Q: MacKeeper/Zerobit Pop Up ad Problem
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Mar 20, 2012 1:57 AMby mamitaylor,I think most of us here agree that you are lucky to have successfully stopped the download.... they have nothing to do with Apple and the thing is a nuissance even if you don't download the programm, as their pop ups freeze Safari forcing you to force quit....
and by the replies given by many, I think you don't need to worry, no
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Mar 24, 2012 8:25 PMby MadMacs0,fitcs0110 wrote:
hi!
I stupidly downloaded mackeeper. I deleted the app and emptied the trash. But I am still getting the messages in my console app.
PLEAASSEEE help me get them off and stop reappearing??!?!?!
'Fraid you have a job ahead of you. Best instructions are on Phil Stoke's blog how to uninstall MacKeeper.
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Apr 1, 2012 5:37 AMby skhram,My particular issue is with the advertisement. I have never downloaded this piece of garbage, but the poup ad was still bothering me.
Although this technique won't prevent a popup window, it will at least prevent the dreaded mackeeper ad. I felt I may have gone crazy if I heard "On this page you can download MacKeeper" once more.
1. Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal
2. Type sudo nano /etc/hosts
3. Paste these 2 lines at the bottom:
127.0.0.1 zeobit.com
127.0.0.1 mackeeperapp.zeobit.com
4. Hit Control-x, then y, then enter to save
5. Type dscacheutil -flushcache into terminal
6. Restart Safari.
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Apr 1, 2012 5:48 AMby StephenFarrington,cmd-W does not close this new MacKeeper window. It is not a popunder, as it popped up infront of my Safari sessions. It looks like a system alert and it can not be dismissed without clicking the OK button to install MacKeeper. The window can not be closed using cmd-W. I have never downloaded or installed MacKeeper, and this thing has paralyzed Safari. The site it appears I got it from is http://out.popads.net. It appears to perhaps be a popout? Is this a new kind of malware/spyware/virus/annoyware? A popout?
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Apr 1, 2012 5:53 AMby StephenFarrington,cmd-W does not close this new MacKeeper window, it pops up in front of all your current Safari sessions, and appears exaclty like a system alert. Again, it can not be dismissed by cmd-W. It can only be dismissed without forcing a quit by clicking the OK button int he dialog box to consent to installing MacKeeper. In my book, then, it is neither a popup nor a popunder. It is definitely malware and it is something Apple should have engineered Safari to guard against.
FYI, I have never downloaded or installed MacKeeper. The site it appears I got it from is http://out.popads.net. The page loaded is popOut.php. Is this a new kind of nuisance? A PopOut?
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Apr 1, 2012 6:07 AMby FIXYOURTHINKING,I have confirmed the issue with the technical support of the websites that serve the advertisement. While you are free to contribute to the conversation. I have identified the issue and shown a website to replicate the issue.
It is a popunder created by Zerobit and marketed to websites so they can force ads to those that do not pay subscription fees and have pop up blockers. The ads (pop unders) are not malicious in and if themselves but do place a cookie that tracks your web browsing and reports it back to the site serving the pop under. In my case, it was greenvilleonline.com
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Apr 1, 2012 6:35 AMby StephenFarrington,I'm sorry, Allen. I mistook the title of this thread to be "MacKeeper/Zerobit Pop Up ad Problem." Yes, I will go elsewhere to discuss my problem with the Zeobit-sponsored MacKeeper Pop Up Ad Problem, and its newly escalated behavior of not being dismissable.
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Apr 1, 2012 7:35 AMby peterlemer,Stephen, I switched off all Safari plugins and visited
http://out.popads.net., refreshed the page a few times, and never got any kind of pops.
pete
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Apr 1, 2012 9:26 AMby thomas_r.,Lex, if you add those two lines at the end of the file, as stated, then the effect will be to force lookups for those addresses to resolve to "localhost," which essentially disables all communication with those servers (unless contacted via IP address directly). Still, editing the hosts file is not the best idea for solving this problem, as it requires a bit of technical know-how. Novices should not go poking around in there.
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Apr 1, 2012 11:16 AMby skhram,LexSchellings wrote:
SKHRAM: are you crazy??? never put in those lines into the hosts file: the first line should read
127.0.0.1 localhost
and the second line should not be there at all.
ALARM everybody: DO NOT FOLLOW skhram's advice.
I am most certainly not crazy. As Thomas elaborated on, it's an extremely simple concept. Loopback the site to your localhost, disabling communication with their server.
I don't think your outrage is necessary, espcially since you either don't know what you're talking about, or didn't read the post.
