How to uninstall SkilledSearchAdvise app/extension from Mac

What is SkilledSearchAdvise

SkilledSearchAdvise is supposed to be an app that will improve the browsing experience, but it is adware. Adware is form of applications created to inject advertisements into your Internet surfing or even desktop experience. Adware software can be created to change your home page, search provider, search results, or even add toolbars to your browser. Adware software run in the background when you are online, and adware can slow down your computer and affect its performance.

The SkilledSearchAdvise adware can change your internet browser’s search engine so that all searches are sent through Search.accessiblelist.com that redirects to Bing, Yahoo or Google Custom Search engine which displays the search results for your query. The devs behind this browser hijacker are utilizing legitimate search provider as they may earn profit from the advertisements which are shown in the search results.

Even worse, the SkilledSearchAdvise adware can collect privacy info, including:

• IP addresses;
• URLs visited;
• search queries/terms;
• clicks on links and advertisements;
• web-browser version information.

How does SkilledSearchAdvise get on your machine

These days some free software makers bundle PUPs or adware with a view to making some money. These are not free programs as install an unwanted apps on to your MS Windows Apple Mac. So whenever you install a new free software that downloaded from the Net, be very careful during installation. Carefully read the EULA (a text with I ACCEPT/I DECLINE button), select custom or manual install option, reject all bundled applications.

Threat Summary

Name	SkilledSearchAdvise, SkilledSearchAdvise 1.0 app
Type	adware software, PUP (potentially unwanted program), pop ups, pop up virus, pop up ads
Symptoms	advertising banners appear on web sites that you are visiting when you go to a web-site, you are periodically re-directed to another web site that you do not intend to visit new entries appear in your Applications folder unwanted web browser addons or toolbars keep coming back unexpected changes in your web-browser like displaying new tabs you didn’t open you cannot update your antivirus software slow Internet browsing speeds CPU usage seems unusually high
Removal	SkilledSearchAdvise removal guide

How to remove SkilledSearchAdvise adware

There are several steps to deleting the SkilledSearchAdvise adware, because it installs itself so deeply into the MAC OS. You need to delete all suspicious and unknown programs, then remove harmful addons from the Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Chrome and other browsers you’ve installed. Finally, you need to reset your web browser settings to remove any changes the adware software has made, and then scan your MAC with MalwareBytes Free to ensure the adware is fully removed. It will take a while.

To remove SkilledSearchAdvise, perform the steps below:

1. Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device
2. Check the list of installed programs
3. Remove SkilledSearchAdvise related files and folders
4. Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes
5. Remove SkilledSearchAdvise from Safari, Chrome, Firefox
6. How to stay safe online
7. Finish words

Remove unwanted profiles on Mac device

SkilledSearchAdvise can install a configuration profile on the Mac system to block changes made to the browser settings. Therefore, you need to open system preferences, find and delete the profile installed by the adware.

Click the System Preferences icon ( ) in the Dock, or choose Apple menu ( ) > System Preferences.

In System Preferences, click Profiles, then select a profile related to SkilledSearchAdvise.

Click the minus button ( – ) located at the bottom-left of the Profiles screen to remove the profile.
Note: if you do not see Profiles in the System Preferences, that means there are no profiles installed on your Mac, which is normal.

Check the list of installed programs

In order to get rid of SkilledSearchAdvise you need to do is to uninstall unknown and suspicious applications from your MAC system using the Finder. When removing potentially unwanted programs, adware and browser hijackers, check the list of installed apps and try to find dubious programs and delete them all. Pay special attention to recently installed applications, as it is most probably that SkilledSearchAdvise сame along with it.

Open Finder and click “Applications”.

It will display a list of all programs installed on your MAC system. Scroll through the all list, and delete any questionable and unknown apps. Right click to dubious application and select “Move to Trash”. Another way is drag the program from the Applications folder to the Trash.

Most important, scroll through the all list, and move to trash any unknown applications. Don’t forget, select Finder -> Empty Trash.

Remove SkilledSearchAdvise related files and folders

Now you need to try to find SkilledSearchAdvise related files and folders, and then delete them manually. You need to look for these files in certain directories. To quickly open them, we recommend using the “Go to Folder…” command.

Click on the Finder icon. From the menu bar, select Go and click “Go to Folder…”. As a result, a small window opens that allows you to quickly open a specific directory.

