{"id":89643,"date":"2019-01-26T00:03:16","date_gmt":"2019-01-26T00:03:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=89643"},"modified":"2019-01-25T07:45:04","modified_gmt":"2019-01-25T07:45:04","slug":"remove-search-operator-com-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-search-operator-com-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove Search-operator.com from Mac (Safari, Chrome &#038; Firefox)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Search-operator.com<\/strong> is a browser hijacker that it will change the homepage and search engine for your web browser to <em>http:\/\/search-operator.com<\/em>.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad3648807358\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_360520\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_89645\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-89645\" style=\"width: 1301px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/search-operator.com-redirect.jpg\" alt=\"Image: Chrome browser is redirected to the Search-operator.com site\" width=\"1311\" height=\"745\" class=\"size-full wp-image-89645\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/search-operator.com-redirect.jpg 1311w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/search-operator.com-redirect-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/search-operator.com-redirect-1024x582.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1311px) 100vw, 1311px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-89645\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image: Chrome browser is redirected to the Search-operator.com site<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Search-operator.com redirect is caused by the &#8220;<em>Search Operator<\/em>&#8221; extension which is installed by the users, whether that is knowingly or not. Often, this type of program is offered through advertisements or bundled with other software, leaving the user puzzled where this software came from.<br \/>\nBrowser hijackers are a type of malware created for the purpose of modifying Internet browser settings without the user\u2019s knowledge or consent.<\/p>\n<p>The Search Operator browser hijacker will change your\u00a0browser search provider to http:\/\/search-operator.com, which will redirect to bing.com result pages. This is most likely done to generate advertising revenue by using Bing Search for its search results.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2943082797\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381396-ad_309691-placement_360566\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1471373341\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>When the Search-operator.com browser hijacker is installed, common symptoms include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Changing the web browser&#8217;s default homepage to Search Operator New Tab<\/li>\n<li>Changing the browser&#8217;s search provider to https:\/\/search-operator.com<\/li>\n<li>Ability to modify the &#8216;new tab&#8217; functionality to launch the modified search portal page<\/li>\n<li>Loads into the web browser via the Search Operator extension or add-on<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"mt_noteg\">You should <strong>always pay attention when installing software<\/strong> because often, a software installer includes optional installs, such as this Search-operator.com browser hijacker. Be very careful what you agree to install.<br \/>\n<strong>Always opt for the custom installation<\/strong> and deselect anything that is not familiar, especially optional software that you never wanted to download and install in the first place. It goes without saying that you should not install software that you don\u2019t trust.<\/div>\n<div id=\"mwtad2372650106\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309746-ad_309691-placement_360521\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4456629336\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"mt_title\">How to remove Search-operator.com from Mac (Safari, Chrome &amp; Firefox)<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">This malware removal guide may appear overwhelming due to the amount of the steps and numerous programs that are being used. We have only written it this way to provide clear, detailed, and easy to understand instructions that anyone can use to remove malware for free.<br \/>\nPlease perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point, <strong>STOP<\/strong> and <a href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/forums\/malware-removal-assistance.10\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ask for our assistance<\/a>.<\/div>\n<div class=\"mwt_summary\">To remove the Search-operator.com redirect, follow these steps:<\/div>\n<ul class=\"stepsbox\">\n<li><a href=\"#uninstall\">STEP 1: Remove the Search Operator app from Mac<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#browser\">STEP 2: Uninstall Search Operator extension from Safari, Chrome, or Firefox<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#malwarebytes\">STEP 3: Use Malwarebytes for Mac to remove Search-operator.com redirect<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"uninstall\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 1: Remove the Search Operator app from Mac<\/h3>\n<p>In this first step, we will try to identify and remove any malicious app that might be installed on your device.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps_tab\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Open &#8220;Finder&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Click the <strong>Finder<\/strong> application on your dock.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84113 alignnone\" title=\"Open Finder\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Open-Finder.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Finder\" width=\"650\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Open-Finder.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Open-Finder-300x98.