Search.getpdftotal.com Redirect (Mac)

What is search.getpdftotal.com?

search.getpdftotal.com is another fake search engine that supposedly enhances the browsing experience by generating improved results and allowing conversion of PDF files to other formats.

Note that the appearance of search.getpdftotal.com suggests that this website is legitimate and useful, however, developers promote this fake search engine using a browser-hijacking potentially unwanted application (PUA) called PDF Total. This PUA typically infiltrates systems without users’ permission.

Furthermore, search.getpdftotal.com and PDF Total record information relating to browsing activity.

PDF Total targets the most popular browsers - Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. Following successful infiltration, PDF Total assigns the homepage, new tab URL, and default search engine settings to search.getpdftotal.com. These changes may seem insignificant, however, users are unable to revert them.

Research shows that PDF Total reassigns browser settings when attempts are made to change them. Therefore, users are forced to visit search.getpdftotal.com when they open a new browser tab/window or search via the URL bar. These redirects significantly diminish the browsing experience.

Furthermore, once a search query is entered, search.getpdftotal.com redirects users to bing.com or search.yahoo.com (depending on the user's geo-location). In any case, search.getpdftotal.com does not generate any unique search results and is thus useless.

As mentioned above, search.getpdftotal.com and PDF Total continually record user-system information relating to browsing activity. These unwanted apps and fake search engines usually gather data such as IP addresses, search queries, pages viewed, websites visited, geo-locations, and so on.

Personal information might also be collected. Developers share the data with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who generate revenue by misusing private data. Thus, information tracking can lead to privacy issues or even identity theft. If you encounter redirects to search.getpdftotal.com, immediately eliminate the PDF Total browser hijacker and never return to this site.

Threat Summary:

Name	PDF Total 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.

search.getpdftotal.com shares many similarities with search.byoml.com, search.pogypog.com, search.pdftycoon.com, and dozens of other fake search engines.

By offering various useful features, these websites attempt to give the impression of legitimacy, however, fake search engines (and browser-hijacking apps) usually have just one purpose: to generate revenue for the developers.

Rather than giving any real value for regular users, these sites cause unwanted redirects and gather data, thereby diminishing the browsing experience and posing a threat to your privacy. Some fake search engines feed users with misleading results and intrusive ads, most of which redirect to dubious websites. Thus, using fake search engines can lead to various system infections.

How did PDF Total install on my computer?

PDF Total is free for anyone to download on its official website, however, developers promote these apps via intrusive advertisements and a deceptive marketing method called "bundling". Therefore, browser hijackers often infiltrate computers without users’ permission. Intrusive advertisements redirect users to malicious websites and execute scripts that stealthily download/install unwanted apps. "Bundling", on the other hand, is stealth installation of third-party apps together with regular software. Developers are not honest enough to adequately disclose installation of unwanted applications. Therefore, "bundled" software is typically concealed within "Custom/Advanced" settings (or other sections) of the download/installation processes. Furthermore, many users often rush and skip download/installation steps and click advertisements. In this way, they expose their systems to risk of various infections and compromise their privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. Caution is the key to safety. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the internet and downloading/installing software. Select "Custom/Advanced" settings, closely analyze each window of the download/installation dialogs, and opt-out of additionally-included programs.

You are advised to download software from official sources only (via direct download links) and avoid using third party downloaders/installers, since most are monetized using the "bundling" method. Furthermore, bear in mind that intrusive ads usually seem legitimate.

Once clicked, however, they redirect to dubious websites. Most are delivered by adware-type apps. If you encounter these redirects, immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with browser hijackers, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate them.

Website promoting search.getpdftotal.com:

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

Video showing how to remove PDF Total browser hijacker using Combo Cleaner:

search.getpdftotal.com redirect removal:

Remove search.getpdftotal.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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