How to remove the Appnewtab browser hijacker

What is Appnewtab?

Appnewtab is a browser hijacker, which promotes barosearch.com, the address of a fake search engine by modifying certain browser settings. It is also capable of collecting information relating to users' browsing activities (browsing data).

Users often download and install browser hijackers unintentionally and, therefore, they are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

Generally, browser hijackers promote fake search engines by changing browser settings such as address of the default search engine, homepage, and new tab. Appnewtab changes them to barosearch.com.

The main purpose of browser hijackers is to ensure that users are forced to visit a specific address (in this case, barosearch.com) when they open a browser, new tab, or enter search queries into the URL bar.

Research shows that Appnewtab does not actually change browser settings, however, even it detects when users enter search queries and forces them to visit barosearch.com.

Note that barosearch.com is classified as a fake search engine, since it does not generate unique results - it simply redirects to bing.com (via my-search.com and search-checker.com), to searchnewshighlights.com (via my-search.com and amazonaws.com), or other addresses. 

It displays results generated by Bing (a legitimate search engine) or by other dubious search engines. Note that addresses in the chain of redirects caused by barosearch.com are determined by users' geolocations.

In most cases, the addresses of fake search engines cannot be removed from browser settings as long as PUAs designed to promote them are installed on the browser. In this case, Appnewtab must be uninstalled before barosearch.com can be removed from the settings.

Furthermore, most browser hijackers promote fake search engines and gather information. For example, IP addresses, entered search queries, addresses of visited/opened web pages, geolocations, and so on. In some cases, PUAs target sensitive, personal details.

Commonly, developers sell the data to third parties who misuse in other ways. There is a possibility that developers will share users' data with cyber criminals. Browser hijackers can be the reason behind problems relating to privacy, browsing safety, and even identity theft.

For these reasons, never download or install any PUAs. If My Video Converter, Encrypted Search or other PUAs are already installed on the browser and/or operating system, remove them immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	Appnewtab
Threat Type	Browser Hijacker, Redirect, Search Hijacker, Toolbar, Unwanted New Tab.
Browser Extension(s)	Appnewtab
Supposed Functionality	Improved browsing experience.
Promoted URL	baronsearch.com
Serving IP Address (baronsearch)	104.27.191.222
Detection Names (baronsearch.com)	Fortinet (Malware), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
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. ▼ 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.

More examples of apps similar to Appnewtab are StreamSaloon, SearchConverters and StreamBeeSearch. Note that, in most cases, the developers advertise them as useful, legitimate apps. I.e., they offer potential users an improved browsing experience, accurate search results, various features, etc.

In fact, browser hijackers are designed only to promote fake search engines and gather data.

How did Appnewtab install on my computer?

Users often download and install PUAs through the set-ups of other programs. Commonly, apps of this type are included as 'additional offers' in settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and "Manual". Many people fail to check and change these settings when they download and install their programs.

By leaving them unchanged, they allow PUAs to infiltrate with regular software. This PUA distribution method is called "bundling". Note that unwanted downloads and installations can also be caused by clicking deceptive advertisements that run certain scripts.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Unwanted downloads and installations can be avoided by downloading files and programs only from official pages and through direct links. Other sources/tools such as Peer-to-Peer networks (e.g., torrent clients, eMule), unofficial sites, third party downloaders, installers promote/distribute unwanted apps.

Decline offers to download or install PUAs, which are usually included in "Advanced", "Custom" or other settings. Do not click deceptive ads can cause unwanted downloads and installations. Typically, these ads appear on dubious pages (e.g., on those relating to adult dating, gambling, and pornography).

Remove any unwanted, suspicious extension, add-on and plug-ins already installed on the browser, and programs of this type installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with Appnewtab, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate this browser hijacker.

barosearch.com redirects to bing.com via my-search.com and search-checker.com (GIF):

Website promoting Appnewtab browser hijacker:

Another website promoting Appnewtab browser hijacker:

Notification stating that Appnewtab can read and chance certain data:

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Quick menu:

• What is Appnewtab?
• STEP 1. Uninstall Appnewtab application using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove baronsearch redirect from Internet Explorer.
• STEP 3. Remove Appnewtab browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove baronsearch homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 5. Remove baronsearch redirect from Safari.
• STEP 6. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Appnewtab 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, "Appnewtab"), select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

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

Appnewtab 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, 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://baronsearch 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 "Appnewtab".

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the appnewtab 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.

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 "Appnewtab" 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 "Appnewtab", look for a browser hijacker URL (hxxp://www.baronsearch) 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 "baronsearch", 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 appnewtab 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 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 "Appnewtab", as well as all other recently installed browser plug-ins.

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 disable "Appnewtab", remove hxxp://baronsearch 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 appnewtab 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 appnewtab 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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