ExpertProjectSearch ads: what it is and how to remove it
ExpertProjectSearch is an untrustworthy application that changes your browser settings and displays suspicious advertisements. Just like other members of the widespread Adload adware family, it only targets Mac operating systems - it promotes untrustworthy search engines and monitors your browsing habits.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps checked against Apple's current documentation and the security vendors' reports. We have not run the malware on a Mac. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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ExpertProjectSearch ads: summary
| Distribution | This adware group is commonly distributed via fake Flash Player updates or bundled software downloaded from insecure websites |
|---|---|
| Damage | Personal information disclosure to cybercriminals, installation of other malware, financial losses |
| Name | ExpertProjectSearch |
| Type | Adware, Mac virus |
| Family | Adload adware |
| Symptoms | A browser extension is installed on the web browser with elevated permissions; search engine and new tab address altered to safefinder.com or another URL; redirects bring to unknown/malicious/scam sites, etc. |
| Removal | Scan the Mac with security software to find the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 7 more facts
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
| Domains | safefinder.com |
| Ads shown as | Redirects through ad pages |
| Browsers | Chrome, Edge and Firefox |
| First seen | 13 January 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is ExpertProjectSearch ads dangerous?
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
ExpertProjectSearch is a potentially unwanted program that displays intrusive ads
ExpertProjectSearch is an untrustworthy application that changes your browser settings and displays suspicious advertisements.
Just like other members of the widespread Adload adware family, it only targets Mac operating systems - it promotes untrustworthy search engines and monitors your browsing habits. Besides, the app also abuses the built-in Apple script to automatically install a browser extension on Safari, Google Chrome, or another browser, and change homepage/new tab address to Safe Finder.
ExpertProjectSearch spreads using fake Adobe Flash Player installers/updaters. Many people do not realize that the updates or installers offered to them are fake and therefore decide to accept the offer. Unfortunately, such deception is often used to trick users into installing PUPs. In addition, adware is often distributed along with freeware.
After the ExpertProjectSearch enters the system, it shows various advertisements: banners, pop-ups, coupons, surveys, etc. Clicking on these ads is not recommended as it is not clear where you will be redirected. In some cases, you may end up on fake websites that tempt users to download a variety of software, which can be dangerous. For example, you may download additional potentially unwanted programs or even serious infections.
In addition, the adware can track your browsing data. Such potentially unwanted programs like ExpertProjectSearch can record your visited websites, search queries, IP address, etc. This information can be shared with third parties because the developers of adware usually want to make money.
If you are not sure if you have ExpertProjectSearch virus on the computer, you can easily check it. This PUP is active on the device if:
If you answered "yes" to all these points and recently installed a program using a quick installation method, then chances are high that you have a potentially unwanted program on your computer.
In this case, the best option would be to remove ExpertProjectSearch from the system as soon as possible. In addition, a full system scan should be performed with a reliable antivirus program such as or , as there may be other threats on the device.
Also, if you are an inexperienced computer user, we provide easy-to-understand ExpertProjectSearch removal instructions at the end of this article. Follow our tips carefully and you will get rid of this PUP without much hassle.
Additionally, after removing suspicious programs, you may notice that your computer is still running slower than usual, freezes, or reboots. In this case, you may need to fix system files or other similar problems.
- the usual home page suddenly changed;
- you notice a lot of ads you haven't seen before;
- an extension of the same name is present on the browser and is impossible to delete in a regular way;
- the search engine changed to another, even though you did not change the settings yourself.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on ExpertProjectSearch
- Alternatively, you can try to delete all the related components manually, although success of such method is not guaranteed
- To repair virus damage and tweak the system for its best performance, perform a full system scan with
How ExpertProjectSearch ads got into your browser
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Often adware enters a computer without the user even noticing it.
But in fact, users agree to the installation of such a program. How is that possible? Developers of the potentially unwanted program often use deceptive techniques and distribute their tool together with other software.
