Linkey-search.com Redirect (Mac)

What is linkey-search.com?

linkey-search.com is a fake search engine that supposedly enhances the browsing experience by providing improved results. This site may seem legitimate, however, it is promoted using various rogue download and installation set-ups that modify browser settings without users' permission. Therefore, linkey-search.com is likely to collect data relating to users' browsing activity.

Rogue set-ups target popular browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari. Once installed, they assign browser settings such as homepage, search engine, and new tab URLs to linkey-search.com.

These may seem minor changes, but users cannot undo them (at least not in any usual way), since these rogue set-ups install third party applications/browser plug-ins (known as "helper objects") to reassign browser settings when attempts are made to change them (revert them to their previous states).

Therefore, users are forced to visit linkey-search.com when they open their browsers or new tabs. This situation can significantly diminish the browsing experience. Another downside is information tracking. Helper objects and linkey-search.com record data such as IP addresses, geo-locations, search queries, keystrokes, URLs of visited websites, etc.

This information is shared with third parties who often misuse private details to generate revenue. Therefore, users might experience problems relating to browsing safety, privacy, or even more serious issues such as identity theft. If you encounter redirects to linkey-search.com, we strongly recommend that you uninstall all dubious browser applications and computer programs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	linkey-search.com 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.

Fake search engines are very prevalent online. Indeed, linkey-search.com is just another search engine that is very similar to search.linkeymac.com, search.pensirot.com, search.ewatchseries.live, and many others.

Most fake search engines are promoted as being 'useful' and capable of providing various improvements, however, these are simply attempts to give the impression of legitimacy. Generally, they are designed only to generate revenue by causing unwanted redirects and gathering data. Using these search engines can result in various privacy or browsing safety issues.

How did linkey-search.com install on my computer?

linkey-search.com is promoted using browser-hijacking download or installation set-ups. This promotion method is also known as "bundling". Developers are aware that many users skip download and installation steps without checking available settings such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on.

Aware of this, developers hide information about possible modifications to browser settings in these areas. Therefore, skipping installation or download steps allows rogue set-ups to make various unwanted changes that can lead to computer infections or problems with online privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The key to to computer safety is caution. Download software from official websites and using direct links only. Avoid using third party downloaders/installers and torrents to download (or install) software. Bear in mind that third party installers/downloaders are often monetized by promoting potentially unwanted applications.

Do not skip software installation/download steps without checking all available "Advanced", "Custom", and other similar options. Deselect unwanted offers, tools or features (or other extras) and only then finish the installation or download process. Furthermore, many ads may seem legitimate, but are intrusive and malicious.

They redirect users to pornography, adult dating, gambling, and other similar websites. If you encounter these redirects, check your browser's extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons etc. and ensure that you do not have any unwanted applications installed. Also check the list of installed programs on your computer.

Remove all unwanted/suspicious programs and applications immediately. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote the linkey-search.com website are designed to create a new device profile. Therefore, before taking any further removal steps, perform these actions:

1) Click the "Preferences" icon in the menu bar and select "Profiles".

2) Select the "AdminPrefs" profile and delete it.

3) Perform a full system scan with Combo Cleaner anti-virus suite.

After performing these actions, you can proceed with further removal steps for this browser hijacker.

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

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

linkey-search.com redirect removal:

Remove linkey-search.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.

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