How to remove a browser hijacker from the Mac
Minimalism made the Google search engine a blow-out success at the turn of the millennium. Even today on the Google homepage you’re treated simply to a logo, the search bar, and some favorites. This iconoclastic approach revolutionized how we search the web. Google took the same formula and applied it to its Chrome browser when it launched in. Download for Mac Mac OS X 10.10 or later. This computer will no longer receive Google Chrome updates because Mac OS X 10.6 - 10.9 are no longer supported. This computer will no longer receive Google Chrome updates because Mac OS X 10.6 - 10.9 are no longer supported.
What is a browser hijacker?
In many cases, browsers open fake or legitimate search engines, or various dubious websites when the user opens a new window, tab, or attempts to search via the URL bar. Browsers generally have this behavior when they have been hijacked by browser hijackers. A browser hijacker is a form of unwanted software (a potentially unwanted application or 'PUA') that modifies browser settings. These programs often gather details relating to users' browsing habits/activities. In any case, all browser hijacker software should be uninstalled immediately.
If google.com is assigned as the default search engine/homepage, and you start encountering unwanted redirects to bing.com, the web browser is probably hijacked by a browser hijacker. Although bing.com is a legitimate search engine, not all people prefer to use it. Typically, browser hijackers change settings such as default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL, however, they might also change other settings. It is generally impossible to modify or undo these settings, unless the browser hijacker is uninstalled. In some cases, browser hijackers are capable of overriding settings without making visible changes. For example, the default search engine or homepage might be set to google.com, however, the browser hijacker still forces users of hijacked browsers to use/visit bing.com. These apps also gather details relating to users' browsing habits such as IP addresses, geolocations, URLs of visited websites, entered search queries, and so on. PUAs might also be used to record personal, sensitive details. Developers often share the data with third parties (often cyber criminals) who misuse the data to generate revenue.
Name | bing.com redirect |
Threat Type | Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus. |
Symptoms | Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites. |
Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads. |
Damage | Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious websites, loss of private information. |
Malware Removal (Mac) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your Mac with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner for Mac To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available. |
People often download and install browser hijackers unintentionally. After installation, these apps provide no real value and cause only problems. Users with hijacked browsers often experience problems with privacy, browsing safety, and even identity theft. We recommend that you uninstall all browser hijackers from your browser or computer/operating system immediately. Some examples of fake search engines/addresses that are promoted through apps of this type include searchmine.net, searchbaron.com, search.anysearch.net, weknow.ac, and searchpulse.net.
How did browser hijacker install on my computer?
Most people do not install unwanted apps such as browser hijackers intentionally - they are tricked by developers who use a deceptive marketing method called 'bundling'. They hide unwanted apps/offers to download or install them in 'Custom', 'Advanced' and other similar settings of the download or installation set-ups. When people download or install software without checking available settings, they often allow PUAs to be downloaded and installed. Additionally, unwanted downloads/installations can also be caused through deceptive ads. If clicked, these run scripts that download/install unwanted apps.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
Do not download software from untrustworthy, unofficial websites, using third party downloaders, Peer-to-Peer networks such as torrents, eMule or other similar sources. The best way to download files and programs is using official, trustworthy websites and direct links. If a setup includes settings such as 'Custom', 'Advanced', check them and opt-out of any offers to install additional, unwanted apps. Avoid clicking intrusive ads, especially when they are displayed on dubious sites. Once clicked, they can redirect to potentially malicious websites or start unwanted download/installation processes. To prevent browsers from causing unwanted redirects and/or displaying intrusive ads, remove all unwanted extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins installed on the browser, and programs installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.
Deceptive website promoting installer/updater of a fake Flash Player that installs a browser hijacker:
Fake Flash Player installer:
Fake Flash Player installer with a browser hijacker added:
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Mac malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for MacBy downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available.
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for MacBy downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- STEP 1. Remove browser hijacker's files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove browser hijacker from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove browser hijacker's homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove unwanted applications that modify web browsers' options using Combo Cleaner:
Browser hijacker removal:
Remove browser hijacker-related potentially unwanted applications from your 'Applications' folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select 'Applications'. In the applications folder, look for 'MPlayerX', 'NicePlayer', or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
Combo Cleaner checks if your computer is infected with malware. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. Limited three days free trial available.
Remove bing.com redirect related files and folders:
Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar, choose Go, and click Go to Folder...
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/Application Support
In the “Application Support” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, “MplayerX” or “NicePlayer”, and move these folders to the Trash.
Check for adware-generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons
In the “LaunchDaemons” folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example, “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preferences.plist”, 'com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, etc., and move them to the Trash.
