How to uninstall FileClick app/extension from Mac (Virus removal guide)

What is FileClick

FileClick is an Adware application that targets Mac cplatform. Adware is a form of malicious software developed in order to display third-party ads to the user without asking permission. FileClick takes control of web-browsers and redirects them to online ads and scam sites every time you surf the Internet. It can end up on your MAC in various ways. In most cases is when you install free software and forget to uncheck the box for the third-party apps installation.

Even worse, the FileClick adware can be used to gather and transmit privacy information without your knowledge. Adware be able to track information about webpages visited, web-browser and system information, and your Apple Mac IP address.

Therefore it is very important to follow the guide below as soon as possible. The few simple steps will help you to uninstall FileClick as well as get rid of unwanted advertisements. What is more, this guide will help you remove other malicious applications such as undesired toolbars and browser hijackers that can be installed onto the machine along with the adware software.

How does FileClick get on your MAC

Adware usually gets onto computer by being attached to certain freeware that users download off of the Internet. So, think back, have you ever download and run any free software. In order to avoid infection, in the Setup wizard, you should be be proactive and carefully read the ‘Terms of use’, the ‘license agreement’ and other installation screens, as well as to always select the ‘Manual’ or ‘Advanced’ setup mode, when installing anything downloaded from the Net.

Threat Summary

Name	FileClick
Type	adware, potentially unwanted application (PUA), Mac virus, Mac malware
Detection Names	Adware/Adload!OSX, ApplicUnwnt, Trojan-Downloader.OSX.Adload, OSX.Trojan.Gen, Program:MacOS/Vigram.A, MacOS.Agent-MT, Osx.Adware.Cimpli and Adware.MAC.Generic
Distribution	Freeware installers, shady pop up advertisements, torrent downloads and fake updaters
Symptoms	Your web-browser is redirected to web-sites you did not want, unclosable window appear and recommend fake security software, unexpected application installed without your consent, unwanted browser toolbars, unwanted changes in your internet browser such as displaying new tabs you did not open, fast Internet but slow browsing speeds.
Removal	FileClick removal guide

How to remove FileClick from Mac computer

The answer is right here on this web page. We have put together simplicity and efficiency. It will help you easily to remove FileClick from your MAC. Moreover, you can choose manual or automatic removal solution. If you’re familiar with the machine then use manual removal, otherwise run the free anti malware utility developed specifically to get rid of adware. Of course, you can combine both methods. Read it once, after doing so, please bookmark this page (or open it on your smartphone) as you may need to close your web browser or reboot your Apple Mac.

To remove FileClick, use the following steps:

1. Remove profiles created by FileClick
2. Remove FileClick related programs through the Finder
3. Remove FileClick related files and folders
4. Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes
5. Remove FileClick from Safari, Chrome, Firefox
6. How to stay safe online

Remove profiles created by FileClick

FileClick 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 software.

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

In System Preferences, click Profiles, then select a profile associated with FileClick.

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 device, which is normal.

Remove FileClick related programs through the Finder

Check the list of installed applications on your Mac device and delete all unknown and recently installed programs. If you see an unknown program with incorrect spelling or varying capital letters, it have most likely been installed by malicious software and you should clean it off first with malware removal tool such as MalwareBytes.

Make sure you have closed all web-browsers and other programs. Next, remove any unwanted and suspicious apps from MAC using the Finder.

Open Finder and click “Applications”.

Look around the entire list of software installed on your MAC OS. Most likely, one of them is the FileClick adware. Choose the questionable application or the program that name is not familiar to you and uninstall it.

Drag the suspicious program from the Applications folder to the Trash.

Most important, don’t forget, choose Finder -> Empty Trash.

Remove FileClick related files and folders

Now you need to try to find FileClick 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.

FileClick creates several files, these files must be found and removed. Below is a list of files associated with this unwanted program.

