What Is Optical Rate Pro Mac
Optical Rate Pro Mac is the name of an adware application, whose main goal is to get users to see as many advertisements on their computer as possible. This software’s main idea is to cause multiple ads to appear on your machine and these ads may not always lead to legitimate websites. The main reason the ads shown by this potentially unwanted program (PUP) could be risky is they are shown purely for profit. This means that they could lead to various websites that may be problematic for your Mac.
Read this article in order to understand more on how to remove Optical Rate Pro Mac and try to get your files to function properly once again.
Optical Rate Pro Mac Summary
| Name | Optical Rate Pro Mac |
| Type | Browser Hijacker / PUP |
| Short Description | Aims to modify the settings on your web browser in order to get it to cause browser redirects and display different advertisements. |
| Symptoms | Your web browser begins to display various types of online advertisements, which results in slowing down of your computer. |
| Distribution Method | Bundled downloads. Web pages which may advertise it. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your Device Has Been Affected by Optical Rate Pro
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Optical Rate Pro Mac – More Information
Optical Rate Pro Mac is the name of an adware software that may perform multiple different forms of advertisements, for instance:
- Browser pop-ups.
- Redirects and transfers to third-party sites.
- Ads appearing instead of search results.
- Text-embedded advertisements.
- Banner adverts.
- Push notifications promotions.
Just like other adware for Mac, such as UltraWebFormat, RunningUpdater and SearchesCloud, this program may be added as an optional offer or a free extra to the setups of other freeware apps you could have recently downloaded.
The main problem with the ads that may be displayed by this unwanted software is that they contain small tracker objects that are dropped on your Mac. These may include:
- Cookies.
- Geo-location trackers.
- Tags.
- Pixels.
- LSOs (Locally Shared Objects, also known as flash cookies).
Optical Rate Pro could show you ads that can use these cookies and other forms of trackers on your Mac to obtain the following information from it:
- Pages visited.
- Your clicks made online.
- Bookmarked sites.
- Browser history.
These trackers may stay for a long time on your Mac if they are not deleted immediately. But they are not the main problem concerning it.
Probably what appears to be the biggest risk of this unwanted program is it may lead to websites that could be dangerous because the ads shown are purely displayed for profit:
- Tech support scams.
- Phishing or “Fake” sites.
- Scamming sites.
- Virus domains.
- Rogue software download frauds.
- Endless redirect loop schemes.
- Scam surveys.
This is the main reason why Optical Rate Pro is considered dangerous and tis removal is strongly recommended.
Remove Optical Rate Pro from Your Mac
In order to remove Optical Rate Pro from your Mac we would strongly suggest that you follow the removal instructons we have posted beneath this article. They are created with the main purpose to help you get rid of this software from both your browsers and Mac. For the best removal security professionals advise removing Optical Rate Pro from your computer automatically using an advanced anti-malware software. Such program is often reccomended by security experts for removal because it has the capability of deleting Optical Rate Pro from your Mac by scanning for all of the unwanted files.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and 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 Optical Rate Pro files from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as Optical Rate Pro, 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 Optical Rate Pro 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 Optical Rate Pro:
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 Optical Rate Pro. 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 Optical Rate Pro. 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 Optical Rate Pro 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 Optical Rate Pro. 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 Optical Rate Pro – related extensions from Safari / Chrome / Firefox
Optical Rate Pro-FAQ
What is Optical Rate Pro on your Mac?
The Optical Rate Pro 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 Optical Rate Pro?
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 Optical Rate Pro?
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 Optical Rate Pro Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Optical Rate Pro 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 Optical Rate Pro?
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 Optical Rate Pro threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by Mac malware, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.