Check for SkilledSearchAdvise generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/LaunchAgents

This will open the contents of the “/Library/LaunchAgents” folder. Look carefully at it and pay special attention to recently created files, as well as files that have a suspicious name. Move all suspicious files to the Trash. A few examples of files: SkilledSearchAdvise.plist, com.machelper.plist, installapp.plist, macsearch.plist and search.plist. Most often, adware software, PUPs and browser hijackers create several files with similar names.

Check for SkilledSearchAdvise generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/Application Support

This will open the contents of the “Application Support” folder. Look carefully at its contents, pay special attention to recently added/changed folder. Move all suspicious folders to the Trash.

Check for SkilledSearchAdvise generated files in the “~/Library/LaunchAgents” folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
~/Library/LaunchAgents

Proceed in the same way as with the “/Library/LaunchAgents” and “/Library/Application Support” folders. Look for suspicious and recently added files. Move all suspicious files to the Trash.

Check for SkilledSearchAdvise generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder

In the “Go to Folder…” window, type the following text and press Go:
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Carefully browse the entire list of files and pay special attention to recently created files, as well as files that have a suspicious name. Move all suspicious files to the Trash. A few examples of files to be deleted: com.macsearch.plist, com.machelper.plist, com.search.plist, com.installapp.plist and com.SkilledSearchAdvise.plist. In most cases, browser hijackers, adware software and PUPs create several files with similar names.

Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes

You can delete SkilledSearchAdvise related files automatically with a help of MalwareBytes Free. We suggest this free malware removal tool because it can easily get rid of browser hijackers, PUPs, toolbars and adware with all their components such as files, folders and system entries.

1. Download MalwareBytes from the link below.
   
   

   Malwarebytes Anti-malware (Mac)
   20845 downloads
   Author: Malwarebytes
   Category: Security tools
   Update: September 10, 2020
   
2. After downloading is finished, close all apps and windows on your computer. Open a file location. Run the downloaded file and follow the prompts.
3. Click the “Scan” button to perform a system scan with this utility for the SkilledSearchAdvise . This process may take some time, so please be patient. While the utility is checking, you can see how many objects and files has already scanned.
4. Once the system scan is complete, MalwareBytes will open you the results. Once you’ve selected what you wish to delete from your MAC system click “Quarantine”.

Remove SkilledSearchAdvise from Safari, Chrome, Firefox

This step will show you how to remove malicious extensions. This can remove SkilledSearchAdvise adware and fix some browsing issues, especially after adware infection.

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
Click on ‘three dots menu’ button at the top right corner of the Chrome window. Select ‘More tools’, then ‘Extensions’. Click ‘Remove’ to uninstall an extension. Click ‘Remove’ in the dialog box. You can also try to remove SkilledSearchAdvise adware software by reset Chrome settings.	Click on ‘menu’ button and select ‘Add-ons’. Go to ‘Extensions’ tab. To uninstall an add-on, click on ‘Remove’ button next to it. If you are still experiencing problems with SkilledSearchAdvise adware removal, you need to reset Mozilla Firefox browser.
Safari
On the top menu select ‘Safari’, then ‘Preferences’. Select ‘Extensions’ tab. Select an extension you want to delete and click ‘Uninstall’ button next to it.

How to stay safe online

By installing an adblocker application like AdGuard, you are able to block malicious web-sites, stop autoplaying video ads and get rid of a large amount of distracting and unwanted ads on websites.

Visit the page linked below to download AdGuard.

When downloading is finished, run the downloaded file. The “Setup Wizard” window will show up on the computer screen.

Follow the prompts. AdGuard will then be installed. A window will show up asking you to confirm that you want to see a quick guidance. Click “Skip” button to close the window and use the default settings, or click “Get Started” to see an quick tutorial that will help you get to know AdGuard better.

Each time, when you start your MAC OS, AdGuard will run automatically and stop annoying advertisements, block malicious and misleading web-pages.

Finish words

Now your Apple Mac should be clean of the SkilledSearchAdvise adware. We suggest that you keep AdGuard (to help you block unwanted advertisements and unwanted malicious web-pages) and MalwareBytes (to periodically scan your MAC for new adware softwares and other malicious software).

If you are still having problems while trying to delete SkilledSearchAdvise from the Google Chrome, Safari and Firefox, then ask for help here here.