google Chrome browse settings. Go to three dotted points at the top right corner and choose “Settings”. Scroll down bottom and click on “Advanced”.

At the bottom, notice the “Reset” option and click on it.

In the next opened window, confirm that you want to reset the Google Chrome settings by click on the “Reset” button.

Remove Search-tab.info plugins (including all other doubtful plug-ins) from Firefox Mozilla

Open the Firefox menu and select “Add-ons”. Click “Extensions”.  Select all the recently installed browser plug-ins.

Optional Method

If you face problems in Search-tab.info removal then you have the option to rese the settings of Mozilla Firefox.

Open the browser (Mozilla Firefox) and click on the “menu” and then click on “Help”.

Choose “Troubleshooting Information”

In the newly opened pop-up window, click “Refresh Firefox” button

The next step is to confirm that really want to reset the Mozilla Firefox settings to its default by clicking on “Refresh Firefox” button.

Remove Malicious Extension from Safari

Open the Safari and go to its “Menu” and select “Preferences”.

Click on the “Extension” and select all the recently installed “Extensions” and then click on “Uninstall”.

Optional Method

Open the “Safari” and go menu. In the drop-down menu, choose “Clear History and Website Data”.

In the newly opened window, select “All History” and then press on “Clear History” option.

Delete Search-tab.info (malicious add-ons) from Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and go to three horizontal dot icons at the top right corner of the browser. Select all the recently installed extensions and right click on the mouse to “uninstall”

Optional Method

Open the browser (Microsoft Edge) and select “Settings”

Next steps is to click on “Choose what to clear” button

Click on “show more” and then select everything and then press on “Clear” button.

Conclusion

In most cases, the PUPs and adware gets inside the marked PC through unsafe freeware downloads. It is advised that you should only choose developers website only while downloading any kind of free applications.  Choose custom or advanced installation process so that you can trace the additional PUPs listed for installation along with the main program.