TotalSearch is a potentially unwanted application (PUA) from the adware family. How can Total Search app be dangerous to your computer? TotalSearch can cause many problems such as unwanted advertisements and pop-ups on your web browser, redirect your search requests to advertising web-sites, web-browser crashes and slow loading web sites.
Unwanted ads
Another reason why you need to delete adware software is its online data-tracking activity. Adware software may monetize its functionality by gathering privacy information from your surfing sessions. This user info, later, can be easily used for marketing purposes. This puts your sensitive information at a security risk.
Threat Summary
| Name | TotalSearch |
| Type | adware software, PUP (potentially unwanted program), pop up advertisements, popup virus, pop-ups |
| Symptoms |
|
| Removal | TotalSearch removal guide |
How does TotalSearch get on your Apple Mac
TotalSearch app often installs on the Apple Mac with the freeware. Most often, it comes without the user’s knowledge. Therefore, many users aren’t even aware that their computer has been affected with PUPs and adware software. Please follow the easy rules in order to protect your MAC from adware and PUPs: don’t install any suspicious apps, read the user agreement and select only the Custom, Manual or Advanced setup type, do not rush to click the Next button. Also, always try to find a review of the program on the Internet. Be careful and attentive!
Thus, the TotalSearch is a potentially unwanted application and should not be used. If you found any of the symptoms mentioned above, we advise you to follow step-by-step instructions below to remove the adware software and remove TotalSearch adware from your internet browser.
Remove TotalSearch adware (removal guidance)
Even if you have the up-to-date classic antivirus for Apple Mac installed, and you have checked your MAC system for malicious software and removed anything found, you need to do the instructions below. The TotalSearch removal is not simple as installing another antivirus. Classic antivirus apps are not created to run together and will conflict with each other, or possibly crash Mac. Instead we recommend complete the manual steps below after that use MalwareBytes Anti Malware, which is a free program dedicated to search for and remove TotalSearch adware software which causes undesired pop up advertisements. Use the utility to ensure the adware is removed.
To remove TotalSearch, follow the steps below:
- How to manually remove TotalSearch
- Automatic Removal of TotalSearch adware software
- Block TotalSearch adware and other intrusive web-sites
- To sum up
How to manually remove TotalSearch
The step-by-step instructions will allow you manually delete TotalSearch ads from your internet browser. If you are not good at computers, we suggest that you use the free tools listed below.
Uninstall TotalSearch associated software by using the Finder
First of all, check the list of installed programs on your MAC and remove all unknown and recently installed applications. If you see an unknown program with incorrect spelling or varying capital letters, it have most likely been installed by malicious software and you should clean it off first with malicious software removal utility like MalwareBytes Free.
Make sure you have closed all internet browsers and other applications. Next, delete any unknown and suspicious software from MAC using the Finder.
Open Finder and click “Applications”.
Look around the entire list of apps installed on your MAC OS. Most likely, one of them is the TotalSearch adware. Select the questionable program or the application that name is not familiar to you and delete it.
Drag the suspicious program from the Applications folder to the Trash.
Most important, don’t forget, choose Finder -> Empty Trash.
Get rid of TotalSearch adware from Mozilla Firefox
Resetting your Mozilla Firefox is basic troubleshooting step for any issues with your internet browser program, including the redirect to TotalSearch ads. Essential information such as bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, cookies, auto-fill data and personal dictionaries will not be removed.
First, start the Mozilla Firefox. Next, click the button in the form of three horizontal stripes (
). It will show the drop-down menu. Next, click the Help button (
).
In the Help menu click the “Troubleshooting Information”. In the upper-right corner of the “Troubleshooting Information” page press on “Refresh Firefox” button as on the image below.
Confirm your action, click the “Refresh Firefox”.
Delete TotalSearch from Safari
If you find that Safari web browser settings like search provider by default, start page and new tab having been replaced by TotalSearch adware, then you may return your settings, via the reset browser procedure.
Run Safari web-browser. Next, choose Preferences from the Safari menu.
First, click the “Security” tab. Here, choose “Block pop-up windows”. It will stop 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 delete all questionable plugins from Safari.
Once complete, check your homepage and search engine 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 engine. In some versions of Safari, this setting is in the “Search” tab.
Remove TotalSearch adware software from Chrome
Another method to remove TotalSearch ads from Chrome is Reset Google Chrome settings. This will disable harmful add-ons and reset Google Chrome settings to original state. Essential information such as bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, cookies, auto-fill data and personal dictionaries will not be removed.
- First start the Google Chrome and press Menu button (small button in the form of three dots).
- It will open the Google Chrome main menu. Choose More Tools, then click Extensions.
- You’ll see the list of installed extensions. If the list has the add-on labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following guidance: Remove Chrome extensions installed by enterprise policy.
- Now open the Chrome menu once again, press the “Settings” menu.
- You will see the Google Chrome’s settings page. Scroll down and press “Advanced” link.
- Scroll down again and press the “Reset” button.
- The Chrome will show the reset profile settings page as on the image above.
- Next click the “Reset” button.
- Once this process is done, your web browser’s search engine, homepage and newtab will be restored to their original defaults.
- To learn more, read the post How to reset Google Chrome settings to default.
Automatic Removal of TotalSearch adware software
There are not many good free anti-malware programs with high detection ratio. The effectiveness of malicious software removal tools depends on various factors, mostly on how often their virus/malware signatures DB are updated in order to effectively detect modern malware, adware, hijackers and other PUPs. We advise to use several applications, not just one. These programs that listed below will help you delete all components of the adware from your disk and system folders and thereby remove TotalSearch ads.
Use MalwareBytes AntiMalware to delete TotalSearch
Get rid of TotalSearch adware manually is difficult and often the adware software is not completely removed. Therefore, we recommend you to use the MalwareBytes Free which are completely clean your computer. Moreover, this free program will allow you to remove malware, potentially unwanted apps, toolbars and hijacker that your computer can be infected too.
Download MalwareBytes Anti-Malware on your Apple Mac by clicking on the link below.
20986 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: September 10, 2020
When the download is complete, close all programs and windows on your MAC OS. Run the saved file. Follow the prompts.
The MalwareBytes Anti Malware will automatically start and you can see its main screen as shown in the following example.
Now click the “Scan” button to begin checking your MAC system for the TotalSearch adware. While the MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) utility is checking, you may see how many objects it has identified as being affected by malware.
When that process is finished, the results are displayed in the scan report. Make sure to check mark the items that are unsafe and then click “Remove Selected Items” button. The MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) will remove TotalSearch and other unwanted software.
How to stay safe online
Running an adblocker program like AdGuard is an effective way to alleviate the risks. Additionally, ad-blocking software will also protect you from malicious ads and websites, and, of course, stop redirection chain to misleading and similar web pages.
Visit the following page to download the latest version of AdGuard for Apple Mac.
3772 downloads
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: January 17, 2018
Once the downloading process is complete, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen. Follow the prompts.
Each time, when you run your MAC OS, AdGuard will launch automatically and stop annoying popup ads, block harmful or misleading web sites.
To sum up
Now your machine should be free of the TotalSearch adware. We suggest that you keep MalwareBytes (to periodically scan your MAC for new adwares and other malicious software) and AdGuard (to help you block annoying popups and harmful websites). Moreover, to prevent any adware, please stay clear of unknown and third party apps.
If you need more help with TotalSearch related issues, go to here.
