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Can’t Remove Handy-tab.com hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Handy-tab.com Removal instructions!
The Handy-tab.com website promotes a browser extension that is supposed to enhance your user experience. Once you install it, though, the app reveals its true nature. It is an aggressive, ad generating menace. Security experts categorize it as a browser hijacker. It takes control of your favorite browser and makes unwanted changes. The hijacker replaces your homepage, as well as your default search engine. It also modifies the websites you visit by flooding them with ad banners and hyperlinks. The parasite is a complete and utter menace. If floods its victims with countless ads and commercials. It even loads sponsored websites in new tabs and windows. No ad-blocking tool is powerful enough to help you. The hijacker lurks in the shadows of your OS and wreaks advertising havoc. Do not put up with this situation! You have no control over your browser. The hijacker dictates the way you use your app. And if you are not sure, that’s bad. This parasite is not a harmless annoyance. It is a hazardous app that has no filters nor security mechanisms. Its ads often promote deceptive and even malicious websites. Do not risk ending up into online traps. As soon as the Handy-tab.com website pops up, take action. Find where the hijacker hides and delete it upon detection. Remove this menace ASAP!
How did I get infected with?
A browser hijacker forces the Handy-tab.com website on you. This parasite sneaks into your OS and throws you into a whirlwind of reshuffles. The parasite is so aggressive that users often mistake it for a virus. That’s, luckily, not the case! The hijacker is a simple app, and as such, it follows standard installation procedures. The parasite needs you, the user, to approve its access. It cannot proceed without your “Yes.” Note, though, that the parasite knows how to ask. It hides in the fine print and preys on your naivety. The hijacker infects your computer when you “forget” to deselect it. Do not make that mistake! Choose caution over carelessness. Only your vigilance can prevent infections. Always take the time to do your due diligence. Don’t follow suspicious links. Download software and updates from reliable sources only. And forget about the “Next-Next-Finish” setup strategy. More often than not, the apps we download off the web come bundled with bonus software. If you don’t pay attention to the fine print, you might install a malicious bonus. Do not rely on luck! If available, use the advanced/custom setup option. Deselect all unwanted extras and go through the terms and conditions. Don’t hesitate to opt out of the installation if you notice anything suspicious.
Why is this dangerous?
The Handy-tab.com redirects are just the beginning of an ad invasion. You are stuck with a browser hijacker. This parasite knows no limits nor boundaries. It inserts various banners on every website you visit, opens pop-ups, turns random text into hyperlinks, forces you to watch commercials. And as if that’s not annoying enough, but it also loads sponsored links in new tabs. Its numerous ads, of course, overload your browser and make it prone to freezing and crashes. And still, these issues are barely the tip of the iceberg. You can notice the full extent of the problem only if you examine the ads closely. Everything “Powered by Handy-tab.com” is related to your recent online activities, isn’t it? That’s because you are under surveillance! The hijacker doesn’t waste time with random ads. It studies your browsing habits and bases its “Ads by Handy-tab.com” on the collected data. The problem is that it doesn’t keep this information confidential. Quite the contrary – the hijacker sells everything to unknown parties with questionable agendas. Do you think that ends well? Some pieces of data, your search queries, for example, may leak personal and financial details. This parasite jeopardizes your privacy and security. Do not tolerate it. Your best course of action is its immediate removal!
How to Remove Handy-tab.com virus
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The Handy-tab.com 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 Handy-tab.com 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 Handy-tab.com related processes in the computer memory
STEP 2: Locate Handy-tab.com startup location
STEP 3: Delete Handy-tab.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer
STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus
STEP 1: Track down Handy-tab.com 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 Handy-tab.com 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 Handy-tab.com 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 Handy-tab.com traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer
-
Open Google Chrome
- In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
- Remove the Handy-tab.com 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 Handy-tab.com
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 Handy-tab.com, 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 Handy-tab.com 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 Handy-tab.com 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.