How to remove software causing redirects to z6airr.com?
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on
(updated)
How to remove z6airr.com browser hijacker from Mac?
What is z6airr.com?
Z6airr.com is a fake search engine. Illegitimate web searching tools (e.g. z6airr.com) are usually promoted by software classified as browser hijackers. They promote such search engines by making modifications to browsing settings and restricting/denying access to them. Additionally, browser hijackers and illegitimate search engines commonly track and collect information relating to browsing activity. One of the applications observed promoting z6airr.com is AccessibleBoost, which is categorized as adware (with browser hijacker traits). Due to the questionable methods used to distribute both adware and browser hijackers, they are deemed to be PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications).
Browser hijackers mainly target Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox and other popular browsers with large user bases. These dubious apps assign the addresses of fake web searchers as browsers' homepage, default search engine and new tab/window URLs. To elaborate on how this affects browsing, with AccessibleBoost installed: new browser tabs/windows opened and search queries typed into the URL bar - redirect to z6airr.com. However, AccessibleBoost promotes search.dominantmethod.com in this manner on Google Chrome browsers, instead of z6airr.com. Fake search engines are typically unable to generate search results, so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Google, Yahoo, Bing and other legitimate ones. Z6airr.com is much the same, it uses the Yahoo search engine to provide search results. Browser hijackers can undo any changes users try to make to their browsers, if they even allow access to the browser's settings. Therefore, recovering a hijacked browser without removing the software affecting it - is impossible. Since z6airr.com is classified as adware, it also delivers pop-ups, banners, coupons and other intrusive advertisements. The ads diminish the browsing experience and once clicked on - redirect to unreliable/malicious websites and some can stealthily download/install software (e.g. PUAs). What is more, most browser hijackers and adware-types have data tracking abilities. They can record browsing activity (URL visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather personal information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). This sensitive information is usually shared with and/or sold to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals), intent on misusing it for profit as well. To summarize, presence of unwanted apps on devices can lead to system infections, financial losses, serious privacy issues and even identity theft. To protect device and user safety, all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins - must be eliminated without delay.
| Name | z6airr.com browser hijacker |
| Threat Type | Browser hijacker, Mac malware, Mac virus |
| Serving IP Address | 13.227.45.59 |
| 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. |
Fake search engines appear legitimate and harmless; searchiing.com, 0yrvtrh.com, searches.network, search.handlersection.com - are a a few examples of such web searching tools. This is also true of the software promoting them. PUAs offer a wide variety of "useful" and "advantageous" functionalities. However, the promised features rarely work. The only goal of unwanted apps is to generate revenue for the developers; to users - they have no real value and can instead cause severe problems. PUAs are designed to hijack browsers, cause redirects, deliver intrusive advert campaigns and gather private data.
How did z6airr.com install on my computer?
PUAs proliferate via download/installation setups of other software. For example, AccessibleBoost has been observed being distributed through fake Adobe Flash Player updaters/installers. This false marketing technique of packing regular products with unwanted or malicious additions - is called "bundling". Rushed download/installation processes (e.g. ignored terms, skipped steps, etc.) - increase the risk of inadvertently allowing bundled content into the device. Select PUAs have "official" download webpages. Intrusive advertisements can infiltrate these applications into systems as well. Upon being clicked, the ads can execute scripts to download/install PUAs without user permission.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
It is advised to research products prior to download/installation. Only official and verified download channels should be used. Since untrustworthy channels, like: unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks and other third party downloaders - can offer bundled content. When downloading/installing, it is recommended to read terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom" or "Advanced" settings and opt-out from additional apps, tools, functions, etc. Intrusive adverts appear legitimate, however they redirect to highly questionable sites (e.g. gambling, adult-dating, pornography, and so on). Should users encounter ads and/or redirects of this kind, they must check their devices and immediately remove all suspect applications and browser extensions/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.
Screenshot of the fake Flash Player updater/installer distributing AccessibleBoost adware (which promotes z6airr.com and/or search.dominantmethod.com):
Screenshot of AccessibleBoost adware installed onto the Safari browser:
Screenshot of Google Chrome browser's settings modified by AccessibleBoost and set to search.dominantmethod.com as the default:
Instant automatic Mac malware removal:
Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer 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 three days free trial available.
Quick menu:
- What is z6airr.com?
- STEP 1. Remove z6airr.com related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove z6airr.com redirect from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove z6airr.com browser hijacker from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove z6airr.com homepage and default search engine from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:
z6airr.com redirect removal:
Remove z6airr.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 z6airr.com browser hijacker 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 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 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 in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure 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 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 it's virus definition database and click "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.
z6airr.com browser hijacker homepage and default Internet search engine removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove z6airr.com browser hijacker related Safari extensions:
Open 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 normal 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 labelled "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 malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove z6airr.com browser hijacker related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose "Add-ons".
Choose the "Extensions" tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Remove" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
To change your homepage, click the "Open Menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Preferences" from the drop-down menu. To set your homepage, type the preferred website URL (for example: www.google.com) in the Homepage Page.
Change default search engine:
In the URL address bar, type "about:config" and click the "I'll be careful, I promise!" button.
In the "Search:" field, type the name of the browser hijacker. Right click on each of the found preferences and click "Reset" from the drop-down menu.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove z6airr.com browser hijacker related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose "More Tools" and select "Extensions".
In the "Extensions" window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the "Trash" button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
Change your homepage:
Click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Settings". In the "On Startup" section, click the "Set pages" link near to the "Open a specific page or set of pages" option. Remove the URL of the browser hijacker (for example trovi.com) and enter your preferred URL (for example, google.com).
Change default search engine:
Click the "Chrome menu" (three horizontal lines) button and choose "Settings". In the "Search" section, click the "Manage search engines..." button. In the opened window, remove the unwanted Internet search engine by clicking the "X" button next to it. Select your preferred Internet search engine from the list and click the "Make default" button next to it.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.
Outstanding!