Author Topic: Unwanted Yahoo search results  (Read 3200 times)

Unwanted Yahoo search results
« on: 01 March, 2021, 11:42:54 am »
My home page in Safari is Google.co.uk
For some reason, as of this morning, when I hit return on a search, the results are presented on a Yahoo UK page, as opposed to Google's page.
I've been through all the preferences, bookmarks, favourite etc and I cannot find a way of ridding myself of the Yahoo UK results.
This doesn't happen when I use Firefox.

Any suggestions as to how I might get rid of this Yahoo UK default?

TIA

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #1 on: 01 March, 2021, 11:47:33 am »
First thought is give it a scan with the free version of Malwarebytes.
It is simpler than it looks.

ian

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #2 on: 01 March, 2021, 11:54:48 am »
Usually, this is because something has installed a Safari extension. Delete it (preferences>extensions) and, as Jaded, says you might want to run Malwarebytes to see what else got installed.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #3 on: 01 March, 2021, 12:14:57 pm »
Indeed. I've just run Malwarebytes and it did find Adware.OperatorMac but it'll only purge me of it if I sign up to their premium service - which I have done, And it has sorted out the Yahoo issue. :thumbsup: Ta JD.
I've removed everything (Adblocker) from the extensions folder.(That was put there by me).
The only thing now is that I cannot load LFGSS pages, but I think that may be an anomaly of the software they use on that forum which, I believe, was written by the guy who runs the forum, and differers significantly from the software used by most other fora.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #4 on: 01 March, 2021, 06:57:20 pm »
Well, unfortunately the problem hasn't gone away.
While I've got rid of the Yahoo issue, other things continue to plague Safari.
So far the following has happened when I've opened a thread in Cyclechat or LFGSS or a grauniad link.
It displays the page in (almost) plain text with no images.
Firefox appears to be unaffected.
Since this morning, I have also installed Big Sur (Oh my! Those colours!)
It has bought the plain text issue with it.
I looked at the scan report from Malware bytes and deletd the six files which had been quarentined.
I've since run Malwarebytes again and the scan isn't coming up with anything.

This is what displays when I click on a thread on LFGSS


I welcome any suggestions for potential solutions.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #5 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:26:06 pm »
Have you tried enabling developer menu in Safari and then clearing caches? (Safari > prefs > advanced > enable develop menu. Develop menu will then appear alongside Bookmarks, Window, Help etc at the top.

Close all windows and then go to Develop menu and Empty Caches.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #6 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:38:40 pm »
Have you tried enabling developer menu in Safari and then clearing caches? (Safari > prefs > advanced > enable develop menu. Develop menu will then appear alongside Bookmarks, Window, Help etc at the top.

Close all windows and then go to Develop menu and Empty Caches.

Thanks.
Yep.
Just done that - it hasn't made any difference :(
What's odd is that the Adblock extension which I deleted earlier today, is back again  ???

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #7 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:45:36 pm »
Safari - Preferences - Search - Search Engine - Google

?
Quote from: tiermat
that's not science, it's semantics.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #8 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:52:01 pm »
Safari - Preferences - Search - Search Engine - Google

?
It is so.
As I've mentioned - I've (Thanks to Jaded) got rid of the defaulting to Yahoo UK issue.
My problem now is that Safari won't properly display posts from other forums and links to the Guardian.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #9 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:53:07 pm »
A long shot and probably not the issue

Safari : Preferences : Websites

The first icon in the LH pane should be 'Reader' - make sure this isn't switched on for any sites.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #10 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:53:32 pm »
Have you restarted your Mac since attempting to remove the malware?

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #11 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:55:39 pm »
A long shot and probably not the issue

Safari : Preferences : Websites

The first icon in the LH pane should be 'Reader' - make sure this isn't switched on for any sites.
That's as it should be.
Actually, it wasn't. But it is now, and still no different.
ETA - BOOM! CORRECTION!!!!!! That appears to have sorted it.
It would appear that I owe you a small glass of sweet sherry, if we ever get to cross paths irl  ;D
Thx muchly.

Nope.
Still not sorted.
Still showing text only from website links :(

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #12 on: 01 March, 2021, 07:56:26 pm »
Have you restarted your Mac since attempting to remove the malware?
Yep. It got a restart after I installed Bug Sur.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #13 on: 01 March, 2021, 08:11:28 pm »
^
^
 :thumbsup:

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #14 on: 01 March, 2021, 08:48:52 pm »
There's more.... >:(
It appears to have bolloxed stuff in my Mail for Mac.
If I send myself an email, it returns from a random person in my phone book.

It has also done something similar with Messanger.
Meh!

Is this the first virus written for a Mac?

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #15 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:14:10 pm »
Still not sorted.
See above.

ian

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #16 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:17:34 pm »
No, there's plenty of malware applications for Macs, where there's a market and all that. Generally you have to install these things, but they're clever at engineering this.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #17 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:20:20 pm »
No, there's plenty of malware applications for Macs, where there's a market and all that. Generally you have to install these things, but they're clever at engineering this.
Any suggestions for sorting this pls?

ian

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #18 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:29:40 pm »
I am no expert, but I believe such things usually replace your internet settings, via the proxies (the bit of stuff that points your internet traffic in the right direction, in a similar way to corporate filth filters).

For a starter to > System Preferences > Network > Advanced > Proxies and untick everything.

FifeingEejit

  • Not Small
Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #19 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:35:18 pm »
#GenericStackOverflowAnswer

Use something else instead of MacOs/Safari/etc.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #20 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:37:57 pm »
I am no expert, but I believe such things usually replace your internet settings, via the proxies (the bit of stuff that points your internet traffic in the right direction, in a similar way to corporate filth filters).

For a starter to > System Preferences > Network > Advanced > Proxies and untick everything.
Alas, all of these are unticked.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #21 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:39:00 pm »
#GenericStackOverflowAnswer

Use something else instead of MacOs/Safari/etc.
Such as?

ian

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #22 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:50:30 pm »
I believe he's being facetious.

I'd recommend trying a few other recommended malware removers – such as https://cleanmymac.com – they should find something. They're usually free, at least for the scan.

Otherwise, you could try rolling back to a previous Time Machine backup.

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #23 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:53:26 pm »
I believe he's being facetious.

I'd recommend trying a few other recommended malware removers – such as https://cleanmymac.com – they should find something. They're usually free, at least for the scan.

Otherwise, you could try rolling back to a previous Time Machine backup.
The Time machine backup was going to be my next port of call...

ian

Re: Unwanted Yahoo search results
« Reply #24 on: 01 March, 2021, 09:59:17 pm »
I've never had a Mac virus (but I have spent many hours clearing malware from my father's Windows laptop). You could try looking in at /LaunchAgents and /LaunchDaemons in the /Library and ~/Library for something nefarious (use the goto option in Finder, these folders are hidden by default), this is where cryptic start-up items lurk, and if a virus wants to resurrect itself, it's the obvious place to sleep.

But sometimes restoring from a TM backup is the quickest solution.