PDF King Unwanted Application (Mac)

What is "PDF King"?

The PDF King app allows conversion of various documents into PDF format, and also to convert them back from previous formats and merge multiple PDF documents into one.

Developers promote this app as the most comprehensive PDF converter available, however, PDF King is categorized as a potentially unwanted application (PUA), since it is promoted using the "bundling" method, and thus many users install it inadvertently.

PDF King is available as an application and browser extension. The extension adds an icon to the browser toolbar. Once clicked, this opens an unidentified search engine. Once a search query is entered, it redirects users to search.yahoo.com (a legitimate Yahoo search engine) and displays results generated by the Yahoo engine.

This unidentified search engine also contains the PDF King converter, which allows users to convert files simply by dragging and dropping them, or selecting them individually by clicking the "Select file to convert" button. Note that many potentially unwanted apps are installed unintentionally and track data relating to browsing activity.

They record IP addresses, geo-locations, search queries, URLs of visited websites, and so on. The data is usually shared with third parties (potentially cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. Furthermore, unwanted apps of this type often feed users with intrusive advertisements (coupons, banners, pop-ups, surveys, etc.).

These are usually displayed by tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site. They can be annoying and conceal underlying content of any visited websites. If clicked, they often redirect to other untrustworthy sites (potentially malicious).

Therefore, having PUAs installed might cause unwanted redirects, privacy issues, and diminished browsing quality. It is not known whether PDF King tracks browsing-related information or displays ads, however, many PUAs that are installed using "bundling" perform these functions.

Threat Summary:

Name	search.getpdfking.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.

Generally, most developers promote these unwanted apps as 'useful tools' capable of providing various features. They may seem legitimate and useful, but once installed, PUAs simply generate revenue for their developers and deliver no real value for regular users.

These apps typically cause redirects, deliver intrusive advertisements, and record user-system information, thereby diminishing the browsing experience and posing a direct threat to your privacy and browsing safety.

How did PDF King install on my computer?

This app has an official download website, however, most people download and install unwanted apps such as PDF King inadvertently. These downloads and installations usually occur when users accidentally (or otherwise) click untrustworthy, deceptive ads, or when software developers employ the "bundling" method.

They use this method to trick users into downloading and installing potentially unwanted apps together with other chosen software.

They do not disclose information regarding the presence of these apps within download/installation set-ups - they hide them in "Advanced", "Custom" and other similar settings/options of the download or installation set-ups. Despite this, inadvertent installations or downloads are usually caused by users who skip steps and leave settings/options unchanged.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Use official sources (websites) when downloading software. Avoid third party sources such as peer-to-peer networks (torrents, eMule etc.), unofficial websites, etc. When downloading or installing software, never skip setup steps. Check "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings/options.

Dismiss offers to install or download any software you do not wish to download/install and only then finish the procedure. Be careful with intrusive ads, especially those displayed on untrustworthy websites. These often redirect to deceptive, dubious websites such as gambling, adult dating, pornography, and so on.

If you experience these ads/redirects, check your browser for any unwanted/unknown apps such as extensions, add-ons, and plug-ins and remove them. Apply this to programs installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Screenshot of a website promoting PDF King app:

Screenshot of a PDF King installer:

Screenshot of a PDF King extension being installed on Google Chrome:

Screenshot of fake search engine (search.getpdfking.com) opened after clicking the PDF King icon in the browser toolbar:

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 "PDF King"?
• STEP 1. Remove PUA related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove rogue add-ons from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove PDF King unwanted application using Combo Cleaner:

Potentially unwanted applications removal:

Remove 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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