How to remove SkilledInitiator (Mac)

What is SkilledInitiator

SkilledInitiator is an unwanted piece of software combining both adware and browser hijacker traits. Once it gets installed onto the system, it alters browser settings to promote fake search engines and generate intrusive advertisements. Depending on what browser is affected, the hijacker will redirect users’ search queries to either z6airr.com or search.dominantmethod.com domains. As a rule, many search engines are classified as fake simply because they are unable to generate their own results. Instead, they tend to use engines like Yahoo, Bing, or Google to display their results. While surfing the web with the assigned changes, users may also spot an increased number of irrelevant/suspicious pop-ups, banners, coupons, surveys, and other types of content. Such ads may be designed to promote some dubious software or bait inexperienced users into downloading malware. This is why it is recommended to avoid clicking on them. In addition, software that runs suspicious browser changes may also gain access to tracking various kinds of browser data like passwords, IP addresses, geolocations, and some such. The collected information may therefore be abused by cybercriminals for financial purposes afterward. The continuous presence of unwanted programs like browser hijackers and adware is also often a reason for significantly slower browser performance and Internet speed. Thus, SkilledInitiator should undoubtedly be removed from your system – to prevent potential privacy and security risks. Use our guide to detect and delete the infection from your Mac and reset browser settings back to their defaults. Browser hijackers and adware may undo manual attempts to reset settings as well.

How SkilledInitiator infected your computer

SkilledInitiator and other potentially unwanted programs are often spotted in being distributed via fake Adobe Flash Player updates or installers. Users may be accidentally redirected to a fake website claiming their software is outdated or completely absent and encouraging to install/update it. Browser hijackers and adware can also be distributed via free software installers (usually cracked or pirated). Such installers tend to conceal additional offers, presented as something “useful” or “worth having installed”. During installation, the offers get oftentimes skipped, allowing the installation of unwanted software like SkilledInitiator without consent. Many cybercriminals use the Pay-Per-Install (PPI) scheme, which brings money to the promoters upon each successful installation. Users should always be careful and look out for extra program offers to deselect their installation. It is also worth avoiding various ads and notifications that want you to click on or download something. Beware of dubious and unverified pages, and also double-check the domains of websites you visit. Some cybercriminals disguise a fake website under similarly-named domains to make users believe it is the one they wanted to visit initially.

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

Remove SkilledInitiator manually for free

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

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

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

Remove SkilledInitiator from Applications

Remove SkilledInitiator from Mac:

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

Cannot uninstall SkilledInitiator

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

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

Remove SkilledInitiator add-on from your browsers

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

Reset browser settings

To finish SkilledInitiator 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 SkilledInitiator


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


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

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 SkilledInitiator in browsers.

Download AdGuard for Mac

How to protect Mac OSX from adware, like SkilledInitiator

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