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Find My Mac on new 24" iMac

I have a new 24" iMac that I love but I can't get "Find My Mac" to work. I try checking the box on iCloud but it remains unchecked. I have looked at my security setting and it it is set the the highest level. I have tried having Ethernet and/or WiFi connection.


Any thoughts?

iMac 24″, macOS 11.4

Posted on Jul 15, 2021 6:20 AM

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Question marked as Apple recommended

SOLUTION FOUND! I now have Find My Mac selected and working. I was able to select it in iCloud after logging out and then back in to iCloud. It was that simple.


Yes, the files from Avira are still on my Mac and I would love to remove them if I could only figure out how to get the permission (tried the method showing the article you provided to no avail). The good news is they don't seem to be a problem.


Thanks a million for all of your help!

Posted on Jul 17, 2021 7:09 AM

2 replies
Question marked as Helpful

Jul 16, 2021 11:33 AM in response to MacBoy70

The best antivirus, cleaning app, and overall maintenance app for Mac OS is Mac OS itself. All you need to do with Mac OS to keep it secure and running well is to keep it up-to-date and do periodic (about 1x per week) restarts. Other than that, leave it alone. Adding third party antivirus, cleaning, security and other types of maintenance apps to Mac OS adds no additional level of security. The only thing these apps do is have the opposite affect users want. They make Mac OS slow, unstable, generate odd behavior (much like you are experiencing) and make Mac OS appear buggy.

 

Please locate the developers uninstall instructions for Avira and CleanerOne and follow to the letter. Then restart in Safe Mode per the directions in Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac and then restart normally.



19 replies

Jul 16, 2021 11:09 AM in response to MacBoy70

Please navigate to www.Etrecheck.com and download the free version of EtreCheck. Once you have you downloaded the app and installed it, please run the report and save it. This report will help us get a good idea what has been installed on your system and help us be able to diagnose what may be wrong.


When you have your report, you can attach it when you reply to this message and we can then review it and help you determine what is needed to get your system running well again.


For instructions on how to download your EtreCheck report and attach it to your reply to this message please click https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000211



Question marked as Helpful

Jul 16, 2021 11:33 AM in response to MacBoy70

The best antivirus, cleaning app, and overall maintenance app for Mac OS is Mac OS itself. All you need to do with Mac OS to keep it secure and running well is to keep it up-to-date and do periodic (about 1x per week) restarts. Other than that, leave it alone. Adding third party antivirus, cleaning, security and other types of maintenance apps to Mac OS adds no additional level of security. The only thing these apps do is have the opposite affect users want. They make Mac OS slow, unstable, generate odd behavior (much like you are experiencing) and make Mac OS appear buggy.

 

Please locate the developers uninstall instructions for Avira and CleanerOne and follow to the letter. Then restart in Safe Mode per the directions in Use safe mode to isolate issues with your Mac and then restart normally.



Jul 16, 2021 3:47 PM in response to MacBoy70

This shows in your last EtreCheck report


Antivirus software: Apple and Avira


This means Avira was not uninstalled. Did you contact the developers of Avira to learn how to uninstall it and follow those directions to the letter? If not, please do. To test if they worked or not then run a third EtreCheck report and look closely to see if there is any mention of Avira. If there is then you will either have to do an erase and install and start over again or you can use FindAnyFile and search your system for anything with "Avira" in it and move it to the Trash and Empty the Trash


Jul 16, 2021 4:10 PM in response to MacBoy70

First, there is no reason to ever install or run any 3rd party "cleaning", "optimizing", "speed-up", anti-virus, VPN or security apps on your Mac.  This user tip describes what you need to know and do in order to protect your Mac: Effective defenses against malware and other threats - Apple Community.  


There are no known viruses, i.e. self propagating, for Macs.  There are, however, adware and malware which require the user to install although unwittingly most of the time thru sneaky links, etc.   


Anti Virus developers try to group all types as viruses into their ad campaigns of fear.  They do a poor job of the detecting and isolating the adware and malware.  Since there are no viruses these apps use up a lot of system resources searching for what is non-existent and adversely affect system and app performance.


There is one app, Malwarebytes, which was developed by a long time contributor to these forums and a highly respected member of the computer security community, that is desshoigned solely to seek out adware and known malware and remove it.  The free version is more than adequate for most users.  


Also, unless you're using a true VPN tunnel, such as between you and your employer's or bank's servers, they are useless from a privacy standpoint: Public VPN's are anything but private.  


That being said you've installed what most of the experienced contributors to these forums consider to be akin to malware: CleanMyMac. Also you still have Avira installed. Uninstall both according to the developer's instructions.


Also your're running PowerMate which states this on their website:

The Powermate USB has been discontinued as of 2018 and is not designed to work past High Sierra for Mac 

You can check to see if you've removed all of the supporting files by downloading and running the shareware app Find Any File to search for any files with the application's or the developer's name in the file name.  For the mentioned software you'd do the following search(es): 


1 - Name contains power mate

2 - Name contains cleanmymac

3 - Name contains macpaw

4 - Name contains avira


Any files that are found can be dragged from the search results window to the Desktop or Trash bin in the Dock for deletion.


FAF can search areas that Spotlight can't like invisible folders, system folders and packages.  


If you need a replacement for PowerMate to create and run macros give Keyboard Maestro a try. It's extremely powerful and can perform the most amazing macros. I have over 100 macros with it.


You have a number of apps being launched at login and running in the background. If you still are worried about performance after getting rid of the previously mentioned apps you can limit the apps that are launched at login in. Particularly SpeedTest and AppCleamer. Those can be launched when needed and the closed to free up system resources.


Jul 16, 2021 7:47 PM in response to Old Toad

Here's where I am at this time. I have removed all of cleanmymac, macaw and speed test. I am not running PowerMate at startup (but I would like to keep it - it runs fine on my new Mac using Rosetta). I can't remove the last 5 Avira files since it seems I don't have permission (although I am the administrator) and I can't find a way to communicate (email?0 with Avira.


With all of that I tried booting in Safe Mode but it still won't let me start Find My Mac in iCloud. Here are the files I can't remove. They appear to all be text files. If you have a way for me to delete them it would be great.


Question marked as Apple recommended

Jul 17, 2021 7:09 AM in response to rkaufmann87

SOLUTION FOUND! I now have Find My Mac selected and working. I was able to select it in iCloud after logging out and then back in to iCloud. It was that simple.


Yes, the files from Avira are still on my Mac and I would love to remove them if I could only figure out how to get the permission (tried the method showing the article you provided to no avail). The good news is they don't seem to be a problem.


Thanks a million for all of your help!

Find My Mac on new 24" iMac

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