This technique is called bundling. Since most people install programs using a quick installation method, they do not notice that they also agree to the installation of additional tools.
To avoid potentially unwanted applications, download software only from trusted sources. In addition, it is extremely important to use the advanced/custom installation method every time you install something. This way you will see all the additional programs and be able to uncheck the unwanted or suspicious tools.
You will find explanations on how to do it quickly and without much hassle at the bottom of this article.
Check your browser and PC
- Address:
safefinder.com
How to remove ExpertProjectSearch ads
How to remove ExpertProjectSearch from a Mac
Remove the app and what starts it, then check the browsers.
Step 1: Delete apps and downloads you did not intend to install
Open the Applications folder and your Downloads folder. Drag any app you did not install, and any disk image (
.dmg), installer (.pkg) or archive (.zip) that came from ExpertProjectSearch or a site you do not trust, to the Bin, then empty the Bin.Also check
~/Library/Application Supportfor a folder with the same name as the app you removed.Step 2: Remove unknown login items and background items
Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login and Allow in the Background, switch off or remove anything you do not recognize, especially items whose developer is shown as an unknown name or that appeared on the day you ran the command.
Then open Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and check
~/Library/LaunchAgents,/Library/LaunchAgentsand /Library/LaunchDaemons for property list (.plist) files you did not add. Drag suspicious ones to the Bin, then restart the Mac.Step 3: Check the browsers for extensions and changed settings
In Safari open Settings > Extensions and General (homepage). In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Firefoxabout:addons.Remove any extension you did not add, and reset the homepage and search engine if they changed. Browsers hold saved passwords and cookies, which is why the password step comes first.
Step 4: Quit what is running that you do not recognize
Open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Command + Space).
In the CPU or Network tab, look for a process you did not install or whose name is random, select it, click the stop button (the octagon with an X) and choose Quit or Force Quit.
Note the name first: you will look for the same name in the next steps. Malware that comes back after a restart is handled in the next two steps.
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Delete from Safari
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).
Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.
- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
From our report of Jan 2021 · not reviewed since
Tips on how to easily remove ExpertProjectSearch from your computer
Many people call this app ExpertProjectSearch virus, and there are grounds for that.
Here are some of them:
It is still recommended to uninstall all potentially unwanted programs from the system as they display suspicious advertisements and engage in other dangerous behavior. Those ads can also lead to unsafe websites, so it is best not to click on them.
If you want to remove ExpertProjectSearch adware, you can do it manually or automatically. The easiest way to delete suspicious programs or viruses is with reliable anti-malware software. In addition, a running antivirus program will help protect your computer from other viruses.
If you want to try to get rid of this adware yourself, we have prepared a manual ExpertProjectSearch removal guide below. In the future, try to be careful when installing new applications. Always download software only from trusted sources and remember to use the advanced/custom installation method to avoid additional unwanted tools.
- the installed extension might be impossible to remove in a regular way
- the extension might read sensitive information, such as passwords
- the app installs plenty of .plist files, establishes new profile, and performs other changes, making its elimination a difficult task, especially without anti-malware.
Questions about ExpertProjectSearch ads
Why does my browser keep going to safefinder.com?
Something is sending it there. On one site only, that site's ads are the cause and leaving the site ends it.
On many different sites, the usual causes are an extension you installed with something else, a site you once allowed to send notifications, or an ad-supported program in Windows that changes how the browser behaves. safefinder.com itself is only a stop on the way: it records the visit and forwards you to whatever advertiser pays most.
Check the extensions page, then the list of sites allowed to send notifications, then Installed apps sorted by date. Removing the cause stops the redirects; blocking the domain alone usually does not, because the network moves to a new one.
Did safefinder.com install a virus on my PC?
Very unlikely, unless you downloaded and opened something from the pages it led to. Redirect domains such as safefinder.com sell your visit to advertisers; they do not need to install anything to make money.
What can be installed is the thing that causes the redirects in the first place, such as an extension or an ad-supported program that came with free software. That is why the checks in this guide look at extensions, notification permissions and Installed apps.
