How to uninstall MainBoardSearch adware

What is MainBoardSearch?

MainBoardSearch is a rogue application with adware and browser hijacker characteristics. It operates by delivering intrusive advertisement campaigns. I.e., it enables the placement of ads on any visited web page. This app also modifies browsers to promote a fake search engine.

Furthermore, most adware-type apps and browser hijackers can track browsing-related data. Since few users install MainBoardSearch intentionally, it is also classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). MainBoardSearch has been observed being spread via fake Adobe Flash Player updates.

Rogue software updaters/installers are commonly used to proliferate PUAs and even Trojans, ransomware and other malware.

Adware delivers various unwanted and possibly dangerous ads such as pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys and many other types. These intrusive advertisements overlay website content and reduce browsing speed.

Additionally, when clicked, they can redirect to sale-based, untrusted, rogue, compromised, deceptive/scam and malicious websites. Some can execute scripts to stealthily download/install software (e.g. PUAs) when clicked.

Browser hijackers assign the addresses of their fake search engines as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URLs. Therefore, with this software installed, each search made via the URL bar and each new tab/window opened redirects to the address of the bogus search engine.

These fake search tools are usually unable to provide unique results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains leading to) Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines. Furthermore, any changes users attempt to make to their browsers are automatically reset, if access to the settings is allowed at all.

Therefore, to recover a hijacked browser, it is necessary to remove the browser hijacker. Most PUAs have data tracking capabilities.

They typically monitor users' browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other private details). The collected data is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for profit.

To summarize, the presence of unwanted apps on devices can result in various system infiltration and infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To protect device and user safety, you are strongly advised to immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by MainBoardSearch
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AD [Trj]), DrWeb (Adware.Mac.Loader.17), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/TrojanDownloader.Adlo), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Cimpli.k), Full List (VirusTotal)
Additional Information	This application belongs to the Adload malware family.
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.

OriginalTechSearch, DynamicExtra and UltraSearchApp are some examples of other adware infections. This software may seem legitimate and useful, with a wide range of "useful" capabilities, however, these features rarely work as advertised and, in most cases, do not work at all. In fact, this applies to most PUAs.

The only purpose of this unwanted content is to generate revenue for the developers (regular users receive no genuine value) and they can lead to serious issues. PUAs run intrusive ad campaigns, hijack browsers, cause redirects and track sensitive data.

How did MainBoardSearch install on my computer?

PUAs proliferate through the download/installation set-ups of other software. "Bundling" is the term used to describe this deceptive marketing method of pre-packing regular products with unwanted or malicious additions.

By rushing through download/installation processes (e.g. skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.), many users risk inadvertent installation of bundled content.

Some PUAs have "official" promotional web pages from which they can be downloaded. Intrusive ads spread these applications as well - once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

All products should be researched before download/installation. Use only official and verified download sources, as opposed to various free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) or other third party downloaders. Treat download and installation processes with caution.

Read the terms, study all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and decline download/installation of additional apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive advertisements may seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious sites (e.g. pornography, adult-dating, gambling and others).

If you experience these ads/redirects, inspect the system and remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay. If your computer is already infected with MainBoardSearch, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Files related to MainBoardSearch adware that need to be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.MainBoardSearch/MainBoardSearch
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.MainBoardSearchDaemon/MainBoardSearch
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.MainBoardSearch.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.MainBoardSearchDaemon.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote MainBoardSearch 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 "MainBoardSearch" 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 adware.

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

Video showing how to remove MainBoardSearch adware using Combo Cleaner:

MainBoardSearch adware removal:

Remove MainBoardSearch-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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