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

What is ChangingSystem

ChangingSystem is an adware application that targets Mac platform. Adware is a form of malicious software that is created just to display constant pop up windows and/or annoying advertisements using intrusive and at times dangerous ways. Adware can also include other forms of malicious software. It can steal sensitive information from the MAC and pass it on to third parties. Adware has also been the basis for hacking to gain access to the Mac computer.

The worst is, adware software can gather user data, including:

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

To find out how to get rid of ChangingSystem app, we recommend to read the guide added to this blog post below. The instructions was prepared by experienced security professionals who discovered a way to get rid of the adware out of the computer.

How does ChangingSystem get on your computer

In most cases, adware software come together with the installers from file sharing and torrents web-pages. So, install freeware is a a good chance that you will find a bundled adware. If you don’t know how to avoid it, then use a simple trick. During the installation, select the Custom or Advanced install option. Next, click ‘Decline’ button and clear all checkboxes on offers that ask you to install third-party programs. Moreover, please carefully read Term of use and User agreement before installing any new software.

Threat Summary

Name	ChangingSystem, ChangingSystem 1.0 app
Type	adware software, potentially unwanted application (PUA), Mac virus, Mac malware
Detection Names	Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Adload, Program:MacOS/Vigram.A, MacOS.Agent-MT, Adware/Adload!OSX, ApplicUnwnt, OSX.Trojan.Gen, Osx.Adware.Cimpli and Adware.MAC.Generic
Distribution	Free software installers, torrent downloads, suspicious pop-up ads and fake update tools
Symptoms	When you go to a web site, you are periodically redirected to another web page that you do not intend to visit, adverts appear in places they shouldn’t be, your computer starts automatically installing unwanted software, unwanted web browser toolbars, your web-browser start page has modified without your permission, slow Internet browsing speeds.
Removal	ChangingSystem removal guide

How to remove ChangingSystem adware

Adware is a form of malware that you might have difficulty in uninstalling it from your MAC. Thankfully, you have found the effective ChangingSystem adware removal steps in this post. Both the manual removal solution and the automatic removal method will be provided below and you can just choose the one that best for you. If you have any questions or need assist then type a comment below. Read this manual carefully, bookmark it or open this page on your smartphone, because you may need to close your browser or reboot your MAC.

To remove ChangingSystem, complete the following steps:

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

Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device

ChangingSystem can make changes to the Mac system such as malicious changes to browser settings, and the addition of malicious system profiles. You need to check the system preferences, find and remove malicious profiles and ensure your settings are as you expect.

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 ChangingSystem.

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 computer, which is normal.

Remove ChangingSystem associated software by using the Finder

In the next step, you need to check the list of installed applications on your Mac and uninstall all unused, unknown and dubious programs.

Open Finder and click “Applications”.

It will show a list of all programs installed on your machine. Scroll through the all list, and uninstall any suspicious and unknown software. Right click to suspicious program and choose “Move to Trash”. Another solution is drag the application from the Applications folder to the Trash.

Most important, scroll through the all list, and move to trash any unknown applications. Don’t forget, choose Finder -> Empty Trash.

Remove ChangingSystem related files and folders

Now you need to try to find ChangingSystem 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.

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

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

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

Check for ChangingSystem 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.ChangingSystem.system, then this folder must be deleted. Move all suspicious folders and files to the Trash.

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

Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes

If you’re still having problems with the ChangingSystem removal or just wish to scan your Mac occasionally for adware and other malicious software, then download MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM). It is free for home use, and searches for and removes various unwanted software that attacks your MAC OS or degrades computer performance. MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM) can remove browser hijackers, adware, potentially unwanted programs and toolbars as well as malware, including ransomware and trojans.

Visit the page linked below to download MalwareBytes AntiMalware (MBAM).

When the download is finished, close all applications and windows on your MAC system. Run the saved file. Follow the prompts.

The MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) will automatically start and you can see its main screen as shown on the image below.

Now press the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this tool for the ChangingSystem . A system scan may take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your MAC. During the scan MalwareBytes will detect threats exist on your machine.

Once the checking is finished, MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) will display a list of found threats. Review the report and then press the “Quarantine” button. The MalwareBytes Anti Malware (MBAM) will get rid of ChangingSystem and move the selected items to the Quarantine.

Remove ChangingSystem from Safari, Chrome, Firefox

If you’re still getting ChangingSystem , then you can try to get rid of it by uninstalling harmful add-ons.

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, select ‘More tools’ and click on ‘Extensions’. Click ‘Remove’ to uninstall an extension. Click ‘Remove’ in the dialog box. You can also try to delete ChangingSystem adware software 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 ChangingSystem 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

By installing an ad-blocking program such as AdGuard, you’re able to block malicious webpages, stop autoplaying video ads and remove a ton of distracting and unwanted ads on web-sites.

1. Download AdGuard from the following link.
   
   

   AdGuard for Mac download
   3772 downloads
   Author: © Adguard
   Category: Security tools
   Update: January 17, 2018
   
2. Once the downloading process is finished, launch the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” program window. Follow the prompts.
3. When the installation is complete, press “Skip” to close the install program and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial which will assist 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 launch your MAC, AdGuard will start automatically and stop annoying advertisements, block harmful and misleading web-pages.

Finish words

Now your MAC should be free of the ChangingSystem adware. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you block unwanted ads and intrusive harmful web pages) and MalwareBytes (to periodically scan your MAC system for new adwares and other malicious software).

If you are still having problems while trying to remove ChangingSystem from the Safari, Firefox and Google Chrome, then ask for help here here.