Patext Mac virus (Free Instructions)

What is Patext Mac virus?

Patext Mac virus – a browser hijacker developed to track what you're doing online

The browser hijacker can endanger your safety and privacy

Patext is categorized as a potentially unwanted program due to many of its shady functionalities and the way it's distributed. This browser hijacker is targeted exclusively at Mac devices. Therefore if you use them, please be aware that this PUP could appear out of nowhere.

That's because such applications are very frequently spread attached to the installers of legitimate software. This technique is called software bundling, and each day more and more software distributors are using it to earn additional revenue. Therefore, be careful when installing any new software.

It's needless to say that keeping software that is distributed in such a shady way is not recommended. One of the questionable features of Patext browser hijacker is that it changes the default search provider. Thus you will be forced to use an engine of the PUPs choice.

Moreover, the provided search results will contain tons of ads. The provider might differ based on your geolocations, i.e., where you live. Some might get results from Yahoo, other from Bing, and so on. But the fact is, the deceptive ads will be shown in all of them.

And despite the fact that PUPs aren't considered as dangerous as malware, their displayed ads might act as a bridge to more severe infections. Therefore, we highly recommend all users remove Patext Mac virus immediately, and we'll show you how to do it.

Remove Patext Mac virus before your device is overrun with PUPs

The browser hijacker doesn't contain malicious scripts; therefore, it's categorized as a PUP and not malware. But that doesn't mean that it can't lead to it. The main dangers are presented with its ads. Since the intruder shows a ton of them, and its operators don't care about their user safety, you might get redirected to questionable sites with such content:

• push notification viruses,
• gambling,
• tech support scam,
• porn,
• other PUPs, etc.

Some of the sites that you might be redirected to when Patext ads are clicked can even be riddled with malware, and you won't have to push anything to infect your device with it. Cybercriminals are using a technique called drive-by downloads that could drop malware onto devices instantly.

And that's not all. The article's culprit is capable of recording your browsing sessions. It can collect various non-identifiable information, such as geolocations, browser/device details, search inquiries, IP addresses, etc. These details can be used to customize ads specifically for you, making them irresistible to click.

Therefore, you must remove Patext Mac virus immediately upon detection. The easiest way to do that is by downloading, installing, and performing a full threat scan with the reliable Malwarebytes security software. Manual removal might be possible, but it's not recommended because the program's uninstaller could leave tons of residual files behind.

If you weren't convinced that you need to use proper security software for Patext Mac virus removal, and you still want to do it manually, please keep in mind that any overlooked files could cause infection renewal. But if you still want to do it this way, at least use our instructions:

1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
2. In the Applications folder, look for all entries related to the article's culprit.
3. Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)

To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:

1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
3. In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
4. Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.

Proper anti-malware software is your best defense against all kinds of cyber infections lurking on the internet for devices with weak cybersecurity protection. A trustworthy security tool like the SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner will protect your device against malware, block the installation of potentially unwanted programs, and prevent you from visiting high-risk websites.

After you remove Patext browser hijacker, whether manually or automatically, use the FortectIntego software to clean up your device and repair the virus damage. PUPs always leave traces scattered throughout the system. Therefore they need to be found and eliminated. Once the threat is completely gone, you can proceed to the next step.

Stop ads by removing suspicious browser extensions

In rare cases, even after performing a full system scan with reliable security software, PUPs might still be installed on your browsers as extensions. There's no app that can remove them from your browser. Therefore please use our instructions to check your browser.

If you're using Safari, you could find and remove Patext extension like this:

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• In the new window, pick Extensions.
• Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.

Since Google Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, most cyber infections can easily infect it, with some of them even being developed specifically for it. Therefore, please check if the suspicious extension is not installed on this browser by following these steps:

• 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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

If you've completed all the above-mentioned steps without cheating and Patext browser hijacker is still controlling your browser, there's no other choice but to reset the affected browser. Use these guidelines to reset your Safari browser:

• Click Safari > Preferences…
• Go to the Advanced tab.
• Tick the Show Develop menu in the menu bar.
• From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.

And just to be sure, if you have Chrome browser installed, do the same to it to remove Patext Mac virus:

• 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.

We hope this article helped you make up your mind about using the described software and provided adequate assistance with its removal. If you have any questions or you're experiencing any difficulties with the removal process, please feel free to contact us.