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How to remove the New File Converter browser hijacker

Also Known As: search.newfileconvertertab.com redirect
Damage level: Medium

What is New File Converter?

New File Converter is a rogue application, endorsed as a tool for quick access to file conversion services. In fact, it operates as a browser hijacker (i.e., modifies browsers to promote search.newfileconvertertab.com, a fake search engine). Additionally, it monitors users' browsing habits.

Since many users install this application inadvertently, it is also classified as a PUA (Potentially Unwanted Application). Note that New File Converter is often distributed together with another PUA called Hide My Searches.

search.newfileconvertertab.com browser hijacker

Browser hijackers primarily target popular browsers, such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and others. After successful infiltration, these rogue apps assign the addresses of their fake search engines as the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URL.

New File Converter promotes search.newfileconvertertab.com in this fashion. Therefore, each new tab/window opened and each search query typed into the URL bar redirects to search.newfileconvertertab.com. Rogue search engines are typically unable to provide unique results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) a legitimate site.

In the case of search.newfileconvertertab.com, it redirects to search.yahoo.com. Furthermore, recovering the affected browser without removing the hijacker app is impossible, since any changes users attempt to make to their browsers are automatically reset (if indeed access to the settings is not restricted or denied outright).

As mentioned, New File Converter has data tracking capabilities. It records browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and gathers users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). This vulnerable data is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for profit.

The presence of data-tracking software on systems can thus lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. To protect device and user safety, you are advised to remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:
Name New File Converter
Threat Type Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Detection Names Avast (Win32:Adware-gen [Adw]), Fortinet (Riskware/WinWrapper), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of Win32/WinWrapper.V Potentially U), GData (Win32.Application.Agent.04S4T2), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Browser Extension(s) New File Converter
Supposed Functionality It supposedly provides easy access to file format conversion tools.
Promoted URL search.newfileconvertertab.com
Serving IP Address (search.newfileconvertertab.com) 3.228.109.222
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.
Additional Information New File Converter is distributed with another browser hijacker called Hide My Searches.
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.
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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 hijackers often seem legitimate and lure users into downloading/installing with offers of various "useful" functions. Forms WizardUltra PDF Converter PlusWeather Forecaster, and Online TV Streams are examples of such apps. The advertised features rarely work, and even if they do, it is not as promised.

In fact, this applies to all PUAs. The only purpose of all unwanted content is to generate revenue for the developers. PUAs hijack browsers, force-open untrusted and malicious websites, deliver intrusive ads (pop-ups, banners, surveys, etc.) and track sensitive data.

How did New File Converter install on my computer?

New File Converter has an "official" download page, and yet this is not the only way that PUAs can infiltrate devices. They can be downloaded/installed together with other programs. "Bundling" is the term used to define this deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular products with unwanted or malicious software.

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, using presets, skipping steps and sections, etc.) increases the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content onto systems. Intrusive advertisements also proliferate these applications. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

All products should be researched carefully to verify their legitimacy, prior to download/installation. Use only official and verified download sources. P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), free file-hosting sites and other third party downloaders are untrustworthy and should be avoided.

Treat download and installation processes with care. Read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features and so on. Intrusive ads usually seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious websites (e.g. gambling, adult-dating, pornography, etc.).

If you encounter these advertisements/redirects, check the system and immediately remove all suspect applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with New File Converter, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

New File Converter browser hijacker installer set-up:

Official New File Converter browser hijacker installation setup

New File Converter browser hijacker asking for various permissions:

New File Converter asking for permissions

Website promoting New File Converter browser hijacker:

Website used to promote New File Converter browser hijacker

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Quick menu:

New File Converter browser hijacker removal:

Windows 11 users:

Accessing Apps and Features in Windows 11

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:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 8

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:

Accessing Programs and Features (uninstall) in Windows 7

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:

Uninstall app in OSX (Mac)

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.

search.newfileconvertertab.com browser hijacker uninstall via Control Panel

In the uninstall programs window: look for any recently installed suspicious applications (for example, "New File Converter"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted applications that cause browser redirects to the search.newfileconvertertab.com website, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

New File Converter browser hijacker removal from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove browser redirects:

Internet Explorer logoRemove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com related Internet Explorer extensions

Click the "gear" icon Internet Explorer options icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

Change your homepage:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com from Internet Explorer homepage

Click the "gear" icon Internet Explorer options icon (at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Internet Options", in the opened window remove hxxp://search.newfileconvertertab.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:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com from Internet Explorer default search engine

Click the "gear" icon Internet Explorer options 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 "New File Converter".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.newfileconvertertab.com redirect, 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.

