adware/pop ups

I still get my safari browser hijacked and taken to sites I don't want.

That is a very important detail.

First, read Removing "Search Marquis" / "Search Baron" / etc on your own - Apple Community.

• If that describes what you are experiencing, please post the three screenshots it describes in a reply to this Discussion.
• If it does not describe what you are experiencing, please write back and provide more information. You may want to review Block pop-up ads and windows in Safari - Apple Support.

taa1964, please follow the instructions below.

First, ensure you have a reliable backup of your Mac, in case something should go wrong with continued troubleshooting. To learn how to do that, please read Back up your Mac with Time Machine.

• A backup is a fundamental prerequisite regardless of whatever method you may choose uninstall adware, and would apply even if your Mac were running perfectly well. Do not overlook this fundamental requirement. It's important.

Next: This step will prevent the scam products from loading so that they can be removed while they are inactive. Restart in "Safe Mode", and log in: Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac. Starting in Safe Mode takes longer than usual so let it finish. The rogue processes affecting that Mac are inoperative in "Safe Mode".

The following files and / or folders need to be deleted while using your Mac in "Safe Mode":

First screenshot:

• Drag all the files in that folder to the Trash.

Drag those selections of files to the Trash. You may be asked to authenticate. Confirm they are no longer present in that folder. Leave all the others alone for now.

Next: open Safari and select the Safari menu > Preferences... (or Settings) > Extensions. If you see any Safari Extensions that you do not recognize or understand, simply click the Uninstall button and they will be gone. No Safari Extensions are required for normal operation. Then, select the General pane and review your Homepage selection. Repeat those equivalent actions for any other browser you may use (Brave, Firefox, or Opera for example).

There may also be adware-associated app icons in your Mac's Applications folder. Open it and examine its contents. Any unwanted or mysterious app icons should be obvious to you, but again please don't remove anything if you are uncertain—ask first. Identify any suspicious apps by name, or post another screenshot.

Next: In an abundance of caution, examine System Preferences > Extensions. Determine if there are any System Extensions that may have been installed without your knowledge. Ask if you're uncertain.

Remaining in System Preferences, check for the presence of any Profiles. Profiles are installed by organizations with a need to manage Macs deployed in institutional corporate or educational environments (for example), but have also been exploited by adware creators and similar malcontents. If any Profiles are installed on your Mac an icon like this will appear in System Preferences:

If you see that icon in System Preferences, select it. To remove a Profile, select it, then click the [—] (minus) button and authenticate.

Remaining in System Preferences, open Users & Groups. Select your User Account's Login Items. You may or may not find those Applications in its list. If you do, select them then click the [—] (minus) button to remove them from Login Items.

You can then restart your Mac and log in as usual. Evaluate its operation and ensure everything is working as you expect it should.

Next: if you want to eradicate all remaining adware remnants post a screenshot of the following folder, in the same manner as you did earlier:

~/Library/Application Support

It is normal for that folder to contain many items, but anything associated with the above adware may contain identical names. If you find a folder or folders bearing those names, drag those folders to the Trash. Without the files you already removed or the reintroduction of similar malware, they can do nothing but occupy space. These can be removed if you wish, but again don't remove anything if you are uncertain.

Finally: If any of the above actions result in abnormal operation or if something else stops working, the easiest way to recover would be to restore the Time Machine backup you created as a prerequisite, so the importance of that fundamental step cannot be overemphasized.

In your case, getting rid of the adware is very simple. The lengthy instructions I posted are extremely conservative, and comes down to deleting all the files in that folder. You only need to start your Mac in "Safe Mode" first, which will enable the ability to delete them.

So it's really just two steps:

1. Restart in "Safe Mode"
2. Drag those files to the Trash.

Having said all that, having a backup is essential — if you value the information on that Mac. That has nothing at all to do with eradicating the adware; it's just a fundamental precaution.

Conversely, if you are not in the habit of backing up your Mac, it means you really don't care about the information on it. Not everyone does; that's ok.

You're welcome taa1964.

If you are motivated to do so, read the teeny tiny text at the bottom of your "AdBlock Update" screenshot. It means what it says, namely, making recommendations for additional "free" software — all of which is exactly the same junk that metastasizes and spews yet more of the same in the relentless pursuit of money — yours.

That's how it all began. Those "recommendations" come in the form of popups and redirects and other intrusions that effectively prevent you from using your Mac. You can avoid all that by simply not granting your consent to download and install the junk. The Mac's operating system conveys many opportunities to back out. For more on that subject refer to this excerpt from the User Tip you started with:

Read How to install adware - Apple Community for a somewhat outdated but still relevant example of this common scourge, which can plague any Mac or PC. Recognition and avoidance of these revenue-grabbing scams is the only effective defense against being deceived into installing them.