TabNewSearch.com Removal Guide

TabNewSearch.com is a suspicious search engine that may show up in your Google Chrome browser either with or without your permission. Since it has the ability to change your default search engine, we have categorized it as a browser hijacker. We have found that this hijacker mainly infiltrates your computer together with a potentially unwanted program (PUP), but it is also possible that it comes with malware infections. Therefore, its presence may indicate that your computer is under attack from several sources of threats. This hijacker may also expose you to potentially unsafe third-party websites, which could cause further virtual security-related issues. We believe that you should remove TabNewSearch.com if you do not want to risk more malware invasions or worse. If you read our full article, you will learn about this malware infection in more detail and we will also provide you with solutions regarding keeping your PC protected against similar attacks.

We have discovered that this browser hijacker mostly appears in the Google Chrome browser when you install a potentially unwanted program called Install Assistant. This questionable program is available for download at downloadwrap.com. But, if you do not remember visiting that site or the Chrome web store (chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/install-assistant/cdiimmedagmjminmhjcmmgiabmicmnif), it is quite possible that you downloaded and installed this PUP and this browser hijacker in a freeware bundle. You may be interested to know that this PUP has actually been blocked by Chrome and it is not available anymore in the store. Obviously, this only happens when the extension gets reviewed and found potentially harmful. So this is definitely not good news if you find either this program or this hijacker on board.

As we have said, it is possible that you install this browser hijacker through a freeware bundle. This can happen when you click on potentially unsafe third-party content on shady file-sharing websites. Most commonly pornographic, dating, torrent, and shareware sites host the most questionable third-party advertisements. These ads (banners and pop-ups) may pose as fake system alerts or fake download and next-page buttons just to deceive you and trick you into clicking. However, one click on the wrong content can result in your downloading a malicious bundle that contains TabNewSearch.com and other malware infections as well as PUPs. If you allow such a package to enter your operating system, it will not be sufficient to delete TabNewSearch.com alone. It is just as vital to identify every other infection on board and tackle them because otherwise your PC will not be completely clean and safe for you to use.

This browser hijacker presents you a rather simple search page. There is only one legal document link in the bottom-right corner of the screen, which leads to the Privacy Policy page. However, this policy (getdownloadboss.com/privacy/index.html) belongs to a PUP called DownloadBoss, which we have already covered on our website. This PUP also promotes a browser hijacker that happens to be identical to this one and is called Searchnewtab.com. Even the name is almost identical with a twist. If any of these infections can be found on your computer, you should not hesitate to eliminate them. By the way, these threats all come from the same source, i.e., they are developed by the same company called Discover Browser Media.

This browser hijacker provides you with a search tool that you should not trust at all. We have noticed that it plainly redirects all your queries to a Bing search results page. This would not be a big problem in itself since most search tools use redirections. However, this hijacker may manipulate these results by promoting third-party ads and sponsored links through results. The risk here is that you cannot really tell the difference between a legitimate ad or link and a corrupted one. Therefore, any of your clicks on such content may be risky and may result in your landing on malicious websites. This could have unfortunate consequences for you and your computer as your security level may drop and you could be exposed to cyber criminals as well. You should not think twice to remove TabNewSearch.com if you vote for “Safety First.”

Since this browser hijacker only seems to affect Google Chrome browsers, all you have to do is reset your browser to make sure that all the setting changes are restored to default. It is also likely that in the future this hijacker will also get blocked by Chrome so there will be no more infection; or it may just change form and appear in a new outfit. Unfortunately, by making TabNewSearch.com disappear, you do not necessarily secure your computer. It is quite possible that there are other malware infections still on board. If you do not “kill ‘em all,” they may cause more security issues until your system gets crippled. If you want to step up and act effectively, we recommend that you use a reputable anti-malware program that will also safeguard your PC from future malware attacks.

How to remove TabNewSearch.com from your browser

Google Chrome

1. Tap Alt+F and select Settings.
2. Click Show advanced settings at the bottom.
3. Click Reset settings at the bottom.
4. Click Reset.