How to uninstall FormatBoost app/extension from Mac

What is FormatBoost

According to security experts, FormatBoost is an app (browser extension) that falls under the category of Adware. Adware is form of malware which displays unwanted ads on a computer, redirects search results to advertising web pages and collects user information for marketing purposes. The FormatBoost adware can display banner advertisements, full-screen ads, pop ups, videos, or other varieties of online advertising. These unwanted ads eat MAC resources and slow down your MAC performance. Adware software can attack your MAC system’s web-browsers such as the Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari.

Does adware steal your personal information? Adware can collect personal data, including:

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

By following guide below it is easy to scan and delete adware from Safari, Google Chrome and Firefox and your computer. Learn how to delete FormatBoost and adware apps, as well as how to run a full Mac virus scan.

How does FormatBoost get on your Apple Mac

Usually, adware gets into your MAC as part of a bundle with free applications, sharing files and other unsafe software that you downloaded from the World Wide Web. The developers of adware pays software makers for distributing adware software within their apps. So, additional apps is often included as part of the installer. In order to avoid the installation of any adware: select only Manual, Custom or Advanced installation mode and reject all third-party applications in which you are unsure.

Threat Summary

Name	FormatBoost, FormatBoost 1.0 app
Type	adware, PUP (potentially unwanted program), Mac virus, Mac malware
Detection Names	Adware.MAC.Generic, Program:MacOS/Vigram.A, Adware/Adload!OSX, ApplicUnwnt, Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Adload, MacOS.Agent-MT, OSX.Trojan.Gen and Osx.Adware.Cimpli
Distribution	Freeware installers, fake software updaters, torrent downloads and dubious pop up advertisements
Symptoms	The website links redirect to a web-sites different from what you expected, you experience a large number of of unwanted advertising pop ups, unexpected program installed without your knowledge, new addons suddenly installed on your web browser, unwanted changes in your web-browser such as displaying new tabs you didn’t open, slow Internet or slow browsing.
Removal	FormatBoost removal guide

How to Remove FormatBoost adware (removal guidance)

As with removing adware software, malware or potentially unwanted programs, there are few steps you may do. We suggest trying them all. If you do only one part of the guide, then it should be run malware removal utility, because it should remove adware and block any further infection. But to completely remove FormatBoost you’ll have to at least reset your browser settings, uninstall any unwanted and suspicious apps, and remove adware by malicious software removal utilities. Read it once, after doing so, please bookmark this page (or open it on your smartphone) as you may need to shut down your web-browser or restart your computer.

To remove FormatBoost, perform the following steps:

1. Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device
2. Check the list of installed apps
3. Remove FormatBoost related files and folders
4. Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes
5. Remove FormatBoost from Safari, Chrome, Firefox
6. How to stay safe online
7. Finish words

Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device

FormatBoost can install a configuration profile on the Mac system to block changes made to the browser settings. Therefore, you need to open system preferences, find and delete the profile installed by the adware software.

Click the System Preferences icon ( ) in the Dock, or choose Apple menu ( ) > System Preferences.

In System Preferences, click Profiles, then select a profile related to FormatBoost.

Click the minus button ( – ) located at the bottom-left of the Profiles screen to remove the profile.
Note: if you do not see Profiles in the System Preferences, that means there are no profiles installed on your Mac device, which is normal.

Check the list of installed apps

In order to get rid of browser hijackers, PUPs and adware, open the Finder and click on “Applications”. Check the list of installed apps. For the ones you do not know, run an Internet search to see if they are potentially unwanted programs, browser hijackers and adware. If yes, uninstall them off. Even if they are just a programs that you do not use, then deleting them off will increase your computer start up time and speed dramatically.

Open Finder and click “Applications”.

Very carefully look around the entire list of software installed on your computer. Most likely, one of them is the FormatBoost adware. Once you’ve found a questionable, unwanted or unused program, right click to it and select “Move to Trash”. Another way is drag the application from the Applications folder to the Trash.

Don’t forget, select Finder -> “Empty Trash”.

Remove FormatBoost related files and folders

Now you need to try to find FormatBoost related files and folders, and then delete them manually. You need to look for these files in certain directories. To quickly open them, we recommend using the “Go to Folder…” command.

FormatBoost creates several files, these files must be found and removed. Below is a list of files associated with this unwanted program.

• /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.FormatBoost.system.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.FormatBoost.service.plist
• /Library/Application Support/.(RANDOM)/System/com.FormatBoost.system
• ~/Library/Application Support/.(RANDOM)/Services/com.FormatBoost.service.app

Click on the Finder icon. From the menu bar, select Go and click “Go to Folder…”. As a result, a small window opens that allows you to quickly open a specific directory.

