Trouble with Safari - it keeps shutting down - all because I tried to get rid of MacKeeper

Question

trouble with Safari - it keeps shutting down - all because I tried to get rid of MacKeeper ad - after I install what I thought was an update since I already had MacKeeper, it would not allow me to continue without buying the new one. Make a long story short I switch to Firefox and deleted as much as I could of Safari (files, preferences etc) Now I'm at OS Yosemite X 10.10.2 and would like to get Safari up and running again - I've searched for Adware in applications etc but could not find it. Found what to do from the community, but before I go that route...Do I have to know where or if I actually have this spyware?    And if I were to reinstall  Maveric - would my files and such be undisturbed?  so that only Safari would be replaced?    I"M LOST .... (as if you couldn't tell)
I've been working with Mac for 30 years or more and although I'm hands on taught the only thing I lack is the newer "buzz words" so if you can help me out - please make it simple ??  thanks

Answer 1

There is no need to download anything to solve this problem.
You may have installed one or more of the common types of ad-injection malware. Follow the instructions on this Apple Support page to remove it. It's been reported that some variants of the "VSearch" malware block access to the page. If that happens, start in safe mode by holding down the shift key at the startup chime, then try again.
Back up all data before making any changes.
One of the steps in the article is to remove malicious Safari extensions. Do the equivalent in the Chrome and Firefox browsers, if you use either of those. If Safari crashes on launch, skip that step and come back to it after you've done everything else.
If you don't find any of the files or extensions listed, or if removing them doesn't stop the ad injection, ask for further instructions.
Make sure you don't repeat the mistake that led you to install the malware. It may have come from an Internet cesspit such as "Softonic" or "CNET Download." Never visit either of those sites again. You might also have downloaded it from an ad in a page on some other site. The ad would probably have included a large green button labeled "Download" or "Download Now" in white letters. The button is designed to confuse people who intend to download something else on the same page. If you ever download a file that isn't obviously what you expected, delete it immediately.
Malware is also found on websites that traffic in pirated content such as video. If you, or anyone else who uses the computer, visit such sites and follow prompts to install software, you can expect more of the same, and worse, to follow. Never install any software that you downloaded from a bittorrent, or that was downloaded by someone else from an unknown source.
In the Security & Privacy pane of System Preferences, select the General tab. The radio button marked Anywhere  should not be selected. If it is, click the lock icon to unlock the settings, then select one of the other buttons. After that, don't ignore a warning that you are about to run or install an application from an unknown developer.
Still in System Preferences, open the App Store or Software Update pane and check the box marked
          Install system data files and security updates (OS X 10.10 or later)
or
          Download updates automatically (OS X 10.9 or earlier)
if it's not already checked.