How to remove SmarterHD adware from the operating system

What is SmarterHD?

SmarterHD is promoted as a tool capable of improving the browsing experience by providing fast searches, accurate search results, etc. In fact, it is classified as adware. SmarterHD runs intrusive advertisement campaigns. I.e., it displays various unwanted and even harmful ads.

It is also categorized as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA) due to its dubious proliferation methods. Note that most adware-type apps have data tracking capabilities, which they employ to monitor browsing habits.

Banners, pop-ups, surveys, and coupons are just some examples of ads displayed by adware. Intrusive advertisements are not just a nuisance, they are also a safety hazard. These ads significantly diminish the browsing experience by limiting browsing speed and website visibility (by overlaying web page content).

They cause redirects to sale-based, untrustworthy, compromised, and malicious sites. Some can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent. As well as adware, PUAs can also take the form of browser hijackers, which make unauthorized changes to browsers and promote fake search engines.

Unwanted applications can generate redirects to similarly harmful web pages, however, apps that possess data tracking capabilities are especially dangerous. They record browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations, and other details).

This sensitive data is then passed on to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) intent on misusing it for financial gain. To summarize, PUAs can cause system infiltration and infections and lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss, and even identity theft.

Therefore, to ensure device integrity and user safety, immediately remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by SmarterHD
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.

Adware is a common type of PUA. Most of these apps share certain traits, and those released by the same developers are typically identical. DefaultProducts, ResourcesSource, and BrowserToday are some examples of adware similar to SmarterHD. In general, unwanted applications have common characteristics.

They usually seem legitimate and tempt users into installing them by offering "useful" and "beneficial" features. Regardless how good these offers may sound, the features promised do not operate as advertised, if indeed they are operational at all. The only purpose of these rogue apps is to generate revenue for their designers, whilst regular users receive no value.

PUAs deliver intrusive ad campaigns, cause redirects to dubious/malicious websites, hijack browsers, and track private data.

How did SmarterHD install on my computer?

Some PUAs have "official" websites from where they can usually be downloaded "free". Unwanted applications can also be installed together with normal programs. The deceptive marketing method of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".

By rushing through the download/installation processes (ignoring or skimming terms, using pre-set options, skipping steps and sections, etc.), many users endanger their devices with potential system infiltration and infections. Intrusive ads can also proliferate PUAs. Once clicked, they execute scripts designed to make rogue downloads/installs of these apps.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Research software and content to verify its legitimacy, before downloading/installing. Use only trustworthy and official download channels. Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), unofficial and free file-hosting sites, third party downloaders and similar sources are classed as dubious and untrustworthy, and thus should not be used.

Download and installation processes should be treated with caution. Read the terms, explore all possible options, and use the "Custom/Advanced" settings to opt-out from downloading/installing additional apps, tools, features, etc. Commonly hosted by compromised web pages, intrusive ads may not seem suspicious.

Once clicked, however, these seemingly legitimate and harmless ads can redirect to gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and other dubious websites. If you experience ads/redirects of this kind, inspect the device and remove all suspect applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

If your computer is already infected with SmarterHD, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Pop-up window displayed once SmarterHD installation is complete:

Screenshot of SmarterHD installation folder and desktop shortcut:

 

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 SmarterHD?
• STEP 1. Remove SmarterHD related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove SmarterHD ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove SmarterHD adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove SmarterHD ads from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove SmarterHD adware using Combo Cleaner:

SmarterHD adware removal:

Remove SmarterHD-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.

▼ Show Discussion