Table of contents

Over the last decade, we have seen a rise in different types of online criminal activities with no signs of relenting. Hackers and Internet criminals are constantly on the lookout for new ways to dupe unsuspecting Internet users of their data, personal information, or money. They use sophisticated methods to create bots and malicious codes that infect computers and cause damage.

The simple virus is no longer the main threat to users’ Internet security. Ransomware, trojans and browser hijackers have risen in prominence even as the self-replicating virus takes a backseat. These criminals have created various complex codes that hijacked the network of large organizations and infected common users. Ransomware is created to encrypt users’ data, sometimes permanently and irretrievably.

While most sophisticated cybercrimes are targeted at large organizations, it does not mean that the casual Internet user is safe. On the contrary, they often take advantage of our ignorance of these subjects to take control of our computers and browsing life. One of the tools deployed by these criminals against individual Windows users is a browser hijacker.

A browser hijacker deploys a code to take control of your computer browser, changing different settings. After controlling how your browser behaves, it starts sending unwanted notifications, causing annoying redirects and doing any number of other things that frustrate the user to no end. No wonder the forums for the popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox and even Microsoft’s shiny new Edge browser are full of posts by disgruntled users complaining about erratic browser behavior. The truth is, it could be a browser hijacker causing the web browser to act abnormally.

This guide will help you to deal with the issue of browser hijackers in general and the Email Pro Hub hijacker in particular. Browser hijacking software are a dime a dozen these days. Many have shown up over the years, caused so much annoyance, and been eventually blocked by security software. However, new ones like the Email Pro Hub Browser hijacker rise to take their place.

Chances are that you are reading this guide because you are looking for a way to get rid of the Email Pro Hub malware in your browser. You might also wish to educate yourself about the dangers of this hijacker and how to protect your PC in the event that you get infected. This guide deals comprehensively with this virus. You will learn what it is and what it does. You will also know how to eliminate it from an infected PC and how to protect your machine from being infected in the future.

What Is Email Pro Hub?

Looking at the name, it is understandable to assume that this malware has something to do with emails. However, that is not entirely true. It is difficult to describe Email Pro Hub in a way that covers all its activities and the harmful things it does on an infected PC. As a matter of fact, latest types of malware are programmed to perform multiple malicious activities at once. Most viruses no longer target a specific area on the computer.

Email Pro Hub is best described as a browser hijacker and browser redirector. Its major activity is to take control of the browser’s search function. It changes the search engine that the browse uses to a fake one. Whenever a user searches for something on the infected browser, Email Pro Hub hijacks the search results and mixes fake and malicious links among the legitimate search results. If a user clicks a malicious link by mistake, they can land on a page full of unwanted ads and pop-ups or even more malware.

Going by the latter point, you can also think of the Email Pro Hub browser hijacker as adware. The developers didn’t just create the malware to change your search engine. The ultimate aim is to get you to visit web pages full of advertisements and promotions. Usually, malware developers create pages to promote fake or unverified or substandard or illegal products and use browser hijackers to get people to visit these pages.

The Email Pro Hub malware and similar hijackers can even display ads right on your browser homepage. Internet criminals can use them to install malicious extensions on any infected browser. These browser plugins are designed to fetch ads and serve them to the user when they open their browser. Sometimes, the unwanted extension slips into a PC as an add-on to a software downloaded from untrusted sites.

Of course, the user can always turn to a different browser if the current one isn’t working for them. Online criminals know this as well. So, they program their malicious codes to work on multiple browsers. The Email Pro Hub browser hijacker isn’t any different. Switching to another browser doesn’t guarantee that you’d be safe from the attack. The malware has been known to affect users of Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Opera on Windows.

The Email Pro Hub browser hijacker modifies browser settings and inundates the unlucky user with all manner of banner promotions, pop-up ads and other annoying marketing that interrupts their work.

We all do our best to stay away from malware when we use the Internet. Sometimes, the hackers still find a way. They have set up different clever traps on the web for unsuspecting PC users to fall into. Knowing the tactics they employ to get you to install a browser hijacker like Email Pro Hub will help you to avoid malware on your system.