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Applications&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In the Finder left pane, click on &#8220;<strong>Applications<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84140 alignnone\" title=\"Click Applications\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Applications.jpg\" alt=\"Click Applications macOS\" width=\"386\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Applications.jpg 386w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Applications-300x272.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Find and remove the Search Operator app.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>&#8220;Applications&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0screen will be displayed with a list of all the apps installed on your device. Scroll through the list until you find the <strong>Search Operator<\/strong> app, right-click it, and then click <strong>&#8220;Move to Trash&#8221;<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noter\">\n<p>The malicious app may have a different name on your device. If you cannot find any malicious apps, you can proceed with the next step.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84132 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Find-The-Malicious-App-and-Remove-It-1.jpg\" alt=\"Find The Malicious App and Remove It\" width=\"650\" height=\"382\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Find-The-Malicious-App-and-Remove-It-1.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Find-The-Malicious-App-and-Remove-It-1-300x176.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Empty Trash&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>On the dock, right-click on the trash icon and select &#8220;Empty Trash&#8221;. Doing so deletes the Trash&#8217;s contents, including the program that you just sent to the Trash.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84111 alignnone\" title=\"Right-click on Trash and select Empty Trash\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Empty-Trash.jpg\" alt=\"Right-click on Trash and select Empty Trash MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Empty-Trash.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Empty-Trash-300x191.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"mt_noter\">\n<p>This browser hijackers may also create a new group policy for your device, before we proceed with the other steps we need to remove these unwanted changes.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to <strong>System Preferences<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Profiles<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The list will include an item &#8220;<strong>AdminPrefs<\/strong>&#8220;. Select this and click the remove &#8220;<strong>&#8211;<\/strong>&#8221; button in the lower left corner.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If there isn\u2019t a Profiles icon, you don\u2019t have any profiles installed, which is normal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mt_notey\">This browser hijackers may add a widget on the menu bar, if you see the <strong>Search Operator<\/strong> icon in the right end of the menu bar, click on it and then select &#8220;Close&#8221;.<br \/>\nNext, click the desktop to make sure you\u2019re in the Finder, choose <em>Go &gt; Go to Folder<\/em>, type in <em>\/Users\/Shared\/<\/em>. In the <em>Shared<\/em> folder, delete the <em>Search Operator<\/em> files and folders.<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"browser\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 2: Uninstall Search Operator extension from Safari, Chrome, or Firefox<\/h3>\n<div class=\"responsive-tabs\">\n<p class=\"tabtitle\">Safari<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps_tab\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Go to Safari&#8217;s &#8220;Preferences&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>On the menu bar, click the &#8220;Safari&#8221; menu and select &#8220;Preferences&#8221;.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84126 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Safari then Preferences\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Safari-Preferences.jpg\" alt=\"On the Menu bar Click on Safari then Preference\" width=\"650\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Safari-Preferences.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Safari-Preferences-300x154.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Check Homepage.<\/p>\n<p>This will open a new window with your Safari preferences, opened to the &#8220;<em>General<\/em>&#8221; tab. Some browser hijackers may change your default homepage, so in the <em>Homepage<\/em> field make sure its a web page you want to use as your start-up page.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84114 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Change-Homepage.jpg\" alt=\"Change Homepage in Safari\" width=\"650\" height=\"418\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Change-Homepage.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Change-Homepage-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Extensions&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Next, click on the &#8220;<strong>Extensions<\/strong>&#8221; tab.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84119 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Extensions\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Extensions.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Extensions MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Extensions.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Click-Extensions-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Find and uninstall the Search Operator extension.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>&#8220;Extensions&#8221;<\/em>\u00a0screen will be displayed with a list of all the extensions installed on Safari. Scroll through the list until you find the Search Operator extension, and then click on <strong>&#8220;Uninstall&#8221;<\/strong> to remove it. By default, there are no extensions installed on Safari.