General Launch
General Launch is a potentially unwanted program that is considered to be a virus by affected Mac users. Its presence on the system may lead to some serious security and privacy-related issues. General Launch is a program that is designed to deliver various annoying ads in users’ browsers. This behavior of General Launch makes it an adware. The program may also operate as a browser hijacker. Hence, it may change main settings of installed browsers. Affected may be Safari, Chrome, Firefox and other browsers. Security experts advise affected users to remove General Launch from their affected Macs as soon as they notice it.
Threat Summary
| Name | General Launch adware |
| Type | PUP |
| Short Description | A questionable application that hijacks Safari and Chrome browsers for Mac. Performs browser modifications without your knowledge. |
| Symptoms | The homepage, new tab page and search engine in preferred web browser may be set to display hoax search engine. Browser slowdowns may occur due to increased number of online ads. The program may start every time you start the affected Mac. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool |
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| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss General Launch adware. |
General Launch App on Mac
General Launch is a suspicious program that tends to affect popular web browsers installed on MacOS including Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc. This app on Mac is classified as a potentially undesired program due to the fact that it gets installed without users’ knowledge. Similar to other bogus apps reported by our team (UpgradeAssist, SearchEngineLibrary, Receiver Helper) General Launch is primarily developed to hijack main browser settings in order to spy on users’ online behavior and inundate their browsers with numerous aggressive advertisements.
All those annoying ads delivered by General Launch are related to some shady advertising practices. Beware with suspicious ads and refrain from clicking them. Otherwise, you may fall victim to online fraudsters or malware attacks.
To make you more prone to click the ads it delivers in affected browsers, General Launch adware activates tracking technologies that collect data from both the affected browser and system. Once it delivers harvested data to its operators, they can see which your online interests are and set their advertising campaigns accordingly. The types of ads that are likely to flood the affected browsers may be:
- Pop-ups.
- Browser Redirect ads.
- Banners.
- Browser Redirect ads.
- Push notifications.
- Banners.
You may have missed the moment when General Launch landed on your Mac because adware programs like it are usually delivered via shady techniques like software bundling, corrupted freeware installers, various torrent files and other. All these techniques aim to trick users into installing unwanted programs without noticing the installation process.
So you might have installed General Launch while you were installing another supposedly useful app. Unfortunately, it is easy to agree with the installation of some extra apps without noticing their presence because the information about these extras rarely appears in the regular installation steps. That’s why we recommend the use of the Advanced/Custom setup option. Sometimes this step contains information about some additional apps that you will install by default if you don’t unmark them.
For the sake of your Mac security, it’s best to consider the complete removal of General Launch app from the affected browser and system.
How to Remove General Launch from Affected Safari and macOS
In order to remove General Launch adware along with all entries it created on the system, you should complete several removal steps in a precise order. The guide below presents you manual and automatic removal approach. In order to fully get rid of files installed by undesired programs and strengthen macOS security, we recommend that you combine the steps. The manual General Launch removal might be quite a complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. If you don’t feel comfortable with the manual steps, navigate to the automatic part of the guide.
In case you have further questions or need additional help with the removal process, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment.
Gergana Ivanova
Highly motivated writer with 5+ years of experience writing for ransomware, malware, adware, PUPs, and other cybersecurity-related issues. As a writer, I strive to create content that is based on thorough technical research. I find joy in the process of creating articles that are easy to understand, informative, and useful. Follow me on Twitter (@IRGergana) for the latest in the field of computer, mobile, and online security.
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Steps to Prepare Before Removal:
Before starting to follow the steps below, be advised that you should first do the following preparations:
- Backup your files in case the worst happens.
- Make sure to have a device with these instructions on standy.
- Arm yourself with patience.
- 1. Scan for Mac Malware
- 2. Uninstall Risky Apps
- 3. Clean Your Browsers
Step 1: Scan for and remove General Launch adware files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as General Launch adware, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Quick and Easy Mac Malware Video Removal Guide
Bonus Step: How to Make Your Mac Run Faster?
Mac machines maintain probably the fastest operating system out there. Still, Macs do become slow and sluggish sometimes. The video guide below examines all of the possible problems that may lead to your Mac being slower than usual as well as all of the steps that can help you to speed up your Mac.
Step 2: Uninstall General Launch adware and remove related files and objects
1. Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
3. In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to General Launch adware:
4. Click on the "Go" button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
5. In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to General Launch adware. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
6. Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to General Launch adware. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“-“) icon to hide it.
7. Remove any leftover files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
- Go to Finder.
- In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
- Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
- If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
In case you cannot remove General Launch adware via Step 1 above:
In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:
1. Click on "Go" and Then "Go to Folder" as shown underneath:
2. Type in "/Library/LauchAgents/" and click Ok:
3. Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as General Launch adware. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.
You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:
→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.
Step 3: Remove General Launch adware – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
General Launch adware-FAQ
What is General Launch adware on your Mac?
The General Launch adware threat is probably a potentially unwanted app. There is also a chance it could be related to Mac malware. If so, such apps tend to slow your Mac down significantly and display advertisements. They could also use cookies and other trackers to obtain browsing information from the installed web browsers on your Mac.
Can Macs Get Viruses?
Yes. As much as any other device, Apple computers do get malware. Apple devices may not be a frequent target by malware authors, but rest assured that almost all of the Apple devices can become infected with a threat.
What Types of Mac Threats Are There?
According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the types of threats that can currently infect your Mac can be rogue antivirus programs, adware or hijackers (PUPs), Trojan horses, ransomware and crypto-miner malware.
What To Do If I Have a Mac Virus, Like General Launch adware?
Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most Mac threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them. One recommended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you.
There are many Mac anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter for Mac is one of the reccomended Mac anti-malware apps, that can scan for free and detect any viruses. This saves time for manual removal that you would otherwise have to do.
How to Secure My Data from General Launch adware?
With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.
Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.
Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.
Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.
Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.
Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.
Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.
Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.
Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.
If you follow these reccomendations, your network and Apple devices will become significantly more safe against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.
More tips you can find on our MacOS Virus section, where you can also ask any questions and comment about your Mac problems.
About the General Launch adware Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this General Launch adware how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific macOS issue.
How did we conduct the research on General Launch adware?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of Mac threats, especially adware and potentially unwanted apps (PUAs).
Furthermore, the research behind the General Launch adware threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.