How to remove PreviewInteractive adware
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
What kind of application is PreviewInteractive?
PreviewInteractive is the name of adware that we have discovered on a deceptive website that displayed a fake notification suggesting that Adobe Flash Player is out of date. Once we executed a fake installer, it installed PreviewInteractive - an application that started displaying unwanted ads and hijacked a web browser.
PreviewInteractive adware in detail
PreviewInteractive displayed banners, coupons, pop-ups promoting various scams, shady websites, and applications. Also, it changed the browser's default search engine, homepage, and new tab to a fake search engine. It is worth mentioning that ads generated by adware may be designed to run certain scripts and download/install unwanted apps.
Fake search engines cannot be trusted: they generate misleading results, promote questionable pages, and (or) generate results generated by other similar (or legitimate) search engines. Usually, the elimination of fake search engines is not possible until they are no longer present/installed.
| Name | Ads by PreviewInteractive |
| Threat Type | Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus |
| 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. |
More about adware
We have analyzed PreviewInteractive and learned that this application has the qualities of adware and a browser hijacker. There is a possibility that this application is capable of accessing and collecting browsing-related and (or) personal information. More examples of similar apps are InfinityHardware, ExpressDefault, DigitalProgram.
How did PreviewInteractive install on my computer?
Adware is often promoted on deceptive websites (for example, on pages claiming that installed software is out of date). It gets installed after executing a fake installer or clicking on misleading advertisements. In other cases, adware is distributed using downloaders and installers for other programs - it is bundled with other software.
Downloaders and installers used to distribute adware have "Custom", "Advanced", or other settings. Unwanted downloads and installations occur when programs bundled with adware are downloaded or installed without changing those settings.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
Use official websites and direct links to download applications and files. Do not use other sources for downloading them. Check downloaders and installers for "Custom", "Advanced" and other settings and deselect unwanted apps before downloading and installing programs. Also, avoid clicking on advertisements that questionable pages have on them.
If your computer is already infected with PreviewInteractive, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.
A pop-up that appeared after the installation of PreviewInteractive adware:
PreviewInteractive's Contents 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
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Quick menu:
- What is PreviewInteractive?
- STEP 1. Remove PreviewInteractive related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove PreviewInteractive ads from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove PreviewInteractive adware from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove PreviewInteractive ads from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove PreviewInteractive adware using Combo Cleaner:
PreviewInteractive adware removal:
Remove PreviewInteractive-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 be the reason behind diminished web browsing experience, poor computer performance, invaded privacy, and other problems.
What does adware do?
Adware displays unwanted advertisements (such as pop-ups, banners, coupons, or other ads). Also, it can be used as a tool to promote fake search engines and collect information about its users.
How do adware developers generate revenue?
Most adware is used to promote various products, websites, services. Its developers generate revenue mainly through affiliate programs.
Will Combo Cleaner remove PreviewInteractive adware?
Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan the operating system and remove PreviewInteractive (and other detected adware-type applications). In order to remove adware fully (without leaving any of its components), it is recommended to achieve it using specialized software.
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