Stop unwanted redirects to search.anysearch.net fake search engine

How to remove search.anysearch.net browser hijacker from Mac?

What is search.anysearch.net?

According to the developers, search.anysearch.net (anysearchmanager.net) is an Internet search engine that supposedly generates improved results and, therefore, enhances the browsing experience. Initially, this site may appear legitimate and useful, however, developers promote search.anysearch.net via a browser-hijacking application called Any Search Manager, which infiltrates systems without consent. Furthermore, search.anysearch.net tracks users' Internet browsing activity.

Following infiltration, Any Search Manager hijacks Safari, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, stealthily modifying the new tab URL, default search engine, and homepage options by assigning them to search.anysearch.net. These changes may seem insignificant, however, users are unable to revert them, since Any Search Manager reassigns browser options when attempts are made to change them. Therefore, returning browsers to their previous states becomes impossible and users are forced to visit search.anysearch.net when they open a new browser tab or search via the URL bar. This significantly diminishes the web browsing experience. Furthermore, Internet browsing activity is continually monitored, since search.anysearch.net and Any Search Manager continually record various data that might be personally identifiable including IP addresses, URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, etc. This information is later shared with third parties who misuse personal information to generate revenue. Information tracking can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. If you encounter unwanted redirects to search.anysearch.net, uninstall Any Search Manager and never visit search.anysearch.net again.

Threat Summary:

Name	Any Search Manager browser hijacker
Threat Type	Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus
Serving IP Address	23.50.52.115
Symptoms	Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady 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 three days free trial available.

There are dozens of fake search engines virtually identical to search.anysearch.net including search.hideyoursearch.com, yoursafesearch.com, and obifind.com. All fake search engines claim to enhance the browsing experience, however, these promises are merely attempts to give the impression of legitimacy. The only purpose of fake search engines is to generate revenue for the developers. Rather than providing any significant value for regular users, they cause unwanted redirects and continually record user-system information.

How did Any Search Manager install on my computer?

Any Search Manager has an official download website, however, developers also distribute this application by employing a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" - stealth installation of third party applications with regular software/apps. They hide bundled programs within the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings. Rushing and skipping this section thus exposes systems to risk of infection and compromises users' privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

This situation can be prevented by taking two simple steps: 1) closely analyze each download/installation step using the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings, and; 2) decline offers to download/install additional applications and cancel those already included.

Screenshot of Any Search Manager extension in Safari web browser:

Official Any Search Manager browser hijacker installation set-up:

Website promoting Any Search Manager browser hijacker:

Instant automatic Mac malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer 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 three days free trial available.

Quick menu:

• What is search.anysearch.net?
• STEP 1. Remove Any Search Manager related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove search.anysearch.net redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove Any Search Manager browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.anysearch.net homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

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

Any Search Manager removal:

Remove search.anysearch.net-related potentially unwanted applications from your "Applications" folder:

Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select “Applications”. In the applications folder, look for “Any Search Manager”, “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 any search manager browser hijacker 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 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 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 in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure 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 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 it's virus definition database and click "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.

Any Search Manager browser hijacker homepage and default Internet search engine removal from Internet browsers:

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Remove any search manager browser hijacker related Safari extensions:

Open 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 normal 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 labelled "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 malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:

Remove any search manager browser hijacker related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:

Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose "Add-ons".

Choose the "Extensions" tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Remove" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.

Change your homepage:

To change your homepage, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Preferences" from the drop-down menu. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage Page.

Change default search engine:

In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and click the "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.

In the "Search:" field, type the name of the browser hijacker. Right click on each of the found preferences and click "Reset" from the drop-down menu.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Remove any search manager browser hijacker related Google Chrome add-ons:

Open Google Chrome and click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose "More Tools" and select "Extensions".

In the "Extensions" window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Trash" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.

Change your homepage:

Click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Settings". In the "On Startup" section, click the "Set pages" link near to the "Open a specific page or set of pages" option. Remove the URL of the browser hijacker (for example trovi.com) and enter your preferred URL (for example, google.com).

Change default search engine:

Click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Settings". In the "Search" section, click the "Manage search engines..." button. In the opened window, remove the unwanted Internet search engine by clicking the "X" button next to it. Select your preferred Internet search engine from the list and click the "Make default" button next to it.

• If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.

11 Comments. Click to view

Eliodoro Bigi

Hi there and thank you very much for your help.

I have done all the above but unfortunately the evil "Search" is still there.
In settings/Manage search engines all the engines DO NOT HAVE THE MAKE DEFAULT OPTION
If I try to click on SEARCH (the malware) I get a small blank rectangle instead of the REMOVE and EDIT options.

Any idea of what I could do to resolve this

Many thanks in advance

Erika

I have reset the browser default and it goes straight back to hijacker settings.. I also cannot remove or edit an unknown URL

lovebradnot

Thank you! I've been trying to get rid of this for months!! None of the other help sites worked!

geniousicus hackerus

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yang赞赞

thank you too much, i found the fxxking virus stay in my laptop several month, i didn't get rid of it, but i think all of them were vanished.

Scarlett Anais

NO, QuickTime Player helps you view videos, do NOT uninstall QuickTime Player. QuickTime Player is an Apple-owned application.

Milly

Is quicktime player also one???

Crystal Foster

worked great

Brooke

Thank you!! This was the only set of instructions that actually worked for me to get rid of that horrible anysearch crap.

Nixa

Thank you so very much! This was absolutely helpful. I followed every step and managed to get rid of that hijacker thanks to you. You rock!

Arielle Quentz

Hey, thank you so much for posting this!!! This is the only actual post that helped me, I finally got the stupid browser off my chrome. Seriously, thank you