UpdaterChannel Adware - How to remove

UpdaterChannel is adware and it infects Macs through infected apps and malicious advertisements. After UpdaterChannel is installed, it is difficult to uninstall it normally. To remove UpdaterChannel, it’s best to use an anti-malware app because although manual removal is possible, it requires a bit of effort. Meanwhile, UpdaterChannel forces the browser to show a ton of ads (even some dangerous ads) and change the search settings.

About UpdaterChannel:

Classification	Trojan, adware.
Removing UpdaterChannel	Delete malicious files and settings, check your Mac for malware (with Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, others), uninstall unwanted browser extensions and apps.
UpdaterChannel’s installation	Infected free app installers, fake updates and fake software installers.
Problems and issues	Excessive ads, search redirects, internet connection issues, dangerous and malicious websites being advertised by the adware.

How to remove UpdaterChannel

Remove UpdaterChannel automatically

UpdaterChannel is undoubtedly a malicious app and anti-malware applications should be able to detect it. You can use one that you trust (Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes, others) to check your Mac.

Of course, anti-malware apps might not recognize UpdaterChannel (because it’s a new version or for whatever other reason) or you might be wary of installing more apps. In that case, you can try to remove UpdaterChannel manually. But it would still be helpful to scan your Mac afterward.

Remove UpdaterChannel manually

Delete malicious files

Make a backup of your system and don’t delete stuff from the Bin until after you’ve made sure that everything works fine. This is in case an important file gets deleted by accident.

Boot or reboot your Mac and press and hold the Shift key while it’s booting until you see the words “Safe Boot” in the corner of the screen. This starts your Mac in safe mode – a mode that limits which apps can start. This will prevent UpdaterChannel from interfering with its own removal.

Open the Finder app. Right-click its icon in the dock and choose Go to Folder. Type in the names of hidden folders that contain startup settings for important apps and for UpdaterChannel:

• /Library/LaunchAgents
• /Library/LaunchDaemons
• ~/Library/LaunchAgents

Look for and delete files that have “UpdaterChannel” in their names. But leave other files because they might contain important settings for other apps. These folders are used by macOS malware to hide in and survive removal attempts.

Find and remove UpdaterChannel from your Applications folder and browser extensions (instructions for removing browser extensions are in the last section of this post). Also, delete the file that installed UpdaterChannel, if it’s still there. It might be named “FlashPlayer” or something similar.

Restore system settings

Open System Preferences (from the Dock or from the main Apple menu):

• Go to Profiles. Select and remove all the profiles named “UpdaterChannel”. Profiles are for enforcing system settings. Only profiles that you or your administrator installed should be there. If there are no profiles on your system, then the Profiles item won’t be visible in your System Preferences.
• Open Users & Groups -> Login Items. This is for apps that start when you log on. If there are any unknown or suspicious items, such as UpdaterChannel, remove them.
• In Network -> Advanced -> Proxies, check if any items are selected that you or your administrator did not select. Some malicious apps force a SOCKS proxy.

It would be best to scan your Mac with an antivirus program again just to make sure that you’ve got everything. To exit safe mode, just reboot your Mac without holding the Shift key.

How UpdaterChannel works

Installation

UpdaterChannel being malware, it infects Macs by using deception and dishonest tactics:

• It infects installers of free apps. These installers are distributed on shady, unreliable download sites, so UpdaterChannel just stays up. If you download free apps, be careful of unofficial installers.
• Fake software updates, often for Flash Player. They come from sites like Launchgreatlyquickfreeware.com, Operatenewestintenselyapplication.icu, etc. – dozens of sites with similarly convoluted names. These sites are operated by malicious actors and have nothing to do with Adobe or any other company whose name is being used.

Whether it’s a fake Flash update or another infected installer, other adware besides UpdaterChannel is likely included in the infection. Adware like Safe Finder, Anysearchmanager, RotatorAssist, and others. On top of that, UpdaterChannel makes itself difficult to remove.

Adware

Once UpdaterChannel is installed, it makes some changes to the web browsers: changes the default search engine and installs an extension that can inject ads into webpages. UpdaterChannel causes search redirects, pop-up ads, and funnels your traffic to some less reputable sites. This puts you in contact with more sites that might not have the greatest respect for people’s privacy. After you remove UpdaterChannel, it might be a good idea to clear browser cookies. Also, some of the sites that UpdaterChannel promotes are connected with malware, scams, and other dangerous content that could cause harm.

UpdaterChannel can cause a bunch of technical issues to do with online connectivity, such as crashing apps, blocking access to your iCloud, iTunes, etc., or breaking the internet connection. Probably, this is not intended because not all victims experience these effects.

Automatic Malware removal tools

Restore browsers settings

How to remove UpdaterChannel Adware from Safari:Top

Remove malicious extensions

• Click on Safari menu on the top left corner of the screen. Select Preferences.
  
• Select Extensions and uninstall UpdaterChannel Adware 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 UpdaterChannel Adware, 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.

TopHow To remove UpdaterChannel Adware from Google Chrome:

• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select More Tools→Extensions
  
• Select all malicious extensions and delete them.
  
• Click on the 3 horizontal lines icon on a browser toolbar and Select Settings
  
• Select Manage Search engines
  
• Remove unnecessary search engines from the list
  
• Go back to settings. On Startup choose Open blank page (you can remove undesired pages from the set pages link too).
• If your homepage was changed, click on Chrome menu on the top right corner, select Settings. Select Open a specific page or set of pages and click on Set pages.
  
• Delete malicious search websites at a new Startup pages window by clicking “X” next to them.
  

(Optional) Reset your browser’s settings

If you are still experiencing any issues related to UpdaterChannel Adware, reset the settings of your browser to its default settings.

• Click on a Chrome’s menu button (three horizontal lines) and select Settings.
• Scroll to the end of the page and click on theReset browser settings button.
  
• Click on the Reset button on the confirmation box.
  

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

How To remove UpdaterChannel Adware from Firefox:Top

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla window and select the “Add-ons” icon (Or press Ctrl+Shift+A on your keyboard).
  
• Go through Extensions and Addons list, remove everything UpdaterChannel Adware related and items you do not recognise. If you do not know the extension and it is not made by Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Oracle or Adobe then you probably do not need it.
  
• If your homepage was changed, click on the Firefox menu in the top right corner, select Options → General. Enter a preferable URL to the homepage field and click Restore to Default.
  

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

• Click on the menu button on the top right corner of a Mozilla Firefox window. Click on the Help button.
  
• ChooseTroubleshooting Information on the Help menu.
  
• Click on theReset Firefox button.
  
• Click on the Reset Firefox button on the confirmation box. Mozilla Firefox will close and change the settings to default.
  

If the problem persists, scan your system with an anti-malware program to identify malicious entries.