Video Monkey Adware (Mac)

What is Video Monkey?

The Video Monkey application was developed by the same company that developed another app called Maps2Go. The developers claim that this app allows users to convert videos ("any video") to .mp4, .mov, .avi, and other formats.

This app is classified as a potentially unwanted application (PUA), since (like many other apps of this type) it is promoted using the "bundling" method, which allows developers to trick people into installing PUAs unintentionally.

According to Video Monkey's developers, this app is easy to use and capable of dealing with many different formats. If this app is installed on a Mac computer, it was probably installed via the "bundling" method.

Applications promoted using this method usually collect information such as IP addresses, search queries, geo-locations, URLs of visited websites, and other data (including personal/sensitive details). Importantly, developers share the information with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who misuse it to generate revenue.

Thus, having information tracking apps installed can lead to various issues including, for example, problems relating to privacy and browsing safety and, in some cases, even identity theft. Note also that potentially unwanted apps serve users with intrusive ads. These are annoying and, if clicked, often redirect people to dubious/potentially malicious websites.

They are usually identified as coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on. Clicking them, risks installation of unwanted apps, some of which, if clicked, run scripts that trigger unwanted downloads/installations. It is not known for certain if Video Monkey operates in this way, however, most apps promoted using "bundling" have this behavior.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by Video Monkey
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.

Apps such as Video Monkey are often promoted as 'useful', 'easy to use', and capable of providing various tools and features, however, they deliver none of the functionality promised or any other value. On the contrary, they are designed only to generate revenue for the developers. Some examples of other apps promoted using "bundling" include BeeAware, ZipRar, and PDF King.

How did Video Monkey install on my computer?

There is a website that can be used to download Video Monkey, however, it is more likely that to be installed together with other software. This happens when the "bundling" method is used. PUAs are hidden in "Custom", "Advanced" and other similar settings/options of the download or installation set-ups.

Developers avoid disclosing information about the presence of these unwanted apps within the set-ups. It is, however, possible to avoid these installations by checking all steps of the installation or download processes.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Download software from trustworthy and official sources/websites only. Do not use third party software downloaders/installers, such as torrents, eMule and other similar sources. Check "Advanced", "Custom" and other settings of the download or installation processes. Do not skip steps without first checking these settings/options.

Opt-out of offers to install or download unwanted apps and only then finish the installation or download process. If you continually encounter advertisements that redirect you to dubious websites (such as gambling, pornography, adult dating, etc.), it is possible that adware or other PUAs are installed on your browser or MacOS.

Check your default browser for any unwanted extensions, plug-ins, or add-ons (depending on the browser) and remove all unwanted, unknown or suspicious apps immediately.

Also apply this to programs installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with Video Monkey, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

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 Video Monkey?
• STEP 1. Remove Video Monkey related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove Video Monkey ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove Video Monkey adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Video Monkey ads from Mozilla Firefox.

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

Video Monkey adware removal:

Remove Video Monkey-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 adware-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 exact 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 exact 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 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 adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.

Remove malicious extensions from Internet browsers

Remove malicious Safari extensions:

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.

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

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

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".

• 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".

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

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