Removal instructions for the Art Tab Club browser hijacker

What kind of software is Art Tab Club?

Art Tab Club is a rogue extension that promises to display artistic or art-depicting browser wallpaper. However, this piece of software is actually a browser hijacker. It changes browser settings to endorse (through redirects) the arttabclub.com fake search engine. It must be mentioned that this browser extension has data-tracking functionalities as well.

Art Tab Club browser hijacker overview

In most cases, browser hijackers assign the addresses of promoted websites as browsers' default search engines, homepages, and new browser tab/window URLs. Therefore, new browser tabs/windows opened and Web searches performed via the URL bar – result in redirects to the endorsed webpage.

In the case of Art Tab Club, it makes said modifications to browsers and generates these redirects to the arttabclub.com website.

Browser-hijacking software may also utilize persistence-ensuring mechanisms to complicate its removal and prevent users from recovering their browsers.

Arttabclub.com cannot provide search results, and that is standard for sites classed as fake search engines. It lands on the Google search engine (google.com). Note that arttabclub.com could lead elsewhere since factors like user geolocation may impact redirects.

Art Tab Club spies on users' browsing activity, which is common for browser hijackers. Targeted information may include: visited URLs, viewed webpages, searched queries, Internet cookies, log-in credentials, finance-related data, and so on. The gathered information can then be sold to third-parties or otherwise abused for profit.

In summary, browser-hijacking software like Art Tab Club can cause system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Art Tab Club
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab
Browser Extension(s)	Art Tab Club
Supposed Functionality	Art-themed browser wallpapers
Promoted URL	arttabclub.com
Detection Names (arttabclub.com)	Seclookup (Malicious), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Serving IP Address (arttabclub.com)	172.67.200.176
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).
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. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Browser hijacker examples

Web Comic Tab, Web Tab Live, and Glacier Tab are merely a couple examples of browser hijackers. Software within this category rarely appears suspicious; it tends to look legitimate and harmless.

Users are enticed into downloading/installing browser hijackers by promising various functionalities. However, these features seldom work as advertised, and in most cases – they are utterly nonoperational. It must be mentioned that functional features are not definitive proof of a software's legitimacy or safety.

How did Art Tab Club install on my computer?

Browser hijackers can be bundled (packed together) with ordinary programs. The risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the system is increased by downloading from untrustworthy channels (e.g., freeware and third-party websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.) and by treating installations with negligence (e.g., ignoring terms, using "Quick/Easy" settings, etc.).

Intrusive adverts also proliferate browser-hijacking software. Some of these advertisements are capable of executing scripts that perform downloads/installations without user permission.

Additionally, browser hijackers can have "official" download webpages, and they are promoted on deceptive sites. Users primarily enter these pages via redirects generated by websites utilizing rogue advertising networks, spam browser notifications, mistyped URLs, intrusive ads, or installed adware.

How to avoid installation of browser hijackers?

We strongly advise researching software prior to downloading or purchasing it. Furthermore, all downloads must be performed from official and verified sources. Installation must be treated with care, e.g., by reading terms, studying possible options, using the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings, and opting out of additional apps, extensions, tools, etc.

Another recommendation is to be vigilant when browsing since fraudulent and dangerous online content usually appears legitimate and harmless. For example, intrusive advertisements may look innocuous – yet redirect to unreliable and questionable websites (e.g., scam-promoting, gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc.).

In case of continuous encounters with such ads/redirects, inspect the system and immediately remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Art Tab Club, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

Appearance of arttabclub.com redirecting to the Google search engine (GIF):

Permissions asked by Art Tab Club browser hijacker:

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner 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. 7 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 Art Tab Club?
• STEP 1. Uninstall unwanted applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove Art Tab Club browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove arttabclub.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove arttabclub.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Art Tab Club 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, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Art Tab Club browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove Art Tab Club browser hijacker using Combo Cleaner:

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Extensions" and click "Manage Extensions". Locate "Art Tab Club" and other 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), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "Art Tab Club", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.arttabclub.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 "arttabclub.com", 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.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the arttabclub.com redirect, 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 extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate "Art Tab Club", as well as 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 "Art Tab Club", remove hxxp://arttabclub.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 "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.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with arttabclub.com redirect 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 arttabclub.com redirect, 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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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users to visit arttabclub.com website?

Cyber criminals (i.e., developers of browser hijackers and fake search engines) generate revenue through redirects to sites like arttabclub.com.

Is visiting arttabclub.com a threat to my privacy?

Most likely, yes. Webpages considered to be fake search engines (e.g., arttabclub.com, etc.) usually collect (and sell) visitor data.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

The most widely used proliferation methods include bundled installation setups, deceptive promotional webpages, online scams, freeware and free file-hosting sites, P2P sharing networks, spam browser notifications, and intrusive adverts.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove Art Tab Club browser hijacker?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan computers and eliminate all browser-hijacking apps installed. It is noteworthy that manual removal (performed without security software) might not be a perfect solution. In cases where multiple browser hijackers have infiltrated the system, after one is removed – the others may reinstall it. What is more, browser-hijacking software might be capable of blocking access to removal-related settings and/or undoing user-made changes. Therefore, browser hijackers must be eliminated thoroughly and all at once.

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