If the homepage or any section of an internet browser application is constantly redirected to an Ezyphototab.com search engine, it denotes that the computer is under the control of a potentially unwanted program (PUP). The particular threat for this kind of attack is named Ezy Photo Tab. It was categorized as a PUP mainly because computer users were unaware of the installation and did not provide authority for the setup. In addition, web users are totally oblivious to its entry to their computers because they did not initiate the downloading of Ezy Photo Tab.
The origin of Ezy Photo Tab adware
Ezy Photo Tab usually enters computers without the user’s knowledge. Bundling software installations, in which Ezy Photo Tab is included with free applications, is one popular method to spread the malware. Users who download free software without properly reading the terms and conditions may unintentionally consent to the installation of Ezy Photo Tab. This adware may also be downloaded and installed on users’ computers as a result of phishing websites or pop-ups that deceive users into clicking on deceiving prompts. Once installed on the computer, it may take advantage of vulnerabilities in the internet program.
Malicious email files or links may also be used to distribute Ezy Photo Tab. Users may be persuaded to click on links or download files that contain adware via phishing emails that seem to be from reliable sources. Social engineering techniques may also trick users into permitting the penetration of their systems. Examples of these techniques include hiding the adware from legitimate software updates or security upgrades.
What can it do to an infected computer?
Once the adware is installed and functions as a browser extension, it commits changes to settings and assigns Ezyphototab.com as the default homepage and search engine. Due to this, computer security professionals dubbed Ezy Photo Tab a browser hijacker and listed it under the category of PUP. The threat can dominate the infected browser programs, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari. For sure, attackers have an imperative reason for these browser takeovers, and here are some of them:
- Ezy Photo Tab wants to control the online search of web users.
- It aims to generate revenue by exhibiting different kinds of advertisements.
- Attackers are able to display their own ad schemes, like paid links and banners, on search result pages.
- The threat wants to promote the client’s website by redirecting search pages to sponsored sites.
- Ezy Photo Tab is able to track web users browsing activities and display targeted or personalized ads.
- It redirects browser pages to predefined websites and promotes associated adware.
With the given grounds for taking control of the internet browser program, not a single reason is beneficial to the end user. This confirms that the operation of Ezy Photo Tab is solely for the advantage of adware makers, and the presence of this browser extension is clearly exploiting compromised internet software. For this reason, we suggest the immediate removal of the Ezy Photo Tab using the guide on this page. Also included in the procedures are effective anti-malware and anti-virus tools that should take care of eliminating hidden files associated with Ezy Photo Tab adware.
Ezy Photo Tab Removal Procedure
In this section, we will provide effective guidelines to get rid of the threat from an infected computer. To automatically remove malware, you may download the recommended scanner. For comprehensive instructions, please execute the manual step-by-step procedures.
Instant Removal : Scan the computer with antivirus program
Combo Cleaner is a trusted computer security and optimization tool equipped with a powerful virus and malware detection engine. This program can get rid of Ezy Photo Tab browser hijacker and similar threats, whether it has infected PC, Mac, Android, or iOS.
1. Download the application from the following page:
2. Save the file to your preferred location.
3. Double-click the downloaded file CCSetup.exe and install with the default settings.
4. At the end of the setup process, click Finish to run Combo Cleaner.
5. The tool will update the database file; please wait for this process to complete.
6. To begin checking for threats like Ezy Photo Tab, click on the Start Scan button. Wait for this scan to finish.
7. At the end of the scan process, click on Remove all threats to delete Ezy Photo Tab, including all harmful objects from the computer.
To fully optimize the features of antivirus and privacy scanners, users may have to upgrade to the premium version.
Please continue with the succeeding removal procedures if you are comfortable manually getting rid of the browser hijacker and malicious items linked to it.
Manual Removal : Steps to get rid of Ezy Photo Tab
The steps below will guide you to manually remove Ezy Photo Tab without having to purchase a recommended virus scanner. We have tested the procedures; hence, the attackers may make modifications overtime. As a result, terms, names, and images in the guide may differ from what users are seeing recently.
