Search.porterice.com Redirect (Mac)

What is search.porterice.com?

search.porterice.com is one of many fake search engines, and very similar to search.debrikon.com, search.borderov.com, and search.parazipper.com.

Developers of this site offer a better browsing experience (improved search results, etc.), however, they promote this fake search engine using rogue download/installation set-ups that modify browser settings. Furthermore, search.porterice.com collects data relating to browsing habits/activity.

Rogue set-ups target popular browsers such as Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. They assign the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL browser settings to search.porterice.com. Users are then forced to visit this website when they open browsers/new tabs.

They cannot undo/change these changes, since rogue set-ups install "helper objects" that prevent users from reverting them. Set-ups reassign browser settings when attempts are made to change them. Modified browser settings and redirects to search.porterice.com can be frustrating.

Furthermore, "helper objects" and this fake search engine record data such as IP addresses, URLs of visited websites, search queries, and other browsing-related details. The recorded information often contains personal details that developers share with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) to generate revenue.

These third parties also misuse the data to generate revenue. Thus data/information tracking and sharing can lead to privacy/browsing safety issues or even more serious problems such as identity theft. Therefore, we recommend that you uninstall any unwanted/suspicious apps from your browsers and avoid using fake search engines such as search.porterice.com.

Threat Summary:

Name	search.porterice.com browser hijacker
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 many fake search engines, all of which are identical. Developers promote them as legitimate and offer an enhanced browsing experience or various other improvements/useful features. Few provide the functionality promised. They are designed only to generate revenue for the developers and provide no real value.

Furthermore, fake search engines cause problems relating to privacy, browsing safety, and so on. They cause misleading results, which lead to untrustworthy websites.

How did search.porterice.com install on my computer?

search.porterice.com is promoted using rogue installation/download set-ups. Successful browser infiltrations are achieved through a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Bundling is used to trick users into allowing changes to be made to browser settings.

Information regarding these changes is hidden in "Custom", "Advanced" and other settings (options) of the download or installation processes.

This information is not properly disclosed. Furthermore, many users do not check available settings or skip steps when downloading/installing software. This causes inadvertent installations, since they grant permission to change browser settings.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software from official and trustworthy sources, especially if it is free. Do not download software using third party software downloaders/installers or other sources of this kind - these tools often are monetized by promoting unwanted apps.

Furthermore, install software with care. Study each dialog (setup) window and check "Advanced", "Custom" and other similar sections. Opt-out of offers to install additional (unwanted) apps and only then finish the installation/download process.

Note that intrusive ads usually seem legitimate, however, once clicked, they lead to untrustworthy websites such as gambling, pornography, adult dating, and so on. If you encounter these redirects, check your browser for any unwanted entries (extensions, plug-ins, add-ons, etc.) and remove them immediately.

Also check the list of installed programs on your 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.

Website promoting search.porterice.com:

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 search.porterice.com?
• STEP 1. Remove search.porterice.com related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove search.porterice.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove search.porterice.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.porterice.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove browser redirects to search.porterice.com using Combo Cleaner:

search.porterice.com redirect removal:

Remove search.porterice.com-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 browser hijacker-related files and folders

Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...

Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.

Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers

Remove Safari browser hijackers:

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.

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 labeled "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 Google Chrome browser hijackers:

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".

Change your homepage

Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".

Change your default search engine:

To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".

• 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".

Change your homepage

To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.

Change your default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".

In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.

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

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