• /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.FileClick.system.plist
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.FileClick.service.plist
• /Library/Application Support/.(RANDOM)/System/com.FileClick.system
• ~/Library/Application Support/.(RANDOM)/Services/com.FileClick.service.app

Some files created by FileClick are hidden from the user. To find and delete them, you need to enable “show hidden files”. To do this, use the shortcut CMD + SHIFT + . Press once to show hidden files and again to hide them. There is another way. Click Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal. In Terminal, paste the following text: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES

Press Enter. Hold the ‘Option/alt’ key, then right click on the Finder icon in the dock and click Relaunch.

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 FileClick 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: installapp.plist, com.machelper.plist, com.google.defaultsearch.plist, , search.plist, macsearch.plist, com.net-preferences.plist and com.FileClick.service.plist. Most often, adware software, potentially unwanted programs and browser hijackers create several files with similar names.

Check for FileClick 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 folders and files. Check the contents of suspicious folders, if there is a file with a name similar to com.FileClick.system, then this folder must be deleted. Move all suspicious folders and files to the Trash.

Check for FileClick 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 FileClick 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.machelper.system.plist, com.macsearch.system.plist, com.installapp.system.plist, com.FileClick.system.plist and com.search.system.plist. In most cases, adware software, PUPs and browser hijackers create several files with similar names.

Scan your Mac with MalwareBytes

If you carefully followed the previous steps, then you should be able to remove FileClick. Of course, very often adware, potentially unwanted programs and browser hijackers hides on a Mac, disguising itself as legitimate apps and files. Therefore, in some cases, it is difficult for an inexperienced user to decide whether a particular file is part of browser hijackers, adware and PUPs. Therefore, we suggest you to run MalwareBytes AntiMalware to scan the Mac device.

1. Please go to the link below to download the latest version of MalwareBytes for Mac.
   
   

   Malwarebytes Anti-malware (Mac)
   20842 downloads
   Author: Malwarebytes
   Category: Security tools
   Update: September 10, 2020
   
2. When the download is complete, close all apps and windows on your machine. Open a directory in which you saved it. Run the downloaded file and follow the prompts.
3. Press the “Scan” button for checking your MAC OS for the FileClick adware. A system scan can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on your MAC OS. When a malware, adware software or potentially unwanted software are found, the count of the security threats will change accordingly.
4. After the scan is finished, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware will display a list of found threats. Make sure all threats have ‘checkmark’ and press “Quarantine”.

Remove FileClick from Safari, Chrome, Firefox

Remove unwanted addons is a easy method to get rid of FileClick adware and return browser’s settings which have been replaced by adware.

Google Chrome	Mozilla Firefox
Click on ‘three dots menu’ button at the top right corner of the Google Chrome window. When the drop-down menu appears, choose ‘More tools’ and click on ‘Extensions’. Click ‘Remove’ to uninstall an extension. Click ‘Remove’ in the dialog box. You can also try to remove FileClick adware 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 FileClick removal, you need to reset 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

To put it simply, you need to use an ad blocker utility (AdGuard, for example). It’ll block and protect you from malicious web-sites, unwanted advertisements and pop ups. To be able to do that, the ad-blocker program uses a list of filters. Each filter is a rule that describes a malicious web-page, an advertising content, a banner and others. The ad blocker program automatically uses these filters, depending on the websites you are visiting.

Click the link below to download the latest version of AdGuard for Mac.

Once the download is done, run the downloaded file. You will see the “Setup Wizard” screen. Follow the prompts.

Each time, when you start your MAC OS, AdGuard will run automatically and stop intrusive ads, block malicious and misleading websites.

Finish words

Once you have removed the adware using this step-by-step instructions, Firefox, Safari and Chrome will no longer display any unwanted ads when you browse the Net. Unfortunately, if the few simple steps does not help you, then you have caught a new adware, and then the best way – ask for help.

Please create a new question by using the “Ask Question” button in the Questions and Answers. Try to give us some details about your problems, so we can try to help you more accurately. Wait for one of our trained “Security Team” or Site Administrator to provide you with knowledgeable assistance tailored to your problem with the unwanted FileClick adware.