How to uninstall Photo Viewer Free (PhotoViewerFree) adware

What is the Photo Viewer Free adware?

Photo Viewer Free, also known as PhotoViewerFree, is a rogue application. Following successful installation, it runs intrusive advertisement campaigns (i.e. delivers intrusive, unwanted and possibly harmful ads). Therefore, Photo Viewer Free is classified as adware.

Additionally, most adware-type programs have data tracking capabilities, which are employed to monitor browsing activity. Since most users download/install Photo Viewer Free inadvertently, it is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).

Software within the adware classification can deliver pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, full-page and other intrusive advertisements. Adware can present users with ads in various ways, such as placement of them on any visited website, injecting them into search results, etc.

Intrusive ads significantly diminish the browsing experience, since they overlay web page content and limit browsing speed. Furthermore, these ads are classified as a threat to device/user safety. When clicked, they redirect to dubious/malicious websites and can even stealthily download/install rogue software.

Once triggered, intrusive advertisements redirect to sale-based/promotional, rogue, compromised, deceptive/scam and malicious sites. When clicked, some can execute scripts, designed to download/install rogue software such as PUAs without users' consent.

Unwanted applications, which can be infiltrated into systems in this manner, can have different capabilities in likewise varied combinations. They can force-open untrusted and malicious web pages. Another type called browser hijackers can modify browser settings in order to promote fake search engines.

As well as running intrusive ad campaigns, Photo Viewer Free displays the "PhotoViewerFree will damage your computer. You should move it to the Trash" pop-up window. As mentioned, it is highly likely that Photo Viewer Free can track data.

PUAs (regardless of type) usually monitor browsing activity (visited URLs, viewed pages, searched queries, etc.) and collect personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The gathered data is then monetized by sharing with and/or selling to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals).

In summary, the presence of unwanted apps on devices can lead to system infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. Therefore, to ensure system integrity and user privacy, you are strongly advised to eliminate all suspect applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately upon detection.

Threat Summary:

Name	Ads by Photo Viewer Free
Threat Type	Adware, Mac malware, Mac virus.
Detection Names	Full List Of Detections (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.

AccessibleBoost, InitiatorField, CentralLot and ConnectionIndexer are some examples of other adware-type applications. They may seem normal and harmless, and users are often lured into download/installation with offers of "useful" features, however, the advertised functionality is typically nonoperational.

This is true of most PUAs. The only purpose of this unwanted software is to generate revenue at users' expense. PUAs deliver intrusive advertisement campaigns, cause redirects to dubious and malicious sites, hijack browsers and gather private information.

How did Photo Viewer Free install on my computer?

PUAs are distributed via the download/installation set-ups of other products. This deceptive marketing method of packing regular software with unwanted or malicious additions is called "bundling".

By rushing through download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps, using "Easy/Quick" options, etc.), many users risk unintentionally allowing bundled content into their devices. Some PUAs have "official" promotional web pages, from which they can be downloaded.

Intrusive ads proliferate these apps as well. Once clicked, they can execute scripts to stealthily download/install PUAs.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications

You are advised to research software prior to download/installation and/or purchase. All downloads must be done from official and verified sources. Untrusted channels such as unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders commonly offer bundled or otherwise deceptive content.

When downloading/installing, it is important to read the terms, explore all available options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out of supplementary apps, tools, features and other additions. Intrusive ads may seem normal and innocuous, however, they can redirect to dubious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and so on).

If you encounter advertisements or redirects of this kind, inspect your devices and immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins. If your computer is already infected with Photo Viewer Free, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for macOS to automatically eliminate this adware.

Screenshot of the Photo Viewer Free adware icon:

Screenshot of the pop-up window displayed by Photo Viewer Free 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 Photo Viewer Free?
• STEP 1. Remove Photo Viewer Free related files and folders from OSX.
• STEP 2. Remove Photo Viewer Free ads from Safari.
• STEP 3. Remove Photo Viewer Free adware from Google Chrome.
• STEP 4. Remove Photo Viewer Free ads from Mozilla Firefox.

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

Photo Viewer Free adware removal:

Remove Photo Viewer Free-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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