Below is a rundown of the common ways they employ to get PC users to install malware and browser hijackers:

  • Opening malicious emails. If you get an email, you’d definitely want to know the content. Online criminals bank on this knowledge to send malware as email attachments. Often, PC users open an email that looks harmless and click on the included attachment only to end up unknowingly downloading malware like Email Pro Hub. The virus installs itself automatically and hijacks the browsers.
  • Cracked software downloads. Visiting torrent and other sites to download cracked versions of premium software often leads to malware installation. The creators of the cracked package can include a malicious program alongside the illegally cracked software. When installed, the malware often gets installed as well, especially if the user does not use the custom install option.
  • Visiting shady sites. We all love the thrill of adventure laced with a whiff of danger. However, dangerous websites are best avoided completely. They are far more sinister than you might believe. Even if you somehow manage to block all the pop-up and banner ads for products you do not need, you may not be able to stop malware from being installed on your PC in the background. Some of these sites have codes that automatically start installing dangerous stuff on the PC of whoever visits the page. If you find yourself on one of these pages for any reason, ensure that you are fully protected with an active and powerful antivirus like Auslogics Anti-Malware.
  • Software updates from unauthorized sources. The best source for a software update is the software itself, the developer’s website, or the native app store on the device. Don’t click on any software update link you find on a third-party website. Hackers can use these notices to trick users into downloading malware and potentially unwanted programs or PuPs.
  • Fake download software. In a bid to have more features when downloading, users may turn to a third-party download tool. The main calling card of these programs is their speed and abundance of options compared to the inbuilt browser download tools. However, some of these programs quietly download malware on the side and install it on the user’s PC. Some of them, especially the download plugins, are even browser hijackers in disguise.

How the Email Pro Hub Browser Hijacker Works

We have established that Email Pro Hub is a browser hijacker — but, how does it work? This bogus search engine takes over your browser and modifies its settings so it can serve you ads and steal your private information.

The Email Pro Hub hijacker presents itself as a way for users to quickly search their emails. Below is the message on the installer setup:

Email Pro Hub

Search your favorite Email sites instantly from your home and new tab page!

Your home page, new tab page. and default search engine on Internet Explorer will be set to hemailprohub.com powered by Yahoo and affiliate links to popular websites will be provided. Once set, the Internet Explorer home page is opened after the user login. Search results are provided by Yahoo and other third-party search providers. No search queries or results will be altered, no ads will be modified or injected into search results.

By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the hemailprohub.com Installer License Agreement, Privacy Policy.

When Email Pro Hub gets installed, it tries to add an extension to your browser. Your browser will display a notification of the email Pro Hub extension, with the following message:

Add “Email Pro Hub”

It can

Read and change your data on all hemailprohub.com sites

Replace the page you see when opening a new tab

Read your browsing history

When Email Pro Hub takes over a browser, it targets the default search engine. For example, it can change the search engine in Chrome from Google.com to hemailprohub.com.

Email Pro Hub doesn’t actually have a real search engine. Every time a user conducts a search query on an infected browser, the hijacker redirects to Bing. Basically, it shows results generated by Microsoft’s search engine, Bing.com.

Email Pro Hub goes further than changing the default search engine. It makes sure that every new tab and homepage has hemailprohub.com as the default address. It then keeps displaying different ads on every homepage and new tab. It is difficult to remove the fake search engine until Email Pro Hub itself is first removed from the PC.

On an infected browser, Email Pro Hub monitors user information like geolocation, entered search queries, addresses of visited websites, IP addresses, etc. It gathers and sends these details to the malware developers who can sell it off to people who use the information to send targeted ads to users. It also steals users’ personal information and collects data related to the types of files on the machine, potentially leading to more dangerous attacks from ransomware.

To stop the Email Pro Hub browser hijacker, it is recommended to uninstall it from the computer as soon as it is detected.

Is Email Pro Hub Malware?

Malware is any software, code or program intentionally created to affect your system in a negative way. This can be by stealing stored information, copying files without permission, encrypting files for ransom, serving the user unwanted ads, promoting fake products, disrupting network connections, and damaging system hardware.

The Email Pro Hub browser hijacker inserts a fake search engine and doubles as an information gathering tool for online criminals. For this reason, it is undisputedly malware. Some people tend to regard malicious browser plugins as mere annoyances. In reality, the damage they can do is far bigger.

It is recommended to immediately follow the recommended steps to eliminate malware if you notice Email Pro Hub on your PC.

Protect Your Computer from Browser Hijackers

To prevent malware and browser hijackers from taking over your PC, it is important to know and practice some basic safety tips when using the Internet.

