How to Uninstall FastMail Tab (Browser Hijacker/PUP)

What is FastMail Tab? And how does it work?

FastMail Tab, also known as Fastmailtab.com, is a search engine that allegedly integrates email services which supposedly allows users a quick access to their recent emails together with a selection of links to popular websites such as Amazon, Gmail, Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. It has several versions made for each browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer. It also requires the following privileges upon installation:

Read and modify all your data on the websites you visit.
Replace the new tab page.
Manage other extensions, apps and themes in your browser.

FastMail Tab may seem like a useful browser extension, however, it is actually categorized as a browser hijacker and a potentially unwanted program. The changes made to the default settings of the browser are actually done without your consent and that once they are applied, you won’t be able to modify them easily which is why some users often refer to FastMail Tab as a “virus” though it isn’t really one. Aside from unwanted changes to your browser, this browser hijacker also monitors your browsing activities in order to collect information. The information collected may be used to deliver you with tons of personalized and customized ads. Some of these ads are intrusive that could eventually ruin your browsing experience. What’s more is that the data it gathers may be shared with its affiliated sites which could lead to several privacy and security issues. Thus, you need to delete FastMail Tab from your computer before it’s too late.
How does FastMail Tab travel the web?
FastMail Tab travels the web in software bundles which are distributed in free sharing sites or peer to peer networks. This is why you need to opt for the recommended installation setup – Custom or Advanced setup – when installing any kind of freeware or shareware. This recommended setting will allow you to remove any unwanted program attached in the software package. Moreover, it is also essential to read legal documents like Privacy Policy, EULA, etc. before you install any program in your computer.
Make sure to follow the removal instructions provided below to successfully uninstall FastMail Tab from your browser and computer.
Step 1: You need to close the browser infected with FastMail Tab. And if you can’t close it manually, you can close it using the Task Manager instead. Tap the Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys and open the Task Manager.
Step 2: Next, look for the process of your browser, right click on it and select End task or End process to close it.
Step 3: Afterwards, tap the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog box and type “appwiz.cpl” in the field and press Enter to open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
Step 4: From the list of programs installed, look for any programs that could be related to FastMail Tab or any suspicious program you don’t remember installing under the list of installed programs and once you’ve found it, uninstall it.

Step 5: Edit your Hosts File.

Tap the Win + R keys to open then type in %WinDir% and then click OK.
Go to System32/drivers/etc.
Open the hosts file using Notepad.
Delete all the entries that contain Fastmailtab.com.
After that, save the changes you’ve made and close the file.

Step 6: Now you have to flush the DNS cache of your computer. To do so, right click on the Start button and click on Command Prompt (administrator). From there, type the “ipconfig /flushdns” command and hit Enter to flush the DNS.
Step 7: After that, restart your computer and then open your browsers and reset them back to their default state.
Google Chrome

Open Google Chrome, then tap the Alt + F keys.
After that, click on Settings.
Next, scroll down until you see the Advanced option, once you see it, click on it.
After clicking the Advanced option, go to the “Restore and clean up option and click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option to reset Google Chrome.
Now restart Google Chrome.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox and tap Ctrl + Shift + A to access the Add-ons Manager.
In the Extensions menu Remove the unwanted extension.
Restart the browser and tap keys Alt + T.
Select Options and then move to the General menu.
Overwrite the URL in the Home Page section and then restart the browser.

Internet Explorer

Launch Internet Explorer.
Next, click the wrench icon for Settings.
Then click Internet Options.
After that, go to the Advanced tab.
From there, click the Reset button. This will reset Internet Explorer’s settings to their default condition.
Now click OK to save the changes made.
Restart your computer.

Step 8: Hold down Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer.
Step 9: Navigate to the following directories and look for suspicious files associated to the browser hijacker such as the software bundle it came with and delete it/them.

%USERPROFILE%\Downloads
%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
%TEMP%

Step 10: Close the File Explorer and empty the contents of Recycle Bin.
Refer to the advanced instructions given below to ensure the removal of this browser hijacker from your computer as well as all the file residues it left behind.
Perform a full system scan using [product-code]. To do so, follow these steps:

Turn on your computer. If it’s already on, you have to reboot it.
After that, the BIOS screen will be displayed, but if Windows pops up instead, reboot your computer and try again. Once you’re on the BIOS screen, repeat pressing F8, by doing so the Advanced Option shows up.

To navigate the Advanced Option use the arrow keys and select Safe Mode with Networking then hit
Windows will now load the Safe Mode with Networking.
Press and hold both R key and Windows key.

If done correctly, the Windows Run Box will show up.
Type in the URL address, [product-url] in the Run dialog box and then tap Enter or click OK.
After that, it will download the program. Wait for the download to finish and then open the launcher to install the program.
Once the installation process is completed, run [product-code] to perform a full system scan.