Remove Mhelper (Easy Removal Guide)

Mhelper is a suspicious app that initiates direct downloads of potentially unwanted programs

Mhelper

Mhelper is a Mac application that users may find installed on their computers – it is located in ~/Library/Application Support/MHelper/MHelper.app. Initially, not many will know that the component is installed, and the only symptoms that users experience are occasional redirects to one of the following websites:

jaininfotech.com
duplicatephotossweeper.com
wisemaccare.com

Additionally, the Mhelper virus also starts the automatic download of the promoted applications – Regclean Pro, Duplicate Photos Sweeper, or Wise Mac Care. We highly advise users refrain from installing any of the advertised apps, as they might not only fail to meet the expectations but also damage macOS, as there is no guarantee that the automatically-downloaded .pkg file is what it is promoted to be. Nevertheless, to stop Mhelper redirects and automatic prompts, you will have to terminate it from your computer.

Name	Mhelper
Type	Mac virus, redirect virus, adware
Infiltration	In most of the cases, users infect their Macs after installing software from third-party sources. Additionally, adware or malware might be installed on the system after users get tricked by fake Flash updates
Associated websites	jaininfotech.com, duplicatephotossweeper.com, wisemaccare.com
Symptoms	Users are randomly redirected to sites that promote Regclean Pro, Duplicate Photos Sweeper, or Wise Mac Care. Additionally, the installer file (for example, wisemaccare_rwaff.pkg) is downloaded automatically
Termination	Get rid of Mhelper by deleting all the associated components as per the instructions below. Alternatively, you can scan your machine with anti-malware software that detects potentially unwanted apps
Recovery & optimization	Instead of relying on scareware applications that claim to speed up and restore your Mac, we advise choosing Fortect Intego – this tool can free up space on the system without damaging library files and also get rid of various negative effects that macOS can suffer from after malware infection

Mhelper adware^[1] might appear on the macOS after users install freeware or shareware from third-party sites. Quite often, installers bundle optional components that are just complementary and can be eliminated before being installed. Unfortunately, third-party developers often fail to adequately disclose optional programs and make users install them unintentionally. To avoid such consequences and apps like Mhelper from being installed without your permission, download apps from official sources only.

There are several other remnants of potentially unwanted applications (scareware)^[2] like Mhelper that initiate unwanted behavior on macOS systems, including:

Mhptask
Maftask
Helpermcp
Spchlpr, etc.

All of these apps are the leftovers of potentially unwanted applications like Mac Clean Pro or Similar Photo Cleaner. Apple does not recommend using third-party software that claims to resize, delete or de-clutter photos from macOS library, as it might corrupt the related data. Besides, various fake system optimizers that might actually damage the system instead of fixing it. Thus, if you need reliable application that can remove various threats, and clean up space without damaging library files, download and install Fortect Intego.

For Mhelper removal, we recommend deleting all the associated files and also scanning the computer with powerful anti-malware software. The latter is necessary to find out whether more stealthy PUPs or malware is present on the machine.

Mhelper adware

Beware of software bundling – a distribution technique that allows PUPs to slip in without your direct approval

Software bundling has been successful for years now, simply because users are not keen on paying close attention to downloading and installing new software, despite security experts'^[3] warnings. In most cases, they simply click the “Next” button several times until the process is complete. However, this is the biggest mistake users make when installing new programs from third-party sources. Thus, always read through the installation instructions carefully, decline all the optional components, and always opt for Advanced/Custom settings so all the underlying content would be visible. Then, untick all the boxes that would otherwise allow the installer to install PUPs such as adware.

Gatekeeper usually warns users when an unauthorized app is trying to get installed on Mac – users are prompted to enter their passwords in order to proceed. Unfortunately, users sometimes get tricked into installing apps they are not sure about. This is especially common when users are told that they need to update Flash – a plugin riddled with vulnerabilities and soon-to-be-retired by Adobe. The truth is, most users do not need Flash installed in the first place. Additionally, if you are sure you need it, you should always patch it via the automatic updater or access the official website.

Get rid of Mhelper and all its components

Mhelper virus can be installed on Mac for days, if not months before users realize that there is something on their machines that is prompting unwanted redirects to suspicious sites and automatic .pkg downloads. It is yet unknown which application is related to the component, but it is recommended to go through the list of all installed apps and getting rid of everything you do not recognize. Additionally, you should check the following location for a full Mhelper removal:

~/Library/Application Support/MHelper/MHelper.app

You can also remove Mhelper with the help of anti-malware software, which specializes in the detection and termination of potentially unwanted programs or has an option to enable it. By choosing an automatic elimination method, you will also ensure that all other unwanted apps and malware are eliminated from your Mac.

Mhelper PUP

Additionally, we highly advise you reset all of the installed browsers, as adware often changes settings that do do not reset to default after PUP elimination – you can find all the instructions below.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How to remove Mhelper

Mhelper is a suspicious app that initiates direct downloads of potentially unwanted programs

Beware of software bundling – a distribution technique that allows PUPs to slip in without your direct approval