Q: Why do I get an ad for Chumsearch.com every time I open Safari or a new tab?

It sounds like you have adware/malware installed on your hard drive.  You have two options for removing it:

• Download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware for Mac.  It was developed by a trusted and respected contributor here.  It's a simple, non-intrusive program that deletes known malware/adware from your hard drive.  That's all it does.  It doesn't add anything and it doesn't take away anything else.  Unlike anti-virus programs, it doesn't run in the background of your computer, using up resources, and also unlike anti-virus programs (which are unnecessary on Macs), it doesn't actively prevent malware or adware infections.  Its sole purpose is removing them.
• Restart your computer.  As of April 26, 2016, changes made to the support article here --> Stop pop-up ads in Safari - Apple Support state that El Capitan removes adware at login, but only at login.  So, if you don't want to use Malwarebytes, this is another option for you.

Next, go to Safari Preferences --> Extensions and delete any you don't remember installing or that you don't need.  Then, go to Safari Preferences --> Search and change your preferred search engine back to Google.  Lastly, go to Safari Preferences --> General and make sure your homepage has not been changed, and if it has, change it back to what it was before.

pinkstones wrote:

• Restart your computer.  As of April 26, 2016, changes made to the support article here --> Stop pop-up ads in Safari - Apple Support state that El Capitan removes adware at login, but only at login.  So, if you don't want to use Malwarebytes, this is another option for you.

 

I learn something every day!

Thanks.

Ferd II wrote:

 

pinkstones wrote:

• Restart your computer.  As of April 26, 2016, changes made to the support article here --> Stop pop-up ads in Safari - Apple Support state that El Capitan removes adware at login, but only at login.  So, if you don't want to use Malwarebytes, this is another option for you.

 

I learn something every day!

 

Thanks.

You're welcome. 

You may have installed a variant of the "Flashmall" trojan. To remove it, start by backing up all data.

Don't use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product on a Mac. There is never a need for it, and relying on it for protection makes you more vulnerable to attack, not less.

Malware is always changing to get around the defenses against it. This procedure works as of now, as far as I know. It may not work in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for a more recent discussion, or start a new one.

1. Please triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

/Library/LaunchAgents

Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

          Services ▹ Open

from the contextual menu.* A folder named "LaunchAgents" should open.

In the folder, there may be one or more files with a name that begins in either of the following ways:

           com.EasyShopper

           com.SoftwareUpdater

Move each such file to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator password.

2. Open this folder as in Step 1:

~/Library/LaunchAgents

Move to the Trash any files with one of the names listed in the last step.

3. Log out or restart the computer.

4. Open the Applications folder in the Finder. It may have subfolders with any of these names:

           EasyShopper

           mediaDownloader

           SoftwareUpdater

Move each such subfolder to the Trash. Empty the Trash.

5. From the Safari menu bar, select

          Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Extensions

Uninstall all extensions you don't know you need, including one called "SearchAssist," if it's present. If in doubt, remove all of them. None is required for normal operation.

If the search engine setting was changed, change it back in the Search tab. You may also need to change the home page setting in the General tab.

Do the equivalent in the Chrome and Firefox browsers, if you use either of those.

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination  command-C. In the Finder, select

          Go ▹ Go to Folder...

from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

Keywords: chumsearch

RichBP wrote:

 

I finally found that Safari Preferences had the address for chumsearch as my home page. How it got there I don't know. I've downloaded Anti-Malware for Mac and will put it through it's paces. I'm still on Mavericks, so the El Capitan adware removal doesn't apply to me. Thanks for your help.

Rich

You're very welcome!