How to uninstall ElementaryDataSearch adware from your system

What is ElementaryDataSearch?

ElementaryDataSearch is a rogue application classified as adware and possessing browser hijacker characteristics. Following successful infiltration, this app delivers intrusive ad campaigns, modifies browser settings and promotes a bogus search engine. Adware and browser hijackers typically monitor users' browsing activity.

Due to the dubious techniques used to proliferate ElementaryDataSearch, it is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). One of these dubious distribution methods is via fake Adobe Flash Player updates. Note that software updaters/installers are used to distribute Trojans, ransomware and other malware, as well as PUAs.

Software within the adware classification operates by running intrusive advertisement campaigns. It enables the placement of various intrusive ads (e.g. pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, etc.), typically on any visited site. These ads limit browsing speed and web page visibility.

Additionally, once clicked, intrusive advertisements redirect to untrusted/malicious websites and some can even download/install rogue software (e.g. PUAs) without users' permission. Browser hijackers reassign the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs to the addresses of fake search engines.

Therefore, each search query typed into the URL bar and new browser tabs/windows opened redirects to the promoted address. Rogue search engines are rarely capable of providing unique results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Google, Yahoo, Bing and other legitimate sites.

Furthermore, recovering an affected browser is impossible without removing the browser hijacker, since any user changes made are automatically undone (if access to the settings is permitted at all).

Furthermore, most PUAs can track and record browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc.) and collect personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). This vulnerable data is often monetized by sharing with and/or selling to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

Therefore, the presence of data-tracking content on systems can lead to financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To ensure device and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by ElementaryDataSearch
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AD [Trj]), BitDefender (Trojan.MAC.Generic.6590), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/TrojanDownloader.Adload.), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Cimpli.d), 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.

RecognitionAssist, ResultsToolbox and MajorPanelSearch are some examples of other adware-type apps. They may seem legitimate and useful, and encourage users into download/installation with various functionalities. In fact, the features seldom work as advertised and, in most cases, do not work at all.

This is the case with most PUAs. The sole purpose of these unwanted applications is to generate profit for the developers. PUAs deliver intrusive ad campaigns, hijack browsers, cause unwanted redirects and gather private data.

How did ElementaryDataSearch install on my computer?

PUAs are often downloaded/installed with other products. This deceptive marketing tactic of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is termed "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. skipping steps and sections, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of unintentionally allowing dubious and/or bundled content into the device. Some PUAs have "official" promotional web pages from which they can be downloaded.

Intrusive ads can infiltrate these applications into systems as well. When clicked, they can execute scripts to stealthily download/install PUAs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

All products should be researched before download/installation. Use official and verified download channels. Untrusted sources such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive and/or bundled content, and should thus be avoided.

When downloading/installing, it is important to read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features, etc. Intrusive ads may seem normal, however, they often redirect to dubious pages (e.g. pornography, adult-dating, gambling and others).

If you experience these advertisements, inspect the system and immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with ElementaryDataSearch, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Files related to ElementaryDataSearch adware that need to be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.ElementaryDataSearch/ElementaryDataSearch
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.ElementaryDataSearchDaemon/ElementaryDataSearch
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.ElementaryDataSearch.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.ElementaryDataSearchDaemon.plist

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

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

ElementaryDataSearch adware removal:

Remove ElementaryDataSearch-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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