How to remove Search.connectedtask.com (Mac)

What is Search.connectedtask.com

Developed for Mac, Search.connectedtask.com is an intrusive search engine that hijacks your browser and changes your homepage. It may also add a couple of widgets and fast links to access the most popular platforms. Such apps are supposedly meant to improve the browsing experience by generating smarter results. Woefully, this is not true because Search.connectedtask.com channels search queries through legitimate Yahoo.com. These characteristics make Search.connectedtask.com categorized as a browser hijacker, which is a Potentially Unwanted Program designed to harvest financial gain on inexperienced users. As long as browser hijackers have data-tracking capabilities, they can record sensitive data and send it to third-parties figures. Search.connectedtask.com can tickle your nerves a little bit because it is hard to remove without professional help. You can follow our guide below to get rid of it without leftovers.

How Search.connectedtask.com infected your computer

Browser hijackers and other programs within the category of unwanted software can be distributed in various ways. The most resounding success in the distribution department has been around bundled software. Simply said, this means downloading pirated/cracked programs from shady platforms. When running the installation, most users remain unaware of unwanted presence. They skip additional sections like “Advanced” or “Custom” and rush till the end of the setup. This, therefore, leads to the inevitable installation of poor software that exploits your system for personal use. We recommend you follow basic protection tips to avert similar infections. Do not open or download suspicious content delivered on websites. Opting only for official and trusted setups – the best way to stay away from the fraudulent impact on the web.

Remove Search.connectedtask.com manually for free

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

Important update: Search.connectedtask.com hijacker installs a malicious Device Profile called AdminPrefs on MacOS, that won’t allow users to make changes to browser search engine and homepage settings. Follow instructions below to remove this profile.

Remove Search.connectedtask.com profile

1. Go to System Preferences and click on Profiles.
2. In the list of profiles on the left side, choose AdminPrefs and click on “-” button to remove it.
3. In your case it can be named differently, in this case remove all visible profiles. Check the picture below to see how it looks like.

Remove Search.connectedtask.com from Applications

Remove Search.connectedtask.com from Mac:

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

Cannot uninstall Search.connectedtask.com

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

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

Remove Search.connectedtask.com add-on from your browsers

Removing ConnectedTask 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 ConnectedTask 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 ConnectedTask 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 ConnectedTask 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 ConnectedTask extension.
4. Click Disable or Remove button.

Reset browser settings

To finish Search.connectedtask.com 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 Search.connectedtask.com


~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.ConnectedTask.plist
~/Library/Safari/Extensions/ConnectedTask.safariextz
~/Library/Application Support/ConnectedTask


How to protect Mac OSX from hijackers, like Search.connectedtask.com

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.