How to uninstall PlusAbout adware from operating systems

What is PlusAbout adware?

PlusAbout is a rogue application classified as adware. It operates by running intrusive ad campaigns (i.e. it delivers various unwanted and even harmful advertisements). This app also has browser hijacker traits, such as browser settings modification and promotion of bogus search engines.

PlusAbout promotes Safe Finder through akamaihd.net. Since most users download/install PlusAbout unintentionally, it is also classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Most PUAs have data tracking capabilities, which are employed to record/collect browsing-related information, and this is likely to be a feature of PlusAbout.

Adware delivers pop-ups, surveys, coupons, banners and other intrusive advertisements. These overlay web page content and reduce browsing speed. When clicked, they can redirect to dubious/malicious websites and some can stealthily download/install rogue software (e.g. PUAs).

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 each new browser tab/window opened redirects to the promoted address.

PlusAbout promotes Safe Finder via akamaihd.net in this way. Bogus search engines are rarely capable of providing search results, and so they redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing and other genuine sites. Furthermore, browser hijackers can restrict/deny access to browser settings and/or undo any permitted changes made.

Therefore, the only way of recovering the hijacked browser is by removing the software affecting it. As mentioned, most PUAs (adware and browser hijackers included) can track data. They can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details).

The gathered data is typically shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), also intent on misusing it for profit. The presence of these unwanted apps on devices can lead to system infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft.

To protect device integrity and user safety, you are strongly advised to eliminate all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by PlusAbout
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Additional Information	This application belongs to 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.

FrequencySignal, SoftwareHandler and ProductiveOperation are some examples of other adware-type applications. They may seem legitimate and harmless, and users are often enticed into download/installation with a wide variety of "useful" features, however, the promised functionality seldom works, or not as promised.

In fact, this information is true of most PUAs. The sole purpose of all these unwanted applications is to generate revenue at users' expense. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs run intrusive ad campaigns, hijack browsers, force-open untrusted/malicious web pages and track sensitive information.

How did PlusAbout install on my computer?

PUAs are often downloaded/installed with other software. This deceptive marketing method of pre-packing regular products with unwanted or malicious additions is termed "bundling". Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.) increases the risk of unintentionally allowing bundled content into the device. Certain PUAs have "official" download sites. Intrusive ads can also infiltrate these applications into systems. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' permission.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Software should be researched before download/installation. All downloads must be done from official and verified sources. Untrusted channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, eMule, Gnutella, etc.) and other third party downloaders can offer deceptive and bundled content.

When downloading/installing, you are advised to read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, functions, and so on. It is also important to exercise caution when browsing.

Intrusive ads may seem normal and innocuous, however, they can redirect to various dubious pages (e.g. adult-dating, pornography, gambling, etc.). If you encounter advertisements/redirects of this kind, check the system and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins.

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

Pop-up window displayed once PlusAbout installation is complete:

PlusAbout redirecting users to Safe Finder website via akamaihd.net:

PlusAbout adware installation folder:

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

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

PlusAbout adware removal:

Remove PlusAbout-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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