Safe Finder, one of the many malware browser hijacker applications affecting Mac, can be a hassle to remove. No matter your browser, be it Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer, Safe Finder has found ways to inject unwanted programs into your backend to redirect traffic. Safe Finder ultimately seeks to promote rogue search engines and the Safe Finder browser hijacker also changes your browser settings, default search engine, and browser extensions all while accessing sensitive information.
Use Combo Cleaner
Combo Cleaner is one of the most effective ways of removing the Safe Finder malware from your Mac. Combo Cleaner has a great reputation as an advanced Mac cleaner and can remove malicious programs with relative ease. Since Safe Finder can impact your homepage settings and your search queries, it may be sensible to use an alternate browser. Google Chrome has solid download protection but even Chrome isn’t impervious to this browser hijacker. You may also want to restart your browser of choice. On top of all of this, double-check your bookmarks, passwords, and login items for sites after you run Combo Cleaner to determine if any of your information was compromised by the Safe Finder web browser hijack.
Using an advanced Mac cleaner is an excellent way to circumvent the Safe Finder browser hijacker. If you don’t consider yourself tech-savvy or aren’t sure about navigating your computer’s control panel, it’s always a good idea to review a malware removal guide provided by the advanced Mac cleaner of your choice. Luckily, there are other malware removal methods to consider when it comes to how to get rid of Safe Finder.
Use your web browser
Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox all have different methods for removal, but they operate fairly similarly when it comes to malicious programs like the Safe Finder browser hijacker. Often, Safe Finder adds in a browser extension that is cumbersome as well. For the majority of the time, you’re going to want to go through your web browser preferences to redirect the alterations Safe Finder has made to your home page and default search engine. Other malicious programs operate in a similar way. If you have password and bookmark protection set up on your web browser, you can go through your saved data and bookmarks to determine if anything has been compromised.
While using your web browser can bypass some of the negative effects of malware like the Safe Finder browser hijacker, you’ll still want to see if your preferred browser has any malware protection options that you can activate. This is because it also works to delve into your computer to capture information like IP addresses, site visits, and search queries.
Go through your applications folder
This one is a little tougher, as malware like the SafeFinder hijack tends to leave traces behind. From the main menu of your computer, search for your applications folder. From there, you should be able to do another search for malware known as “launch agents.” If you’re having difficulty spotting them, search for launch agents in the main menu. Once you find them, you can begin to manually remove them from your computer. You’ll also want to remove the Safe Finder app itself so it doesn’t do any lasting damage to your Mac.
It’s still advisable to run a malware sweep after these steps so you don’t risk missing any small traces that you aren’t able to detect on your own.
Products like Safe Finder may seem like they’re there to help but ultimately, they end up doing much more harm than good. Keeping your computer clean is a key part of protecting your personal information, so don’t take it lightly.