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
If you have followed all the steps in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure your system is not infected run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file double click combocleaner.dmg installer, in the opened window drag and drop Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates it's virus definition database and click 'Start Combo Scan' button.
Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays 'no threats found' - this means that you can continue with the removal guide, otherwise it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.
After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
bing.com redirect homepage and default Internet search engine removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove bing.com redirect related Safari extensions:
Open Safari browser. From the menu bar, select 'Safari' and click 'Preferences...'.
In the preferences window, select 'Extensions' and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the 'Uninstall' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
In the 'Preferences' window, select the 'General' tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the “Set to Current Page” button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.
Change your default search engine:
In the 'Preferences' window, select the 'Search' tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labelled 'Search engine:' Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove bing.com redirect related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the 'Open Menu' (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose 'Add-ons'.
Choose the 'Extensions' tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Remove' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
To change your homepage, click the 'Open Menu' (three horizontal lines) button and choose 'Preferences' from the drop-down menu. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage Page.
Change default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type 'about:config' and click the 'I'll be careful, I promise!' button.
In the 'Search:' field, type the name of the browser hijacker. Right click on each of the found preferences and click 'Reset' from the drop-down menu.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove bing.com redirect related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the 'Chrome menu' (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose 'More Tools' and select 'Extensions'.
In the 'Extensions' window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Trash' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
Click the 'Chrome menu' (three horizontal lines) button and choose 'Settings'. In the 'On Startup' section, click the 'Set pages' link near to the 'Open a specific page or set of pages' option. Remove the URL of the browser hijacker (for example trovi.com) and enter your preferred URL (for example, google.com).
Change default search engine:
Click the 'Chrome menu' (three horizontal lines) button and choose 'Settings'. In the 'Search' section, click the 'Manage search engines...' button. In the opened window, remove the unwanted Internet search engine by clicking the 'X' button next to it. Select your preferred Internet search engine from the list and click the 'Make default' button next to it.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.
Google Chrome is the king of web browsers but if you’re here it’s probably because the king has gone a bit insane. Is Chrome running slow, crashing, freezing, or not even loading? Are web pages not loading anymore? Is your browser experience getting slower every day?
If you’re experiencing any of those Chrome problems, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to show you how to troubleshoot and resolve common Chrome problems that make you feel like Google hates Macs.
Some fixes will be easier than others but none require advanced knowledge.
If you’re ready to fix Chrome, let’s begin!
Is it your Mac or Chrome that is slow?
Chrome isn’t an independent entity, it’s a part of a whole Mac system. So before you deal with Chrome, make sure the problem isn’t in your macOS. A quick example — the outdated system caches causing your Chrome plugins to crash. Or is your Mac gasping for free space?
A clever path is to give your macOS a good cleanup, first. We like CleanMyMac X app for this purpose as it finds and cleans all redundant & conflicting files across all your folders. So, take 2 minutes to tidy up your Mac with CleanMyMac X, and let’s move further.
CleanMyMac is available for a free download here — this app is notarized by Apple, so no worries.
Common Chrome problems on Mac (and their fixes)
Mac battery draining fast
Chrome is known for its fast performance, which it gets by using your Mac’s CPU more than other browsers. But more CPU usage means more battery drain. If you use your laptop on the go, this can become a huge issue. What good is performance if your battery is completely drained and you can’t turn on your Mac?
If Mac battery life is important to you, then there’s a simple trick that should be a big help. Often there is a tab or an extension that is hogging your resources and burning through your battery life by itself.
Follow these steps to find the offending site or extension:
- Open Chrome and choose Window in the top menu.
- Click on Task Manager.
- In Task Manager, click the Memory Footprint column to sort them.
Now you can determine what sites and extensions use up the most memory in Chrome. You can still visit one of these sites but maybe don’t leave it open in a tab anymore. Also, remember that even sites that aren’t memory hogs can still be a battery drain if you have a lot of tabs open.
Close resource-hungry and unnecessary tabs and the time you get from a battery charge should start to improve.
Chrome is running slow
Does Chrome on your Mac feel like browsing through a swamp? If browser responsiveness is slowing, it’s time to drain the swamp.
Why is Google Chrome so slow? We mentioned earlier that Chrome is resource-heavy, especially on your CPU. Chrome is fast when your Mac has the resources available, but when they are limited, and Chrome is demanding more than your Mac can give – swamp time.
The tip from the previous section will help a lot, but if you’re still experiencing slowness, there are other fixes you can turn to.
