What is Handy Tab?
Handy Tab, so called Handy Tab extension, is a browser hijacker, which changes a homepage in your Google Chrome browser and also changes a search engine. In result, you see a nasty homepage every time when start to browse Internet on your PC. After installation Handy Tab starts to analyse information about user internet activity: a browser’s history, visited web pages, system information about and settings. After a time, when user starts to search any result in a browser, Handy Tab can provide wrong results and also some of links can have adware attachments and a number of advertisement. Advertising banners can be injected in the web pages that you are visiting. Also, when this virus infects a browser, users cannot just remove it, because Handy Tab modifies the registry, so removing is blocked by Group Policies. A virus can operate on Windows XP, Vista/7, 8/8.1, Windows 10. You may follow instructions below to remove Handy Tab homepage from your browsers.
How Handy Tab got installed on your computer?
Handy Tab, offered by https://handy-tab.com, cannot be installed on your PC without your knowledge. This type of hijackers usually infiltrate you PC when you download a freeware software. Also, you can get a virus from advertising links or sites. An activation of Handy Tab installer can be options activated by default in a process of installation of freeware programs. Usually, a virus can be easily detected and deactivated in curtain options. Note, you should give access to installation only for trusted software (or extensions) and make sure you know what you are giving your approval to.
Symptoms of Handy Tab infection
- First and the most striking proof of having a browser hijacker is the change of the main page. Usually, it is a search engine page that is designed so that user would believe in its legitimacy.
- Generally, hijackers cause redirections when user makes a search query on its page or tries to reach a blocked site (usually another search engine or anti-malware sites)
- Another indicator of hijacker infection is appearance of new programs, toolbars and browser extensions that you don’t remember installing and processes in start-up queue.
- Also, you may notice the significant slowdown in the system operating, since running of the applications required for malware activity may consume a lot of CPU.
- Besides, hijacker infection may as well negatively affect the speed of Internet connection.
How to remove Handy Tab?
To make sure that the hijacker won’t appear again, you need to delete Handy Tab completely. For this, you need to remove the application from the Control Panel and then check the drives for such leftovers as Handy Tab files and registry entries.
We should warn you that performing some of the steps may require above-average skills, so if you don’t feel experienced enough, you may apply to the automatic removal tool.
Performing an antimalware scan with Norton would automatically search out and delete all elements related to Handy Tab. It is not only the easiest way to eliminate Handy Tab, but also the safest and most assuring one.
Steps of Handy Tab manual removal
Uninstall Handy Tab from Control Panel
As it was stated before, more likely that the hijacker appeared on your system brought by other software. So, to get rid of Handy Tab you need to call to memory what you have installed recently.
How to remove Handy Tab from Windows XP
- Click the Start button and open Control Panel
- Go to Add or Remove Programs
- Find the application related to Handy Tab and click Uninstall
How to remove Handy Tab from Windows 7/Vista
- Click the Start button and open Control Panel
- Go to Uninstall Program
- Find the application related to Handy Tab and click Uninstall
How to remove Handy Tab from Windows 8/8.1
- Right-click the menu icon in left bottom corner
- Choose Control Panel
- Select the Uninstall Program line
- Uninstall the application related to Handy Tab
How to remove Handy Tab from Windows 10
- Press Win+X to open Windows Power menu
- Click Control Panel
- Choose Uninstall a Program
- Select the application related to Handy Tab and remove it
If you experience problems with removing Handy Tab from Control Panel: there is no such title on the list, or you receive an error preventing you from deleting the application, see the article dedicated to this issue.
Read what to do if program won’t uninstall from Control Panel
Remove Handy Tab from browsers
How to unlock Windows Group Policies
Before you will started to remove Handy Tab from browser you should perform following instructions in Command Prompt
This step is necessary to delete Windows Group Policies created by Handy Tab
- Start Command Prompt as Administrator
- To do this in Windows 10/8 or Windows 7 click Start and in the search box type cmd. Right-click on the found result and choose Run as Administrator.
- While in command prompt type:
rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"
- Press Enter button.
- Then type:
rd /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy"
- Press Enter button.
- Finally, type:
gpupdate /force
- Press Enter button.
Since a hijacker threats use a disguise of a browser add-on, you will need to check the list of extensions/add-ons in your browser.
How to remove Handy Tab from Google Chrome
- Start Google Chrome
- Click on More tools, then go to the Extensions
- Delete Handy Tab or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
How to remove Handy Tab from Internet Explorer
- Launch Internet Explorer
- Click on the Tools/Gear icon, then select Manage Add-ons
- Delete Handy Tab or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
How to remove Handy Tab from Mozilla Firefox
- Start Mozilla Firefox
- Click on the right-upper corner button
- Click Add-ons, then go to Extensions
- Delete Handy Tab or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
How to remove Handy Tab from Microsoft Edge
- Start Microsoft Edge
- Click the three-dot button in the upper right corner
- Choose Extensions
- Click the gear icon near Handy Tab or other extensions that look suspicious and you don’t remember installing them
- Choose Remove
Reset your browsers
How to reset settings in Google Chrome
- Click on the icon in the right-upper corner
- Choose Settings
- Click Advanced settings
- Click the Reset button
- In “reset” window click the Reset button
How to reset settings in Mozilla Firefox
- Click the icon in the upper right corner
- Choose Help
- Select Troubleshooting Information
- Click the Refresh Firefox… button
How to reset settings in Internet Explorer
- Click on the Tools button
- Go to Internet options
- Go to the Advanced tab
- Click Reset
How to reset settings in Microsoft Edge
- Start Microsoft Edge
- Click the three-dot button in the upper right corner
- Choose Settings
- Under the Clear browsing data category select Choose what to clear
- Select everything and click Clear
If the above-mentioned methods didn’t help in eliminating the threat, then it’s better to rely on an automatic way of deleting Handy Tab.
We also recommend to download and use Norton to scan the system after Handy Tab removal to make sure that it is completely gone. The antimalware application will detect any vicious components left among system files and registry entries that can recover Handy Tab.