Used Unapproved CleanMyMac Program With Regrets

I am using a late 2015 imac with 21.5 inch screen. Computer has been running slower for quite a while, so I downloaded and used CleanMy Mac software. I then was reading how that was not the brightest idea.


It deleted a lot of programs and files I no longer needed. Not sure, but I believe the program cleaned up too much, and damaged parts of the OS. (Logs, caches, configuration files, etc...)


Still running slow, that tiny multicolored spinning circle appears way too often. It's not a show stopper by any means, but I would like everything working optimally, and that's not happening now. I am tempted to start over from scratch , and reinstall the OS (currently fully updated with mac OS Monterey 12.7.4)


I have 1000's of pics and music files which I don't want to lose. Where do I start to deal with this? I know I have access to the icloud drive, and there is a Time Machine button in system preferences, though I have no idea how either of them actually works yet.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Mar 12, 2024 8:27 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 13, 2024 12:38 AM

The first and most important step is to create a Time Machine backup because you will need to completely erase that Mac to recover from the effects of having used CMM.


Back up your files with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support


Then, you will have options. Personally, I don't do anything without at least two, completely independent Time Machine backups on two separate hard disk drives. You can use any USB hard disk drive with Time Machine. Speed is not important. Redundancy is important.


Once you have that backup and are absolutely certain it is complete, erase the Mac and restore only your User Account. The following procedure contains everything in detail, including some details that you may wish to omit because they're redundant or simply reiterate what you already know.



As a category, non-Apple "cleaning" products are scams. Merely uninstalling them, even when performed in strict accordance with their instructions (which often don't work) is usually an insufficient remedy due to the effects of having used them.


Very briefly stated, the recovery procedure from having used such things is as follows, and in the following order:


  1. Back up the Mac using Time Machine or an equivalent backup strategy
  2. Remove the scam "cleaning" products according to their instructions, and evaluate
  3. Reinstall macOS using macOS Recovery, and evaluate
  4. Reinstall all other potentially affected apps, and evaluate
  5. Erase the Mac completely, followed by reinstalling macOS, followed by reinstalling essential apps from their original sources, followed by migrating User content from the Time Machine backup.


Since the results of Steps 2-4 are almost always unsatisfactory, I omit them as unnecessarily time-consuming.


An expanded procedure for Step 5 is provided below. Be sure to read everything and understand its implications. Less drastic solutions certainly exist, but this one will probably result in the least amount of your time and need for constant interaction. It is also unequivocally supported by Apple's published documentation, is what a Genius Bar would do if you were to pay them to do it, and it is the exact same procedure I use given a Mac that has been affected by similarly categorized products.



To recover from the effects of having used "CleanMyMac" to modify your Mac, the additional software you require and the essential files you need, follow the applicable recovery procedure below:


  • If you have a backup that you created prior to using CleanMyMac, now is the time to use it. For Time Machine, boot macOS Recovery, and at the Mac OS X / macOS Utilities screen, choose Restore from Time Machine Backup. Choose a date preceding the installation of CleanMyMac.
  • If you do not have a backup that predates the use of CleanMyMac, create one now. To do that read Use Time Machine to back up.
    • The recovery procedure will require that you completely erase the Mac using macOS Recovery, and then create a new User Account whose contents will be empty. You will then be able to use Migration Assistant to migrate your essential documents including photos, music, work products and other essential files.
  • To erase and install OS X / macOS read How to reinstall macOS.
    • Follow the instructions in that document under use Disk Utility to erase your built-in hard disk.
    • Then, follow the procedure in Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant.
    • When asked how you want to transfer your information, select Transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
    • Under Select the Information to Transfer, select only your previous User account and do not select "Applications", "Computer and Network Settings" or "Other files and folders". De-select those choices.
    • Subsequent to using Setup Assistant, you will need to reinstall the essential software you may require, once again remembering to install software only from their original sources, and omitting all non-essential software.
    • "Non-essential software" is a broad category that includes but is not limited to third party "cleaning", "maintenance", and "anti-virus" products.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 13, 2024 12:38 AM in response to imessdup666

The first and most important step is to create a Time Machine backup because you will need to completely erase that Mac to recover from the effects of having used CMM.


Back up your files with Time Machine on Mac - Apple Support


Then, you will have options. Personally, I don't do anything without at least two, completely independent Time Machine backups on two separate hard disk drives. You can use any USB hard disk drive with Time Machine. Speed is not important. Redundancy is important.


Once you have that backup and are absolutely certain it is complete, erase the Mac and restore only your User Account. The following procedure contains everything in detail, including some details that you may wish to omit because they're redundant or simply reiterate what you already know.



As a category, non-Apple "cleaning" products are scams. Merely uninstalling them, even when performed in strict accordance with their instructions (which often don't work) is usually an insufficient remedy due to the effects of having used them.


Very briefly stated, the recovery procedure from having used such things is as follows, and in the following order:


  1. Back up the Mac using Time Machine or an equivalent backup strategy
  2. Remove the scam "cleaning" products according to their instructions, and evaluate
  3. Reinstall macOS using macOS Recovery, and evaluate
  4. Reinstall all other potentially affected apps, and evaluate
  5. Erase the Mac completely, followed by reinstalling macOS, followed by reinstalling essential apps from their original sources, followed by migrating User content from the Time Machine backup.


