How to remove ExcitingCentral adware and the adverts it displays?

What is ExcitingCentral?

ExcitingCentral is a piece of rogue software categorized as adware. It also has browser hijacker qualities. Since most users unintentionally download/install products within these categories, they are also considered to be PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications).

ExcitingCentral adware in detail

Adware delivers various banners, coupons, pop-ups, surveys, and other intrusive advertisements. They can be displayed on visited websites and/or different interfaces. Intrusive adverts diminish the browsing experience (overlay webpage content, slow down the browsing speed, etc.) and endanger device/user safety.

Once clicked on, these ads can redirect to various untrustworthy/malicious sites, and some can stealthily download/install software (e.g., PUAs).

Browser hijackers reassign browsers' default search engine, homepage, and new tab/window URLs - to fake web searchers. Hence, every new browser tab/window opened and search query typed into the URL bar - redirect to the promoted illegitimate search engine.

These web searchers usually cannot provide search results, so they redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other genuine search engines. Browser hijackers also use persistence-ensuring techniques - to prevent users from restoring their browsers.

What is more, most PUAs have data tracking abilities. Information of interest includes browsing and search engine histories, IP addresses, personally identifiable details, etc. The collected data is then shared with and/or sold to third-parties.

In summary, the presence of unwanted apps on devices can lead to system infections, serious privacy issues, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by ExcitingCentral
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:AdAgent-AW [Adw]), Combo Cleaner (Adware.MAC.Generic.24195), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/Adware.Synataeb.G), Fortinet (Adware/Synataeb!OSX), Full List (VirusTotal)
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.

Adware in general

SearchMultiplyResults, ForceGuide, OptimizationLaunch - are a few examples of adware. This software looks ordinary and offers "handy" and "advantageous" features, which are typically nonoperational. This applies to nearly all PUAs. Furthermore, these applications tend to have harmful abilities, e.g., run intrusive ad campaigns, cause redirects, hijack browsers, and collect private information.

How did ExcitingCentral install on my computer?

PUAs are spread using the "bundling" marketing method - packing regular programs with various additions. Rushed download/installation processes increase the risk of allowing bundled content into the system. Intrusive advertisements also proliferate PUAs. Upon being clicked, the ads can execute scripts to make downloads/installations without user consent. PUAs may have "official" download pages as well.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

It is advised to research software and download it from official/verified sources. Untrustworthy download channels, e.g., unofficial and freeware websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc. - often offer bundled and harmful content.

When downloading/installing, it is recommended to read terms, study possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings, and opt-out from all additions. Intrusive advertisements appear legitimate, yet they redirect to questionable sites (e.g., gambling, pornography, adult-dating, etc.).

In case of encounters with such advertisements and/or redirects, the system must be checked and all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins detected - immediately removed from it. If your computer is already infected with ExcitingCentral, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Pop-up window displayed once ExcitingCentral adware's installation is over:

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

Video showing how to remove ExcitingCentral adware using Combo Cleaner:

ExcitingCentral adware removal:

Remove ExcitingCentral-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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What harm can adware cause?

Adware can diminish the browsing experience and system performance. Furthermore, this software typically has data tracking abilities, thereby making it a threat to user privacy. What is more, adware-delivered ads can be deceptive/malicious and cause other serious problems.

What does adware do?

Advertising-supported software (adware) is designed to run intrusive advertisement campaigns, i.e., display various ads on any visited website and/or different interfaces.

How do adware developers generate revenue?

Adware generates revenue through the promotion of various websites, apps, products, services, etc. The developers can get commission from ad clicks, site visits, file downloads, product purchases, service subscriptions, or similar.

Will Combo Cleaner remove ExcitingCentral adware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can scan devices and eliminate installed adware-type apps. On the other hand, manual removal might not be ideal. In certain cases, even after adware is removed - some of its files remain hiding in the system. Furthermore, these leftovers can continue running and causing issues.

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