This article dissects the ManagerPages Mac infection, providing a description of its dodgy tactics along with removal steps to sort out the annoying issue.
With so many browser enhancement tools out there, it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. The problem gets worse because search improvement features are a growingly common camouflage used by unwanted programs. The story of ManagerPages app is a classic instance of adware that veils its true goals under the guise of a benign and ostensibly worthwhile entity. It claims to facilitate a Mac user’s browsing routine by organizing their favorite sites and displaying useful suggestions related to Internet navigation. This is nothing but the tip of the iceberg. ManagerPages ends up flooding the victim’s online experience with ads and wreaking havoc with their browser preferences. It embeds irritating objects with ecommerce information into sites visited on a contaminated Mac, plus it substitutes the homepage and default search engine with a junk page that brings no value to the user while delivering a host of earning opportunities to the attackers.
As opposed to regular software, the ManagerPages virus never asks for permission to infiltrate a Mac. It tailgates into the system as part of application bundles that look innocuous but actually conceal a number of extra programs. The installers that play this trick are available on dubious download portals. The bait is that core app is claimed to be free to use, although it typically requires paid registration if downloaded off of other sources. This explains why so many Mac users fall for the stratagem. The attack will get through unless the would-be victim opts out of the recommended installation option and deselects the accompanying harmful items on the custom setup screen. Another adverse upshot of this hoax is that the bundled software gets all the privileges its unscrupulous authors want, and the users are clueless about it as they don’t even have a chance to familiarize themselves with these requests.
After the furtive penetration into a Mac has been fulfilled, the ManagerPages virus establishes persistence by adding itself to Login Items and creating a new configuration profile under System Preferences. It additionally installs an affiliated extension on Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. It’s this rogue add-on to blame for the most conspicuous symptoms of the attack. It spawns a virtual layer on top of the web pages visited by the victim. This “coating” includes sponsored information that will be displayed across the sites the user goes to. In particular, the normal page view experience will be complemented with popup ads, in-text links, coupons and price comparison details enclosed in rectangular elements, as well as full-page interstitial adverts. Not only is the entirety of these items a huge nuisance, but it also leaves a performance footprint in the system overall and the browser in particular. Slowdowns and occasional crashes are, therefore, an integral part of the incursion.
Apparently, no one is willing to take such an impact for granted, but what can be done to fix this? The only effective response is to get rid of ManagerPages virus app and its components scattered all over the Mac. It’s usually easier said than done because the infection is programmed to persevere and render the regular uninstall techniques futile. This is why it’s necessary to follow a specially crafted adware removal procedure to ensure the right security effect.
ManagerPages virus manual removal for Mac
The steps listed below will walk you through the removal of this malicious application. Be sure to follow the instructions in the order specified.
- Open up the Utilities folder as shown below
- Locate the Activity Monitor icon on the screen and double-click on it
- Under Activity Monitor,find a process named ManagerPages, select it and click Quit Process
- A dialog should pop up, asking if you are sure you would like to quit the troublemaking process. Select the Force Quit option
- Click the Go button again, but this time select Applications on the list. Find the ManagerPages entry on the interface, right-click on it and select Move to Trash. If user password is required, go ahead and enter it
- Now go to Apple Menu and pick the System Preferences option
- Select Accounts and click the Login Items button. The system will come up with the list of the items that launch when the computer is started up. Locate Locate the potentially unwanted app there and click on the “-“ button
Get rid of ManagerPages ads and redirects in web browser on Mac
To begin with, settings for the web browser that got hit by ManagerPages should be restored to their default values. The overview of steps for this procedure is as follows:
- Reset Safari
- Open the browser and go to Safari menu. Select Preferences in the drop-down list
- Once the Preferences screen appears, hit the Privacy tab at the top. Find the option that says Remove All Website Data and click on it
- The system will display a confirmation dialog that also includes a brief description of what the reset does. Specifically, you may be logged out of some services and encounter other changes of website behavior after the procedure. If you’re okay with that, go ahead and click the Remove Now button
- In order to selectively clear data generated by certain websites only, not all of them, hit the Details button under the Privacy section of Safari Preferences
- This feature will list all websites that have stored potentially sensitive data, including cache and cookies. Select the one, or ones, that might be causing trouble and click the appropriate button at the bottom (Remove or Remove All). Click the Done button to exit.
- Open the browser and go to Safari menu. Select Preferences in the drop-down list
- Reset Google Chrome
- Open Chrome, click the More (⁝) icon in the top right-hand part of the window, and select Settings in the drop-down
- When on the Settings pane, select Advanced
- Scroll down to the Reset settings section. Under the Restore settings to their original defaults option, click the Reset settings button
- Confirm the Chrome reset on a dialog that will pop up. When the procedure is completed, relaunch the browser and check it for malware activity.
- Reset Mozilla Firefox
- Open Firefox and select Help – Troubleshooting Information
- On the page that opened, click the Reset Firefox button
Get rid of ManagerPages virus using Combo Cleaner removal tool
The Mac maintenance and security app called Combo Cleaner is a one-stop tool to detect and remove ManagerPages virus. This technique has substantial benefits over manual cleanup, because the utility gets hourly virus definition updates and can accurately spot even the newest Mac infections.
Furthermore, the automatic solution will find the core files of the malware deep down the system structure, which might otherwise be a challenge to locate. Here’s a walkthrough to sort out the ManagerPages issue using Combo Cleaner:
- Download Combo Cleaner installer. When done, double-click the combocleaner.dmg file and follow the prompts to install the tool onto your Mac.
By downloading any applications recommended on this website you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. The free scanner checks whether your Mac is infected. To get rid of malware, you need to purchase the Premium version of Combo Cleaner.
- Open the app from your Launchpad and let it run an update of the malware signature database to make sure it can identify the latest threats.
- Click the Start Combo Scan button to check your Mac for malicious activity as well as performance issues.
- Examine the scan results. If the report says “No Threats”, then you are on the right track with the manual cleaning and can safely proceed to tidy up the web browser that may continue to act up due to the after-effects of the malware attack (see instructions above).
- In case Combo Cleaner has detected malicious code, click the Remove Selected Items button and have the utility remove ManagerPages threat along with any other viruses, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), or junk files that don’t belong on your Mac.
- Once you have made doubly sure that the malicious app is uninstalled, the browser-level troubleshooting might still be on your to-do list. If your preferred browser is affected, resort to the previous section of this tutorial to revert to hassle-free web surfing.
