HomeOS X HelpFinder HintsRemove unwanted adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac

2.2. Remove unwanted adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac

Use these instructions to uninstall or remove ad-injection software—sometimes called adware.

Ad-injection software is advertising-supported software that can come from third-party download sites. Software that you download from such sites may have been customized to install both the software you want and the ad-injection software. If your Mac has ad-injection software installed, you might see pop-up windows, ads, and graphics while surfing the web, even if "Block pop-up windows" is selected in Safari preferences. Ad-injection software might also change your homepage and preferred search engine.

Check Safari settings and extensions

Go to Safari > Preferences, then follow these steps:

  1. Click the General icon and make sure that the Homepage field contains the website you want.
  2. Click the Search icon and make sure that the search engine setting shows your preferred search engine. Some versions of Safari have this setting in the General pane instead.
  3. Click the Extensions icon. If you don't want an extension or don't know what it does, select the extension from the list and click Uninstall. These are examples of ad-injection extensions, but there are others:
    • Amazon Shopping Assistant by Spigot Inc.
    • Ebay Shopping Assistant by Spigot Inc.
    • Searchme by Spigot, Inc.
    • Slick Savings by Spigot Inc.
    • GoPhoto.It
    • Omnibar

Remove certain ad-injection software

Use this "Go to Folder" method to find and remove each item listed in the sections below, one item at a time:

  1. Drag to select an entire line in the lists below, starting with /System/Library/Frameworks/v.framework, for example.
  2. Choose Edit > Copy.
  3. Open a Finder window, then choose View > As Columns.
  4. Choose Go > Go to Folder.
  5. Choose Edit > Paste to paste the line you copied into the text field.
  6. Press Return.
    • If the item is on your Mac, a window opens with the item you searched for already selected. Drag only that item to the Trash. If you're asked to enter a password, enter your administrator password.
    • If the item is not on your Mac, you'll see a message that the folder can't be found. Continue to the next item in the list.

Remove Downlite, VSearch, Conduit, Trovi, MyBrand, Search Protect

Use Go to Folder to find and remove each of these items:

/System/Library/Frameworks/v.framework

/System/Library/Frameworks/VSearch.framework

/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/Jack

/Applications/SearchProtect.app

~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ConduitNPAPIPlugin.plugin

~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/TroviNPAPIPlugin.plugin

/Library/InputManagers/CTLoader/

/Library/Application Support/Conduit/

After you remove the items above, restart your Mac. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash to permanently remove them.

Remove Genieo, InstallMac

First follow these steps to stop the Genieo or InstallMac processes, if they're running. Be sure to restart your Mac when instructed.

  1. Open Activity Monitor.
    You can use Spotlight (Command-Space) to search for "Activity Monitor," then choose Activity Monitor from the search results.
  2. In the Activity Monitor window, click the CPU tab, then click Process Name at the top of that column to sort the list alphabetically.
  3. Look for the process "Genieo." Select it, then click the Force Quit button (x) in the upper-left corner of the window.
  4. Look for the process "InstallMac." Select it, then click the Force Quit button.
  5. Quit Activity Monitor.
  6. Use Go to Folder to find and remove /private/etc/launchd.conf.

Restart your Mac

Use Go to Folder to find and remove each of these items:

/Applications/Genieo

/Applications/InstallMac

/Applications/Uninstall Genieo

/Applications/Uninstall IM Completer.app

/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client

/usr/lib/libgenkit.dylib

/usr/lib/libgenkitsa.dylib

/usr/lib/libimckit.dylib

/usr/lib/libimckitsa.dylib

~/Library/Application Support/Genieo/

~/Library/Application Support/com.genieoinnovation.Installer/

Restart your Mac

Now find and remove /Library/Frameworks/GenieoExtra.framework.

Restart your Mac

Choose Finder > Empty Trash to permanently remove the items.

Optionally remove other adware files

You don't need to remove these files to disable the adware. If you do remove them, first remove the other files listed in the sections above. Use the same Go to Folder method to find and remove each item.

~/Conduit/

~/Trovi/

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.download.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.update.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.ltvbit.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.engine.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.update.plist

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.download.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.update.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.ltvbit.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.engine.plist

/Library/LaunchAgents/com.genieo.completer.update.plist

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.genieoinnovation.macextension.client.plist

/Library/LaunchDaemons/Jack.plist

~/Library/Preferences/com.genieo.global.settings.plist.lockfile

~/Library/Preferences/com.geneio.settings.plist.lockfile

~/Library/Preferences/com.geneio.global.settings.plist

~/Library/Saved Application State/com.genieo.RemoveGenieoMac.savedState

~/Library/Saved Application State/com.VSearch.bulk.installer.savedstate

~/Library/Caches/com.VSearch.bulk.installer

~/Library/Caches/com.VSearch.VSinstaller

~/Library/Caches/com.Conduit.takeOverSearchAssestsMac

Go to the /Library/LaunchAgents/ folder and look for a file named com.*.agent.plist. The asterisk (*) could be any word, including "Apple." Example: com.midnight.agent.plist. Move the file to the Trash.

Go to the /Library/LaunchDaemons/ folder and look for a file named com.*.daemon.plist and a file named com.*.helper.plist. The asterisk (*) could be any word, but it will be the same word used in the LaunchAgents folder, above. Example: com.midnight.daemon.plist and com.midnight.helper.plist. Move the files to the Trash.

Go to the /Library/Application Support/ folder and look for a file name that is the same word used in the LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons folders, above. Example: midnight. Move the file to the Trash.

Restart your Mac, then choose Finder > Empty Trash to permanently remove the items.

Downloads

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