Adware is a horrible thing. It is a type of malware that finds its way into your Mac via web browsing. Once on your system, it can cause a range of issues such as showing you ads all the time and redirecting your web browsing to certain sites. To make matters worse, the adware can contain hidden viruses which can cause serious damage to your system.
Signs Adware is at Play
If you have adware on your Mac, you may be witnessing one or more of the following;
- Your homepage is not the one you set.
- Any search links take you to a different website than the one shown.
- Toolbars suddenly appear at random.
- Performance is slow.
- You see ads on web pages all the time even when visiting sites you wouldn’t expect to see them.
- Pop-up windows spring up when you click on links that advertise fake updates and or software.
If you are seeing any of this you could well have an adware issue.
How Did Adware get on my Mac?
In essence, there are four ways adware gets onto your device and rears its ugly head. They are:
- Phishing emails designed to make you download files or click links. These are getting more and more ingenious.
- Drive-by downloads
- Remote desktop protocols.
- Infected apps from a compromised webpage.
You can keep your Mac safe by avoiding as much of the above as you can. If you feel you have adware you can remove it by performing the following steps.
Remove Extensions You Don’t Recognise
To remove extensions is browser specific. So:
Safari
- Preferences, Extensions.
- Scan the extensions and remove the ones you don’t recognise.
Chrome
- Chrome://extensions.
- Again, scan extensions and remove ones you don’t recognise.
Firefox
- Menu, Add-ons, Themes
- Extensions, remove the ones that you never installed.
Homepage and Search Settings.
Check your homepage and search settings in your browser and see if they have been changed. In Safari you’ll find you can do this under the General tab, while in Chrome you can accomplish the same goal in the Default Browser section.
If you want to be really sure you have blitzed the adware, you can uninstall the browsers and reinstall them again.
Time to Dig Deep
So now your browser is adware free it is time to dig deep into your files to remove adware.
The idea is to send the infected files to Trash and empty it. So how is this accomplished?
So:
- Launchpad, Activity Monitor.
- Look for applications you don’t recognise. Often, InstallMac and Genio are two you’ll find that contain adware. Force Quit these apps.
- Applications, drag the suspected infected application to Trash.
- Restart your Mac and empty Trash.
Hopefully, that has cleared up your adware issue and you can get back to having a good adware-free computing experience.
In the future, try and stay aware of how adware gets onto your device by:
- Avoid installing apps in a bundle as often the adware is embedded.
- Be suspicious and cautious of email attachments and links.
- Google the developers to make sure they are legit.
- Don’t download from a banner.
For more information visit Apple Support.