How do i get rid of istartsurf?

You may have googled it and ended up with a host of other problems from rogue sites offering help. Try this first ...

https://www.malwarebytes.org/trial/?gclid=COXs7MGKwccCFWHlwgod2F8Eww

First, never use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" software on a Mac. That's how you create problems, not how you solve them.

If Safari is not affected, you may have installed a malicious Chrome extension such as "Adblock Super" or "News Ticker Remover." Remove all extensions you don't know you need. If in doubt, remove all of them.

Linc Davis wrote:

First, never use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" software on a Mac. That's how you create problems, not how you solve them.

Be advised that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac fits in neither of these categories. All it will do is search for adware and display any that has been detected and allow the user to delete or not to delete same.

Ciao.

Your question brings up the subject of removing adware. This is a general comment on that subject.

The only tools that anyone needs to detect and remove adware are the Finder and a web browser, both of which you already have. Anyone who has enough computer skill to install adware can just as well remove it without using anything else.

Under no circumstances should you ever allow anti-virus software to delete something for you.

Apple doesn't endorse any third-party "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product. Here and here are its general statements about malware protection, and here are its instructions for removing the most common types of ad-injection malware. None of those support pages mentions anti-malware products. An Apple employee who recommends such a product is speaking only for himself or herself, not for the company. See this thread for an example of what the results can be.

You become infected with malware by downloading unknown software without doing research to determine whether it's safe. If you keep making that mistake, the same, and worse, will keep happening, and no anti-malware will rescue you. Your own intelligence and caution are the only reliable defense.

The Windows/Android anti-malware industry had more than $75 billion in sales in 2014 [source: Gartner, Inc.] Its marketing strategy is to convince people that they're helpless against malware attack unless they use its products. But with all that anti-malware, the Windows and Android platforms are still infested with malware—most of it far more harmful than mere adware. The same can be expected to happen to the Mac platform if its users trust the same industry to protect them, instead of protecting themselves.

You are not helpless, and you don't have to give full control of your computer—and your data—to strangers in order to be rid of adware.

These are generalities. Regarding the "malwarebytes" product in particular, you may be told that there are no reports that is has caused damage. In fact, I know of two such reports: one by ASC user Big Kev55 in this thread, and one by LizardMBP in this thread. Draw your own conclusions from those reports. There are also many reports that the Windows version of the product has deleted essential Windows system files; see, for example, this thread on the developer's own support forum.

Whether the software damages the system or not, it takes full control and connects to a server controlled by the developer. There is no way of knowing what information it sends to that server.

The question then is: as a security-conscious computer user, do you want to take such risks when there is no offsetting benefit whatsoever?

Please note that the so called damage caused by AdWare Medic in the thread by LizardMBP was nothing more than a fabricated web of lies. When questioned by the author of AdWare Medic regarding test results and times of emails, etc, the OP (LizardMBP) was caught in this web of lies and requested the thread be deleted. The hosts granted that wish. YOU can draw your conclusions from that action.

Also, a high ranking helper here at ASC is quoted as saying:

"The site is hosted by Apple, which does not allow it to be used to distribute harmful software"

HE is correct.

pezzacheese wrote:

Ive tried almost every suggestion on how to get rid of istartsurf, from clearing my extentions to installing malware removers and nothing seems to work. every time I open Chrome it opens with istartsurf. please help!

Try MalwareBytes It is both safe and reliable and used by Apple Techs I know with great success.

Cheers

Pete

You wrote in your original message that you've tried "malware removers" and they didn't work. So the question of whether you should use them is already settled.

Linc Davis wrote:

You wrote in your original message that you've already tried "malware removers" and they didn't work. So the question of whether you should use them is already settled.

No, that would depend on which Apps the OP tried. Most are not dependable as you well know. MalwareBytes is very reliable. If the OP has used it and it didn't work then perhaps they should try to remove it manually.

Pete

Linc Davis wrote:

Under no circumstances should you ever allow anti-virus software to delete something for you.

I have already pointed out that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac is not an anti virus or anti malware application. I would recommend that you inspect it in detail so that you understand what is and is not. It is not our purpose here to cause confusion in other peoples minds.

Apple doesn't endorse any third-party "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product.

What you omit fail to mention is that Apple does NOT discourage the use of third party applications for solving various problems and it never has. The reader should understand that there can be and often are better and simpler alternatives to problem solving than just what is available from Applle.

An Apple employee who recommends such a product is speaking only for himself or herself, not for the company. See this thread for an example of what the results can be.

Note that the discussion that you are alluding to is in regards to Sophos, not Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac. Sophos is an AV application, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac is not. Your thinking seems confused here.

An Apple employee who recommends such a product is speaking only for himself or herself, not for the company.

You apparently do not understand how large businesses are organized and run. In the case of Apple, telephone support personnel and genius bar technicians are trained by Apple on how to deal with the Apple consumer community. They are coached what to say, how to say it and what to avoid saying, all of which is common to a multitude of large corporations. They do this because all of these people DO speak for Apple when they are engaged with customers. Sadly this statement of yours is a gross error.

The fact is that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac has been recommended by Apple telephone support personnel and genius bar technicians because it is fast, effective and comprehensive and BETTER than the Apple alternative. No where have you ever shown that that there are risks associated with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac that can damage your MBP. If you have actual proof to the contrary, please present it.

Ciao

Linc Davis wrote:

Regarding the "malwarebytes" product in particular, you may be told that there are no reports that is has caused damage. In fact, I know of two such reports: one by ASC user Big Kev55 in this thread, and one by LizardMBP in this thread. Draw your own conclusions from those reports. There are also many reports that the Windows version of the product has deleted essential Windows system files; see, for example, this thread on the developer's own support forum.

Whether the software damages the system or not, it takes full control and connects to a server controlled by the developer. There is no way of knowing what information it sends to that server.

The question then is: as a security-conscious computer user, do you want to take such risks when there is no offsetting benefit whatsoever?

These statements are outright libel. There is no actual evidence that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac has caused any damage to any systems. Linc knows that the two reports he's using to attack this software present only two users opinions without any evidence to back them up, and in one case the report was filled with numerous false statements that were caught and resulted in the post getting removed.

I don't deny the possibility of bugs in any piece of software. However, I also know that many people without a lot of tech experience frequently mis-attribute problems. Case in point, there were numerous complaints here not long ago about how upgrading to Yosemite "caused" adware problems. This was not at all true, but because for some people, adware problems coincided in time with the upgrade, they blamed the update. This is not their fault, but neither would it be appropriate for an expert who knows better to start running around waving his hands and yelling "Yosemite installs adware!"

For the record, I, as the original developer of AdwareMedic (which is now Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac), have never seen a single confirmed case of a system or browser damaged by either AdwareMedic or Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac. If it were to happen at some point in the future, I would address it immediately, but as far as I can tell, it still hasn't happened yet.

As for the implication that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac "takes full control and connects to a server controlled by the developer" - first, the statement that the software "takes full control" is blatantly false. The Malwarebytes app takes full control of your computer no more than any other third-party app, such as OmniDiskSweeper or GrandPerspective, both of which Linc has been known to recommend running with root privileges.

As for the implications that something fishy is going on with the communication to the server, one has only to use tcpdump to monitor the data being sent and received by Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac. Linc surely knows how this is done, and could verify that the communications are to check for and download updates. Since he has not done so and chooses to make up stories about the network activity instead is deceitful.