How to uninstall FeedChuck from Chrome, Firefox, Safari

What is FeedChuck?

The experienced security specialists have determined that FeedChuck is a PUA (potentially unwanted application) that acts as Browser hijacker. Typically, browser hijackers make changes to the default homepage and search engine of user browsers, making it difficult to change them back. Browser hijackers can also include unwanted pop-ups and ads to show up in the affected web browsers. Browser hijackers are usually installed with freeware or shareware downloaded from third-party websites; they can also be found inside legitimate web sites and apps.

If your Mac has been infected by FeedChuck you’ll be forced to use its own search engine. It could seem not to be dangerous, but you still should be very careful, since it can display intrusive and malicious advertisements designed to force you into buying some questionable software or products, provide search results that may redirect your web browser to some deceptive, misleading or harmful web pages. We suggest that you use only the reliable search provider like Google, Yahoo or Bing.

And finally, the FeedChuck hijacker can gather a wide variety of user information like what web-sites you’re opening, what you are looking for the Web and so on. This information, in the future, can be sold to third parties.

Browser hijackers are usually written in ways common to malware, spyware and adware. In order to get rid of browser hijacker and thus get rid of FeedChuck, you will need use the steps below or run free removal utility listed below.

How can a browser hijacker get on your MAC

Browser hijackers come bundled with various freeware. This means that you need to be very careful when installing new software downloaded from the Internet. Be sure to read the Terms of Use and the Software license, select only the Manual, Advanced or Custom setup option, switch off all additional modules and applications are offered to install.

Threat Summary

Name	FeedChuck
Type	redirect virus, PUP, startpage hijacker, browser hijacker, search provider hijacker
Affected Browser Settings	homepage, new tab page URL, search engine
Distribution	fake update tools, free software installers, suspicious pop up advertisements
Symptoms	Advertising banners appear in places they shouldn’t be. Your internet browser is redirected to web-pages you did not want. There is an unwanted application in the ‘Uninstall a program’ section of your Control Panel. An unwanted browser extension appears in your web-browser. Unexpected changes in your internet browser such as using a new default search engine.
Removal	FeedChuck removal guide

How to remove FeedChuck from Mac computer

If you have an unwanted homepage or search provider, consistent pop-ups or advertisements, slow MAC OS, crashing MAC system issues, you are in need of browser hijacker removal assistance. The guidance below will guide you forward to get FeedChuck search removed and will help you get your MAC operating at peak capacity again.

To remove FeedChuck, complete the following steps:

1. Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device
2. Delete FeedChuck associated software by using the Finder
3. Remove FeedChuck related files and folders
4. Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes
5. Remove FeedChuck from Safari, Chrome, Firefox
6. Block FeedChuck and other unwanted websites

Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device

FeedChuck 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 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 device. If there is Profiles in the list, then click on it, then select a profile associated with FeedChuck.

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

Delete FeedChuck associated software by using the Finder

Go to the Finder and uninstall FeedChuck, other questionable apps and any software you do not remember installing. It’s important to pay the most attention to applications you have recently installed. If you do not know what an app does, look for the answer on the Internet.

Open Finder and click “Applications”.

Very carefully look around the entire list of software installed on your machine. Most probably, one of them is the browser hijacker which causes a redirect to FeedChuck web-page. 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 FeedChuck related files and folders

Now you need to try to find FeedChuck 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.

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

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

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

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

Check for FeedChuck 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 FeedChuck 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.machelper.system.plist, com.installapp.system.plist, com.FeedChuck.system.plist and com.search.system.plist. In most cases, PUPs, browser hijackers and adware create several files with similar names.

Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes

You can delete FeedChuck related files automatically with a help of MalwareBytes Anti-Malware. We recommend this free malicious software removal tool because it can easily remove potentially unwanted programs, browser hijackers, adware software and toolbars with all their components such as files, folders and system entries.

Installing the MalwareBytes is simple. First you’ll need to download MalwareBytes AntiMalware by clicking on the link below. Save it directly to your Microsoft Windows Desktop.

After the downloading process is done, close all programs and windows on your MAC OS. Run the saved file. Follow the prompts.

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

Now click the “Scan” button to detect hijacker responsible for changing your web-browser settings to FeedChuck. A system scan can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your computer. While the MalwareBytes is scanning, you can see how many objects it has identified either as being malicious software.

Once MalwareBytes Anti-Malware has finished scanning your MAC OS, MalwareBytes will show a scan report. When you are ready, press the “Quarantine” button. The MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) will remove browser hijacker responsible for modifying your web-browser settings to FeedChuck and move the selected items to the program’s quarantine.

Remove FeedChuck from Safari, Chrome, Firefox

Remove unwanted extensions is a easy solution to delete FeedChuck search and restore browser’s settings that have been modified by browser hijacker.

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
In the top-right corner, expand the Google 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 remove FeedChuck search 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 FeedChuck home page 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.

Block FeedChuck and other unwanted websites

If you surf the Internet, you can’t avoid malicious advertising. But you can protect your web browser against it. Download and use an adblocker program. AdGuard is an adblocker which can filter out a ton of of the malvertising, stoping dynamic scripts from loading harmful content.

AdGuard can be downloaded from the following link.

After the downloading process is finished, start the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen. Follow the prompts.

Each time, when you start your MAC system, AdGuard will run automatically and stop unwanted pop-up ads, block FeedChuck, as well as other harmful or misleading webpages.

To sum up

Once you’ve done the instructions outlined above, your machine should be clean from FeedChuck and other malware. The Firefox, Chrome and Safari will no longer show the FeedChuck web-site on startup. Unfortunately, if the step-by-step tutorial does not help you, then you have caught a new browser hijacker, and then the best way – ask for help.

Please create a new question by using the “Ask Question” button in the Questions and Answers. Try to give us some details about your problems, so we can try to help you more accurately. Wait for one of our trained “Security Team” or Site Administrator to provide you with knowledgeable assistance tailored to your problem with the unwanted FeedChuck redirect.