MacBook Air factory reset not removing adware

Han_1429 wrote:

• I factory reset my Mac book air because there was adware redirecting my safari searches to spammy ads.

When you factory reset your Mac, what did you do? Did you erase/format the drive? Then did you migrate files and other things over from your old setup? If you did, you probably migrated over and reinstalled the same problem on the fresh system.

To factory reset your Mac, make two or three backups, multiple backups in case something goes wrong with one.

The follow this: Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings - Apple Support

One first boot, create a new administrator user, say call it ADMIN, don't use the same name as you had for one of your previous user accounts.

With that sole user ADMIN and a fresh MacOS with nothing installed, test Safari for normal behavior.

If it is normal, then run Migration Assistant and migrate USER ACCOUNTS and FILES ONLY (no settings, no applications, no "other") from your backup.

Log in as your normal user and test for normal operation.

As Leroy indicated, do not install "Clean" programs nor Anti-Virus software. Some of these programs interfere with regular operations of the system and can also result in odd browser behaviors.

Taking everything you describe at face value, there is only one remaining possible cause: a compromised router. Did you try resetting yours? It usually requires a "hard reset" by using a tiny recessed momentary pushbutton, possibly while simultaneously reconnecting it to power, followed by reconfiguring it step by step from the ground up. You will need to consult your router's documentation for instructions.

Needless to say, using utterly useless non-Apple "anti-virus" and / or "cleaning" products will only result in additional trouble. Uninstall all that junk first, and then read Removing "Search Marquis" / "Search Baron" / etc on your own - Apple Community. Post the three screenshots it describes in a reply to this Discussion, but please don't do that until after removing the junk.

Han_1429 wrote:

• I factory reset my Mac book air because there was adware redirecting my safari searches to spammy ads.

I have tried:

other search engines (bing)

• other browsers(opera, chrome)

• anti-virus software(clean my Mac--> came up with no threats found, AntiVirus one--> same as clean my Mac)

• searching through my files to find suspicious name myself(couldn't find anything)

• looked at the programs registered to open at boot up(mostly nothing but definitely nothing suspicious)

• factory reset(stopped for about a week and I haven't re-installed anything but big name applications like Unity and Spotify. Then it came back today)

How do I stop it?

P.S. Also I would like to note it only redirects when I'm not going to very popular websites like Youtube or Apple which I thought was kinda weird but doesn't solve my problem.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

< clean my Mac >

< AntiVirus one >

Third party AntiVirus is not recommended— it typically does nothing but add issues to the macOS and competes directly with Apple’s own built in security:

Uninstall all third party apps that are Cleaners/Optimizers/Anti-Virus/VPN and compare your results.

macOS - Security - Apple macOS - Security - Apple

Apple Platform Security - Apple Apple Platform Security - Apple Support