How to uninstall UpgradeSearchView app/extension from Mac (Virus removal guide)

What is UpgradeSearchView

UpgradeSearchView is an adware application that targets Mac computers. Adware’s basic purpose is to display advertisements. These ads are often shown as advertising banners, pop-ups, push notifications and fake alerts. Clicks on the ads produce a monetary payoff for the adware authors. Adware can work like Spyware, since it sends confidential info such as searches and trends to advertisers.

Another reason why you need to remove UpgradeSearchView is its online data-tracking activity. It has the ability to gather a wide variety of marketing-type data about you to get profit. UpgradeSearchView can analyze your surfing, and gain access to your confidential information and, afterwards, can transfer it third party companies. Thus, there are more than enough reasons to remove the adware from your Mac.

In the step-by-step tutorial below, we will explain useful solutions on how to remove UpgradeSearchView adware from your MAC and clean your web-browser of unwanted ads.

How does UpgradeSearchView get on your computer

Adware is usually bundled with free software which downloaded from the Internet. Which means that you need to be proactive and carefully read the Terms of use and the License agreement properly. For the most part, adware and potentially unwanted software will be clearly described, so take the time to carefully read all the information about the software that you downloaded and want to install on your machine.

Threat Summary

Name	UpgradeSearchView, UpgradeSearchView 1.0 app
Type	adware, PUP (potentially unwanted program), Mac virus, Mac malware
Detection Names	Program:MacOS/Vigram.A, Osx.Adware.Cimpli, Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Adload, OSX.Trojan.Gen, Adware.MAC.Generic, MacOS.Agent-MT, Adware/Adload!OSX and ApplicUnwnt
Distribution	Freeware installers, fake software updaters, suspicious pop-up advertisements and torrent downloads
Symptoms	When you go to a web page, you are constantly redirected to another web-site that you do not intend to visit, you experience lots of of unexpected pop up windows, your Apple Mac starts automatically installing unwanted programs, unexpected toolbars in your internet browser, your web browser home page has modified and you are unable to change it back, fast Internet but slow browsing speeds.
Removal	UpgradeSearchView removal guide

How to remove UpgradeSearchView

If you have consistent pop-ups, fake alers, redirects scam pages, unwanted ads, slow machine or freezing machine issues, you are in need of adware removal assistance. The steps below will guide you forward to get UpgradeSearchView adware removed and will assist you get your computer operating at peak capacity again.

To remove UpgradeSearchView, use the following steps:

1. Remove profiles created by UpgradeSearchView
2. Remove UpgradeSearchView associated software by using the Finder
3. Remove UpgradeSearchView related files and folders
4. Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes
5. Remove UpgradeSearchView from Safari, Chrome, Firefox
6. How to stay safe online

Remove profiles created by UpgradeSearchView

UpgradeSearchView 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.

Click Apple menu ( ) > System Preferences.

In System Preferences, select Profiles. if there is no Profiles in the list of preferences, that means there are no profiles installed on the Mac. If there is Profiles in the list, then click on it, then select a profile related to UpgradeSearchView.

To delete a malicious profile, click on the minus button ( – ) located at the bottom-left of the Profiles screen.

Remove UpgradeSearchView associated software by using the Finder

It’s of primary importance to identify and remove browser hijackers, PUPs and adware through ‘Applications’ section of your Finder.

1. Open the Finder.
2. Click “Applications”.
3. It will open a list of all programs installed on the Apple Mac.
4. Scroll through the all list, and delete dubious and unknown programs. Pay maximum attention to the application you installed last.
5. Drag the questionable program from the Applications folder to the Trash.
6. Empty Trash.

Remove UpgradeSearchView related files and folders

Now you need to try to find UpgradeSearchView 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.

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

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

Some files created by UpgradeSearchView are hidden from the user. To find and delete them, you need to enable “show hidden files”. To do this, use the shortcut CMD + SHIFT + . Press once to show hidden files and again to hide them. There is another way. Click Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal. In Terminal, paste the following text: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

Press Enter. Hold the ‘Option/alt’ key, then right click on the Finder icon in the dock and click Relaunch.

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 UpgradeSearchView 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: com.net-preferences.plist, com.machelper.plist, macsearch.plist, com.google.defaultsearch.plist, , search.plist, installapp.plist and com.UpgradeSearchView.service.plist. Most often, adware, browser hijackers and potentially unwanted programs create several files with similar names.

Check for UpgradeSearchView 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 folders and files. Check the contents of suspicious folders, if there is a file with a name similar to com.UpgradeSearchView.system, then this folder must be deleted. Move all suspicious folders and files to the Trash.

Check for UpgradeSearchView 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 UpgradeSearchView 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.machelper.system.plist, com.UpgradeSearchView.system.plist, com.search.system.plist, com.installapp.system.plist and com.macsearch.system.plist. In most cases, potentially unwanted programs, browser hijackers and adware create several files with similar names.

Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes

We recommend using MalwareBytes Free to scan the Mac computer for adware, potentially unwanted programs and browser hijackers. This free tool is an advanced malware removal program designed by (c) Malwarebytes lab. This program uses the world’s most popular anti malware technology. It’s able to help you get rid of browser hijackers and other security threats from your Mac for free.

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

   Malwarebytes Anti-malware (Mac)
   20851 downloads
   Author: Malwarebytes
   Category: Security tools
   Update: September 10, 2020
   
2. Once the download is complete, close all apps and windows on your Apple Mac. Open a file location. Run the downloaded file and follow the prompts.
3. Click the “Scan” button for checking your machine for the UpgradeSearchView adware software. This process can take quite a while, so please be patient. While the MalwareBytes Free is scanning, you can see number of objects it has identified either as being malicious software.
4. When the system scan is done, MalwareBytes Anti Malware will produce a list of unwanted apps and adware software. All found items will be marked. You can delete them all by simply click “Quarantine”.

Remove UpgradeSearchView from Safari, Chrome, Firefox

This step will show you how to remove malicious extensions. This can remove UpgradeSearchView adware and fix some surfing issues, especially after adware infection.

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
Click on ‘three dots menu’ button at the top right corner of the Google Chrome window. When the drop-down menu appears, choose ‘More tools’ and click on ‘Extensions’. Click ‘Remove’ to uninstall an extension. Click ‘Remove’ in the dialog box. You can also try to remove UpgradeSearchView by reset 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 issues with UpgradeSearchView adware removal, you need to reset Mozilla 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

If you want to remove intrusive ads, browser redirects and pop-ups, then install an adblocker program like AdGuard. It can block unwanted ads and pop-ups, stop web-pages from tracking your online activities when using the Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Safari. So, if you like surf the Web, but you don’t like annoying ads and want to protect your Apple Mac from malicious web sites, then the AdGuard is your best choice.

AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link.

Once the download is finished, start 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 intrusive popups, block harmful and misleading webpages.

Finish words

Now your MAC OS should be free of the UpgradeSearchView adware. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you stop unwanted advertisements and annoying harmful web pages) and MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) (to periodically scan your MAC for new malware, hijackers and adware). Make sure that you have all the Critical Updates recommended for Mac operating system. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new hijackers, malicious applications and adware are released.

If you are still having problems while trying to get rid of UpgradeSearchView from your browser, then ask for help here.