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noter\">\n<p>The malicious extension may have a different name on your device. If you cannot find any malicious extension, you can proceed with the next step.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84125 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Uninstall to remove malicious extension\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Remove-malicious-extensions-Safari.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Uninstall to remove malicious extension virus\" width=\"650\" height=\"339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Remove-malicious-extensions-Safari.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Remove-malicious-extensions-Safari-300x156.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<\/div><p class=\"tabtitle\">Google Chrome<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\nGoogle Chrome has an option that will reset itself to its default settings. Resetting your browser settings will reset the unwanted changes caused by installing other programs. However, your saved bookmarks and passwords will not be cleared or changed.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps_tab\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on the three dots at the top right and click &#8220;Settings&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Click on Chrome&#8217;s main menu button, represented by three dots at the top right corner. Now click on the menu option labeled <strong>Settings<\/strong> as shown by the arrow in the picture below, which will open the basic settings screen.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Mac-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image - Click on the Chrome menu button then on the Settings button\" width=\"800\" height=\"500\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-150036\" title=\"Click on the Chrome menu button then on the Settings button\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Mac-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Chrome-Reset-Mac-1-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">At the bottom, click &#8220;Advanced&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Chrome&#8217;s &#8220;Settings&#8221; should now be displayed in a new tab or window, depending on your configuration. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the &#8220;<strong>Advanced<\/strong>&#8221; link (as seen in the below example).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84115 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Advanced button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Advanced-Setttings.jpg\" alt=\"Click on the Advanced button MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Advanced-Setttings.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Advanced-Setttings-300x187.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Under the section &#8220;Reset,&#8221; click &#8220;Reset&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Chrome&#8217;s advanced settings should now be displayed. Scroll down until the &#8220;<em>Reset and clean up<\/em>&#8221; section is visible, as shown in the example below. Next, click on the &#8220;<strong>Reset settings to their original defaults<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84116 alignnone\" title=\"Scroll down and click on the Reset button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Reset-Browser.jpg\" alt=\"Scroll down and click on the Reset button MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Reset-Browser.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Reset-Browser-300x182.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Confirm by clicking &#8220;Reset&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>A confirmation dialog should now be displayed, detailing the components that will be restored to their default state should you continue on with the reset process. To complete the restoration process, click on the &#8220;<strong>Reset Settings<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84117 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Reset Settings to restore Google Chrome to its default settings\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Reset.jpg\" alt=\"Click on Reset Settings to restore Google Chrome to its default settings MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Reset.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Chrome-MacOS-Reset-300x172.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"mt_noter\">\n<p>In many cases, changes to Chrome may not be fixed with a simple browser reset. In such a case, it will be easier to completely remove Chrome and all data, then reinstall. To do this, click the <strong>Finder<\/strong> icon, from the menu bar. Choose <strong>Go<\/strong>, and click <strong>Go to Folder<\/strong>, then paste one of the below paths into the window that opens.<\/p>\n<p>You will need to delete all of the below items, but before doing this be aware that this will delete all data for all Google apps you have installed, such as your bookmarks, so you will need to export them before doing this.<\/p>\n<p><code>\/Applications\/Chrome.app<br \/>\n\/Library\/Application Support\/Google\/<br \/>\n\/Library\/Google\/<br \/>\n~\/Library\/Application Support\/Google\/<br \/>\n~\/Library\/Google\/<br \/>\n~\/Library\/Preferences\/com.google.Chrome.plist<\/code><\/p>\n<p>After deleting all of the above files, restart your device. You can now download and re-install Google Chrome on your device. You will need to import any exported bookmarks or other data, and may need to reinstall any other Google apps that you use.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div><p class=\"tabtitle\">Mozilla Firefox<\/p>\n<div class=\"tabcontent\">\n\nIf you&#8217;re having problems with Firefox, resetting it can help. The reset feature fixes many issues by restoring Firefox to its factory default state while saving your essential information like bookmarks, passwords, web form auto-fill information, browsing history and open tabs.