How to uninstall SearchOptical adware from the Mac operating system

What is SearchOptical?

Part of the AdLoad adware family, SearchOptical is a rogue application that operates by running intrusive advertisement campaigns (i.e. it delivers various undesirable and even harmful ads). Additionally, it shares traits with browser hijackers including modification of browser settings and promotion of fake search engines.

Most apps within the this classification (adware and browser hijackers) possess data tracking capabilities, which are employed to monitor users' browsing activity. SearchOptical often infiltrates systems via bogus Adobe Flash player updates, which are typically spread through scams such as "Latest version of Adobe Flash Player" and other dubious proliferation methods.

Therefore, it is also classed as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). Note that fake software updaters are often used to proliferate PUAs and malware (e.g. ransomware, trojans, etc.).

Adware-type applications deliver intrusive ads including pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys and so on. These ads are more than just a minor annoyance, they significantly diminish the browsing experience (limiting browsing speed and website visibility). Furthermore, when clicked, they redirect to untrusted/rogue, compromised, deceptive/scam and malicious pages.

Intrusive advertisements can also be triggered (when clicked) to execute scripts designed to stealthily download/install software (e.g. PUAs). As mentioned, SearchOptical has qualities of browser hijackers. Apps of this type assign the addresses of their fake search engines as the homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs.

Therefore, each search query typed into the URL bar and each new tab/window opened redirects to the bogus search engine. These fake search engines are seldom able to provide unique results, and so usually redirect to Google, Yahoo, Bing or other genuine search engines.

Furthermore, any changes users attempt to make to their browsers are automatically reset (if access to settings is allowed at all). Therefore, it is necessary to remove the hijacker to recover the affected browser.

All PUAs (adware, browser hijackers and others) can monitor browsing activity (browsing and search engine histories) and collect users' personal information (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The data is then shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) seeking to misuse it for profit.

In summary, PUAs can cause browser/system infiltration and infections, lead to serious privacy issues, financial loss and even identity theft. To protect device integrity and user safety, remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins without delay.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by SearchOptical
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Avast (MacOS:Adload-AD [Trj]), BitDefender (Gen:Variant.Adware.MAC.AdLoad.1), ESET-NOD32 (A Variant Of OSX/TrojanDownloader.Adloa), Kaspersky (Not-a-virus:HEUR:AdWare.OSX.Cimpli.k), Full List (VirusTotal)
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.

NetToolboxSearch, SystemSpot, VirtualToolboxSearch, and PanelStart are examples of other adware programs. In general, PUAs tend to seem legitimate and tempt users to install with offers of "useful" functions, however, these features rarely work as promised and, in most cases, are nonoperational.

Therefore, not only are unwanted apps useless but they can also cause serious problems. The only purpose of PUAs is to generate revenue for the developers - they deliver intrusive ad campaigns, cause redirects to untrusted and malicious sites, hijack browsers and track/collect sensitive data.

How did SearchOptical install on my computer?

As well as proliferating through fake Flash Player updaters, PUAs can be downloaded/installed together with other software. This deceptive marketing technique of packing normal products with unwanted or malicious content is called "bundling".

Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using pre-set options, etc.) endangers devices with potential infiltration and infections. Some PUAs have "official" download web pages. Intrusive ads also proliferate these applications. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without users' consent.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

All products should be researched to verify their legitimacy, prior to download/installation. Use official and verified download sources, as opposed to Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, free file-hosting websites and other third party downloaders.

When downloading/installing, read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, functions and so on. Programs should be updated with tools/functions provided by genuine developers.

Intrusive advertisements usually seem legitimate and harmless, however, they often redirect to highly dubious web pages (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating and others). If you encounter these ads/redirects, check the system and immediately eliminate all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins.

If your computer is already infected with SearchOptical, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Files related to SearchOptical adware that need to be removed:

• ~/Library/Application Support/com.SearchOptical/SearchOptical
• ~/Library/Application Support/com.SearchOpticalDaemon/SearchOptical
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.SearchOptical.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.SearchOpticalDaemon.plist

IMPORTANT NOTE! Rogue setups/apps that promote SearchOptical adware 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 "SearchOptical" 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 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 SearchOptical?
• STEP 1. Remove SearchOptical related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove SearchOptical ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove SearchOptical adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove SearchOptical ads from Mozilla Firefox.

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

SearchOptical adware removal:

Remove SearchOptical-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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