Remove Smart Media Tab Search Redirects

Can’t Remove Smart Media Tab Search hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Smart Media Tab Search Removal instructions!

The Smart Media Tab Search page is definitely suspicious. If it has replaced your homepage or if you see adverts provided by Smart Media, be warned. Your privacy is jeopardized! A nasty browser hijacker has infected your device. The Smart Media Tab Search hijacker is an aggressive adverting application which uses misleading and unethical strategies to turn you from a visitor into a customer. This parasite is spying on your online activities and uses the collected information for targeted adverts. It may not strike as something too dangerous, yet, it is not to be underestimated. Were this app safe and legitimate, it wouldn’t have to use trickery to invade your computer. The hijacker has no security mechanism. It cannot protect its users. Quite the opposite. It turns them into targets. The hijacker is used by numerous crooks as an advertising platform. They spread deceptive and false adverts to target potential victims. Do not underestimate these criminals either. They know how to trick you. The crooks use the hijacker and its resources to prepare customized adverts. They show you what you want to see, but when you click on their adverts, bad things happen. These ads may redirect you to deceptive websites at best. At worst, you’ll end up on infected pages. Do not risk your security and financial stability. Remove the Smart Media Tab Search hijacker before it lures you into unwanted actions!

How did I get infected with?

The Smart Media Tab Search hijacker is not an ingenious virus that can hack your computer. No! To enter your machine, it relies on your help. That is right. Without you, this infection wouldn’t have happened. Confused? Let’s explain. The Smart Media Tab Search hijacker is a malicious program. Just like any other program, it needs your (the user’s) permission to get installed. What it doesn’t need is straightforwardness. The hijacker asked for your permission in the sneakiest way possible. It usually hides behind software bundles, torrents, and fake updates. One second of carelessness is all it needs to steal your permission. Don’t make its job easier. Be always on your guard. Especially when you are about to install a new program. Many software developers attach additional software to the payload files of their apps. If you rush through the installation process, you are very likely to install the extras unintentionally. Always take your time. Opt for the Advanced/Custom installation option. Under it, you will be given the opportunity to prevent the extras from installing. Bear in mind that these third-party tools, more often than not, are malicious. So, deselect all suspicious apps. Also, do not skip the Terms and Conditions/EULA. If you don’t have the time to read the whole document, use an online EULA analyzer. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, abort the installation immediately!

Why is this dangerous?

The Smart Media Tab Search hijacker is extremely intrusive. It interferes with every aspect of your daily web browsing. The parasite forces pop-ups on you. It redirects your web traffic to questionable websites and pauses your videos. You would also notice that websites that used to be ad-free are now so heavy on coupons and discounts that your browser barely loads them. The aggressive marking is not just annoying, it takes a toll on your device. The numerous adverts burden your browser. They also slow down your Internet connection. Unfortunately, these adverts may also infect your computer with parasites. The Smart Media Tab Search hijacker has no security mechanism. It does not verify the ads. Neither does it check the advertisers behind them. And since these advertisers know your preferences, they create appealing ads that redirect your traffic to bogus websites. Bear this in mind the next time you see an irresistible online offer. With the hijacker on board, you are more likely to be redirected to dodgy websites than to legitimate ones. This nasty parasite turns you into an easy target. Anyone willing to pay can use it. Do not put yourself through this. Spare yourself many future headaches. Clean your computer immediately!

How to Remove Smart Media Tab Search virus

The Smart Media Tab Search infection is specifically designed to make money to its creators one way or another. The specialists from various antivirus companies like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, ESET, etc. advise that there is no harmless virus.

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the Smart Media Tab Search infection. Please, follow the procedures in the exact order. Please, consider to print this guide or have another computer at your disposal. You will NOT need any USB sticks or CDs.

STEP 1: Track down Smart Media Tab Search related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Smart Media Tab Search startup location

STEP 3: Delete Smart Media Tab Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Smart Media Tab Search related processes in the computer memory

• Open your Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys simultaneously
• Carefully review all processes and stop the suspicious ones.

• Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Smart Media Tab Search startup location

Reveal Hidden Files

• Open any folder
• Click on “Organize” button
  
• Choose “Folder and Search Options”
• Select the “View” tab
• Select “Show hidden files and folders” option
• Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”
• Click “Apply” and “OK” button

Clean Smart Media Tab Search virus from the windows registry

• Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

• A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

• WARNING! be very careful when editing the Microsoft Windows Registry as this may render the system broken.

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

• and delete the display Name: [RANDOM]

• Then open your explorer and navigate to: %appdata% folder and delete the malicious executable.

Clean your HOSTS file to avoid unwanted browser redirection

Navigate to %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/host

If you are hacked, there will be foreign IPs addresses connected to you at the bottom. Take a look below:

STEP 3 : Clean Smart Media Tab Search traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Smart Media Tab Search by clicking on the little recycle bin
• Reset Google Chrome by Deleting the current user to make sure nothing is left behind

• Open Mozilla Firefox

• Press simultaneously Ctrl+Shift+A
• Disable the unwanted Extension
• Go to Help
• Then Troubleshoot information
• Click on Reset Firefox

• Open Internet Explorer

• On the Upper Right Corner Click on the Gear Icon
• Click on Internet options
• go to Toolbars and Extensions and disable the unknown extensions
• Select the Advanced tab and click on Reset

• Restart Internet Explorer

Step 4: Undo the damage done by Smart Media Tab Search

This particular Virus may alter your DNS settings.

Attention! this can break your internet connection. Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS for Smart Media Tab Search, be sure to write down the current server addresses on a piece of paper.

To fix the damage done by the virus you need to do the following.

• Click the Windows Start button to open the Start Menu, type control panel in the search box and select Control Panel in the results displayed above.
• go to Network and Internet
• then Network and Sharing Center
• then Change Adapter Settings
• Right-click on your active internet connection and click properties. Under the Networking tab, find Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Left click on it and then click on properties. Both options should be automatic! By default it should be set to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and the second one to “Obtain DNS server address automatically!” If they are not just change them, however if you are part of a domain network you should contact your Domain Administrator to set these settings, otherwise the internet connection will break!!!

You must clean all your browser shortcuts as well. To do that you need to

• Right click on the shortcut of your favorite browser and then select properties.

• in the target field remove Smart Media Tab Search argument and then apply the changes.
• Repeat that with the shortcuts of your other browsers.
• Check your scheduled tasks to make sure the virus will not download itself again.

How to Permanently Remove Smart Media Tab Search Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your whole system or network and let all doors wide open for many other infections. To make sure manual removal is successful, we recommend to use a free scanner of any professional antimalware program to identify possible registry leftovers or temporary files.