A full scan with Microsoft Defender afterwards gives you a clear answer about the rest of the PC. If the scan is clean and the redirects stop after removing the cause, you are done.
Why does ExpertProjectSearch show me ads?
Because that is its whole purpose. ExpertProjectSearch is an adware extension, and its operators are paid for every ad it displays and every click it gets. In this case the ads take the form of redirects through ad pages.
They are chosen by ad networks that accept almost any advertiser, which is why so many look like warnings or prizes. The ads are not a sign that your PC is broken or infected with something worse; they are a sign that something on it, or in the browser, has permission to advertise. Removing that permission or program stops them.
Do I have to clean every browser?
Yes, if you use more than one. We saw ExpertProjectSearch in Chrome, Edge and Firefox, and each browser keeps its own extensions, notification permissions and settings. Chrome and Edge share the same extension format, so one installer can add the same adware to both, while Firefox has its own add-ons.
Check every browser on the PC, including ones you rarely open. If you sync a browser with an account, clean it while signed in, so that the removal reaches your other computers rather than the adware returning from them.
How do I know the ads come from ExpertProjectSearch?
Look for redirects to safefinder.com. That is the trace ExpertProjectSearch leaves, and it shows up as redirects through ad pages. Ads that appear on every site, including ones that never carried ads before, point to something on your PC or in the browser rather than to the sites themselves.
A quick test is a private window, where extensions are off by default: if the ads disappear there, an extension is responsible. If they appear even with the browser closed, the source is a notification permission or a program in Windows.
Why didn't my antivirus catch ExpertProjectSearch?
Many security products do not block adware or notification sites by default, because users often agreed to them, even through a misleading prompt. Notification spam installs nothing at all, so there is no file to detect.
In Windows 11 you can make Microsoft Defender block potentially unwanted apps: open Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings and turn on Potentially unwanted app blocking. If notifications caused the pop-ups, no scanner will report them; the fix is in the browser's site settings.
I clicked on one of the ads. Am I infected?
Probably not. Clicking an ad usually only opens a page, and a page cannot install programs on an up-to-date Windows PC without your help.
You are at risk only if you then downloaded and ran a file, allowed notifications, entered card or login details, or called a phone number shown on the page. Delete any download and run a full and offline scan.
Change passwords you typed, from a clean device. Call your bank if you gave card details. If you called a number or allowed remote access, see the next question.
Can adware slow down my PC?
Yes. Adware runs in the background, loads ad scripts, opens extra tabs and contacts its servers, all of which use processor time, memory and bandwidth. Ad-heavy extensions also slow down every page, because they inspect and change it before you see it.
The effect is strongest on older PCs and when several adware programs arrived together. After removal, restart the PC and check Task Manager for anything still using a lot of resources that you do not recognise. Speed usually returns to normal once the ads stop.
Does adware steal passwords?
Ordinary adware is built to show ads, not to steal logins, and most of it never touches saved passwords. The line is blurry, though. Extensions that can read every page could capture what you type, and adware ads sometimes lead to phishing pages that ask for passwords directly.
If you entered credentials on a page reached through an ad, change that password from a clean device and turn on two-step verification. Otherwise, removing adware extension and clearing cookies is usually enough.
Will Fortect remove ExpertProjectSearch?
Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs, and its free scan shows what it finds on your Mac before you decide anything.
For ExpertProjectSearch, follow the plan on this page as well: removing a launch item or an app is done in macOS itself, and a scanner cannot undo what was typed or entered on the infected Mac, such as saved passwords that were copied.
Change your passwords from another device first, and if the page tells you to erase the Mac, a scan is not a substitute. The free scan costs nothing and the full-featured product needs a license.
Sources
- Business Insider: What is adware? How to keep your computer free of annoying or potentially harmful ads (read October 6, 2026)
- Wikipedia: IP address (read October 6, 2026)
- Google Chrome Help: Use notifications to get alerts (no longer online) (read October 6, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)