Q: My safari won't work unless I click a link?

See whether your home page has been changed in the General tab of the Safari preferences window.

It sounds to me like Safari is trying to open a page that no longer exists every time it opens. This could be some page that the adware had caused to be opened, and Safari is still trying to open it even though the adware is gone.

This is not really a problem, and doesn't mean you can't use Safari... just go on to another site. Use a bookmark, type an address in the URL/search bar, etc. It is annoying, though.

To prevent it from happening, you can modify your settings as Linc has suggested. Alternately, if you have Safari set to pick up where you left off (ie, the "Safari opens with" setting is "All windows from last session"), and you like it that way, quit Safari, then hold down the shift key while re-opening it. This will force Safari not to open the last page(s) that were open and start with a clean slate.

If you're having trouble at times other than just when Safari first starts up, please provide more details about that.

Do you have any anti-virus software installed, perhaps that you installed in an attempt to remove the adware? (AdwareMedic doesn't count, it's not anti-virus software.) If so, try uninstalling that anti-virus software. Anti-virus software is almost universally bad on the Mac, and isn't necessary. It won't protect you well against adware, either.

If that doesn't help, try starting up your computer in safe mode:

OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? - Apple Support

Test Safari while in safe mode. Does the problem go away? If so, and if it comes back when you restart normally, it's due to some third-party software you have installed.

If the problem still occurs in safe mode, try disabling all Safari extensions. Go to the Extensions pane of Safari's preferences window and change the big On/Off switch in the upper right corner of that preference pane to Off. Test again. Is the problem gone? If so, it's being caused by one of your Safari extensions.

If the problem continues, take your Mac somewhere else and connect to a different network, such as a free wifi network at a coffee shop or local library, or a wifi network at the home of a friend or relative. If the problem goes away then, it's an issue with your network. Your network hardware may have been hacked. In this case, see:

http://www.adwaremedic.com/kb/hackedrouter.php

(Fair disclosure: I may receive compensation from links to my sites, TheSafeMac.com and AdwareMedic.com.)

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

Step 1

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.

Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

Step 2

The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.

Please take this step regardless of the results of Step 1.

Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.

Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.

Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.

Test while in safe mode. Same problem?

After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2.

Start up in Recovery mode. In the OS X Utilities screen, select Get Help Online. A clean copy of Safari will launch. No plugins, such as Flash, will be available. While in Recovery, you'll have no access to your saved bookmarks or passwords, so make a note of those before you begin, if they're needed for the test.

Test. After testing, restart as usual and post the results.