Bing redirect is a type of browser virus that can change your default search engine and homepage to Bing without your consent. It can also display unwanted ads and pop-ups on your screen, redirect you to malicious websites, and collect your browsing data. If you have noticed these symptoms on your Mac, you may have been infected by Bing redirect. This article will show you how to remove Bing redirect and stop it hijacking your browser.
Before we start
App Cleaner & Uninstaller
What is Bing redirect virus on Mac?
At first sight, the tactic of hijacking a web browser and sending the user’s traffic to Bing may not make a whole lot of sense.
Whenever the redirect is underway, you may notice your browser resolving a number of unfamiliar domains such as SearchBaron.com or SearchMarquis.com before ending up on the destination site. These entities redistribute the traffic in a flexible way so that it hits a series of advertising networks and the crooks rake in ad revenue.
The in-between URLs are only visible momentarily in the status bar at the bottom of the browser window. With that said, the role of Bing in this scheme is trivial – it cloaks the dubious gist of the attack to a certain extent, making it look like you are dealing with a browser misconfiguration glitch rather than a malware infection.
How did Bing redirect get into my Mac?
If you are experiencing these adverse effects, it means you fell for a booby-trapped app installation trick at some point. The Bing redirect virus is distributed through bundling, a technique that promotes potentially unwanted programs under the guise of something benign. For example, you may have clicked on a bogus Adobe Flash Player update pop-up when browsing, only to unknowingly allow the malicious object to infiltrate your Mac under the same umbrella.
The pest may also accompany scareware programs such as Mac Cleanup Pro or Mac Auto Fixer.
How to remove Bing redirect from Mac
Now that you know how this malicious entity manifests itself, let’s see how to purge it from your Mac for good. First, you’ll need to get rid of the components of the baddie sprinkled across the system, and then tidy up the affected web browser.
Before you begin, keep in mind that there is no such thing as an executable or app called “Bing redirect” or similar. Therefore, you should follow your intuition and look for suspicious entries you didn’t knowingly install onto your Mac.
Delete malicious app and files
- Click the Go menu icon in the Finder and select Utilities.
- Click Activity Monitor.
- Spot an unfamiliar entry under the Process Name column and kill it by clicking the Quit Process button in the left-hand upper part of the Activity Monitor screen. Confirm if necessary.
- Return to the Finder’s Go menu and choose Go to Folder (or hit Command+Shift+G keys simultaneously). This will open the folder search dialog. Type /Library/LaunchAgents and press Enter.
- Once the LaunchAgents folder is opened, examine its contents and locate potentially unwanted entries (e.g. “com.pcv.helperamc.plist”, “com.mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”). Drag these files to the Trash when found.
- Use the Go to Folder navigation feature to open the following paths one by one: ~Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons, and /Library/Application Support. Scrutinize these directories for dubious files and send the suspects to the Trash.
- Expand the Go menu in your Mac’s Finder again and select Applications.
- Look for the malicious application (e.g. Spaces.app) and send it to the Trash without a second thought. When done, empty the Trash.
- Select System Settings in the Finder menu. Go to the Users & Groups section and select Login Items. Find an unwanted profile and click the “i” button to remove it from the list.
- Reboot your Mac.
Get rid of Bing virus in the web browser
The most effective way to stop noxious redirects to Bing.com in the browser is to reset it to its original defaults. Be advised that all versions of Safari released since 2015 lack a reset feature. But don’t worry – we’ll show you a workaround.
Fixing the problem in Safari:
- Go to Safari Preferences, click the Advanced tab and enable the option that says Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- Click the Develop icon that has just been added to the Safari menu. Select Empty Caches.
- Click the History icon in the Safari menu and select Clear History in the list. Follow on-screen prompts to clear all browsing history.
- Go to Safari Preferences and click the Privacy tab. Now, click the button that says Manage Website Data.
- Click Remove All button.
- Restart Safari.
Resetting Google Chrome:
- Click the Customize and control Google Chrome (⁝) icon and select Settings.
- Click the Advanced button.
- Go down to the Reset settings section and click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Click Reset settings to confirm the action.
- Restart Chrome.
Resetting Mozilla Firefox:
- Go to Help > Troubleshooting Information.
- Click Refresh Firefox.
- Confirm the changes on the follow-up dialog.
- Restart Firefox.
How to quickly reset apps on Mac
You can quickly reset web browsers and any application with the help of free tool App Cleaner & Uninstaller. App Cleaner & Uninstaller allows you to completely uninstall programs on Mac, remove all their service files, remove leftovers of uninstalled apps or just reset apps to the first-state launch state.
Here is how to reset Google Chrome and Safari to remove Bing-redirect items from your computer:
- Launch App Cleaner & Uninstaller.
- Select Google Chrome in the list of apps → Right-click on it → click Select Service Files for Removal.
- Then find and select Safari in the list of apps → Right-click on it → click Select Service Files for Removal.
- Click the Remove button.
Conclusion
Manual removal of Bing redirect virus from your comouter is an effective technique, but you may encounter a roadblock along the way. It’s difficult to identify all the associated malicious files because their names vary and might imply no clues about their dodgy essence. Therefore, this cleaning method can be a shot in the dark in some cases.
