Search.anysearchmac.com Browser Hijacker Removal

George Herman
George Herman
IT Security Expert

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Some infections like this virus can regenerate themselves. There is no better way to detect, remediate and prevent malware infection, than to use a professional anti-malware software like SpyHunter. One Application that is capable of solving all MAC problems.

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What is Search.anysearchmac.com

The appearance of the Search.anysearchmac.com page means no good for your Mac. This shady website is linked to browser hijacker activity on your Mac. So if you see it instead of your homepage and as a default search engine, you can be sure that your browser has been hijacked. Once the parasite infiltrates your device, it can modify your browser settings without your authorization and produce numerous intrusive advertisements that will interrupt your browsing experience.

How it is distributed

The most common reason for the hijacker’s distribution is a recently downloaded application on your Mac. It is highly likely that this malicious software was bundled as a freebie or a hidden additional application that you didn’t even know existed. Usually, users are too quick to finish the installation process that they are often unaware that they are installing undesired software along with the program they originally intended to get. That’s why, you should always read diligently any Terms and conditions you see and make sure to opt out of any bonus content that you’re unfamiliar with or don’t want. Other ways for the browser hijacker to get installed on your Mac is via spam email attachments, fake update messages, torrent files, as well as infected ads and pop-ups.

How it operates

We already mentioned that the hijacker takes the place of your homepage and search engine. But it is also not uncommon for this parasite to install shady browser extensions, add-ons and toolbars without your knowledge or permission. The pest will make sure to redirect you to unreliable pages any chance it gets. This could potentially lead to other threats to enter your computer system. Also, be careful not to click on any ads generated by this website. If you see ads with the caption ‘Powered by Search.anysearch.com‘, ‘Ads by Search.anysearch.com‘, etc., don’t click on them. Chances are, they will lead you to infected third-party sites that seek to open a backdoor, so hackers can obtain your personal information. The Search.anysearchmac.com browser hijacker puts data like passwords, bank account and credit card credentials, IP addresses, etc. in jeopardy. And on top of that, your browser will also pay the price. The malicious actions made by the parasite will cause your web browser to get sluggish and crash on a daily basis. The only way to protect your privacy and regain control over your browsing experience is to remove this hijacker as soon as possible. Continue reading to find out how to manually remove the Search.anysearchmac.com browser hijacker from your Mac.

Staying safe from Search.anysearchmac.com

Apart from having a reliable AV software installed on your Mac, there are other things you can do to ensure your device’s safety. We highly recommend you to:

  • Pay close attention when you install third-party software, especially torrent files, so you don’t install shady additional applications that you don’t want. In most cases, that’s how malicious parasites are able to infect your computer;

  • Read any Terms and Conditions you see, so you know exactly what you agree to. The last thing you want is to unknowingly give permission to a nasty virus to infiltrate your Mac;

  • Follow links that lead to trustworthy sites only;

  • It is best to visit only reliable and official websites. You never know what dangers might lurk behind an unfamiliar site;

  • No matter how attractive an ad is, if you are not familiar with the website it redirects to, it might be best to steer clear of it and not click;

  • Always check the sender’s email address before opening a message. If it states that it’s from an official company, compare the email with the one given in their official page. If there is no match, delete the message, since it most likely is fake and has malicious aims.

  • Don’t open email attachments from unknown senders. More often than not, such files carry infections that can seriously damage your computer.

How to manually remove Search.anysearchmac.com from Mac

If you’ve had the misfortune of getting your Mac infected with the Search.anysearchmac.com Browser Hijacker, the instructions below can help you to remove it manually. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to Utilities. You can do that by using the +⌘+U key combination, or going to Finder and choosing Utilities from the Go main menu at the top.

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it.

3. A list will be displayed. Find any processes that seem suspicious to you and use the ‘Force Quit‘ option to quit them completely.

4. Open Finder. Click on the Go button from the main menu at the top, and choose Applications. An alternative way is to use the +⌘+A key combination.

5. Look for any suspicious applications, especially ones with a name similar to Search.anysearchmac.com. If any are found, right-click on them and select the ‘Move to Trash‘ option.

6. Remove any related left-over files by going to Finder‘s search bar and typing the name of the app you want to remove. Make sure to modify the two drop down menus above to ‘System Files‘ and ‘Are Included‘, so that any hidden files are visible for you to remove. Once you find the files you want to remove, simply drag them to Trash.

7. All that’s left for you to do is remove any related extensions to Search.anysearchmac.com from your Mac browsers.

  • For Mozilla Firefox extensions:

    – Open the Firefox browser and from the ‘burger’ menu in the top right corner of the window select ‘Add-ons‘.

    – Select any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and click ‘Remove‘.

  • For Google Chrome extensions:

    – Open the Chrome browser and select Tools > Extensions from the menu (the three dots in the top right corner of the browser window).

    – Locate any suspicious extensions that may be related to the virus and remove them.

  • For Safari extensions:

    – Open the Safari browser. From the Safari menu choose Preferences. Select Extensions from the options at the top.

    – Find any extensions you think are related to the virus, select them and click ‘Uninstall‘. A new window will show up asking for confirmation. Click Uninstall again, for the extension to get deleted permanently from your browser.

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