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps_tab\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Go to the &#8220;Help&#8221; menu.<\/p>\n<p>Click on Firefox&#8217;s main menu button, represented by three horizontal lines. When the drop-down menu appears, select the option labeled &#8220;<strong>Help<\/strong>&#8220;.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84123 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Firefox Menu button then select Help\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Settings.jpg\" alt=\"Click on the Firefox Menu button then select Help MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Settings.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Settings-300x141.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click &#8220;Troubleshooting Information&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>From the <em>Help<\/em> menu, click on &#8220;<strong>Troubleshooting Information<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mt_noteb\">If you&#8217;re unable to access the &#8220;Help&#8221; menu, type <em>about:support<\/em> in your address bar to bring up the Troubleshooting information page.<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84124 alignnone\" title=\"Troubleshooting Information option in Firefox\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Troubleshooy.jpg\" alt=\"Troubleshooting Information option in Firefox MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Troubleshooy.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Troubleshooy-300x124.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Refresh Firefox&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Click the\u00a0&#8220;<strong>Refresh Firefox<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0button in the upper-right corner of the &#8220;<em>Troubleshooting Information<\/em>&#8221; page.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84122 alignnone\" title=\"Click on the Refresh Firefox button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Reset.jpg\" alt=\"Click on the Refresh Firefox button MacOS\" width=\"650\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Reset.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Reset-300x128.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Confirm.<\/p>\n<p>To continue, click on the &#8220;<strong>Refresh Firefox<\/strong>&#8221;\u00a0button in the new confirmation window that opens.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84121 alignnone\" title=\"Click again on Refresh Firefox button\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Refresh.jpg\" alt=\"Click again on Refresh Firefox button macos\" width=\"650\" height=\"246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Refresh.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Firefox-MacOS-Refresh-300x114.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Finish&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Firefox will close itself and will revert to its default settings. When it&#8217;s done, a window will list the information that was imported. Click on the &#8220;<strong>Finish<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"mt_notey\">Your old Firefox profile will be placed on your desktop in a folder named &#8220;<em>Old Firefox Data<\/em>&#8220;. If the reset didn&#8217;t fix your problem you can restore some of the information not saved by copying files to the new profile that was created. If you don&#8217;t need this folder any longer, you should delete it as it contains sensitive information.<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 id=\"malwarebytes\" class=\"mt_blue\">STEP 3: Use Malwarebytes for Mac to remove Search-operator.com redirect<\/h3>\n<p>Malwarebytes is one of the most popular and most used anti-malware apps, and for good reasons. It is able to destroy many types of malware that other software tends to miss, without costing you absolutely nothing. When it comes to cleaning up an infected device, Malwarebytes has always been free and we recommend it as an essential tool in the fight against malware.<\/p>\n<p>The first time you install Malwarebytes, you\u2019re given a free 30-days trial of the premium edition, which includes preventative tools like real-time scanning and specific protection from ransomware. After 30 days, it automatically reverts to the basic free version that will detect and clean up malware infections only when you run a scan.<\/p>\n<ol class=\"mwt_detailed_steps\">\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Download Malwarebytes.<\/p>\n<p>You can download <strong>Malwarebytes<\/strong>\u00a0by clicking the link below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"mwt_download_box\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-81150 mwt_product_icon_logo\" title=\"Malwarebytes Icon\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Malwarebytes-LOGO.png\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Logo\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" \/><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/prf.hn\/click\/camref:1011lvqrV\/creativeref:1011l100234\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MALWAREBYTES FOR MAC DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<em>(The above link will open a new page from where you can download Malwarebytes for Mac)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Double-click on the Malwarebytes setup file.<\/p>\n<p>When Malwarebytes has finished downloading, double-click on the <strong>Malwarebytes-Mac-3.x.y.zzz.pkg<\/strong> file to install Malwarebytes on your device. In most cases, downloaded files are saved to the <em>Downloads<\/em> folder.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-83392 alignnone\" title=\"Double-click on the Malwarebytes setup file\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Download-Package.jpg\" alt=\"Double-click on the Malwarebytes setup file Mac\" width=\"826\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Download-Package.jpg 826w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Download-Package-300x173.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 826px) 100vw, 826px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Follow the on-screen prompts to install Malwarebytes.