Let’s start by focusing on the cache. Chrome loves storing lots of your web browsing data. At first, it can help speed things along, but soon Chrome’s pockets are being weighed down by cache, particularly if your Mac is low on space or memory.
To manually delete your Chrome cache on Mac:
- Open Chrome and choose Chrome in the top menu.
- Select Clear Browsing Data.
- Check the history, cache, cookies, and other types of browser data that you want to delete.
- Click 'Clear data.'
Again, there’s another method for clearing out your cache, cookies, browser history, autofill form data, and a whole lot more. You can use the free version of CleanMyMac X. There’s surely no easier way to manage not just the cache that’s slowing down Chrome, but also your privacy and security — if these things are important to you (they should be).
To delete Chrome cache and other browsing data with CleanMyMac X:
- Download the free edition of CleanMyMac X and launch the app.
- Go to the Privacy tab and select Chrome.
- Select what you want to clean.
Or you can even use CleanMyMac X’s System Junk cleanup tool that not only removes Chrome cache files but also gets rid of “temporary” files that clog up your system. So, hopefully, your browser will get a bit snappier.
Сhrome using significant energy on Mac
“Chrome using significant energy” may be a sign of general memory overload on your computer. Try opening your Activity Monitor and check off a few memory consumers.
- Open the Launchpad and type in Activity Monitor in the search bar.
- Now, sort by Energy and use the [x] button to quit a process.
Disable background synchronization
There’s another setting that may help you out. Sadly, it’s buried too deep in Chrome’s Preferences but according to many users, it should greatly reduce energy consumption by Chrome.
![Search Search](/uploads/1/2/6/4/126473040/171060937.jpg)
- Open Chrome and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy and security > Site Settings.
- Scroll down and click “Background sync.”
- Use the slider to disable the background sync.
What does it do? It stops the websites from communicating with your Mac (even after you’ve left that site). Was it enabled by default is a different question.
Chrome keeps freezing
Your browser is not just slow as a snail but keeps freezing? A spinning circle appears for a while? This is ordinary trouble with web browsers after continued use. And it may relate to the problem with the browser cache.
We've already told you how to remove the Chrome cache, so just go to the previous section and choose the way that works best for you: manual or easy one. Hopefully, this will help you to get rid of the spinning beach ball and fix the freezing issue.
Other ideas to try:
- Close all tabs
- Restore settings (Settings > Advanced > Reset settings)
- Log out from all your Google accounts and log in back again.
- Try browsing in an incognito window and see if that helps.
- Reinstall Chrome from scratch
Some services, like Dropbox, Alfred, and notably, Google Drive are constantly self-updating in the background. As in the previous step, you can use Activity Monitor and force-quit these processes.
Google Chrome is not responding
However, if your browser is not responding at all and you can't open the menu to clear the cache, browsing history, or delete extensions, try to force quit Chrome and then launch it again.
There are a few possible ways to force quit Google Chrome. Here is our comprehensive guide 'How to force quit Mac applications' that offers five different ways to deal with unresponsive apps. Pick your favorite one.
There are is a number of background plugins operating invisibly on every Mac. They could be various helpers, updaters, and everything else that supports the main application. For example, Chrome itself has an updater app that constantly communicates with the server. So, once again, go to your Activity Monitor and scan through your open processes. Try quitting anything Google-related there.
Another idea to try is to free up your RAM (random access memory) in the Terminal. This should unfreeze your Chrome, at least temporarily.
- Open your Terminal app (you can find it via the Launchpad search).
- Now, paste in
sudo purge
into the Terminal window. - Hit Enter
See if Chrome is feeling better now.
Google Chrome keeps crashing
Chrome freezing is one thing but crashing? That’s a much bigger issue as it’s a sign that something is broken. But what do we do with things that are broken around here? We fix them!
Probably the most common cause of crashes is a byproduct of one of Chrome’s strengths – its constant stream of exciting extensions. They make our browser experience more enjoyable and productive, but occasionally one of these extensions will be corrupted or introduce a bug that causes Chrome to crash.
Here’s what you should do to find a problematic Chrome extension.
- Update your browser
- Run a Safety check
- Turn off browser extensions
Make sure Chrome is updated to the latest version. A new update could very well include the fix that will stop Chrome crashing.
The latest version of Google Chrome has a feature called Safety check. Go to Chrome Settings and select “Safety check” from the menu on the left. Press “Check now.” The browser will run a quick check to determine whether Google Chrome is up-to-date and protected from threats.
If that didn’t work or everything was already up-to-date, you can manually turn off your extensions and turn them back on, one at a time. This way, if the crashing goes away until a certain extension is turned back on – that’s when you’ve probably found the problem.
