My computer is infected with this search.greatsocialtab.com browser hijacker. I might click on something bad accidently to pick up virus. I have to admit that I know little about computer. I always brought harmful programs onto my computer. Now search.greatsocialtab.com replaces my favorite homepage and installs weird programs on Google Chrome. When I open a new tab or click on pictures online, it redirects me to unknown websites. I feel like someone is controlling my browser. I don’t want it any more, but I don’t what I should do. Please help me out.
search.greatsocialtab.com is a malicious website which hijacks your browser and changes the default browser settings without asking for your permission. According to computer expert, this browser hijacker is spread for marketing purpose. It pretends to be a useful search engine on your computer and performs evil activities to help its developer gain profit. You need to know that it is only an unwanted ad-supported program. Its developer designs it with advanced marketing technique and spreads it widely throughout the world. Also, it is capable of attacking browser such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Edge and Safari. After your computer is infected, it can redirect you to unknown websites randomly and install useless programs to support itself. Do not be tricked by its innocent appearance and leave it on your browser. You had better remove it completely as early as possible.
As soon as search.greatsocialtab.com browser hijacker sneaks into your computer, it bypasses the Windows firewall and hides itself deep in your system. Your original homepage will be changed into suspicious domains. It changes your default settings so that search.greatsocialtab.com can come back automatically soon after you change the homepage. In this way, this browser hijacker will always run when you open your browser. When you use your browser, it monitors your online activities and collects useful information for its affiliated products or websites. It records your browsing habits such as what kind of information you need the most, what product you purchase online frequently, which video program you like, social software account detail, bank card detail you use online, etc. Its developer will use the information to develop and promote related products. To control your browser further, it installs various programs on your computer without your approval. Many useless ad-ons, plug-ins, extensions appear on your browser. Unknown programs are added to your Favorite. Besides, you may see many icons of software on your desktop while you did not install them. Those useless programs take much space on computer. Therefore, it will take a long time to start your computer and browser. search.greatsocialtab.com has the ability to hijack the useful information you need and inject ads to your search results. When you click on the result, it redirects you to unknown website which is full of ads. You need to note that virus can be embedded in links on those suspicious websites. While you are visiting the website, ads pop up and cover your screen all the time. No one deserve such an annoying program. Get rid of it completely if you see it as your homepage.
1. Clean Add-ons and Extensions
* Internet Explorer:
(1). Click Tools in the Menu bar and then click Internet Options
(2). Click Programs tab, click Manage add-ons and disable the suspicious add-ons
* Firefox:
(1). Click Tools in the Menu bar and then click Add-ons
(2). Click Extensions, select the related browser add-ons and click Disable
* Google Chrome:
(1). Click Customize and control Google Chrome button → Tools → Extensions
(2). Disable the extensions of search.greatsocialtab.com
2. End Relevant Processes
(1). Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc together to pop up Windows Task Manager, click Processes tab
*For Win 8 Users:
Click More details when you see the Task Manager box
And then click Details tab
(2). Find out and end search.greatsocialtab.com’s processes
3. Show Hidden Files
(1). Click on Start button and then on Control Panel
(2). Click on Appearance and Personalization
(3). Click on Folder Options
(4). Click on the View tab in the Folder Options window
(5). Choose Show hidden files, folders, and drives under the Hidden files and folders category
(6). Click OK at the bottom of the Folder Options window
*For Win 8 Users:
Press Win+E together to open Computer window, click View and then click Options
Click View tab in the Folder Options window, choose Show hidden files, folders, and drives under the Hidden files and folders category
4. Delete Relevant Registry Entries and Files
(1). Delete the registry entries related to search.greatsocialtab.com through Registry Editor
Press Win+R to bring up the Run window, type “regedit” and click “OK”
While the Registry Editor is open, search and delete its registry entries
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\[RANDOM CHARACTERS].exe
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run ‘Random’
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Random
(2). Find out and remove the associated files
%AllUsersProfile%\random.exe
%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Templates\random.exe
%Temp%\random.exe
There is no doubt that search.greatsocialtab.com is a harmful program. Unlike Google, Bing, or Yahoo, it will not improve your search activities but ruin your browsing experience and mess up your business day instead. You may think that it is not a big deal if its developer uses your information to promote the related products. However, what if they send the information to the cyber criminals for money or the criminals just hack and access their database? It will be a disaster if the criminals do illegal thing in your name with your detail information. As we all know, it can change your settings and install programs on your computer without your approval. We can not make sure that it will not download and install malware to damage your system. In addition, those websites and ads supported by search.greatsocialtab.com are unreliable. Your computer may pick up virus, worm, Trojan and other malware after you click on malicious link from those websites. If you see search.greatsocialtab.com on your browser, get rid of it right now. Dot not put your computer at risk any more. Look for its related files and remove them one by one to make sure that it will not come back.
Published by & last updated on August 26, 2016 8:47 am
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