How to remove the NiceTab StartPage browser hijacker

What is NiceTab StartPage?

NiceTab StartPage is a browser hijacker, which is endorsed as a tool for customization of the browser homepage interface. These advertised features include various widgets (e.g. local time, current weather and forecasts, etc.), homepage wallpaper selection and so on.

In fact, NiceTab StartPage modifies browser settings to promote nicetab.live, a fake search engine. Furthermore, most software classified as browser hijackers records browsing-related information. Due to the dubious proliferation methods used to promote NiceTab StartPage, it is also classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).

Browser hijackers target Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and other browsers with large user bases. After successful installation, they reassign the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of their bogus search engines.

NiceTab StartPage promotes nicetab.live in this manner. These seemingly minor changes significantly diminish the browsing experience. To elaborate on how the modifications affect browsers, each new tab/window opened and each search query typed into the URL bar redirect to nicetab.live.

Few of these fake search tools can provide unique results, and typically they redirect (or cause redirection chains leading) to legitimate sites. Note that nicetab.live is no exception - it redirects to the Google search engine.

Furthermore, it is impossible to recover the hijacked browser without removing the software responsible (i.e., the browser hijacker) - any changes users try to make to their browsers are automatically reset, if indeed access to settings is allowed at all. Browser hijackers also have data tracking capabilities.

They can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and collect users' personal information (IP address, geolocations and other details). This data is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for profit.

To summarize, the presence of data tracking content on devices can result in serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. Therefore, to ensure device integrity and user safety, you are advised to remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	nicetab.live redirect
Threat Type	Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address (nicetab.live)	128.199.42.156
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information.
Malware Removal (Mac)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

doctopdfsupreme.com, search.friendlysocket.com, and search.gratziany.com are some examples of fake search engines promoted by browser hijackers. They may seem legitimate, but tempt users to install with a wide variety of "useful" features. These features rarely work as advertised and, in most cases, are nonoperational.

This applies to most PUAs. The only purpose of these unwanted apps is to generate revenue for the designers at users' expense. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs hijack browsers, cause redirects to untrusted and malicious sites, run intrusive ad campaigns and gather private data.

How did NiceTab StartPage install on my computer?

Some PUAs (including NiceTab StartPage) have "official" promotional web pages, from which they can be downloaded, however, they can also be downloaded/installed together with other software. This deceptive marketing tactic of pre-packing regular products with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".

Rushing download and installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, using presets, skipping steps and sections, etc.) increases the risk of potential infiltration and infections. Intrusive ads also proliferate these applications. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are strongly advised to research all products before download/installation or purchase. All downloads should be performed from official and verified sources. Untrustworthy sources such as free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive or bundled content.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive advertisements usually seem legitimate and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others).

If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

NiceTab StartPage browser hijacker requesting certain permissions:

Website promoting NiceTab StartPage:

Another website promoting NiceTab StartPage:

NiceTab StartPage installed on Google Chrome:

Google Chrome new tab settings hijacked by NiceTab StartPage:

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▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for Mac By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is NiceTab StartPage?
• STEP 1. Remove NiceTab StartPage related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove NiceTab StartPage redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove NiceTab StartPage browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove NiceTab StartPage homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

NiceTab StartPage redirect removal:

Remove NiceTab StartPage-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select "Applications". In the applications folder, look for "MPlayerX","NicePlayer", or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.

Remove browser hijacker-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/Application Support/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/Application Support/

In the "Application Support" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, "MplayerX" or "NicePlayer", and move these folders to the Trash.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ folder:

In the Go to Folder... bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

In the "LaunchAgents" folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder:

In the "Go to Folder..." bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons/

In the "LaunchDaemons" folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example "com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist", "com.myppes.net-preferences.plist", "com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist", "com.avickUpd.plist", etc., and move them to the Trash.

Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:

If you have followed all the steps correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure your system is not infected, run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file, double click combocleaner.dmg installer. In the opened window, drag and drop the Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates its virus definition database and click the "Start Combo Scan" button.

Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays "no threats found" - this means that you can continue with the removal guide; otherwise, it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.

After removing files and folders generated by the browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers

Remove Safari browser hijackers:

Open the Safari browser, from the menu bar, select "Safari" and click "Preferences...".

In the preferences window, select "Extensions" and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the "Uninstall" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for regular browser operation.

Change your homepage:

In the "Preferences" window, select the "General" tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the "Set to Current Page" button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.

Change your default search engine:

In the "Preferences" window, select the "Search" tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labeled "Search engine:" Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove Google Chrome browser hijackers:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

Change your homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".

In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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