How to uninstall the Tab Recovery unwanted app
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is Tab Recovery?
Tab Recovery (also known as Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs) is a browser hijacker that assigns certain browsers settings to tabrecovery.com and explormatrix.com. Therefore, it is classified as a potentially unwanted application (PUA). It promotes one fake and one dubious search engine.
Apps such as Tab Recovery are classified as PUAs, since people tend to download and install them inadvertently. Note that most promote fake search engines and gather information.
In most cases, browser hijackers infiltrate browsing programs by reassigning the address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab to the URL of a fake search engine. Tab Recovery sets the address of the new tab to tabrecovery.com and the address of the default search engine to explormatrix.com.
When Tab Recovery users search through via its search bar, they are provided with results generated by the Google search engine (tabrecovery.com simply redirects to google.com). If they search via the URL bar, they are provided with results generated by explormatrix.com.
Note that search engines promoted through browser hijackers often generate misleading results. Typically, users cannot remove addresses assigned by browser hijackers without having to uninstall these apps. Therefore, tabrecovery.com and explormatrix.com can be removed from browser settings only after uninstalling Tab Recovery.
Apps of this type often gather IP addresses, geolocations, addresses of visited pages, entered search queries, and other details. Some might be capable of collecting sensitive details as well. The data might be sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue in other ways.
These actions can lead to problems relating to privacy and browsing safety, and some people might even become victims of identity theft.
| Name | Tab Recovery |
| Threat Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab. |
| Browser Extension(s) | Tab Recovery, Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs. |
| Supposed Functionality | This app supposedly improves the browsing experience. |
| Promoted URLs | tabrecovery.com, explormatrix.com |
| Serving IP Address (tabrecovery.com) | 88.208.246.45 |
| Serving IP Address (explormatrix.com) | 88.208.244.50 |
| Affected Browser Settings | Homepage, new tab URL, default search engine. |
| Symptoms | Manipulated internet browser settings (homepage, default internet search engine, new tab settings). Users are forced to visit the hijacker's website and search the internet using their search engines. |
| Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers. |
| Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
Some examples of other apps that are categorized as browser hijackers include Shipment Trackers, Templates Here Tab and Shield My Searches.
These apps supposedly deliver various features, improve the browsing experience, and other value, however, most do not operate as advertised. Furthermore, people who use them are exposed to risk of serious problems. It is unsafe to have apps such as Tab Recovery installed on browsers or computers. Therefore, remove all browser hijackers immediately.
How did Tab Recovery install on my computer?
Unwanted apps are often distributed by including them into the download/installation set-ups of other software as 'additional offers'. This distribution method is known as "bundling". Typically, information about these additional downloads and/or installations can be found in "Custom", "Advanced" and other settings of the set-ups.
Many users fail to check and change these default settings, thereby inadvertently agreeing with offers to download and install any additional applications. Unwanted downloads and installation are also caused by clicking advertisements that execute certain scripts.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
It is not safe to download or install software or files via third party downloaders, installers, using torrents clients, eMule or other Peer-to-Peer networks, unofficial, dubious pages, or other channels of this kind. Use official websites and direct links.
Check all "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings of the software setup - decline any offers to download or install additional programs before completing the process. Avoid clicking intrusive advertisements, especially on dubious websites - these ads can open untrusted websites or cause unwanted downloads/installations.
Remove any suspicious, unwanted extensions, add-ons and plug-ins that are installed on the browser, and software of this kind that is installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with Tab Recovery, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.
Tab Recovery displays results generated by explormatrix.com (GIF):
Notification stating that Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs can read and change various data:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is Tab Recovery?
- STEP 1. Uninstall Tab Recovery application using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove tabrecovery.com redirect from Internet Explorer.
- STEP 3. Remove Tab Recovery browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove tabrecovery.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 5. Remove tabrecovery.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
Tab Recovery browser hijacker removal:
Windows 11 users:
Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.
Windows 10 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
macOS (OSX) users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "Tab Recovery" or "Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the tabrecovery.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Tab Recovery browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:
Video showing how to remove browser redirects:
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon 
(at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions (at the time of research Tab Recovery did not install on Internet Explorer web browser), select these entries and click "Remove".
Change your homepage:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://tabrecovery.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you launch Internet Explorer. You can also enter about: blank to open a blank page when you start Internet Explorer.
Change your default search engine:
Click the "gear" icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". In the opened window, select "Search Providers", set "Google", "Bing", or any other preferred search engine as your default and then remove the questionable/unwanted search engine.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the tab recovery - save & organize your tabs browser hijacker, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage:
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Tab Recovery - Save & Organize Your Tabs", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.tabrecovery.com) 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 "explormatrix.com", when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Remove from list".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the tab recovery - save & organize your tabs browser hijacker, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu 
(at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove all suspicious extensions (at the time of research Tab Recovery did not install on Mozilla Firefox web browser).
Change your homepage:
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://tabrecovery.com 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 "I'll be careful, I promise!".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled"
Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the 
button.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with tab recovery - save & organize your tabs browser hijacker removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...
In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.
In the preferences window select General tab and make sure that your homepage is set to a preferred URL, if its altered by a browser hijacker - change it.
In the preferences window select Search tab and make sure that your preferred Internet search engine is selected.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate any recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons, and remove them.
Change your homepage and new tab settings:
Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section look for the name of the browser hijacker and click "Disable".
Change your default Internet search engine:
To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Privacy and services", scroll to bottom of the page and select "Address bar". In the "Search engines used in address bar" section look for the name of the unwanted Internet search engine, when located click the "Disable" button near it. Alternatively you can click on "Manage search engines", in the opened menu look for unwanted Internet search engine. Click on the puzzle icon 
near it and select "Disable".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the tab recovery - save & organize your tabs browser hijacker, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Summary:
A browser hijacker is a type of adware infection that modifies Internet browser settings by assigning the homepage and default Internet search engine settings to some other (unwanted) website URL. Commonly, this type of adware infiltrates operating systems through free software downloads. If your download is managed by a download client, ensure that you decline offers to install advertised toolbars or applications that seek to change your homepage and default Internet search engine settings.
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