  • Stay away from unauthorized sources. The few quids saved by not paying for a premium product isn’t worth the danger to your computer.
  • Use custom install whenever you are installing a software from a third party and uncheck any additional software you don’t recognize or want.
  • Use an antivirus with a good Internet security feature.
  • Avoid malicious websites, quickly close any new tabs once you notice it redirecting.
  • Get your software downloads and updates from approved or official websites.

How to Remove Email Pro Hub Browser Hijacker in Windows 10

The good news is that Email Pro Hub and similar browser hijackers can be safely uninstalled from your computer. You can recover the default search engine, tab homepage and change the browser behavior back to before the malware infected your PC.

If you notice that Email Pro Hub or a similar malicious plugin has made changes to your computer, use the instructions below to get rid of it for good. Note that if you keep seeing hemailprohub.com in your address bar when you launch your browser or open a new tab, you have been infected by this malware.

Steps to Remove the Email Pro Hub Browser Hijacker from Windows 10

Follow these instructions meticulously and, by the end, your browser and PC will be completely free of malware.

Step 1: Uninstall Email Pro Hub from the Control Panel

The Email Pro Hub extension in your browser got installed through a software on your computer. To get rid of the virus for good, this software must be found and removed first. Otherwise, it will just reinstall the extension after you’ve removed that from your browser.

Here is how to find and uninstall a potentially unwanted application from the machine:

  • Place the cursor at the bottom right of the computer screen so that it hovers on top of the Start Menu icon in that corner.
  • Right-click the icon to bring up the hidden Quick Access menu on Windows 10.
  • Select Control Panel in the Quick Access menu list to launch the applet. If that option isn’t displayed, open the Start Menu and search for “control panel”. Select it from the search results.
  • When the Control Panel window opens, set the View By mode to Small Icons.
  • Select Programs and Features. The next screen will display all the apps, programs and plugins installed on the machine.
  • Click the Installed On button at the top to arrange the applications by installation date.
  • Look for the app with Email Pro Hub or hemailprohub.com as part of its name. You can also look for any app with a strange that you can’t remember installing. If you’re unsure what a program or plugin does, find out its function online before making a decision.
  • To uninstall the selected program, right-click it and select Uninstall.
  • Repeat the process on all the strange apps you see. You may need to scroll up or down to discover more of them.

Once you’re done with this step, restart the machine. You might also want to use a dedicated software removal tool like the Uninstall Manager in Auslogics BoostSpeed.

This tool will eliminate all aspects of the deleted program like leftover files and registry entries.

Step 2: Scan Your Computer with Antivirus Software

Uninstalling the Email Pro Hub PuP is just the first step in removing the browser hijacker. The program typically leaves behind different components that continue to harm your computer even after the parent program is gone. These are extensions, plugins, files, etc. that stay on the machine to serve you ads, hijack your search results, and collect your information.

This is why it is recommended to perform a full scan with anti-malware software. Antivirus tools are programmed to look for malicious programs in all the right places. Some of them can even identify and uninstall unsafe programs for you, thus saving you a trip or two to Programs and Features

If you have multiple browsers in your computer, chances are all of them have been infected by the browser hijacker. An antivirus tool helps you to eliminate the infection from all the browsers automatically. We believe it is much better than manually trying to restore everything yourself. With an automatic virus removal software, you spend less time and they generally give a better result.

You can pretty much have your pick from dozens of malware removal tools out there. Even Windows comes preinstalled with Windows Defender, which does a reasonable job. However, you may need to switch to a third-party tool for a more comprehensive malware solution. Our personal recommendation is Auslogics Anti-Malware. This Microsoft-approved software adopts a holistic approach to malware detection and removal. You can use it to scan your PC and identify security threats.

Auslogics Anti-Malware has an intuitive user interface that lets you quickly get on with the job. It also scans your PC with a faster speed unlike others that take an age to finish a comprehensive scan. You can be assured of reduced wait times even as the tool checks every part of your system for malware that might be hiding out of sight.

Here is how to use Auslogics Anti-Malware to scan your PC and eliminate both present threats and leftover components from uninstalled unwanted programs:

  • Visit the Auslogics Anti-Malware download page to download the software.
  • Navigate to the downloaded file and double-click it to begin the setup.
  • Choose your preferences and click the Click to Install button.
  • When the program finishes installing, select the option to run a full scan. Grab a cup of coffee and wait as it searches the PC for dangerous software, malicious codes, suspicious malware plugins and the rest.
  • When the scan finishes, you will be presented with a report of discovered items (if any).
  • To clean your PC, click Remove Threats.

