carpedog

Q: can't uninstall mackeeper

I've got the "new version of Mackeeper is available" on the top right hand corner of my screen and just get the spinner when I mouse over it. Wanting to get rid of this I did two things: tried to uninstall and tried to upgrade the software to the newest version.

 

When I try to drag the app to trash, it hangs on the "moving to trash" window. I thought updating it would get rid of the box and allow me to uninstall but I can't launch the version I have (2.16, the icon just bounces) or upgrade it. When I try to install the newest version the installer hangs when scanning the mac.

 

when I bought it years ago I liked Mackeeper. Now it's crappy and the advertising is ubiquitous.

 

help!

 

ps. using a mac mini with yosemite

Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)

Posted on Feb 7, 2015 7:09 PM

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Q: can't uninstall mackeeper

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  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 7, 2015 7:33 PM in response to carpedog
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 7, 2015 7:33 PM in response to carpedog

    "MacKeeper" is a scam with only one useful feature: it deletes itself.

    First, back up all data.

    Note: These instructions apply to the version of the product that I downloaded and tested in early 2012. I can't be sure that they apply to other versions.

    If you have incompletely removed MacKeeper—for example, by dragging the application to the Trash and immediately emptying—then you'll have to reinstall it and start over.

    IMPORTANT: "MacKeeper" has what the developer calls an “encryption” feature. In my tests, I didn't try to verify what this feature really does. If you used it to “encrypt” any of your files, “decrypt” them before you uninstall, or (preferably) restore the files from backups made before they were “encrypted.” As the developer is not trustworthy, you should assume that the "decrypted" files are corrupt unless proven otherwise.

    In the Finder, select

              Go â–¹ Applications

    from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-A. The "MacKeeper" application is in the folder that opens. Quit it if it's running, then drag it to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your login password. Click the Uninstall MacKeeper button in the dialog that appears. All the other functional components of the software will be deleted. Restart the computer and empty the Trash.

    ☞ Quit MacKeeper before dragging it to the Trash.

    ☞ Let MacKeeper delete its other components before you empty the Trash.

    ☞ Don't try to drag MacKeeper from the Dock to the Trash. You must open the Applications folder as above.

    ☞ Don't try to remove MacKeeper while running in safe mode.

    You may have also have installed a variant of the "VSearch" ad-injection malware. Follow Apple Support's instructions to remove it.

    If you have trouble following those instructions, see below.

    Malware is always changing to get around the defenses against it. This procedure works as of now, as far as I know. It may not work in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for a more recent discussion, or start a new one.

    The VSearch malware tries to hide itself by varying the names of the files it installs. To remove it, you must first identify the naming pattern.

    Triple-click the line below on this page to select it, then copy the text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination  command-C:

    /Library/LaunchDaemons

    In the Finder, select

              Go â–¹ Go to Folder...

    from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

    A folder named "LaunchDaemons" may open. Look inside it for two files with names of the form

              com.something.daemon.plist

    and

               com.something.helper.plist

    Here something is a variable string of characters, which can be different in each case. So far it has always been a string of letters without punctuation, such as "cloud," "dot," "highway," "submarine," or "trusteddownloads." Sometimes it's a meaningless string such as "e8dec5ae7fc75c28" rather than a word. Sometimes the string is "apple," and then you must be especially careful not to delete the wrong files, because many built-in OS X files have similar names.

    If you find these files, leave the LaunchDaemons folder open, and open the following folder in the same way:

    /Library/LaunchAgents

    In this folder, there may be a file named

              com.something.agent.plist

    where the string something is the same as before.

    If you feel confident that you've identified the above files, back up all data, then drag just those three files—nothing else—to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password. Close the Finder windows and restart the computer.

    Don't delete the "LaunchAgents" or "LaunchDaemons" folder or anything else inside either one.

    The malware is now permanently inactivated, as long as you never reinstall it. You can stop here if you like, or you can remove two remaining components for the sake of completeness.

    Open this folder:

    /Library/Application Support

    If it has a subfolder named just

               something

    where something is the same string you saw before, drag that subfolder to the Trash and close the window.

    Don't delete the "Application Support" folder or anything else inside it.

    Finally, in this folder:

    /System/Library/Frameworks

    there may an item named exactly

                v.framework

    It's actually a folder, though it has a different icon than usual. This item always has the above name; it doesn't vary. Drag it to the Trash and close the window.

