Safari using the wrong search engine
Whichever search engine I choose in Safari, it keeps defaulting back to Yahoo. How can I get it to stick? [ LIZ DENTON ]
Howard Oakley replies: This is almost certainly being set by ’unwanted’ software. Check your Mac for that and malware by running the current version of a tool such as the free Malwarebytes Anti-Malware ( bit.ly/2hF6oKi), which should be able to remove any nasties it finds and report back
to you. Next, browse Safari’s preferences again, looking for old or suspicious extensions and plug-ins. You’ll find these in its Extensions tab, and by clicking on the Plug-in Settings button in the Security tab. It’s also worth disabling all plug-ins for the time being, as that can help you track down the culprit. Follow this up with a manual check of the three folders in which Safari’s plug-ins and extensions are kept: /Library/Internet Plug-ins, ~/Library/Internet Plug-ins and ~/Library/Safari/Extensions. Once that’s done, set the correct search engine, quit Safari, and then reopen it. If the first anti-malware scan picked up anything, consider running another scan now to check that there’s nothing left behind.