Remove adware that opens myhelpfuldownloads[.]com

What is myhelpfuldownloads[.]com?

myhelpfuldownloads[.]com is a dubious website used to promote software called Scanguard and other dubious applications. Users do not generally visit pages such as myhelpfuldownloads[.]com intentionally. If a browser opens myhelpfuldownloads[.]com, this is due to an adware-type application present on the system.

Adware is software that displays various unwanted, often deceptive, ads. Adware-type apps are categorized as potentially unwanted applications (PUAs), since most people download and install them unintentionally.

myhelpfuldownloads[.]com is promoted through adware, however, redirects to this page are not the only problem that installed adware might cause. Typically, adware feeds users with coupons, banners, surveys, pop-ups, and so on. It is not safe to click ads displayed by adware, since they often lead to untrustworthy websites or run scripts that download and install other PUAs.

Opened web pages and downloaded and/or installed apps might be malicious. We strongly recommended that you uninstall all adware from the browser or operating system, and do not trust sites such as myhelpfuldownloads[.]com.

Scanguard is likely to be a legitimate app, however, myhelpfuldownloads[.]com and other similar pages might be used to advertise rogue applications. These apps are often useless and do not remove viruses, clean systems, or resolve any other problems. In many cases, they require paid activation - developers seek to trick people into paying for useless software.

Threat Summary:

Name	myhelpfuldownloads[.]com pop-up
Threat Type	Mac malware, Mac virus.
Serving IP Address	98.124.199.59
Detection Names	Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Promoted Application	Scanguard
Symptoms	Your Mac becomes slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you are redirected to dubious websites.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads.
Damage	Internet browser tracking (potential privacy issues), display of unwanted ads, redirects to dubious 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 many examples of adware including AssistEngine, WindowArea, and PasteBoard. Most adware-type apps display unwanted ads that, if clicked, lead to potentially malicious pages or cause unwanted downloads and installations. To avoid problems caused through these apps, uninstall them immediately.

How did adware install on my computer?

Some potentially unwanted apps can be downloaded from supposedly official websites, however, most users install/download them unintentionally. To trick people into installing them, developers use the "bundling" method. They add PUAs to set-ups of other software as extra 'offers' and hide them in options such as "Custom", "Advanced", and so on.

Users who download/install programs without checking and changing the settings, often allow PUAs to be downloaded and installed with the regular software. In other cases people cause unwanted downloads/installations when they click deceptive advertisements displayed on dubious pages.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

Download software and files from official websites, especially if it is free. Examples of untrustworthy download channels/tools are Peer-to-Peer networks (torrent clients, eMule), unofficial websites, third party downloaders and other channels of this kind. Do not install software using third party installers.

Furthermore, check all download and installation set-ups that contain settings such as "Advanced", "Custom", etc. and decline offers to download or install unwanted apps. If clicked, intrusive advertisements can redirect to untrustworthy websites or start unwanted downloads/installations.

To prevent the browser from opening dubious sites and/or displaying ads, uninstall all unwanted plug-ins and add-ons. Also remove programs of this type installed on the operating system. If your computer is already infected with myhelpfuldownloads[.]com, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Scanguard installer:

Scanguard application:

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 myhelpfuldownloads[.]com?
• STEP 1. Remove myhelpfuldownloads[.]com related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove myhelpfuldownloads[.]com ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove myhelpfuldownloads[.]com adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove myhelpfuldownloads[.]com ads from Mozilla Firefox.

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

myhelpfuldownloads[.]com adware removal:

Remove myhelpfuldownloads[.]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 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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