Remove Smbstrhlpr from the operating system

What is Smbstrhlpr?

Mac users who update their MacOS systems to Catalina often experience a pop-up window containing the ""smbstruninstall" will damage your computer.

You should move it to the Bin." message. Research shows that this pop-up appears when the Smbstrhlpr unwanted app is installed on operating systems. This app is installed together with another potentially unwanted app (PUA) called Smart Mac Booster. We strongly recommend that you remove both Smbstrhlpr and Smart Mac Booster as soon as possible.

Smart Mac Booster is one of many PUAs that are advertised through deceptive websites. Apps that are promoted on untrustworthy websites should never be trusted. Furthermore, their set-ups often include other PUAs, such as adware, browser hijackers, and so on.

There is a high probability that Smbstrhlpr is one of these rogue apps. Ensure that you remove these apps from your system, since having them installed might lead to unwanted downloads and installations. They might also be designed to display unwanted ads, gather information, and so on.

Smbstrhlpr and Smart Mac Booster can be removed by scanning the operating system with reputable antivirus software (for example, Combo Cleaner). To remove Smbstrhlpr from the system, you must remove all associated files. A list of these files and instructions about how to remove them is provided below.

Threat Summary:

Name	Smbstrhlpr unwanted application
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious 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.

Smbstrhlpr is not the only unwanted app that causes these problems. Other examples are Helpermcp and Helperamc. They are installed mostly on systems that are updated to Catalina (new MacOS version), however, it is possible that users of other versions might also have them installed.

Examples of unwanted apps that distribute the aforementioned programs are Advanced Mac Cleaner and Mac Cleanup Pro.

How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?

To trick people into downloading and installing unwanted apps, developers use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". They include the apps in the set-ups of other software. Developers hide information regarding the inclusion of these apps (offers to download or install them) in "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar options/settings of the software set-ups.

Typically, when people leave these settings unchanged (i.e., fail to dismiss offers to download or install unwanted apps), they allow PUAs to be downloaded or installed with regular software. In some cases, PUAs can be downloaded or installed by clicking deceptive advertisements.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Download programs and files from official websites and avoid using third party installers, downloaders, Peer-to-Peer such as torrent clients, eMule, and so on. To avoid unwanted downloads/installations, do not click advertisements that are displayed on dubious web pages.

Furthermore, do not finish any download/installation process without checking available "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar settings, and dismissing offers to download additional, unwanted software. If the browser causes redirects to dubious websites and/or serves intrusive advertisements, remove all suspicious, unwanted extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons immediately.

If this does not stop ads from appearing or unwanted redirects, remove any unwanted programs that are 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.

Text presented within this pop-up:

"smbstruninstall" will damage your computer.

You should move it to the Bin.

This file was downloaded on an unknown date.

Report malware to Apple to protect other users

Screenshot of Smbstrhlpr files in "~/Library/Application Support/smbstr" folder:

List of files associated with Smbstrhlpr that should be removed from the operating system:

• ~/Library/Application Support/smbstr/smbstrhlpr
• ~/Library/Application Support/smbstr/smbstruninstall
• ~/Library/Application Support/smbstr/com.smbstrhlpr.smbstrhlpr.plist
• ~/Library/Application Support/smbstr/com.smbstruninstall.smbstruninstall.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.smbstrhlpr.smbstrhlpr.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Removing the Smbstrhlpr application is a rather complicated process, since deleting this application without firstly terminating its associated process is impossible - the process is automatically re-started immediately it is terminated. Therefore, to remove this application, you must perform the following steps:

1) Navigate to the "~/Library/Application Support/smbstr/" directory, right-click on the "smbstrhlpr" application, and select "Show Package Contents":

2) Navigate to the "Contents/MacOS" directory and delete the "smbstrhlpr" application:

3) Once the previous steps are performed, the process associated with the Smbstrhlpr application will no longer be automatically re-started and you will be able to easily terminate it and remove the remaining application files:

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 Smbstrhlpr?
• 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 "smbstrlpr" 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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