The procedure may require you to close the browser or restart the computer; therefore, we are suggesting to Bookmark or Print this page.Step 1 : Uninstall Ezy Photo Tab from Windows
1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key + R. Type the appwiz.cpl command and click OK.
2. The Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in a chronological manner, with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on the 'Installed On' column.
3. Select Ezy Photo Tab or a recently installed suspicious entry from the list.
4. Click on Uninstall to remove it from the Windows system.
Step 2 : Delete Ezy Photo Tab Browser Extension
Most adware and unwanted programs use an application called a "browser extension" to be able to take over the settings of internet applications. Therefore, we highly recommend checking and removing the extension that is closely related to Ezy Photo Tab. If it is not present, look for and delete any suspicious browser extension.
Google Chrome
For Google Chrome Browser
1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. Input the strings below in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
chrome://extensions
3. Look for Ezy Photo Tab or a relevant entry and remove it from Google Chrome.
Microsoft Edge
For Microsoft Edge Browser
1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key + R. Type the appwiz.cpl command and click OK.
2. The Program and Features window will open. Arrange the list in a chronological manner, with recently installed applications on top. To do this, click on the 'Installed On' column.
3. Select Ezy Photo Tab or a recently installed suspicious entry from the list.
4. Click on Uninstall to remove it from the Windows system.
If Ezy Photo Tab is still present on the browser and unwanted homepage and pop-ups persist, another option is to remove the hijacker from the browser settings.
5. Open the Microsoft Edge program.
6. Input the following string in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
edge://extensions/
7. Look for and Remove or Disable entries for Ezy Photo Tab from the Installed Extensions area.
8. You may now close the window and restart the Microsoft Edge browser.
Mozilla Firefox
For Mozilla Firefox Browser
1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Type or copy and paste the strings below in the address bar and press Enter on the keyboard:
about:addons
3. Click on Extensions from the sidebar menu.
4. Look for an entry that pertains to Ezy Photo Tab and Disable or Remove it from the browser using the options button.
Opera
For Opera Browser
1. Open the Opera internet browser program.
2. In the address bar, type or copy and paste the text below. Press Enter on your keyboard.
opera://extensions
3. Find the malicious extension and then, click on Remove button to delete it from the Opera browser.
Step 3 : Scan with AdwCleaner and Reset Chrome Policies
In addition to the procedure, we suggest scanning the computer with AdwCleaner tool. Possibly, there are some traces of Ezy Photo Tab on the browser that were not deleted during the preceding steps. This tool will scan the computer and check for presence of malicious applications.
1. Follow the link below to download the tool called AdwCleaner.
2. When the download has completed, please close all running programs on the computer, especially browsers affected by Ezy Photo Tab.
3. Browse the location of the downloaded file and double-click on adwcleaner.exe to start running the tool.
4. If Windows displays a prompt saying, "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" click Yes to proceed.
5. On the AdwCleaner dashboard, click on Settings.
6. While in the Settings window, please turn On the Reset Chrome Policies and Reset IE Policies.
7. Go back to the Dashboard and click the Scan Now button.
8. AdwCleaner searches the computer for malicious programs, extensions, plug-ins, adware, and any items that may be associated with Ezy Photo Tab.
9. Clean or Remove all suspicious and harmful items identified after the thorough scan.
10. AdwCleaner will then prompt an option to run another repair, which will reset Winsock and other settings. Please click the Run Basic Repair button.
11. A message will appear stating that "All processes will be closed..." Please click Continue.
12. After the cleanup procedure, rebooting the computer is required to finalize the removal of Ezy Photo Tab as well as other detected threats.
Step 4 : Run the Final Scan Using Sophos Home Antivirus.
To remove Ezy Photo Tab automatically, scanning the computer with this powerful virus and malware removal tool is recommended. This scanner does not just uncover known threats like viruses or malware; it is also effective in discovering browser hijacker like Ezy Photo Tab.
1. Please click on the link below to download the program.
2. After downloading, locate the file SophosInstall.exe in the Downloads folder.
3. Install by double-clicking on the file.
4. If it prompts "Do you want to allow this app to make changes on your device?" please click Yes.
5. Next, it will display the Terms and Conditions page. Click the Install button to begin.
6. Run the installation with the default settings. Please note that an internet connection is required in order to download important updates.
