Mac Adware Cleaner Unwanted Application (Mac)

What is Mac Adware Cleaner?

Related to Advanced Mac Cleaner, Mac Adware Cleaner is a rogue application that supposedly enhances system performance by cleaning junk files, removing potentially malicious apps, and enabling other similar functions.

Judging on appearance alone, Mac Adware Cleaner may seem legitimate, however, it is categorized as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) - it often infiltrates systems without consent and gives no real value for regular users.

Mac Adware Cleaner allows users to perform a full system scan. Once the process is over, users are presented with many 'issues' that supposedly must be resolved and files that must be removed. Mac Adware Cleaner's free version is apparently incapable of doing this and, therefore, users are encouraged to purchase the 'full' version.

Be aware, however, that this is a scam. The entire list of infections/errors is false - Mac Adware Cleaner's developers attempt to scare and trick users into purchasing the full version, which is useless. It simply cleans the list - all claims to enable useful functions are merely attempts to give the impression of legitimacy.

Uninstall the Mac Adware Cleaner app and certainly do not pay for the full version. As mentioned above, Mac Adware Cleaner typically infiltrates systems without users' consent.

Therefore, there is a high probability that it came together with a number of other potentially unwanted programs, such as adware or browser hijackers. As with Mac Adware Cleaner, these apps should also be uninstalled as soon as possible.

Threat Summary:

Name	Mac Adware Cleaner potentially unwanted program
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
Symptoms	Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady 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 seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

There are dozens of potentially unwanted programs that offer similar functions to Mac Adware Cleaner. The list of examples includes (but is not limited to) Free Malware Removal Tool, System Healer, and Dr. Clean Pro 2018. 

All of these apps may seem legitimate and useful, however, the only purpose of PUPs such as Mac Adware Cleaner is to generate revenue for the developers.

Rather than giving any real value for regular users, potentially unwanted programs deliver intrusive advertisements (adware), cause unwanted redirects (browser hijackers), record personal information (virtually all), and, in this case, promote in-app purchases.

How did Mac Adware Cleaner install on my computer?

Developers proliferate Mac Adware Cleaner using two methods: 1) fake errors, and; 2) "bundling". Fake errors are displayed by various deceptive websites. They state that the system is damaged/infected and encourage users to download a repair tool - Mac Adware Cleaner. "Bundling" is stealth installation of potentially unwanted programs together with regular software.

Developers know that users are very likely to rush download/installation processes and skip steps. Therefore, they hide "bundled" apps within "Custom/Advanced" settings (or other sections) of the download/installation processes. Clicking various download links and skipping download/installation steps often leads to inadvertent installation of rogue applications.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, be very careful when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software. Never trust errors displayed by a web browser. Most are false (they encourage users to download various apps or call fake tech support).

You are advised to simply close the browser - it is better to be safe than sorry. Furthermore, carefully analyze each download/installation step and opt-out of all additionally-included programs.

Download your programs from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers are used to promote PUPs, and thus should never be used. If your computer is already infected with PUPs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them

Deceptive application installer promoting Mac Adware Cleaner PUP:

Fake error promoting Mac Adware Cleaner:

IMPORTANT NOTE! Mac Adware Cleaner adds itself to the list of applications that automatically run upon each user log in. Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:

• Go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups. 
• Click your account (also known as Current User).
• Click Login Items.
• Look for the "Mac Adware Cleaner" entry.  Select it, and click the "-" button to remove it.

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT 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 Mac By 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 seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Mac Adware Cleaner?
• STEP 1. Remove Mac Adware Cleaner related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove deceptive add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:

Mac Adware Cleaner PUP removal:

Remove Mac Adware Cleaner-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.

Remove adware-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 exact 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 exact 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 correctly, your Mac should be clean of infections. To ensure 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 the 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 its virus definition database and click the "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.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

Open the 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 regular browser operation.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More Tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

Remove malicious extensions from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window) and select "Add-ons and themes". Click "Extensions", in the opened window locate all recently-installed suspicious extensions, click on the three dots and then click "Remove".

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

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