How to uninstall ExpertProjectSearch adware

What is ExpertProjectSearch?

ExpertProjectSearch is an adware-type application. As well as delivering various intrusive advertisements, this app also has capabilities common to browser hijackers. These include browser modification and promotion of fake search engines. Practically all adware-type programs and browser hijackers can monitor users' browsing habits.

Due to ExpertProjectSearch's dubious proliferation methods, it is also classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). ExpertProjectSearch is proliferated using bogus Adobe Flash Player updaters/installers. These fake update/installation set-ups are often used to proliferate PUAs or even Trojans, ransomware and other malware.

ExpertProjectSearch adware delivers various pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys and other advertisements. These intrusive ads limit browsing speed and website visibility. Additionally, when clicked, they can redirect to untrusted and malicious pages, and some can even execute scripts to stealthily download/install rogue software (e.g. PUAs).

Browser hijackers operate by assigning the addresses of fake search engines as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URLs. Therefore, each search query typed into the URL bar and new browser tab/window opened redirects to the address of the bogus website.

These fake searching tools rarely generate unique results, and so they usually redirect to (or cause redirection chain ending with) Google, Yahoo, Bing or other legitimate search engines. Furthermore, any changes users make to their browsers are reset, if access to the browser settings is allowed at all.

Therefore, it is necessary to remove the browser hijacker to recover the hijacked browser. As mentioned, adware and browser hijackers typically possess data tracking capabilities. They can record browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and collect personal information derived from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

The gathered data is often shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) intent on misusing it for profit.

To summarize, the presence of PUAs such as ExpertProjectSearch can result in various system infiltration and infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To ensure device integrity and user safety, remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by ExpertProjectSearch
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AD [Trj]), BitDefender (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.AdLoad.1), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/TrojanDownloader.Adload.AE), 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.

UltraLocator, MainReady, PrimaryFunction are some examples of other programs classified as adware. Apps of this type usually appear legitimate and useful. People are enticed into download/installation with offers of "useful" functions, however, these features are seldom operational.

This is true of most PUAs. These untrustworthy applications have just one purpose: to generate revenue at users' expense. PUAs run intrusive ad campaigns, hijack browsers, cause redirects and collect private data.

How did ExpertProjectSearch install on my computer?

The use of fake software updaters is just one method of PUA proliferation. They are often downloaded/installed together with other products. This deceptive marketing technique of pre-packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

By rushing through downloads/installations (e.g. skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.), many users risk unintentionally allowing bundled content onto their devices. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages. Once clicked, intrusive ads can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research all products, before download/installation. Use only official and verified download sources. Avoid Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.), free file-hosting websites and other third party downloaders, as they are untrusted and can offer bundled content.

When downloading/installing, it is important to read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, functions and so on. Intrusive advertisements tend to seem normal and harmless, however, they can redirect to dubious sites (e.g. pornography, adult-dating, gambling and others).

If you encounter these ads/redirects, inspect the system and immediately eliminate all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with ExpertProjectSearch, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Files related to ExpertProjectSearch adware that need to be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.ExpertProjectSearch/ExpertProjectSearch
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.ExpertProjectSearchDaemon/ExpertProjectSearch
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.ExpertProjectSearch.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.ExpertProjectSearchDaemon.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote ExpertProjectSearch adware 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 "ExpertProjectSearch" 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 ExpertProjectSearch?
• STEP 1. Remove ExpertProjectSearch related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove ExpertProjectSearch ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove ExpertProjectSearch adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove ExpertProjectSearch ads from Mozilla Firefox.

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

ExpertProjectSearch adware removal:

Remove ExpertProjectSearch-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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