How to Remove Pics4NewTab Redirect

Can’t Remove Pics4NewTab hijacker virus? This page includes detailed Pics4NewTab Removal instructions!

To say the least, Pics4NewTab is irritating. This devious program promises to enhance your browsing experience. In reality, though, Pics4NewTab is nothing but a browser hijacker. It gets activated immediately after installation and starts wreaking havoc right away. That means you don’t have any time to waste. Procrastination would only make the mess greater so don’t be naive. Pics4NewTab isn’t going to provide accurate, let alone safe search results. Hackers only have one reason to develop such infection and it is light years away from helping you surf the Web. What is the one thing hackers are focused on when creating malicious programs? Gaining revenue. Hijackers are extremely effective in that department. Pics4NewTab is a classic member of the problematic hijacker family. Therefore, it follows the classic pattern and completely demolishes your online experience. To begin with, the virus makes unauthorized changes in your browser settings. Your search engine as well as favorite homepage get replaced with the parasite’s domain. Needless to remind you, this is a questionable domain. It never intended to generate the search results you were promised. Unfortunately, Pics4NewTab displays sponsored web links instead. Keep in mind that the infection helps its creators gain profit. By flooding your PC screen with sponsored links, Pics4NewTab attempts to trick you into clicking. As you could imagine, clicking the search results generated by a parasite is ill-advised. You might get redirected to some immensely unsafe websites and compromise your safety further. Do not trust anything the hijacker displays. Pics4NewTab also installs a browser extension so it could bring along various commercials and pop-up ads. Despite appearing to be safe, these advertisements are just as untrustworthy as the search results. Hackers are more than willing to cause you damage as long as they gain profit. However, you do not have to participate in their trickery so stay away from the links Pics4NewTab generates. Tackle the hijacker as soon as possible.

How did I get infected with?

The most popular infiltration method involves program bundles. Many people download freeware/shareware bundles from unverified pages. In addition, more often than not, PC users tend to rush the installation process. Do you see the problem already? If hackers attach some parasite to a bundle and you fail to deselect it, you infect your PC. Simple as that. In order to protect your machine from intruders in the future, pay close attention to what you install. Opting for the Custom option in the Setup Wizard will allow you to spot the virus on time. Hence, always watch out for additional programs in advance. It is your responsibility to prevent malware infiltration so be cautious. When installing bundles, make a thorough check of the software in there. Reading the Terms and Conditions is yet another rule of thumb. Instead of clicking the “I accept” option and installing viruses, be careful. Adware infections also travel the Web via spam emails/messages as well as fake torrents. Long story short, you cannot afford to be negligent when surfing the Internet.

Why is this dangerous?

The hijacker stubbornly harasses you every single time you use any of your browsers. Pics4NewTab causes them to redirect you to random websites. It also brings along sponsored search results and could generate some advertisements too. Consider your everyday online activities destroyed. Hackers are currently taking advantage of your device to gain effortless profit. Unless you’re willing to get involved in their illegal schemes, get rid of the parasite ASAP. Pics4NewTab makes modifications in your browser settings and leads to a poor PC performance. It even monitors some of your private details such as browsing history, search queries, passwords, usernames. Can you tell where your data gets sent? Straight into the greedy hands of the hijacker’s creators. Hackers have plenty of monetizing platforms to choose from. They will definitely find a way to make more money out of your sensitive, private data. To delete the virus, please follow our detailed manual removal guide down below.

How to Remove Pics4NewTab virus

The Pics4NewTab 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 Pics4NewTab 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 Pics4NewTab related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Pics4NewTab startup location

STEP 3: Delete Pics4NewTab traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Pics4NewTab 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 Pics4NewTab 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 Pics4NewTab 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 Pics4NewTab traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

• Open Google Chrome

• In the Main Menu, select Tools then Extensions
• Remove the Pics4NewTab 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 Pics4NewTab

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 Pics4NewTab, 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 Pics4NewTab 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 Pics4NewTab 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.