Mysearches.co Redirect (Mac)

What is mysearches.co?

mysearches.co is one of many search engines that is promoted by offering faster searches, improved results, quick access to popular websites, and so on.

In fact, it is categorized as a fake search engine, since developers promote it using rogue downloaders/installers that hijack browsers and modify settings. Furthermore, as with most search engines of this type, mysearches.co gathers browsing-related data.

Rogue downloaders/installers target browsers such as Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. Once a web browser is hijacked, settings are modified - mysearches.co is assigned as the default search engine, homepage, and new tab URL.

Furthermore, the changes cannot be reverted, since rogue set-ups install so-called "helper objects" (third party apps and browser plug-ins) that prevent users from making any further modifications - "helper objects" reassign settings when attempts are made to change them.

Therefore, users of hijacked browsers are forced to visit mysearches.co when they open a browser or new tab, or when a search query is entered into the URL bar. Additionally, mysearches.co provides search results generated by Yahoo - it simply redirects users to search.yahoo.com, thus making mysearches.co redundant.

Another disadvantage of using mysearches.co and having rogue apps/add-ons installed is that they record browsing-related information such as IP addresses, search queries, URLs of visited websites, geo-locations, and so on. This might also include personal/sensitive information.

Furthermore, the data is continually shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue. Therefore, using these rogue search engines can lead to privacy issues or even identity theft. If you experience redirects to mysearches.co, check your browser and remove all dubious unwanted/unknown plug-ins, extensions, and add-ons immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	mysearches.co 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.

There are countless fake search engines available on the internet such as goto-searchitnow.global.ssl.fastly.net, linkey-search.com, and search.pensirot.com.

Generally, they are promoted by offering an enhanced browsing experience, however, they simply generate revenue for the developers by causing unwanted redirects and recording data. Some of these search engines provide misleading results or feed users with intrusive ads that lead to untrustworthy websites.

How did mysearches.co install on my computer?

As mentioned above, mysearches.co (and most other fake search engines) are promoted via rogue download/installation set-ups and use a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Generally, developers hide information about the modification of browser settings in "Custom" and "Advanced" options of the download/installation process.

Despite this, permissions to change browser settings are usually granted by users unintentionally, since many skip download/installation steps. This can lead to privacy issues, risk computer infection with malware and viruses, and various other problems.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

To prevent installation of potentially unwanted applications, choose software download sources carefully. The best way to download software is using official, trustworthy websites and direct links. Avoid using third party downloaders, installers, unofficial websites and other similar channels.

Carefully analyze each download/installation set-up and do not skip steps without checking all settings such as "Advanced", "Custom", and so on. Decline offers to download/install additional applications and only then finish the process. Furthermore, avoid clicking ads displayed on untrustworthy, suspicious websites.

These ads often redirect to potentially malicious websites (pornography, adult dating, gambling, etc.). If you encounter these ads or you are redirected to dubious websites, there might be unwanted apps installed on your browser or operating system. Check for unknown/suspicious extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons installed on your browser, or programs on your computer.

Remove unwanted entries 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.

List of mysearches.co sub-domains:

dm.mysearches.co
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query.maps.mysearches.co
transit.mysearches.co
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comcoupons.mysearches.co
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tv.mysearches.co
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email.mysearches.co
classifieds.mysearches.co
forms.mysearches.co
speedtest.mysearches.co
weather.mysearches.co

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

Video showing how to remove browser redirects to mysearches.co using Combo Cleaner:

mysearches.co redirect removal:

Remove mysearches.co-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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