    Don't delete the "Frameworks" folder or anything else inside it.

    If you didn't find the files or you're not sure about the identification, post what you found.

    If in doubt, or if you have no backups, change nothing at all.

    The trouble may have started when you downloaded and ran an application called "MPlayerX." That's the name of a legitimate free movie player, but the name is also used fraudulently to distribute VSearch. If there is an item with that name in the Applications folder, delete it, and if you wish, replace it with the genuine article from mplayerx.org.

    This trojan is often found on illegal websites that traffic in pirated content such as movies. 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.

    Then, 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.

  • by carpedog,

    carpedog carpedog Feb 7, 2015 7:41 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 7, 2015 7:41 PM in response to Linc Davis

    thanks, but I specifically wrote that I can't drag it to the trash. It hangs on the "moving to trash" window

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Feb 7, 2015 9:17 PM in response to carpedog
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Feb 7, 2015 9:17 PM in response to carpedog

    Then you will either have to contact the developer for support or erase the startup volume and restore everything except "MacKeeper."

  • by carpedog,

    carpedog carpedog Feb 8, 2015 4:47 AM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 8, 2015 4:47 AM in response to Linc Davis

    sorry my reply was so curt.

     

    I don't think it's a mackeeper problem but a Yosemite one. I ran into the same issue (hanging in the 'moving to trash' window} with other things last night and can't seem to install anything. The installer just bounces forever.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Feb 8, 2015 4:50 AM in response to carpedog
    Level 9 (51,382 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 8, 2015 4:50 AM in response to carpedog

    It's a MacKeeper problem, you would not have it otherwise.

     

    If you can no longer uninstall it then an erase and reinstallation is indicated.

  • by carpedog,

    carpedog carpedog Feb 8, 2015 4:58 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 8, 2015 4:58 AM in response to Csound1

    perhaps I wasn't clear. Forget mackeeper, I can't move ANYTHING to the trash right now. Nor can I install anything. The screenshot below is from this morning - I tried to trash those files last night.

     

    When I posted I thought it was limited to mackeeper but it's not. And when I try to change my system settings, it hangs on authenticating (see below)

     

    Screen Shot 2015-02-08 at 5.56.40 AM.png

     

    Screen Shot 2015-02-07 at 8.34.21 PM.png

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Feb 8, 2015 5:06 AM in response to carpedog
    Level 9 (51,382 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 8, 2015 5:06 AM in response to carpedog

    You are quitting these apps before trying to trash them, correct?

     

    Reboot and try again.

  • by carpedog,

    carpedog carpedog Feb 8, 2015 5:34 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 8, 2015 5:34 AM in response to Csound1

    Not really. I can't open mackeeper at all. The second file is an audiobook and garageband is another app I tried to trash to see what would happen. So it seems I can't trash anything now

  • by carpedog,

    carpedog carpedog Feb 8, 2015 5:35 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 8, 2015 5:35 AM in response to Csound1

    Oh, and I've rebooted a couple of times

  • by iW00,Solvedanswer

    iW00 iW00 Feb 8, 2015 5:55 AM in response to carpedog
    Level 4 (1,349 points)
    Feb 8, 2015 5:55 AM in response to carpedog
  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Feb 8, 2015 6:09 AM in response to carpedog
    Level 9 (51,382 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 8, 2015 6:09 AM in response to carpedog

    You can't delete an app that is running.

     

    Open the Force Quit menu and stop them. If they don't appear there look in Activity Monitor instead.

  • by carpedog,

    carpedog carpedog Feb 8, 2015 8:05 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 8, 2015 8:05 AM in response to Csound1

    thank you so much for taking the time to help. I do appreciate it, but I've covered these things in my replies. Or am I missing something? Mackeeper can't be running because I can't even launch it. 'The Untold Story' is an audiobook, not an app. No, garageband was not running. I chose it to test because it's an app I've never used.

  • by carpedog,

    carpedog carpedog Feb 8, 2015 9:14 AM in response to iW00
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 8, 2015 9:14 AM in response to iW00

    Hooray!

     

    as I suspected, it was a Yosemite issue. I was finally able to log in as a guest and was able to use disk repair to repair permissions. Then I easily deleted Mackeeper. I am upgrading to 10.10.2 now and will continue to work with it but I think - knock on wood - that your advice was right on the money.

     

    thank you!