If you haven’t come across “about:blank” before, you may not be in the position to accurately tell how awkward it is.

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There are a number of irregularities (such as (i) browser popups suggesting fake updates and (ii) the frequent pop-up of ad banners across webpages) which indicate the presence of an underlying adware program. While it constitutes such irregularities, about:blank isn’t actually a malicious item but its presence may be attributed to an underlying malicious program.

Comprehensive Guide on Removing About:Blank

Removing About:Blank through Reset of Browser Settings (on Google Chrome)

This procedure is likely the first you should consider in order to rid your PC of about:blank probably because it’s damn easy to follow and doesn’t require the download of any third-party app. Basically, the reset of your browser settings will restore the browser’s default settings, hence removing the malicious changes causing about:blank to appear.

To use this procedure in removing about:blank, simply follow the steps below:

Within your Google Chrome browser, explore the main menu of the browser. This (main menu) is represented with a column of three dots on the right-hand corner of your screen
Click the three dots and choose Settings from the menu that emerges
On the Settings page that comes up, navigate down to the Advanced button
Clicking the Advanced button will take you to Chrome’s advanced settings where you’ll find the option for resetting your browser settings
On the Advanced settings page, locate the section tagged “Reset and clean up”
Under the section, you should select the option “Reset settings to their original defaults”
Subsequently, Chrome will present you with a confirmation box stating the areas (such as pages and tabs) wherein default settings will be restored and the areas that will not be affected by the settings reset
Tap the blue-colored Reset Settings button in order to complete the settings reset

Removing Malicious Program(s) from Your Computer (for Windows 8.1)

This step (as a procedure for ridding your computer of about:blank) entails exploring installed programs and then removing the malicious program responsible for the display of about:blank in the computer’s browser. Dozens of malicious programs exist and in ridding your computer of about:blank, here are the common malicious programs you should look out for:

Wajam
OtherSearches
New Player
Salus
DNS Unlocker
YeaDesktop
Startface
MediaVideosPlayers
SalesPlus
Cinema Plus
CloudScout Parental Control
HostSecurePlugin
Desktop Temperature Monitor
Sm23mS
PriceLEess
Browsers_Apps_Pro
CheckMeUp or HD-V2.2
Savepass
Savefier
Word Proser
Save Daily Deals
Network System Driver
SS8
Pic Enhance

It’s very possible that there’s one (or more) of the malicious programs above on your computer and that the program is responsible for the display of about:blank in your browser. Also, it’s possible that the malicious program on your computer bears a different name from any of the listed ones.

Given that any of the listed malicious programs is the root cause of about:blank on your computer, you can get rid of the program by following the steps below:

Scroll to the bottom left-hand corner of your computer screen and right-click on the (window-shaped) Start icon
From the list of options that appear next, choose Programs and Features
On the next on-screen page, you’ll see a full list of the programs installed on your computer. You should scan through the programs in search of the malicious program causing about:blank’s appearance in your browser
Once you find the program, tap the program and right-click on it
Subsequently, tap the Uninstall button that pops up
Click the Yes button to uninstall the program

Removing About:Blank with the Help of Malwarebytes

There are a couple of effective software tools for ridding your computer of malware and Malwarebytes is fortunately one of them. In fact, Malwarebytes is widely favored for its ability to remove varying malware types without charging a dime for this service.

Nonetheless, Malwarebytes does have a premium version which is available through a 14-day trial that you can enjoy after installing the software. Some of the benefits that come with this premium version include specialized protection (against ransomware) and real-time scanning. Quite interestingly, you can use Malwarebytes along with your computer’s antivirus software without experiencing any glitch.

You should note that after the said 14-day trial, Malwarebytes will be automated to run the free version. This time around, your free access to the premium version is considered over and you’ll have to initiate a scan by yourself before Malwarebytes can find and remove malware infections.

To use Malwarebytes in removing about:blank from your PC, follow the steps below:

Click the link here in order to download Malwarebytes
Following the download, you should install Malwarebytes on your computer through a double-click on the setup file titled mb3-setup-consumer-x.x.x.xxxx.exe
For the installation of Malwarebytes, you’ll have to comply with some on-screen instruction particularly the info in Malwarebytes Setup Wizard
After the installation, the Malwarebytes software will launch by itself
Within the Malwarebytes software, you’ll find a Scan You can click this button in order to initiate a system scan that will prompt the software to sift through your PC in search of malicious programs. You should exercise patience for the scanning which might last a couple of minutes
Following the scan, Malwarebytes will reel out a list of the detected malware infections. You’ll then have to tap the Quarantine button (below the list of malware infections) in order to rid your PC of malware programs. You should comply with any on-screen prompts required for Malwarebytes to complete the malware removal

Removing About:Blank with the Help of HitmanPro

HitmanPro is excellent for having incorporated a unique technology into malware scanning. Precisely, the cloud-based technology of HitmanPro ensures that Kaspersky and Bitdefender (two of the world’s leading antivirus engines) run a scan on whatever suspicious files found on your PC. While scanning your PC, HitmanPro sifts through the PC’s files including the active ones and those in hidden locations where malware is usually found. The scanning is basically intended to ascertain the status of your PC’s files so that the files considered suspicious can be forwarded to Kaspersky and Bitdefender (via cloud-based technology) for thorough malware scanning.

In terms of scanning, HitmanPro doesn’t limit you to a specific number of files but the software charges a yearly price of $24.95 per PC.

To use HitmanPro in removing about:blank from your PC, you should follow the steps below:

Click the link here in order to download HitmanPro
Following the download, you should install HitmanPro on your computer through a double-click on the setup file titled exe (if your PC is running the 64-bit Windows version) OR hitmanpro.exe (if your PC is running the 34-bit Windows version)
For the installation of HitmanPro, you’ll have to comply with some on-screen instruction. This, probably, includes saying “Yes” to the User Activation Control prompt asking that you allow HitmanPro to make changes to your device (PC)
After the installation, the HitmanPro software will launch and on the screen that emerges, you’ll be prompted to click the Next button in order to start
You should click this “Next” button in order to initiate a system scan that will prompt the HitmanPro software to sift through your PC in search of malicious programs. You should exercise patience for the scanning which might last a couple of minutes
Following the scan, HitmanPro will reel out a list of all the detected malware. You’ll then have to tap the Next button (found at the bottom of your screen) in order to rid your PC of the malware programs
Subsequently, you’ll be presented with the option “Activate free license”. You should remember that (as noted earlier) HitmanPro charges a specified fee for its service but again, it lets you have free access through its “free 30-day trial”
To start using the 30-day (free access) trial and eventually rid your PC of the detected malware programs, simply tap the “Activate free license” button

Conclusion

As noted earlier, about:blank itself isn’t a kind of malware but it indicates the presence of malware. Although you’re very likely to make success with at least one of the four different removal methods discussed so far, experts on malware removal further recommend the Zemana AntiMalware software.

Zemana AntiMalware is a free-to-use software tool capable of removing various forms of malware including the awkward ones that popular anti-malware apps struggle to detect.

If you can’t use the earlier-discussed anti-malware apps (HitmanPro and Malwarebytes) for one reason or the other or you’re struggling to make success with all the four malware removal methods, Zemana AntiMalware could be the befitting solution for you. Interestingly, the steps for using Zemana AntiMalware are practically the same as those we earlier outlined for HitmanPro.