Check for FormatBoost generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/LaunchAgents

This will open the contents of the “/Library/LaunchAgents” folder. Look carefully at it and pay special attention to recently created files, as well as files that have a suspicious name. Move all suspicious files to the Trash. A few examples of files: installapp.plist, search.plist, com.net-preferences.plist, macsearch.plist, com.machelper.plist, com.FormatBoost.service.plist and com.google.defaultsearch.plist, . Most often, browser hijackers, adware software and PUPs create several files with similar names.

Check for FormatBoost generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/Application Support

This will open the contents of the “Application Support” folder. Look carefully at its contents, pay special attention to recently added/changed folder. Check the contents of suspicious folders, if there is a file with a name similar to com.FormatBoost.system, then this folder must be deleted. Move all suspicious folders to the Trash.

Check for FormatBoost generated files in the “~/Library/LaunchAgents” folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
~/Library/LaunchAgents

Proceed in the same way as with the “/Library/LaunchAgents” and “/Library/Application Support” folders. Look for suspicious and recently added files. Move all suspicious files to the Trash.

Check for FormatBoost generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Carefully browse the entire list of files and pay special attention to recently created files, as well as files that have a suspicious name. Move all suspicious files to the Trash. A few examples of files to be deleted: com.FormatBoost.system.plist, com.search.system.plist, com.installapp.system.plist, com.macsearch.system.plist and com.machelper.system.plist. In most cases, PUPs, browser hijackers and adware create several files with similar names.

Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes

You can remove FormatBoost associated files automatically through the use of MalwareBytes Anti Malware. We suggest this free malicious software removal utility because it can easily get rid of toolbars, browser hijackers, potentially unwanted programs and adware with all their components such as files, folders and system entries.

MalwareBytes Anti Malware can be downloaded from the following link.

Once the download is complete, close all applications and windows on your MAC OS. Run the saved file. Follow the prompts.

The MalwareBytes will automatically start and you can see its main screen as shown on the screen below.

Now press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan for the FormatBoost adware. A scan can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the number of files on your MAC and the speed of your MAC OS. When a threat is detected, the number of the security threats will change accordingly. Wait until the the checking is finished.

Once the scan is finished, a list of all items detected is produced. Make sure all threats have ‘checkmark’ and click the “Quarantine” button. The MalwareBytes Free will delete FormatBoost and move the selected threats to the Quarantine.

Remove FormatBoost from Safari, Chrome, Firefox

If you’re still seeing FormatBoost adware that won’t go away, you might have malicious extensions installed on your web-browser. Check your web browser for unwanted plugins using the steps below.

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
In the top-right corner, expand the Chrome menu. In the menu go to ‘More tools’, then ‘Extensions’. Click ‘Remove’ to uninstall an extension. Click ‘Remove’ in the dialog box. You can also try to get rid of FormatBoost by reset Google Chrome settings.	Click on ‘menu’ button and select ‘Add-ons’. Go to ‘Extensions’ tab. To uninstall an add-on, click on ‘Remove’ button next to it. If you are still experiencing problems with FormatBoost adware removal, you need to reset Firefox browser.
Safari
On the top menu select ‘Safari’, then ‘Preferences’. Select ‘Extensions’ tab. Select an extension you want to delete and click ‘Uninstall’ button next to it.

How to stay safe online

In order to increase your security and protect your machine against new undesired advertisements and malicious web-pages, you need to use ad blocker application that stops an access to harmful advertisements and web-pages. Moreover, the program can block the display of intrusive advertising, which also leads to faster loading of web pages and reduce the consumption of web traffic.

1. Please go to the following link to download AdGuard.
   
   

   AdGuard for Mac download
   3771 downloads
   Author: © Adguard
   Category: Security tools
   Update: January 17, 2018
   
2. After the downloading process is done, run the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
3. Once the installation is done, press “Skip” to close the installation program and use the default settings, or press “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial which will allow you get to know AdGuard better.
4. In most cases, the default settings are enough and you don’t need to change anything. Each time, when you start your MAC, AdGuard will run automatically and stop intrusive ads, block malicious and misleading web pages.

Finish words

Now your machine should be clean of the FormatBoost adware. We suggest that you keep MalwareBytes Free (to periodically scan your machine for new adware softwares and other malware) and AdGuard (to help you stop undesired pop up advertisements and malicious webpages). Moreover, to prevent any adware software, please stay clear of unknown and third party applications.

If you need more help with FormatBoost related issues, go to here.