Since the results of Steps 2-4 are almost always unsatisfactory, I omit them as unnecessarily time-consuming.


An expanded procedure for Step 5 is provided below. Be sure to read everything and understand its implications. Less drastic solutions certainly exist, but this one will probably result in the least amount of your time and need for constant interaction. It is also unequivocally supported by Apple's published documentation, is what a Genius Bar would do if you were to pay them to do it, and it is the exact same procedure I use given a Mac that has been affected by similarly categorized products.



To recover from the effects of having used "CleanMyMac" to modify your Mac, the additional software you require and the essential files you need, follow the applicable recovery procedure below:


  • If you have a backup that you created prior to using CleanMyMac, now is the time to use it. For Time Machine, boot macOS Recovery, and at the Mac OS X / macOS Utilities screen, choose Restore from Time Machine Backup. Choose a date preceding the installation of CleanMyMac.
  • If you do not have a backup that predates the use of CleanMyMac, create one now. To do that read Use Time Machine to back up.
    • The recovery procedure will require that you completely erase the Mac using macOS Recovery, and then create a new User Account whose contents will be empty. You will then be able to use Migration Assistant to migrate your essential documents including photos, music, work products and other essential files.
  • To erase and install OS X / macOS read How to reinstall macOS.
    • Follow the instructions in that document under use Disk Utility to erase your built-in hard disk.
    • Then, follow the procedure in Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant.
    • When asked how you want to transfer your information, select Transfer from a Mac, Time Machine backup, or startup disk.
    • Under Select the Information to Transfer, select only your previous User account and do not select "Applications", "Computer and Network Settings" or "Other files and folders". De-select those choices.
    • Subsequent to using Setup Assistant, you will need to reinstall the essential software you may require, once again remembering to install software only from their original sources, and omitting all non-essential software.
    • "Non-essential software" is a broad category that includes but is not limited to third party "cleaning", "maintenance", and "anti-virus" products.

Mar 13, 2024 4:02 PM in response to imessdup666

The two main reasons for performance issues on old systems are failing hard drives or using certain type of third party apps such as anti-virus apps, cleaning/optimizer apps, and third party security software.


You should check the health of the internal hard drive by using DriveDx (free trial period) and posting the complete report for each internal drive so we can review the health of the drive(s). Post the complete DriveDx text report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper on the forum editing toolbar.


To look for possible software issues, run the third party app EtreCheck and post the report here so we can examine it for clues.


Personally I would check the health of the drive first. If a hard drive is failing, then you must be extremely careful depending on the severity of the failure.



Mar 13, 2024 10:53 PM in response to imessdup666

The hard drive looks to be healthy although its Load Cycle Count is starting to get high.


It looks like parts of CMM are still there, although they were not loaded at the time of the 2nd Etrecheck report.


You should also uninstall Flash and Pepperflash since Flash is no longer supported on any system.


You may want to try disconnecting all external devices in case one of them is causing a problem.


I'll leave the software analysis & removal of those remaining CMM bits to @BDAuqua and others since I am not a macOS software expert.


I would suggest running Disk Utility First Aid on the hidden Container. Within Disk Utility you may need to click "View" and select "Show All Devices" before the hidden Container appears on the left pane of Disk Utility. By running First Aid on the hidden Container, it will check the Container's file system integrity as well as all other APFS volumes within it. Even if Fist Aid says everything is "Ok", click "Show Details" and scroll back through the report to see if any unfixed errors are listed. If so, then run First Aid again until they are gone. If they are still not repaired, then you can try running First Aid while booted into Recovery Mode, otherwise you will need to erase the whole physical drive (Intel Macs only) followed by reinstalling macOS & restoring from a backup.


I do hope you have a backup of your data since there is no mention of a backup in the EtreCheck report.


Mar 13, 2024 9:06 PM in response to imessdup666

Delete these files & restart...


/Library/LaunchAgents/com.adobe.AdobeCreativeCloud.plist

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.installer.cleanupinstaller.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2Helper.trashWatcher.plist

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.aimersoft.iMusicHelper.plist

~ tilde indicates your home folder

Apple hid the Users' Library folders...


Method 1:

1 From the Finder, select the Go menu at top of the screen, and choose Go to Folder.

2 In the window that opens, enter ~/Library, and click Go.


Run another etrechceck report.

Mar 13, 2024 5:08 AM in response to imessdup666

So I deleted it BEFORE the use of Time Machine, and for all I know there are still bits and pieces of the CMM program still scattered on computer.


There will be, and they are probably still affecting that Mac to some extent but the recovery procedure will obviate that concern.


And do I need access to another computer (with another hard drive) to complete these steps?


No; you just need to create that Time Machine backup. That's a fundamental prerequisite — and as I wrote, I don't do anything without at least two. There have been too many cases in which a user erased the wrong device, or transferred things the wrong way, leaving them with nothing.

Mar 13, 2024 4:55 AM in response to John Galt

Thanks for the detailed answer, I'll reread it a few times after coffee.


Not sure if I already created a further issue, but after reading about the pitfalls of using that CMM program, I threw it in the trash (after using), didn't even go through a proper uninstall procedure. I did this days ago, before I thought of asking community for assistance.


So I deleted it BEFORE the use of Time Machine, and for all I know there are still bits and pieces of the CMM program still scattered on computer.


And do I need access to another computer (with another hard drive) to complete these steps?


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Used Unapproved CleanMyMac Program With Regrets

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