How to remove SpeedHelpDesk (Mac)

What is SpeedHelpDesk

SpeedHelpDesk is a potentially unwanted application (PUA) that is classified as adware, specifically belonging to the AdLoad malware family. It is designed to run intrusive advertisement campaigns and is capable of displaying third-party graphical content such as pop-ups, banners, overlays, and coupons on various interfaces. SpeedHelpDesk specifically targets Mac devices. SpeedHelpDesk is also capable of data tracking, which is standard for adware. The targeted information may include URLs visited, webpages viewed, search queries typed, Internet cookies, usernames/passwords, personally identifiable details, credit card numbers, etc. The collected data can then be sold to third-parties or otherwise abused for profit. The presence of SpeedHelpDesk on a Mac can result in system infections, severe privacy issues, financial losses, and identity theft. It can also cause the Mac to become slower than normal, display unwanted pop-up ads, and redirect to dubious websites.

How SpeedHelpDesk infects Mac computers

SpeedHelpDesk can infect Mac systems in several ways. One common method is through bundling with other software. Often, this type of program is offered through advertisements or bundled with other software, leaving the user puzzled about where this software came from. For instance, SpeedHelpDesk is included in games, creativity programs, internet speed boosters, and free media players. Once installed, SpeedHelpDesk can cause several changes to the user’s system. It can change the default search engine, redirect search results to unwanted search engines, display intrusive advertising, and slow down the internet connection due to too many requests. It can also redirect your browser to dubious websites and those designed to deceive you into installing further malware on your Mac.

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

Remove SpeedHelpDesk manually for free

Note: SpeedHelpDesk 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 “SpeedHelpDesk” entry. Select it, and click the “-“ (minus) button to remove it.

Note 2: SpeedHelpDesk 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 SpeedHelpDesk in the list.
3. Click Force Quit button.

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

Remove SpeedHelpDesk from Applications

Remove SpeedHelpDesk from Mac:

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

Cannot uninstall SpeedHelpDesk

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

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

Remove SpeedHelpDesk add-on from your browsers

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

Reset browser settings

To finish SpeedHelpDesk 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 SpeedHelpDesk


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


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

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 SpeedHelpDesk in browsers.

Download AdGuard for Mac

How to protect Mac OSX from adware, like SpeedHelpDesk

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