If you see changes on your browser’s homepage or if your search queries appear redirected to my sweeps tab, then it means a browser hijacker is causing the changes and redirects. One such browser hijacker is My Sweeps Tab.
My Sweeps Tab is a rogue, potentially unwanted application (PUA) categorized as a browser hijacker. It hijacks popular browsers such as Google Chrome, MS Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and other web browsers. It’s created to alter browser settings to redirect users to other dubious sites or display sponsored content.
What Does My Sweeps Tab Do?
As a browser hijacker, My Sweeps Tab alters the browser’s URL homepage and search queries to a new search called search.hmysweepstab.com. My Sweeps Tab also tracks your internet activities through your searches and bombard you with ads and constant pop-ups.
Using such a modified web browser is a risk to users as it is likely to redirect a user to risky, sponsored sites. It discloses the user’s browsing information to hackers and third parties, such as:
- PC model and OS type
- User details like email, name, phone number, and location if provided
- Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- IP address
- Browser settings
- Bookmarks, and other extensions, etc
How My Sweeps Tab Installs
To hijack a browser, My Sweeps Tab uses either a Chromium-based, custom-built browser or a browser extension.
When installed as a browser extension, My Sweeps Tab alters the browser’s homepage and its default search engine to the search.hmysweepstab.com. Each time you open the hijacked browser, click a new tab, or conduct a search query, it is redirected to the search.hmysweepstab.com. or yahoo.
When installed as a program, My Sweeps Tab installs its customized browser in your PC system and creates a toolbar at your Windows desktop. Users will unknowingly use it thinking it’s the normal Google Chrome browser. It then alters the redirects to your homepage and search queries to the search.hmysweepstab.com.
You can accidentally or unknowingly (with bundled programs) download my sweeps tab into your system through other product’s download/installation setups or through intrusive ads and click baits.
How to Avoid Installing PUAs?
Avoid free software. However, if you must download them, always pay keen attention to their installation process while taking the following precautions:
- Do not ‘allow’ or enable web notifications.
- Check apps’ reviews in forums and blogs for their credibility.
- During installation, always select Advanced/Custom settings rather than recommended.
- Read the Privacy Policy and ToS of the apps before installing.
- Watch out for tricks such as pre-ticked boxes, fine print text, misplaced buttons, misleading deals or offers, etc.
- Use a quality VPN on your browser to block such PUAs.
- Use a reputable anti-malware software to block the installation of PUPs.
How to Remove My Sweeps Tab?
You can remove my sweeps tab in two ways:
- Automatically
- Manually
To remove My Sweeps Tab automatically, you will use a quality anti-malware tool such as Malwarebytes to perform a scan and detect and remove the browser hijacker and other PUAs in your PC.
My Sweeps Tab Removal Instructions
Follow these My Sweeps Tab (search.hmysweepstab.com) removal instructions to remove the browser hijacker manually and get rid of it completely:
- Investigate all your browser’s shortcuts.
Investigate your browsers’ shortcuts. Right-click on the browser to change their properties. Check to see search.hmysweepstab.com or any other site at the end of the browser’s shortcut target (command line.) Remove it and save the changes.
- Remove/Uninstall My Sweeps Tab from Programs and F
Got to Programs and Features and investigate the list of installed programs. Locate unwanted, intrusive, or recently installed programs and uninstall them.
- Stop all search.hmysweepstab.com processes on the Task Manager.
Open the Task Manager and stop or close all processes related to search.hmysweepstab.com in their description. You’ll need to check the directories where these processes start by searching for strange or random file names.
- Inspect the Windows services for search.hmysweepstab.com and remove it.
Press Win+R and type in: services.msc then press OK. Locate and disable services that have random names or contain search.hmysweepstab.com in its description and remove it.
- Disable search.hmysweepstab.com on Task Scheduler.
Key in Win+R, then type in ‘taskschd.msc’ and press Enter to open Windows Task Scheduler. Delete any task that you notice as related to search.hmysweepstab.com and disable unknown tasks that have random names.
- Clear your Windows registry from search.hmysweepstab.com.
Key in Win+R, then type in ‘regedit.exe’ and enter. Locate and delete all values and keys containing search.hmysweepstab.com registries.
- Remove and delete My Sweeps Tab from browsers.
On Google Chrome:
- Click on the three dots menu button at the top right corner.
- Select More tools > Extensions.
- Locate the My Sweeps Tab extension and click REMOVE to uninstall it.
- In the dialog box, click Remove.
- Open chrome://settings>content>notifications.
- Under allow, locate search.hmysweepstab.com entre > Click onMore actions (three vertical dots) and select Block
- Delete all rogue notifications related to My Sweeps T
On Firefox:
- Click on menu, then select Add-ons.
- Locate Extensions.
- Click on the Remove button next to the add-on to remove My Sweeps T
- Locate options on the Menu > select Privacy & S
- Scroll to permissions and click Settings and block the hp.hmysweepstab.com from the drop-down menu.
On Safari:
- On the top menu, select Safari => Preferences.
- Select the Extensions tab.
- Select search.hmysweepstab.com, and then choose Deny.
Finally, conduct a full system scan using an anti-malware software. After all is done, reset your browser(s) and restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Conclusion
My Sweeps Tab can be so annoying because it alters your browser settings and bombards you with ads and pop-ups. To stop the hijacker, uninstall its extension and use an anti-malware tool. Other than avoiding click-baits on different websites that can redirect you to the My Sweeps Tab, learn some PC tricks and tips, and ensure you always have an Anti-Malware installed and updated on your system.