Q: MacBook Pro 2011 w/new motherboard

John Galt wrote:

 

The last time I used "EtreCheck" it did not require authentication to install and does not modify a system in any way. I understand that has not changed and I hope it never does.

Hello John,

Technically, that hasn't changed. But practically, EtreCheck can now cause a system to be modified. If adware is installed, EtreCheck will allow the user to click the "Remove" link in the report to delete the adware. Sometimes, adware gets installed with root permissions and EtreCheck needs administrative privileges to remove it.

What EtreCheck does is ask the Finder (via AppleScript) to delete those files. If the deletion is unsuccessful the first time, EtreCheck asks the Finder to try again, using administrative privileges this time. So technically, it is the Finder making changes and asking for the user's password. That way, I don't have to worry about any privilege escalation issues or dealing with "privileged helpers".

I also wish I hadn't had to do that, but adware just got too bad. The next version of EtreCheck will have additional abilities to remove the more recent adware strains that has officially crossed into Mac malware territory. These new ones cannot be removed just by deleting files. Again, EtreCheck will use similar tricks to have Apple's software do the dirty work. Every little bit of safety counts.

I don't dispute your recommendation for the size of Time Machine backup disks. EtreCheck plays it safe and asks for 2-3 times the soace necessary. In some cases, like this one, that is just a judgement call. I'm trying to catch people whose Time Machine disks are way too small, have important files excluded to make it fit, or just have Time Machine turned off.

Great content John Galt   for all of us

Leo

Thanks for clearing that up. It caught my eye and at first I thought I was replying to a "me too" threadjacker......I hate that I now have to either read through or scroll to the bottom of a post to see who wrote it, but that's a topic for another thread.....Thanks!

Automator is a required Apple operating system component, and cannot be deleted even if you tried. The others are not, and if you don't want them would need to research their documentation to ensure you delete them properly.

Their mere presence in your Applications folder is not necessarily reason for concern though. However, you would have needed to authenticate (meaning, supply your password when prompted) for them to have been installed in Applications. When you do that, you grant that program's installer permission to modify your system in ways not limited to just that folder. That's the reason you must always learn beforehand just what it is you're installing, exactly what you're expecting it to do, and how to get rid of it should you no longer want it or if using it results in unexpected behavior.

... is there a safe, reliable Mac uninstaller app I can use to do so?

Absolutely not. There are plenty of apps that claim that ability, but it is simply not possible for one product's developer to know how to safely and completely delete all components of another developer's product. The best they can do is to perform a search for matching or otherwise known file names, and that technique is neither safe or effective.