How to remove EssentialEntry (Mac)

What is EssentialEntry

EssentialEntry is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and a type of adware that targets macOS systems. It is part of the AdLoad group of malicious software. EssentialEntry injects advertisements into websites you visit and redirects your browser search queries. It operates by running intrusive advert campaigns and may collect private information, such as visited URLs, viewed pages, searched queries, Internet cookies, log-in credentials, personally identifiable details, and credit card numbers. The gathered information can then be sold to third-parties or otherwise abused for profit. The presence of EssentialEntry on devices may lead to system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. As adware, EssentialEntry’s primary purpose is to generate revenue by displaying unwanted advertisements on your device, often in the form of pop-ups or banners. It poses as a real browser extension and claims to improve users’ browsing experiences by returning safe and helpful results. EssentialEntry specifically targets Mac systems and well-known internet browsers like Google Chrome and Safari.

How EssentialEntry infects Mac

EssentialEntry can infect Mac systems through various deceptive methods, such as:

• Bundling with other software installations.
• Opening spam emails.
• Visiting malicious or compromised websites.
• Peer-to-peer file sharing.
• Using infected USB drives, CD drives, or DVD drives.

Once installed, EssentialEntry may disable your working anti-virus program, making it difficult to remove the threat.

1. Download EssentialEntry Removal Tool
2. Remove EssentialEntry from Login Items
3. Remove/Uninstall EssentialEntry from Applications
4. Remove EssentialEntry from browsers
5. Reset browser settings
6. Remove EssentialEntry files and folders
7. Block EssentialEntry ads and pop-ups
8. How to protect from threats, like EssentialEntry

Remove EssentialEntry manually for free

Note: EssentialEntry sets up to start on Mac OS startup. Therefore, before starting the removal, perform these steps:

1. Open System Preferences, choose Users & Groups.
2. Choose your account (set up as Current User).
3. Click Login Items tab.
4. Find “EssentialEntry” entry. Select it, and click the “-“ (minus) button to remove it.

Note 2: EssentialEntry won’t quit just by closing it, therefor use Force Quit to end the process.

1. Press 3 buttons at the same time: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape). This is similar to Control-Alt-Delete on a Windows PC.
2. Choose EssentialEntry in the list.
3. Click Force Quit button.

Here is a manual step-by-step tutorial for full EssentialEntry removal from your computer. This works 99% and was checked with the latest versions of EssentialEntry installer on operating systems with the latest updates and browser versions.

Remove EssentialEntry from Applications

Remove EssentialEntry from Mac:

1. In the Finder sidebar, click Applications.
2. EssentialEntry might have an Uninstaller. If you see Uninstall EssentialEntry or EssentialEntry Uninstaller, double-click it and follow the onscreen instructions.
3. Otherwise, drag EssentialEntry from the Applications folder to the Trash (located at the end of the Dock).
4. Then choose Finder > Empty Trash.

Cannot uninstall EssentialEntry

If you can’t uninstall EssentialEntry using instructions above, or it keeps coming back, you can use free AppCleaner for Mac to remove all residual data and libraries of EssentialEntry. Follow instructions below:

1. Download free AppCleaner.
2. Drag EssentialEntry from Applications folder to AppCleaner window.
3. Choose files and folders you want to remove along with EssentialEntry.
4. Click Delete button.

Remove EssentialEntry add-on from your browsers

Removing EssentialEntry from Applications often does not bring the desired effect. It is a browser extension and it may still be active in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Here are instructions on how to remove the EssentialEntry extension from your browsers manually.

Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Click Extensions tab.
3. Find EssentialEntry extension.
4. Click Uninstall button to remove it.

Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://extensions.
3. Find EssentialEntry extension.
4. Click the trash can icon to remove it.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:addons.
3. Choose EssentialEntry extension.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Reset browser settings

To finish EssentialEntry removal reset your browser settings to make sure, there are no leftover items in browser folders.

Reset Safari:

1. Start Safari on your Mac, click Safari to open drop-down menu and choose Preferences
2. Go to the Privacy section of Safari’s preferences.
3. Click Remove All Website Data button.
4. In opened window click Remove Now button to remove data stored by websites in Safari.
5. Go to the Advanced section of Safari’s preferences.
6. Click the Show Develop menu in menu bar option.
7. In the menu click Develop and select Empty Caches from this menu.
8. Again, go to Safari menu and choose Clear History….
9. Choose to clear all history and click Clear History button.

Reset Google Chrome:

1. Start Google Chrome browser
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) chrome://settings.
3. Scroll down and find Show advanced settings link.
4. Click on it and scroll down to the bottom again.
5. Click Reset settings button and click Reset to confirm.

Reset Mozilla Firefox:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. In address box type (or copy-paste) about:support.
3. Click Refresh Firefox… button.
4. Click Refresh Firefox to confirm.

Remove following files and folders of EssentialEntry


~/Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/Services/com.EssentialEntry.service.app
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.EssentialEntry.service.plist
/Library/Application Support/.[random_string]/System/com.EssentialEntry.system
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.EssentialEntry.system.plist


Download AdGuard for Mac to block malicious pop-ups, that promote EssentialEntry

AdGuard is the best ad-blocker, internet filtering, and internet security application for macOS. It can cut out unwanted banners from site pages, block pop-ups, stop redirects, and prevent users from visiting potentially dangerous resources. Use it to stop ads promoting EssentialEntry in browsers.

Download AdGuard for Mac

How to protect Mac OSX from adware, like EssentialEntry

Mac OSX is known to be one of the safest operating systems, and for a long time, there was no need for antivirus products for Mac. But with the growing popularity of Mac computers and notebooks and evolving technology, viruses, trojans, adware, toolbars, hijackers, and other malware paved the way for Mac users. We recommend you to use one of the best anti-malware for Mac available – Malwarebytes for Mac.

Download Malwarebytes for Mac