Auslogics Anti-Malware works equally well as a primary or secondary security option on your PC. For the best results when scanning an infected computer, it is recommended to run the scan in Safe Mode.

Step 3: Clean Your Browser of Malicious Extensions and Fake Search Engines

If you used Auslogics Anti-Malware or another security software to run a full scan, it will eliminate all traces of malware from your installed browsers. The processes below are for those who want to manually clean their browser of harmful elements. However, you can also use these methods after running a scan to check that your browser is clean.

We present below how to stop browser hijackers and redirects in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. Other browsers should have similar steps.

Google Chrome

Remove Malicious Extensions

Launch Chrome and open the main menu by clicking the three vertical dots icon at the top-right portion.

Select More Tools in the main menu and select Extensions from the overflow context menu.

Look for Email Pro Hub or a similarly named extension on the Extensions screen. Click on any suspicious extension and remove it.

Restore Your Homepage

Next, you should prevent Email Pro Hub as appearing as your homepage or new tab page. Click the main menu icon and select Settings. Under On Startup, you may find a notification which says, “Email Pro Hub is controlling this setting.” If so, look for a URL under the “Open a specific set of pages” section. Click the three vertical dots icon next to it and select Remove.

Restore Your Search Engine

Next, you should look for and remove any fake search engines in Chrome. On the Chrome Settings screen where you restored your homepage, click “Search engines” in the left menu pane.

Check under “Default search engines” for Email Pro Hub or hemailprohub.com. If found, click the three vertical icons next to it and select “Remove from list”. Thereafter, you can select from the default search engines from the list.

If you simply want to restore Chrome to factory settings, select the main menu icon and navigate to Settings > Advanced > Reset (restore settings to their original defaults) and click the Reset button.

Mozilla Firefox

Remove Malicious Extensions

Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines icon at the top right. Select Add-ons from the main menu.

In the Add-ons window, select Extensions in the left pane. Look for Email Pro Hub in the right pane and remove it. Look for other suspicious extensions and remove them as well.

Restore Your Homepage

To remove hemailprohub.com as your homepage and new tab page in Firefox, click the Firefox menu icon (three horizontal lines) and select Options.

Make sure the Home tab is selected in the Options window. On the right, review the URLs for “Homepage and new windows” and “New tabs” respectively. Delete any URLs associated with Email Pro Hub (such as hemailprohub.com, hxxp://hp.hemailprohub.com and hxxp://hemailprohub.com) and enter the URL of your preferred homepage. You can also just choose Firefox Home from the dropdown arrow.

Restore Your Search Engine

In the left pane of the Firefox Options window, select Search. In the main window, replace Email Pro Hub’s search address with Google, Bing or another legitimate search engine.

If that doesn’t work, type “about:config” (no quotes) in the Firefox address bar and hit the Enter click. Click the “I’ll be careful, I promise” when the warning pop-up appears and type “extensionControlled” in the filter at the top to quickly bring up the flag.

Set the two flags that appear to false.

Alternatively, you can restore default Firefox behavior by resetting the browser. Open the main menu and navigate to Help > Troubleshooting Information > Refresh Firefox > Refresh Firefox.

Microsoft Edge

Remove Malicious Extensions

Launch Edge and click the main menu icon (three horizontal dots) at the top-right portion.

Select Extensions and remove any malicious or suspicious add-ons you find.

Restore Your Homepage

Click the main Edge menu icon and select Settings. Select the On Startup tab on the left and disable any homepage hijacker such as hemailprohub.com you find there.

Restore Your Search Engine

In the Edge settings window, select Privacy and Services in the left menu pane. Scroll down and select Address Bar. On the Address Bar screen, look for suspicious URLs under the “Search engines used in address bar” section. If you discover one, click the Disable button next to it.

You can also click the main menu in Edge and navigate to Settings > Reset settings > Restore settings to their default values > Reset. This method will help you to reset Edge if you keep having problems with Email Pro Hub.

Summing Up

Browser hijackers infiltrate your main browser and hijack your search engine to serve you ads and redirect you to unwanted sites. They are usually concealed within bundled software, suspicious links, phishing email attachments. You can remove them by deleting the parent program from your computer and running a scan with powerful anti-malware software. Don’t forget to also check your browser extensions, homepage, and search settings as explained in this guide.