How to remove OSX/Shlayer malware from Mac [Virus removal guide]

What is OSX/Shlayer malware? If your antivirus detects OSX/Shlayer malware then it indicates that your system is infected with a malicious software. This virus usually come with some free programs or from harmful webpages that ask users to download and run a Flash Player or Java update.

Once started, the OSX/Shlayer malware will be configured to launch automatically when Mac starts. It may display a large amount of annoying popup ads, inject malicious code into pages that you are opening in your internet browser, hijack browser’s settings like start page and search engine, and so on.

Another reason why you need to remove OSX/Shlayer malware virus is its online data-tracking activity. It can gather personal info, including:

• IP addresses;
• URLs visited;
• search queries/terms;
• clicks on links and ads;
• internet browser version information.

We recommend you to clean your Mac of this virus as soon as possible. Use the guide below which will help to remove OSX/Shlayer malware and other unwanted software, which can be installed onto your Apple Mac along with it.

Remove OSX/Shlayer malware (Virus removal steps)

There are a few methods which can be used to remove OSX/Shlayer malware. But, not all malicious software like the OSX/Shlayer can be completely removed using only manual solutions. Most commonly you are not able to delete any malicious software utilizing standard Mac options. In order to remove malware you need complete a few manual steps and run reliable removal utilities. Most cyber threat analysts states that MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) tool is a right choice. The free program are able to detect and remove OSX/Shlayer malware from your system and revert back your computer settings to defaults.

To remove OSX/Shlayer malware, perform the following steps:

1. Uninstall suspicious apps through the Control Panel of your system
2. Remove OSX/Shlayer malware with MalwareBytes Free
3. Get rid of OSX/Shlayer malware virus from Firefox
4. Remove OSX/Shlayer malware from Safari
5. Get rid of OSX/Shlayer malware from Google Chrome
6. Run AdBlocker to stay safe online
7. To sum up

Uninstall suspicious apps through the Finder

In order to get rid of potentially unwanted software such as the OSX/Shlayer malware, open the Finder. Check the list of installed applications. For the ones you do not know, run an Internet search to see if they are adware, browser hijacker infection or potentially unwanted apps. If yes, uninstall them off. Even if they are just a programs which you do not use, then removing them off will increase your machine start up time and speed dramatically.

Open Finder and click “Applications” as shown in the figure below.

You will see a list of apps installed on your MAC system. We recommend to pay maximum attention to the program you installed last. Most likely, it is the SX/Shlayer malware related app. If you’re in doubt, you can always check the program by doing a search for her name in Google, Yahoo or Bing. Once the program which you need to delete is found, simply right press on its name, and choose “Move to Trash”.

Don’t forget, choose Finder, then “Empty Trash”.

Remove OSX/Shlayer malware with MalwareBytes Free

You can remove Remove OSX/Shlayer malware automatically with a help of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM). We suggest this free malicious software removal tool because it can easily remove browser hijacker, ad-supported software, potentially unwanted applications and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and registry entries.

1. MalwareBytes Free can be downloaded from the following link.
   
   

   Malwarebytes Anti-malware (Mac)
   20850 downloads
   Author: Malwarebytes
   Category: Security tools
   Update: September 10, 2020
   
2. Once the download is finished, please close all software and open windows on your Apple Mac. Run the downloaded file. Follow the prompts.
3. The MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) will start and display the main window.
4. Further, click the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this tool for the Remove OSX/Shlayer malware. During the scan MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) will scan for threats present on your MAC OS.
5. When that process is finished, the results are displayed in the scan report.
6. Make sure all items have ‘checkmark’ and click the “Remove Selected Items” button.
7. Close the Anti-Malware and continue with the next step.

Get rid of OSX/Shlayer malware virus from Firefox

If the Mozilla Firefox settings have been replaced by the OSX/Shlayer malware virus, then resetting it to the default state can help. However, your saved passwords and bookmarks will not be changed, deleted or cleared.

First, launch the Mozilla Firefox and click button. It will display the drop-down menu on the right-part of the internet browser. Further, click the Help button () as shown in the following example.

In the Help menu, select the “Troubleshooting Information” option. Another way to open the “Troubleshooting Information” screen – type “about:support” in the web-browser adress bar and press Enter. It will show the “Troubleshooting Information” page as displayed on the screen below. In the upper-right corner of this screen, press the “Refresh Firefox” button.

It will show the confirmation dialog box. Further, click the “Refresh Firefox” button. The Firefox will begin a task to fix your problems that caused by the OSX/Shlayer malware virus. When, it’s finished, click the “Finish” button.

Remove OSX/Shlayer malware from Safari

If you find that Safari internet browser settings having been hijacked, then you may restore your settings via the reset web browser.

Run Safari internet browser. Next, select Preferences from the Safari menu.

First, click the “Security” icon. Here, select “Block pop-up windows”. It will block some types of pop-ups.

Now, click the “Extensions” icon. Look for suspicious add-ons on left panel, select it, then click the “Uninstall” button. Most important to remove all dubious extensions from Safari.

Once complete, check your startpage and search provider settings. Click “General” icon. Make sure that the “Homepage” field contains the website you want or is empty.

Make sure that the “Search engine” setting shows your preferred search provider. In some versions of Safari, this setting is in the “Search” tab.

Get rid of OSX/Shlayer malware from Google Chrome

If Chrome web browser settings are affected by OSX/Shlayer malware then ‘Reset Chrome’ is a solution which helps to restore the browser to its factory state. To reset Chrome to the original defaults, follow the steps below.

Open the Google Chrome menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal dotes (). It will display the drop-down menu. Choose More Tools, then click Extensions.

Carefully browse through the list of installed addons. If the list has the extension labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guidance: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy otherwise, just go to the step below.

Open the Google Chrome main menu again, click to “Settings” option.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the “Advanced” link. Now scroll down until the Reset settings section is visible, as displayed below and press the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.

Confirm your action, click the “Reset” button.

Run AdBlocker to stay safe online

By installing an adblocker application like AdGuard, you’re able to stop malicious pages, autoplaying video ads and get rid of a ton of distracting and annoying ads on web-sites.

Visit the page linked below to download the latest version of AdGuard for Mac OS.

When the download is complete, launch the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen. Follow the prompts.

Each time, when you start your MAC, AdGuard will start automatically and stop unwanted pop up ads, block malicious or misleading web-pages.

To sum up

Now your Mac should be clean of the OSX/Shlayer malware virus. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you stop unwanted popup advertisements and annoying harmful sites) and MalwareBytes (to periodically scan your computer for new malicious software, hijackers and ad supported software). Make sure that you have all the Critical Updates recommended for MAC OS. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new hijacker infections, harmful applications and adware are released.

If you are still having problems while trying to delete OSX/Shlayer malware virus from your Mac, then ask for help here.