How to remove Adaware Web Companion from Mac
Before we start
Unwanted programs and tools can make your Mac bloated and really slow it down. And even though programs like Adaware Web Companion aren’t malicious, they can affect your computer’s performance.
Tip: Take 5-10 minutes to tidy up your Mac by running CleanMyMac X on it. This app developed by a popular Mac developer, MacPaw, has been vetted by Apple and will help you eliminate such unwanted programs. And it will also scan for any malware that’s slowing down your Mac.
Macs are running hundreds of different processes at any given point in time. So, if you have any unwanted programs running in the background, your computer could start running slower. And eventually, it will interfere with the performance you need.
If you’re one of those people that has this tool on their Mac, you’re going to want to keep reading. This article will offer some suggestions on how Adaware ended up on your Mac. But more importantly, you’ll also read about what you can do to uninstall unwanted programs like Adaware Web Companion.
What is Adaware Web Companion?
Before you delete Adaware Web Companion, it’s helpful to know what exactly it does. It’s a tool that protects your browsers from malware and blocks potentially malicious sites. All sounds good, right? Well, maybe not. While it’s designed to be a helpful program, if you don’t know it’s running or you have a similar app already, it can actually just get in the way. And it can waste processing power. So, if you don’t actively want the Adaware Web Companion on your Mac, it’s a good idea to just go ahead and get rid of it.
How did I get the Adaware Web Companion on my Mac?
Probably, by agreeing to a tiny checkbox that prompted to install it. This is where the shady part of the program comes in. Adaware Web Companion is usually bundled with other software that you download from the internet. If you don’t read the fine print or do a customized installation, where you specifically select what to install, you could end up with the tool without ever knowing it.
Sometimes the Adaware tool is even bundled with actual malware. So then, Adaware can look like the hero when it finds the malicious software and gets rid of it. This seems like an odd bit of theater happening on your Mac, but it’s so that Adaware can then overlook other types of malware providing you with a false sense of security.
How to uninstall Adaware Web Companion
If you find your Mac riddled with the Adaware Web Companion, thankfully, you have a couple of different options for getting rid of it. You can search for the app on your computer and try to manually remove it. Or you can run a scan with the mentioned CleanMyMac X app and delete it.
Remove Adaware Web Companion manually
The Adaware Web Companion is probably one of the easier unwanted programs to try and handle manually. Just follow these steps to find the tool on your Mac and delete it:
- Click into Finder.
- At the top, Go > Applications.
- Find the app and either right-click or hold down control and click.
- Then, click Move to Trash.
You can now go into your Trash and select Empty Trash to remove it entirely from your computer.
Even if you do remove Adaware manually, it’s still a good idea to scan your computer’s hard drive with the app CleanMyMac X to help get rid of any supporting files that may still be on there.
How to remove Adaware Web Companion update with CleanMyMac X
Perhaps the easiest way to rid your Mac of the Adaware Web Companion is to just let CleanMyMac X handle all of it. After you download and install CleanMyMac X, here’s how you can uninstall any unwanted apps:
- Open CleanMyMac X — download its free version here.
- In the sidebar, click Uninstall.
- Find the Adaware or any app you don’t want and select the check box next to it.
- Then, click the Uninstall button.
Good news, that this method removes all the extra files associated with Adaware. There could be many tiny remaining files scattered around your Mac.
Another nice thing about using the Uninstall tool in CleanMyMac X is that it’s able to delete multiple programs at once. Whereas if you remove them manually, you’ll have to do it one at a time.
After you uninstall any unwanted program from your Mac, you should use the Malware tool in CleanMyMac X to clean your computer. And here’s how you do that:
- Open CleanMyMac X.
- In the sidebar, click Malware Removal.
- Then, hit the scan button and let it search your hard drive for any suspicious software.
And that’s it! CleanMyMac X not only scans for malware, but it automatically removes anything it finds too.
Because of its legitimate nature, Adaware Web Companion is a sneaky software that’s out there for Mac. Especially if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Hopefully, this article has helped you understand what exactly Adaware is and what you can do to get rid of it.