To manually disable and remove Chrome extensions:
- Open Chrome and go to Window > Extensions.
- Disable a few extensions or click Remove to completely delete them.
- Relaunch Chrome.
Spend some time using Chrome without extensions and then slowly turn each one back on until your crashing returns. When you think you have the culprit, simply click the Trash can next to that extension in Settings > Extensions.
An even easier way to manage your extensions is with CleanMyMac X. You get more control over all your extensions, even those from other browsers, and disabling and removing them is as easy as can be.
To disable Chrome extensions the simple way:
- Click on the Extensions tab in CleanMyMac.
- Click on Chrome Extensions and disable as you like.
Chrome won’t open
Here’s the list of hacks you can try if you want to repair Chrome. When Chrome won’t open, the easiest is to restart your Mac. But that could be a bit disruptive. So here you are, some alternatives:
- Press and hold Command + Q — this will quit Chrome.
- Press Option + Command + Esc — opens a Force Quit pane.
- Uninstall Chrome and download it again.
If that doesn’t help, there’s a possibility that the problem is Google folder permissions.
Web pages not loading in Chrome
“Aw snap!”
This is Chrome’s custom message for when a web page fails to load. If you get this cheeky little message or any other loading error, chances are you’re going to fail to see the funny side.
The reasons for Chrome not loading pages can be wide-ranging and hard to pinpoint, but we’ve collected a checklist of fixes for you to work through.
- Check your internet connection.
- Update Chrome.
- Restart your Mac.
- Remove Chrome extensions (for steps see 'Google Chrome keeps crashing' section).
- Disable or relaunch hardware acceleration
Hardware acceleration is supposed to speed up your Chrome at the cost of your Mac's hardware resources. But quite often this feature crashes things.
Hardware acceleration is found here:
Chrome > Settings > Advanced > System
Hardware acceleration is found here:
Chrome > Settings > Advanced > System
If you’re still unable to load web pages, a reset or reinstall of Chrome may be needed. We cover that very fix in the next section.
Chrome update failed
Chrome won’t update? Some users have experienced the frustration of Chrome refusing to update on a Mac. The first step would just be patience, but if days have passed and you’re still not getting anywhere, a reset or reinstall of Chrome may be in order.
To reset Chrome manually:
- Launch Chrome and go to Preferences
- Scroll to the bottom and click on Advanced Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom and click on Reset Settings.
- Read the pop-up and Reset.
- Relaunch Chrome and try to update.
Note: Resetting Chrome will not remove your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords. A manual reset can be a bit scary, but as a workaround, you can use CleanMyMac X to reset Chrome without losing any data.
Reset Chrome with CleanMyMac X's free tool:
- Open CleanMyMac X
- Go to Uninstaller tab and find Google Chrome in the list
- Click Application Reset in the dropdown menu next to the Chrome icon.
If the browser is still not updating, download the latest installation file from the web and reinstall Chrome.
More tips to troubleshoot Chrome
Your Chrome browser should now be running great, but wait; there’s more! To improve your future browsing experience we’re sharing some of our favorite Chrome settings. Try these out and fall in love with Chrome even more.
Google Search Bar Download
Enable Prefetch
Want your web pages to load even faster? Go to Settings > Privacy and security. Here, select 'Cookies and other site data.' Toggle on 'Preload pages for faster browsing and searching.' This enables 'page prefetch' and makes Google Chrome load pages faster. Now the system will store the page and automatically load it the next time you visit the website.
Use shortcuts in Chrome browser
You’d be amazed at how much faster you can surf the web and get things done by learning just a few key shortcuts.
For example:
Command + t = new tab
Command + h = hide Chrome
Command + r = reload web page
Command + h = hide Chrome
Command + r = reload web page
Find the full list of commands at the official Google Chrome Support page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Chrome keep freezing?
Usually, this is caused be caused by outdated browser caches. Open Chrome’s Preferences to delete recent browser data.
Why does Chrome use so much memory?
Chrome is in a constant back and forth with Google’s servers to process your data. You can help it by optimizing memory usage on your Mac. Use the Mac tune-up app, CleanMyMac X, to free up RAM and you disable heavy memory consumers.
How can I speed up my browsing experience?
As a first step, try removing all the unnecessary extensions in Chrome. Also, try to not use more than 2 memory-heavy services, like DropBox or Google Drive at a time.
That’s it. Hopefully, these fixes have made your web surfing better than it’s ever been. It just goes to show that even drastic problems like Chrome crashing can be solved with a little know-how and helpful apps like CleanMyMac X.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned!
Google Search Engine Bar Download
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