How to remove TechLetterSearch adware from the operating system

What is TechLetterSearch?

Sharing many similarities with GlobalAdviseSearch and ExploreSearchResults, TechLetterSearch is an adware-type application. This app is part of the AdLoad adware family and infiltrates systems under the guise of a Flash Player updater.

TechLetterSearch operates by running intrusive advertisement campaigns, however, it may also have browser hijacker traits such as promotion of fake search engines.

Most adware types possess data tracking abilities. Due to its deceptive proliferation methods (i.e., via fake Flash updates), TechLetterSearch is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Note that rogue software updaters are used to spread not only unwanted content but also malicious software (e.g. ransomware, trojans, etc.).

Adware delivers many unwanted and harmful ads, for example pop-ups, coupons, banners, surveys and so on. These intrusive ads diminish the browsing experience, as they limit browsing speed and website visibility (by overlaying page content). This makes them a significant nuisance, yet they are also a threat to device/user safety.

Once an intrusive advertisements is clicked, it can redirect to sale-oriented, untrusted/rogue, compromised, deceptive/scam and even malicious sites. Some can even execute scripts to download/install content without users' consent (e.g. PUAs).

TechLetterSearch might also have capabilities corresponding to those of browser hijackers, which modify browsers by reassigning the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URL to the addresses of their fake search engines.

This significantly impacts on browser use, as each search made through the URL bar and each new tab/window opened redirects to the bogus search engine. These fake searching tools are rarely able to provide unique results, and so they simply redirect to legitimate sites (e.g. Yahoo, Google, Bing and others). 

Additionally, with a browser hijacker installed, access to the browser settings is denied - or any permitted changes made are automatically reset. Most PUAs can track data - adware and browser hijackers are no exception. They monitor browsing activity (browsing and search engine histories) and collect users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

It is highly likely that this gathered data is then shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for financial gain.

To summarize, PUAs can cause various browser and system infiltration/infections, lead to financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. Therefore, you are strongly advised to remove all suspicious applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by TechLetterSearch
Threat Type	Adware, 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.

ActionHow, EngineFiles, and AreaProduct are some examples of adware designed to infiltrate Mac operating systems. In general, unwanted applications (regardless of type) tend to seem legitimate - they offer various "useful" functions. These features are typically nonoperational and, even if they do work, it is not as advertised.

The only purpose of this unwanted content is to generate revenue for the developers. PUAs deliver intrusive ad campaigns, cause redirects to dubious/malicious web pages, hijack browsers and track sensitive data.

How did TechLetterSearch install on my computer?

PUAs can infiltrate devices when disguised as other software (e.g. fake updaters), however, they also proliferate through the download/install set-ups of other products. "Bundling" is the name of this deceptive marketing tactic of packing normal software with unwanted or malicious content.

Rushing download and installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, using pre-set options, etc.) endanger systems with potential infiltration and infections via bundled applications. Some PUAs have "official" promotional pages, from which they can be downloaded, often "free". When an intrusive ad is clicked, it can execute scripts to stealthily download/install PUAs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

All products should be researched carefully, before download/installation or purchase. You are advised to use only official and verified download sources, as opposed to free file-hosting websites, P2P sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella etc.), third party downloaders or other untrusted channels.

Software should be updated with tools/functions provided by legitimate developers. When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features and so on.

Intrusive advertisements often seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.). If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and remove all suspect applications and/or browser extensions/plug-ins from it immediately.

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

Deceptive application installer promoting TechLetterSearch adware:

Files related to the TechLetterSearch adware that must be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.TechLetterSearchDaemon/TechLetterSearch
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.TechLetterSearchDaemon.plist
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.TechLetterSearch/TechLetterSearch
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.TechLetterSearch.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote the TechLetterSearch website are designed to create a new device profile. Therefore, before taking any further removal steps, perform these actions:
1) Click the "Preferences" icon in the menu bar and select "Profiles".

2) Select the "AdminPrefs" profile and delete it.

3) Perform a full system scan with Combo Cleaner anti-virus suite.

After performing these actions, you can proceed with further removal steps for this browser hijacker.

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

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

TechLetterSearch adware removal:

Remove TechLetterSearch-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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