How to remove search.salamangal.com

What is search.salamangal.com?

Developers present search.salamangal.com as a legitimate Internet search engine that significantly enhances the web browsing experience by generating improved results. Judging on appearance alone, search.salamangal.com may seem similar to Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other legitimate search engines.

Therefore, many users believe that search.salamangal.com is also legitimate, however, criminals promote this site using rogue downloaders/installers that modify browser options without users' consent. Furthermore, search.salamangal.com continually records various information relating to browsing activity.

More about search.salamangal.com

Rogue set-ups hijack Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome, stealthily assigning the new tab URL, default search engine, and homepage options to search.salamangal.com. Furthermore, rogue set-ups install a number of "helper objects" - third party applications and/or browser plug-ins employed to prevent users from reverting the aforementioned changes.

These third party apps and extensions reassign browser settings when attempts are made to change them. Therefore, returning browsers to their previous states becomes impossible and users are encouraged to visit search.salamangal.com when they open a new browser tab or search via the URL bar.

These redirects significantly diminish the web browsing experience. Furthermore, search.salamangal.com and "helper objects" continually gather various information relating to users' Internet browsing habits. The collected data is often sold to third parties.

Since the information typically includes personal details, third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) might misuse it to generate revenue. This behavior can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. If you encounter redirects to search.salamangal.com, immediately eliminate all dubious applications/browser plug-ins and never return to this website.

Threat Summary:

Name	Salamangal browser hijacker
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus
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 seven days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Examples of similar search engines

search.salamangal.com is identical to search.papershorty.com, search.josepov.com, search.froktiser.com, and many others. In fact, all fake search engines are very similar. By offering improved results and other useful features, websites such as search.salamangal.com attempt to give the impression of legitimacy.

Fake search engines are designed only to generate revenue for the developers. Rather than giving any real value for regular users, they gather data and cause unwanted redirects.

Some even generate misleading results and intrusive advertisements, both of which typically lead to potentially malicious websites. Therefore, using a fake search engine can lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft.

How did search.salamangal.com install on my computer?

Developers promote search.salamangal.com via browser-hijacking download and installation set-ups. This deceptive marketing method is called "bundling".

Developers hide "bundled" apps within "Custom/Advanced" options or other sections of the download/installation processes. Many users rush download/installation processes and skip steps. In doing so, they expose their systems to risk of various infections and compromise their privacy.

How to avoid installation of unwanted applications?

Unwanted programs are also distributed using the "bundling" method, and via the aforementioned intrusive ads. Therefore, to prevent installation of rogue apps, be very careful when downloading/installing software and browsing the Internet. Carefully analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs and opt-out of all additionally-included programs.

We also strongly recommend that you download your applications from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers are used to proliferate shady apps (the "bundling" method), and thus, such tools should not be used.

Be aware that intrusive advertisements often look legitimate,  but once clicked, redirect to gambling, adult dating, pornography, and other dubious sites.

Intrusive ads are often delivered by adware-type apps. If you encounter such advertisements, immediately remove all dubious applications and browser plug-ins. Using a legitimate anti-virus/anti-spyware suite is also paramount. The key to computer safety is caution.

Website promoting search.salamangal.com:

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 search.salamangal.com?
• STEP 1. Remove search.salamangal.com related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove search.salamangal.com redirect from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove search.salamangal.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove search.salamangal.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.

Video showing how to remove browser redirects to search.salamangal.com using Combo Cleaner:

search.salamangal.com redirect removal:

Remove search.salamangal.com-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 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.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of forcing users visit search.salamangal.com website?

The creators of this search engine earn more money when the number of its users is higher.

Is visiting search.salamangal.com a threat to my privacy?

Fake search engines can be designed to track users (collect browsing-related data). Thus, using them can cause problems related to online privacy.

How did a browser hijacker infiltrate my computer?

Most browser hijackers are promoted on deceptive pages offering to install or add "useful" apps. Thus, users often download them from those pages. Also, browser-hijacking apps can be bundled with freeware. In such cases, unwanted installations are caused when settings available in installers are left unchanged during installation processes.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove a browser hijacker?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will remove a browser hijacker. If more than one app of this type is present/installed, it may be difficult to remove them manually. Browser hijackers can be designed to reinstall one another. In such cases, both (or more) browser hijackers have to be removed at once. Combo Cleaner removes all apps of this kind automatically.

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