<\/p>\n<p>When the Malwarebytes installation begins, you will see the <em>Malwarebytes Setup Wizard<\/em> which will guide you through the installation process. The setup wizard displays an introduction to Malwarebytes for Mac. Click on &#8220;<strong>Continue<\/strong>&#8221; to complete the installation process.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-83396 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Continue to install Malwarebytes for Mac\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes for Mac - Install\" width=\"671\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install.jpg 671w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-300x212.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 671px) 100vw, 671px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-83393 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-2.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes for Mac - Install Part 2\" width=\"650\" height=\"465\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-2.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-2-300x215.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Next, click on &#8220;<strong>Install<\/strong>&#8220;.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-83394 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-3.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes for Mac - Install Part 3\" width=\"660\" height=\"465\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-3.jpg 660w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-3-300x211.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-83395 alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-4.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes for Mac - Install Part 4\" width=\"752\" height=\"465\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-4.jpg 752w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Install-Part-4-300x186.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Scan Now&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Once installed, Malwarebytes will automatically start and update the antivirus database. To perform a system scan, click on the &#8220;<strong>Scan\u00a0Now<\/strong>&#8221; button.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84108 alignnone\" title=\"Malwarebytes for Mac Scan Now\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Scan-Now-button.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes for Mac Scan Now\" width=\"650\" height=\"396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Scan-Now-button.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Scan-Now-button-300x183.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Wait for the Malwarebytes scan to complete.<\/p>\n<p>Malwarebytes will now start scanning your Mac for adware and other malicious apps. This process can take a few minutes, so we suggest you do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan to see when it is finished.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84109 alignnone\" title=\"Malwarebytes for Mac scanning for malware\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Scanning-for-Malicious-Apps.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes for Mac scanning for virus\" width=\"650\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Scanning-for-Malicious-Apps.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Scanning-for-Malicious-Apps-300x178.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"mwt_quick_overview\">Click on &#8220;Confirm&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>When the scan has completed, you will be presented with a screen showing the malware infections that Malwarebytes has detected. To remove the malicious apps that Malwarebytes has found, click on the &#8220;<strong>Confirm<\/strong>&#8221; button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-84107 alignnone\" title=\"Click on Confirm to remove malicious apps\" src=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Remove-Malware.jpg\" alt=\"Malwarebytes for Mac - Remove Malware\" width=\"650\" height=\"387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Remove-Malware.jpg 650w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Malwarebytes-for-Mac-Remove-Malware-300x179.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><br \/>\nMalwarebytes will now remove all the malicious files that it has found. To complete the malware removal process, Malwarebytes may ask you to restart your device.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Your Mac should be now malware free of the Search-operator.com redirect. If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Search-operator.com redirect, please ask for help in our <strong><a title=\"Malware Removal Assistance\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/forums\/malware-removal-assistance-for-mac.183\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Malware Removal Assistance for Mac<\/a><\/strong> forum.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2022915167\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_360569\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Search-operator.com is a browser hijacker that it will change the homepage and search engine for your web browser to http:\/\/search-operator.com. The Search-operator.com redirect is caused by the &#8220;Search Operator&#8221; extension which is installed by the &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Remove Search-operator.com from Mac (Safari, Chrome &#038; Firefox)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-search-operator-com-mac\/#more-89643\" aria-label=\"Read more about Remove Search-operator.com from Mac (Safari, Chrome &#038; Firefox)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":89645,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2725],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adware","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89643"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89643\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}