7. After finishing the installation, you must login to the dashboard. If you already have a Sophos account, please login. Otherwise, please enter your details and click on the Create Account button.
8. Once you are in the Sophos Home console, click the Scan button to start checking the computer for Ezy Photo Tab components.
9. Scanning may take a while; please wait for this process to finish.
10. After scanning the computer, Sophos Home will start cleaning or deleting files infected with Ezy Photo Tab.
11. You may now close Sophos Home. The computer is now free from Ezy Photo Tab, as well as associated malware and viruses.
The above procedures should have totally eliminated Ezy Photo Tab browser hijacker. However, if you find that there are still remnants of the malware, please proceed to the next steps below.
Step 5 : Fixing the Homepage and Search Engine
Google Chrome
For Google Chrome Browser
1. Open the Google Chrome browser. Type or copy and paste the following on the address bar. Then, press Enter on the keyboard:
chrome://settings
2. Go to the left sidebar and click On Startup.
3. Select "Open a specific page or set of pages" in the right panel.
4. Locate the unwanted Homepage URL, click on More Actions icon (3-dot), and select Remove or Edit.
5. If you choose Edit, enter the desired web address as your home page, replacing Ezy Photo Tab. Click Save.
6. To set the default search engine, go to the left sidebar, and this time, select Search Engine.
7. Click on the Manage search engines and site search button in the right panel.
8. Find the unwanted Search Engine in the list. Click on More Actions icon, and then click Delete.
9. Go back to the left side bar and click Search Engine.
10. In the right panel, choose a valid entry from the "Search engine used in the address bar."
You can now restart the Google Chrome browser to see if the unwanted homepage and search engine related to Ezy Photo Tab are gone.
Microsoft Edge
For Microsoft Edge Browser
1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer.
2. In the address bar, type or copy and paste the string below, then press Enter on the keyboard:
edge://settings/startHomeNTP
3. Go to the "When Edge Starts" area. Under the "Open these pages" section, click More Actions (3-dot).
4. Select Edit to open the Edit Page window.
5. Input your desired address to replace the homepage settings of Ezy Photo Tab.
6. Click the Save button. You may now restart Microsoft Edge browser.
Mozilla Firefox
For Mozilla Firefox Browser
1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser on your computer.
2. Type or copy and paste the following on the address bar, then press Enter on the keyboard:
about:preferences
3. Click Home in the sidebar area.
4. Under "Homepage and new windows", you may choose Firefox Home (Default) or Custom URLs.
5. If you chose Custom URLs, input the desired URL to replace Ezy Photo Tab settings.
6. To configure the default search engine, select Search in the left sidebar to display the settings.
7. Under the "Default Search Engine" list, please select a legitimate one (i.e., Google).
8. Scroll down to "Search Shortcuts" and select an unwanted search engine.
9. Click on the Remove button to delete the unwanted search engine. You may now restart the Mozilla Firefox browser.
Opera
For Opera Browser
1. In the address bar of Opera browser, type or copy and paste the text below. Press Enter on your keyboard.
opera://settings/searchEngines
2. Scroll down to the "Search Engine" section and find your desired name (i.e. Google Search)
3. Click on the ellipses icon (3-dot) and select Make Default.
4. In the same section, click the ellipses icon of the unwanted search engine and select Delete to remove the malicious search engine from the Opera browser.
5. Go back to the Basic section and scroll down to the "On Startup" section.
6. Find the unwanted homepage address, click its ellipses icon (3-dot), and choose between Remove or Edit.
7. If you choose Edit, enter the desired web address as your homepage, replacing Ezy Photo Tab. Click Save.
System Compatibility Notice
We ensured that our method to get rid of Ezy Photo Tab is compatible with the majority of Microsoft operating systems (Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11). To prevent complicated steps, the commands used in the instructions are common, useful, and tested. If you encounter any compatibility problems when following this tutorial, please message us or leave your comment below, and we will reply and make the required modifications.
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