Resetting Internet Explorer settings to default on Windows XP

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.

Resetting Internet Explorer settings to default on Windows 7

Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.

Reseting Internet Explorer settings to default in Windows 8 - accessing

In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.

Resetting Internet Explorer settings to default on Windows 8 - Internet options advanced tab

Click the Reset button.

Resetting Internet Explorer settings to default on Windows 8 - click the Reset button in the Internet options advanced tab

Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Resetting Internet Explorer settings to default on Windows 8 - confirm settings reset to default by clicking the reset button

Google Chrome logoRemove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com related Google Chrome extensions

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate "New File Converter" and other recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons (e.g., "Hide My Searches"), and remove them.

Change your homepage:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com from Google Chrome homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon Google Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable "New File Converter" or "Hide My Searches", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://search.newfileconvertertab.com or hxxps://hidemysearches.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:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com from Google Chrome default search engine

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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 "hxxp://search.newfileconvertertab.com" and "hxxp://hidemysearches.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 search.newfileconvertertab.com redirect, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon Google 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.

Google Chrome settings reset step 1

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

Google Chrome settings reset step 2

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Google Chrome settings reset step 3

Mozilla Firefox logoRemove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com related Mozilla Firefox extensions

Click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions" and remove "New File Converter", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins (e.g., "Hide My Searches").

Change your homepage:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com from Mozilla Firefox homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu firefox menu icon (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Options", in the opened window disable "New File Converter" or "Hide My Searches", remove hxxp://search.newfileconvertertab.com or hxxp://hidemysearches.com and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

Removing search.newfileconvertertab.com from Mozilla Firefox 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 Mozilla Firefox switch about:config entry button button.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with search.newfileconvertertab.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, firefox menu icon in the opened menu, click Help.

Accessing settings (Reset Firefox to default settings step 1)

Select Troubleshooting Information.

Accessing Troubleshooting Information (Reset Firefox to default settings step 2)

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

Clicking on Refresh Firefox button (Reset Firefox to default settings step 3)

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Confirm your want to reset Firefox settings to default (Reset Firefox to default settings step 4)

safari browser logoRemove malicious extensions from Safari:

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 1 - accessing preferences

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click Safari menu, then select Preferences...

removing browser hijacker from safari step 2 - removing extensions

In the preferences window select the Extensions tab. Look for any recently installed suspicious extensions and uninstall them.

Removing browser hijackers from safari step 3 - changing homepage

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.

removing browser hijackers from safari step 4 - changing the default Internet search engine

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...

resetting safari step 1

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

resetting safari step 2

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) logoRemove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 1

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) 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:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 2

Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) 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:

Removing browser hijackers from Microsoft Edge step 3

To change your default search engine in Microsoft Edge: Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) 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 Microsoft Edge (Chromium) puzzle icon near it and select "Disable".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the search.newfileconvertertab.com redirect, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon Microsoft Edge (chromium) menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 1

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 2

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.

Microsoft Edge (Chromium) reset step 3

  • If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

declining installation of browser hijackers while downloading free software sampleA 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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About the author:

Tomas Meskauskas

Tomas Meskauskas - expert security researcher, professional malware analyst.

I am passionate about computer security and technology. I have an experience of over 10 years working in various companies related to computer technical issue solving and Internet security. I have been working as an author and editor for pcrisk.com since 2010. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed about the latest online security threats. Contact Tomas Meskauskas.

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Software uninstall instructions
Malware activity

Global malware activity level today:

Medium threat activity

Increased attack rate of infections detected within the last 24 hours.

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