How To Remove Handy-Tab.com From System

Proper Guide To Delete Handy-Tab.com From Computer

Handy-Tab.com is a notorious web domain that silently infiltrates the Windows PCs without users’ approval and hijacks the web browser. It works as a search engine and claims to improve users’ Online browsing experience by offering most relevant, accurate and fast search results. It even appears as a genuine search tool similar to Google, Yahoo and Bing. Nevertheless, on the contradictory to whatsoever is claimed and how it appears, it is indeed a potentially undesired application designed by a group of potent Cyber criminals for evil purposes. Initially upon getting installed, this perilous hijacker assigns itself as the new home page, search engine and new tab URL replacing the previous one and acquires full control over the entire browser.

Handy-Tab.com redirects your start page to the altered search page and then redirects your web searches to the links you had not intended to visit. It bombards your computer screen 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 multiple forms such as coupons, banners, deals, offers, discounts etc. which work on pay-per-click mechanism and earn revenues for the developers upon being clicked. This nasty PUP makes commission for the operators according to the clicks it gets on its adverts and with each redirection. Tapping upon these adverts though can be very risky for your computer’s security as they might contain vicious links and lead you to highly dangerous websites that are fully occupied with malicious contents. And thus, it is necessary to delete Handy-Tab.com from the system as soon as you detect its presence.

Software Bundling – a Frequent Malware Distribution Technique:

Software bundling is a kind of application distribution method that allows freeware developers to attach their software with “optional downloads” in exchange for commission. Browser hijacker, adware and other PUAs often stand for those “optional downloads”. And so, to protect the machine from such malware attack, it’s necessary to unpack each freeware package before installing it. For this purpose, you should always select Custom or Advanced installation mode instead of Quick or Basic one and untick the unwanted components that look suspicious or unnecessary. Besides, you can also get this hijacker due to using corrupt CDs/DVDs, visiting harmful web domains, sharing files through unsecured network, watching porn videos, playing Online games etc. and Thus, you should avoid getting in touch with these pernicious sources to keep the machine harmless and secured.

Threat Details

Name- Handy-Tab.com

Category- Browser hijacker, PUP

Description- Aims to promote third-party products, services and websites and make quick revenues for the operators.

Symptoms- Modifications 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 Handy-Tab.com:

Handy-Tab.com downgrades the overall computer performance as it consumes huge amount of memory resources and increases the usage of CPU. It injects tracking cookies on the affected browser and continuously spies on your web activities like your search queries, pages viewed, links opened etc. It gathers vital information regarding your interests and needs which is then utilized by the advertisers for the advertisement campaign. Additionally, the collected data may also include your personal information relating to banking and other financial details. Criminals can misuse your sensitive data for generating illicit revenues and cause you to suffer a big financial loss.

Handy-Tab.com can be also responsible for the intrusion of many other Online infections such as Trojans, spyware, adware, rootkits, worms etc. in your computer as well since it has ability to deactivate all the running security measures and open backdoors for them. It displays fake security warnings, error messages, update notifications etc. and tries to deceive you into installing bogus software. It makes spiteful entries in Windows registries and alters its current settings in order to get automatically activated with each Window reboot. This nasty Pup ruins important system files which assure efficient computer functioning and prevents many installed apps as well as drivers from working in a proper manner. And therefore, to prevent all these hazards from being occurred, you must remove Handy-Tab.com from the PC without wasting any time.

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 Handy-Tab.com:

Remove the related items of Handy-Tab.com 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 Handy-Tab.com 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 (Handy-Tab.com) 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 Handy-Tab.com 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 Handy-Tab.com 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 Handy-Tab.com 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 Handy-Tab.com 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 Handy-Tab.com (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.