Search.jakecares.com Redirect (Mac)
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is search.jakecares.com?
Search.jakecares.com is another fake Internet search engine identical to search.shelfsick.com, search.javeview.com, search.jimbrie.com, and many others. On initial inspection, this website may seem legitimate, since its appearance is identical to other legitimate Internet search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
In fact, this site is promoted via dubious application 'installers' that modify Internet browser settings without users' permission. Additionally, search.jakecares.com continually monitors browsing activity.
Dubious application installers usually target Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. The default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL browser settings are assigned to search,jakecares.com, and then a number of 'helper objects' (third party add-ons/applications) are installed to prevent users from returning browsers to their previous states.
Users are unable to modify the aforementioned settings, since helper objects automatically reassign them to search.jakecares.com. Continual unwanted browser redirects to search.jakecares.com significantly diminish the web browsing experience.
In addition, search.jakecares.com continually gathers information relating to Internet browsing activity including IP addresses, search queries, and websites visited - this type of information may seem insignificant, however, it might contain personally identifiable details that developers of search.jakecares.com share with third parties (who misuse it to generate revenue).
This behavior can lead to serious privacy issues. Therefore, users who continually encounter unwanted browser redirects to this site should immediately remove all recently-installed and/or suspicious applications and never visit search.jakecares.com again.
This site is identical to those mentioned above, however, it is also very similar to hundreds of other dubious Internet search engines. By falsely claiming to generate the most relevant search results, websites such as mysafetabssearch.com, socialmedianewtabsearch.com, and many others, attempt to give the impression of legitimate software.
In fact, all are used to generate revenue for the developers. Virtually none improves the web browsing experience. These sites merely collect private information, cause unwanted browser redirects, and often deliver intrusive online advertisements. In addition, fake Internet search engines might generate search results leading to infectious websites.
Therefore, searching the Internet via these might cause further high-risk adware or malware infections.
How did search.jakecares.com install on my computer?
To successfully promote this site, developers employ dubious software 'installers' that are designed to stealthily modify web browser settings. Details regarding these modifications are commonly hidden within the 'Custom/Advanced' download or installation section.
Therefore, users who skip this section inadvertently give set-ups permission to modify the settings. The more developers promote search.jakecares.com, the more revenue they generate and, thus, they rarely disclose these installations properly.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
There are a number of simple steps you should take to prevent this situation. Firstly, never rush when downloading and installing software - closely observe these procedures using the 'Custom/Advanced' settings.
Furthermore, you should never allow set-ups to make modifications to settings that seem irrelevant to the installation. All additionally-included programs should also be cancelled.
Website promoting search.jakecares.com:
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Quick menu:
- What is search.jakecares.com?
- STEP 1. Remove search.jakecares.com related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove search.jakecares.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove search.jakecares.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove search.jakecares.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove browser redirects to search.jakecares.com using Combo Cleaner:
Search.jakecares.com redirect removal:
Remove search.jakecares.com-related potentially unwanted applications from the "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 browser hijacker-related files and folders
Click the Finder icon from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...
Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.
Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers - "installmac.AppRemoval.plist", "myppes.download.plist", "mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist", "kuklorest.update.plist", etc. Browser hijacker commonly installs several files with the exact same string.
Check for browser hijacker 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 browser hijackers, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
Remove browser hijackers from Internet browsers
Remove Safari browser hijackers:
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.
Change your homepage:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "General" tab. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage field. You can also click the "Set to Current Page" button if you wish to set your homepage to the website you are currently visiting.
Change your default search engine:
In the "Preferences" window, select the "Search" tab. Here you will find a drop-down menu labeled "Search engine:" Simply select your preferred search engine from the drop-down list.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove Google Chrome browser hijackers:
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".
Change your homepage
Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select "Settings". In the "On startup" section, disable the malicious extension (if present), look for a browser hijacker URL below the "Open a specific or set of pages" option. If present, click on the three vertical dots icon and select "Remove".
Change your default search engine:
To change your default search engine in Google Chrome: Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "Settings", in the "Search engine" section, click "Manage search engines...", in the opened list look for a browser hijacker URL, when located click the three vertical dots near this URL and select "Delete".
- 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".
Change your homepage
To reset your homepage, click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), then select "Settings", in the opened window disable malicious extension (if present), remove the browser hijacker URL and enter your preferred domain, which will open each time you start Mozilla Firefox.
Change your default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and press Enter. Click "Accept the Risk and Continue".
In the search filter at the top, type: "extensionControlled". Set both results to "false" by either double-clicking each entry or clicking the button.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
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