BeginnerData Mac Virus - How to remove

BeginnerData (BeginnerData 1.0) is a browser-hijacking virus that affects MacOS and the Safari browser. This virus is downloaded without your knowledge, with fake software updates and adware bundles, and installs on its own. Then, BeginnerData causes pop-up ads, redirects to malicious sites, system instability, spies on the user, and might even install more adware viruses. It needs to be removed from your Mac before it can cause more problems.

Effects of the BeginnerData virus

BeginnerData problems and removal:

BeginnerData classification	Adware Browser hijacker
Effects of the virus	Browsing history and other data collected by BeginnerData Mac freezing and Safari slowing down Malicious ads and pop-ups appearing
How BeginnerData infects Macs	Fake software updates Freeware bundles
Remove BeginnerData	Scan your computer with an anti-malware tool (Combo Cleaner) Remove the files that belong to BeginnerData Uninstall the virus and restore browser settings

The virus BeginnerData is first noticed by users when they see a pop-up asking them to complete its installation. Considering that people don’t install BeginnerData on purpose, they rightfully get suspicious. To prevent you from closing the installation pop-ups, your mouse cursor may get hijacked. Mac viruses often use tricks like windows attached to your mouse cursor and fake system pop-ups that are actually designed by cyber-criminals. They use them to trick Mac users into doing something they do not want to do. That BeginnerData is installed using these tricks only shows how malicious it is.

If you try to use Safari while it’s hijacked by the BeginnerData virus, you might notice a lot of adware-like effects:

• Websites being full of ads.
• Links being redirected to malicious websites.
• Strange (fake) software update prompts appearing on your screen.
• Virus alerts show up, urging you to download rogue antivirus programs.

Besides all that, some people whose Macs were hijacked with BeginnerData-like viruses (StudyDisplay, ExtraList, TaskFresh, and similar) noticed their browser sowing down and refusing to work at all. Thanks to BeginnerData, you might need to restart your Mac regularly to unfreeze the system.

While BeginnerData interferes with your search, it also gets access to your browsing history and your actions on all sites. It can record what you type, including things like your credit card number, which is valuable information to fraudsters. So, BeginnerData is not only annoying, but also potentially dangerous.

How Mac viruses spread

BeginnerData probably got downloaded as a fake software update, or maybe installed as an adware bundle. Either way, you wouldn’t have known about BeginnerData being included in the installer.

BeginnerData could have been downloaded as a fake update. Fake software updates like Flash Payer and Video Update are often made to spread adware viruses and opened by malicious ads. You might see a pop-up about needing to update your software, download and run it, and not think twice about it. BeginnerData’s installation probably happens a few days later. The fake update prompts might not appear because of online ads, but because of system pop-ups caused by a malicious program already on your Mac.

A freeware bundler might also have downloaded the BeginnerData virus without telling you about it. BeginnerData could be installed together with some random free utility, like a photo editor or a music player. The pay-per-install industry isn’t inherently malicious, but it is successfully used to spread adware. Alternatively, a malicious application could download BeginnerData in the background.

If you had had a trusted anti-malware program scan your installers, it should have told you if the files were safe and helped you prevent BeginnerData from infecting your Mac. Knowing that fake software updates and even mundane free applications are often used to spread malware should help you avoid more adware infections.

How to remove BeginnerData

BeginnerData can be uninstalled by dragging it from Applications to Trash and by removing it from Safari, but you probably know that that doesn’t always work. This virus comes back soon after, though sometimes under a new name.

BeginnerData has malicious files and settings left on your system that reinstall the virus and they need to be removed. You can use an anti-malware program like Combo Cleaner to uninstall BeginnerData including all of its files and find any other malware on your Mac. Or you can manually go to /Library/LaunchAgents, ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons, and other folders where application settings are saved, find BeginnerData’s files, and delete them. You can access these folders by right-clicking on Finder’s icon in the dock and choosing the “Go to Folder” option.

If you choose the manual way to remove BeginnerData, it is still recommended to scan your computer later to double-check that your Mac is clean. And make backups of the suspicious files before you delete anything. If you delete the wrong file believing that it belongs to BeginnerData, some of your legitimate applications could lose important data. The malicious files will not be named “BeginnerData”, so you might need to look up the name of each of them individually to find out if they are trusted, or generated by BeginnerData.

Finally, use anti-malware viruses to block malicious websites and do not install any applications without first scanning them with a security tool. Delete whatever file installed BeginnerData in the first place.

Automatic Malware removal tools

How to remove BeginnerData Mac Virus from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall BeginnerData Mac Virus and other suspicious extensions.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and choose General tab. Enter preferable URL to the homepage field.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings(older versions) If you are still experiencing any issues related to BeginnerData, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Reset Safari…
  
• Select which options you want to reset (usually all of them come preselected) and click on the Reset button.
  

If you cannot reset your browser settings and the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program.