What is OnlineToolSearch
According to security researchers, OnlineToolSearch is an adware program. Adware is a type of invasive programs — which can infect MAC computers — automatically redirect your web-browser to certain web-pages so the creators of those sites can earn revenue by showing advertisements to visitors. It’s not a good idea to have an installed adware. The reason for this is simple, it doing things you don’t know about. And of course you completely do not know what will happen when you click on any the unwanted adverts.
Unwanted ads
Another reason why you need to remove adware software is its online data-tracking activity. Adware can have spyware and keyloggers built into the application, leading to greater damage to your MAC and possible invasion of your confidential information.
If you are unfortunate have adware, you can follow the step-by-step guide below that will help you to delete OnlineToolSearch and get rid of unwanted ads from your internet browser.
How does OnlineToolSearch get on your MAC
Adware is bundled with various free applications. This is certainly not an honest way to get added onto your machine. To avoid infecting of your Apple Mac and side effects in the form of various pop up windows and/or undesired advertisements, you should always carefully read the Terms of Use and the Software license. Additionally, always select Manual, Custom or Advanced installation mode. This allows you to disable the installation of unnecessary and often harmful applications.
Threat Summary
| Name | OnlineToolSearch, Online Tool Search 1.0 app |
| Type | adware software, potentially unwanted program (PUP), pop-up advertisements, pop up virus, pop ups |
| Symptoms |
|
| Removal | OnlineToolSearch removal guide |
How to Remove OnlineToolSearch adware
There are a simple manual steps below that will assist you to remove OnlineToolSearch from your Mac OS machine. The most effective solution to get rid of this adware software is to perform the manual removal tutorial and then use MalwareBytes automatic utility (it is free). The manual solution will help to weaken this adware software and these malware removal utilities will completely remove OnlineToolSearch adware and restore the Safari, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox settings to default.
To remove OnlineToolSearch, execute the following steps:
- Manual OnlineToolSearch adware removal
- Automatic Removal of OnlineToolSearch adware
- How to stay safe online
- To sum up
Manual OnlineToolSearch adware removal
The step-by-step guide will help you manually get rid of OnlineToolSearch ads from your web browser. If you have little experience in using computers, we recommend that you use the free utilities listed below.
Delete PUPs through the Finder
First method for manual adware software removal is to go into the Finder, then Applications. Take a look at the list of apps on your MAC system and see if there are any questionable and unknown apps. If you see any, you need to delete them. Of course, before doing so, you can do an Internet search to find details on the application. If it is a potentially unwanted program, adware or malware, you will likely find information that says so.
- Open the Finder.
- Click “Applications”.
- It will show a list of all apps installed on the computer.
- Scroll through the all list, and delete suspicious and unknown software. Pay maximum attention to the program you installed last.
- Drag the dubious application from the Applications folder to the Trash.
- Empty Trash.
Remove OnlineToolSearch from Mozilla Firefox by resetting web browser settings
Resetting Firefox internet browser will reset all the settings to their default values and will remove OnlineToolSearch ads, malicious add-ons and extensions. However, your saved bookmarks and passwords will not be lost. This will not affect your history, passwords, bookmarks, and other saved data.
Launch the Firefox and press the menu button (it looks like three stacked lines) at the top right of the web browser screen. Next, click the question-mark icon at the bottom of the drop-down menu. It will display the slide-out menu.
Select the “Troubleshooting information”. If you are unable to access the Help menu, then type “about:support” in your address bar and press Enter. It bring up the “Troubleshooting Information” page as shown in the figure below.
Click the “Refresh Firefox” button at the top right of the Troubleshooting Information page. Select “Refresh Firefox” in the confirmation prompt. The Firefox will start a process to fix your problems that caused by the OnlineToolSearch adware. Once, it’s done, click the “Finish” button.
Remove OnlineToolSearch adware from Safari
By resetting Safari web browser you revert back your web browser settings to its default state. This is good initial when troubleshooting problems that might have been caused by OnlineToolSearch .
Click Safari menu and choose “Preferences”.
It will open the Safari Preferences window. Next, click the “Extensions” tab. Look for unknown and suspicious add-ons on left panel, choose it, then click the “Uninstall” button. Most important to remove all unknown extensions from Safari.
Once complete, click “General” tab. Change the “Default Search Engine” to Google.
Find the “Homepage” and type into textfield “https://www.google.com”.
Remove OnlineToolSearch from Google Chrome
Use the Reset browser utility of the Chrome to reset all its settings such as search engine by default, homepage and newtab to original defaults. This is a very useful utility to use, in the case of internet browser redirects to unwanted ads.
Open the Chrome menu by clicking on the button in the form of three horizontal dotes (
). It will open the drop-down menu. Choose More Tools, then click Extensions.
Carefully browse through the list of installed add-ons. If the list has the add-on labeled with “Installed by enterprise policy” or “Installed by your administrator”, then complete the following tutorial: 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 on the image below and click the “Reset settings to their original defaults” button.
Confirm your action, click the “Reset” button.
Automatic Removal of OnlineToolSearch adware
Manual removal is not always as effective as you might think. Often, even the most experienced users may not completely delete OnlineToolSearch adware. So, we advise to check your MAC for any remaining malicious components with free adware removal programs below.
Remove OnlineToolSearch with MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM)
If you are still having issues with the OnlineToolSearch adware removal or just wish to check your computer occasionally for adware software and other malware, then download MalwareBytes Anti Malware. It’s free for home use, and scans for and removes various undesired apps that attacks your MAC OS or degrades machine performance. MalwareBytes can remove hijacker infection, adware, potentially unwanted programs as well as malicious software, including ransomware and trojans.
- Visit the following page to download MalwareBytes Free.
Malwarebytes Anti-malware (Mac)
20986 downloads
Author: Malwarebytes
Category: Security tools
Update: September 10, 2020
- When the downloading process is done, close all programs and windows on your MAC system. Open a file location. Run the downloaded file and follow the prompts.
- Press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this tool for the OnlineToolSearch .
- When MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) has finished scanning, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) will display you the results. All found threats will be marked. You can remove them all by simply press “Remove Selected Items”.
How to stay safe online
The AdGuard is a very good ad blocker program for the Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari, with active user support. It does a great job by removing certain types of undesired advertisements, popunders, popups, undesired new tabs, and even full page ads and website overlay layers. Of course, the AdGuard can stop harmful webpages automatically or by using a custom filter rule.
AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link.
3772 downloads
Author: © Adguard
Category: Security tools
Update: January 17, 2018
After the download is complete, run the downloaded file. The “Setup Wizard” window will show up on the computer screen.
Follow the prompts. AdGuard will then be installed. A window will show up asking you to confirm that you want to see a quick instructions. Press “Skip” button to close the window and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” to see an quick instructions which will allow you get to know AdGuard better.
Each time, when you start your machine, AdGuard will start automatically and stop unwanted ads, block harmful and misleading web pages.
To sum up
Now your machine should be clean of the OnlineToolSearch adware. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you stop unwanted popup advertisements and undesired malicious web-pages) and MalwareBytes AntiMalware (to periodically scan your machine for new malware, hijacker infections and adware). Make sure that you have all the Critical Updates recommended for Mac OS. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new browser hijackers, malicious applications and adware are released.
If you are still having problems while trying to delete OnlineToolSearch ads from your browser, then ask for help here.
