RarGenie virus (Free Instructions) - Free Guide
RarGenie virus Removal Guide
What is RarGenie virus?
RarGenie adware attacks Mac users and tries to avoid detection
RarGenie is a shady ad-supported application designed for Mac OS X[1]. If your Mac suddenly started acting suspiciously, display ads and cause redirects during your browsing sessions, you should remove RarGenie right away. This program might also change your browsers’ settings and set Bing search page as your default search engine provider and home page.
In addition, this adware can hijack your Mac together with other potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) such as:
- InstallMac;
- Genieo;
- SearchBenny;
- ZipCloud.
It is important to uninstall these programs at the same time you decide to remove RarGenie virus. They are highly untrustworthy programs that are meant to serve you sponsored content in various forms. Most of the time, they generate pop-up ads, although you can also run into banners or sponsored search results delivered through the new search engine that RarGenie forces you to use.
During its stay on your Mac OS, RarGenie can deliver coupons, discount codes, special offers, and present similar time and money saving offers that might look tempting to you. Sadly, these ads can be used as bait to lure you into vague websites.
Ads delivered by this adware program can also suggest installing some free programs, for example, system optimizers, search tools or software updates, but you have to be careful and stay away from them.
Staying away from unknown files and programs is a key rule that can help you avoid spyware or malware[2]. So it goes without saying that RarGenie removal is essential if you do not want to accidentally click on deceptive or simply untrustworthy ads.
RarGenie is a questionable adware that mainly compromises Mac OS. Although it presents itself as an excellent file archiver for Mac, it displays annoying ads and therefore falls into the category of potentially unwanted programs.
For a precise adware elimination, we highly suggest using anti-malware software compatible with Mac operating system because manual removal typical requires much more time and patience. You might want to try Malwarebytes software.
Distribution of adware that aims at Mac users
There are several ways to get infected with the described Mac adware. You can download it directly from its official website, get it on shady file sharing sites, or install it accidentally. Remember that Windows users aren’t the only ones who can get tricked by software bundling technique – Mac users are targets, too. DieViren.de[3] confirms that this technique deceives many German-speaking computer users, although it can trick any computer user worldwide.
Therefore, we strongly recommend that you check every statement provided in software setup before allowing the installer to make changes to the system. If you notice some suspicious statements about additional programs that will be added to your computer, try to drop the additions via Custom/Advanced installation settings.
If the installer doesn’t provide you with an option to configure the components of your download, better do not install such program at all. Try to find a better alternative for it. Besides, it is highly recommended that you check program’s reputation in online forums before you decide to add it to your system.
Remove RarGenie from Mac and reset your browsers
To make your Mac work normally again, you will need to remove RarGenie virus along with some other suspicious applications. We have provided a list of suspicious applications that might be related to the adware in the tutorial that you can find below.
However, if the virus keeps coming back and it seems that it is simply too hard to eliminate it manually, trust Malwarebytes or another anti-malware software compatible with Macs. It will complete RarGenie removal quickly and delete all of its components together with ones that belong to other spyware or malware type applications.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of RarGenie virus. Follow these steps
Delete from macOS
RarGenie adware can compromise your Mac computer and initiate unpleasant changes to the operating system, therefore we recommend removing it. These instructions will help you to uninstall the indicated adware as well as other programs such as ZipCloud, SearchBenny, InstallMac and others.
1. First of all, follow instructions with pictures provided below and move all shady Mac apps to Trash. Empty it afterward.
2. Now, wipe associated files from the system. You will need to use Mac's search to find the following folders:
/Library/LaunchAgents;
/Library/Application Support;
~/Library/LaunchAgents;
/Library/LaunchDaemons.
3. Here, delete the following and similar files:
installmac.AppRemoval.plist, mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist, kuklorest.update.plist, myppes.download.plist, com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist, com.myppes.net-preferences.plist, com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist, com.avickUpd.plist.
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- 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:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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
Reset Chrome browser using the given instructions. If you find any suspicious extensions installed on browser, remove them using the same tutorial.
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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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
To fix Safari browser so that it could no longer redirect you to suspicious sites, follow instructions we provided below.
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of RarGenie registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting adware
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.
- ^ McAfee Labs Threats Report April 2017. McAfee. Resource Library.
- ^ Neil J. Rubenking. Viruses, Spyware, and Malware: What's the Difference?. PC Magazine. Your Complete Guide to PC Computers, Peripherals and Upgrades.
- ^ DieViren. DieViren. Malware Removal Tutorials, Security Tips.