Q: MacKeeper/Zerobit Pop Up ad Problem

I have a new MacBook Air I had been having terrine problems with the MacKeeer Pop up. I tried a lot of things mentioned in this thread. Nothing worked. I couldn't even find a lot of places I was supposed to search. Since I have AppleCare I called them. Here are the steps they had me take.

1. Open Safari preferences and click on extensions. I had Ad Blocker which I installed to get rid of Mackeeper pop ups and it didn't work.

2. He had me uninstall AdBlocker.

3 Went back to Safari Preferenes main window. Clicked on General.

4 He asked what I had entered in Home Page. I had nothing. He said put in anything. I entered apple.com.

5. He asked what I had for "New windows open with" ? I said blank page. He said fine.

6. He asked what search engine I was using. I was using Bing. He said to change it toYahoo or Google.

9. He had me click on Safari heading next to apple and get drop down menu, and click "reset Safari.

10 I reset safari.

I have not had the Mackeeper Pop up since. I had reset Safari before but it did not work. I have gone back to Bing for my search engine and still no MacKeeper.

Maybe this only works for OS 10.9. I don't know. Just wanted to share my experience.

Yes. I agree. What we are all talking about here is the pop up ads that have suddenly appeared in Safari even though we have not installed anything to to with MacKeeper. In the end this was the only thing (of the many suggested) that worked for me :Mackeeper - Pop up - Safari

To people who never installed the MacKeeper but somehow got the same problem (MacKeeper/zeobit pop ups): I look over and over for those files named Mackeeper o Zeobit, but didn't have any of those, instead I found files named "VSearch", in the same folders you mention and applying the process. I deleted all of those VSearch files and it seems like it worked

laubarimo wrote:

 

I found files named "VSearch", in the same folders you mention and applying the process. I deleted all of those VSearch files and it seems like it worked

You were infected by DownLite adware. See TheSafeMac's Adware Removal Guide : DownLite for instructions on anything you may have missed or run the author's Adware Removal Tool to get rid of most all currently known adware.

I have done everything recommended and the MacKeeper pop ups continue.  Someone needs to develop a PERMANENT solution!

acollins94 wrote:

 

I have done everything recommended and the MacKeeper pop ups continue.

I don't really know what "everything" consists of seeing as there are over 150 entries here, but the one thing that seems to have worked for everybody that has tried it is the Adware Removal Tool.

MacKeeper probably pays more to advertise it's wares than any software company in existence today and they attempt to use every means available. As far as anybody knows that's their only responsibility in all these pop-ups as the people that run the ads and the software used to do so are independent agencies, most of whom are allowed and some even licensed to pursue this line of work by Apple.

If you can't live with advertising on the Internet then send feedback directly to Apple (I'm sure they aren't reading this discussion any more, if they ever did). But you need to realize that advertising is the only thing keeping most Internet services free to use. Stop all of it and you'll start having to pay Google for searches, Newspapers for headline news, bloggers for their technical knowledge, etc. I would personally gladly pay to eliminate ads, but I have to realize I'm in a distinct minority.

I started having this problem a couple of weeks ago and it was driving me mad, every time I clicked on a link in Safari a new window would open with links to Mackeeper, Zeobit etc.  Tried many of the fixes recommended in this thread, none of which worked.  I didn't have mackeeper installed and never have done, also pop up windows were already ticked as blocked.  At the same time I was trying to get rid of the large "Other" on the same iMac (yes that old chestnut) and decided to try Omnidisksweep as suggested in some other thread.  What a find!  As well as enabling me to clear out loads of junk which was clogging up my hard drive, I happened to spot a suspicious looking folder Ez7z lurking in my library/application support.  I then searched for this term and found an application Ez7z Quicklook which I then recognised as being an extension to the URL of the windows which were opening up.  I deleted both the folder and the app, emptied trash, closed Safari, restarted the computer and the problem seems to be fixed!  I have no idea how the app got there, it purports to be some kind of zip/rar tool so it maybe got downloaded inadvertently when someone was trying to open a zipped file.  Anyway, hope this helps.

Ez7z is a relatively old app that is no longer supported and the developer has shut down his site. I seem to recall using it a few years back and see that I still have the .dmg in an archive of old software.  It appears to be available from the Softonic download site which is well known for including adware along with legit third party software in it's installers. If you haven't tried the Adware Removal Tool recommended here and most other adware threads, see if it turns anything up.

Hi everyone,

I was about to give up and do a complete fresh install as these Mackeeper and Zeobit popups/unders kept bugging me. I can only confirm again the solution that MadMacs provided above. Download the script from the The Safe Mac's website, run it and follow the instructions. It WORKS! Safari, Chrome, Firefox --> the're all working flawless again! I even donated this guy as he saved me a whole Sunday afternoon for a complete re-install option with manual file transfers...

grtz,

http://support.getadblock.com/discussions/problems/21732-i-keep-getting-pop-ups- and-pop-unders-since-this-software-was-installed

This worked for me 100 per cent

fl3tch83 wrote:

 

This worked for me 100 per cent

Glad something worked for you, but the link you gave does not really give any instructions. Was it TheSafeMac's Adware Removal Tool that has been recommended numerous times in this discussion?

Nah, I bought it from a friend who wasn't really all that Mac savvy to be honest. I cleaned all the remaining old files programmes out, except for some nice ITunes stuff :-) and did a complete system upgrade from 10.8.x to Mavericks. Perhaps indeed I should have done a complete reformat and clean install but it's been an interesting learning experience this way. ;-)

Please be aware that any software (OS or otherwise) obtained at the app store is not transferable; the SLA requires that the seller remove anything obtained at the app store and reinstall the original OS. If that is not done and the Mac had been upgraded via the app store, the buyer will not be able to reinstall the OS or update any apps. If the machine came with Mountain Lion originally, the seller would need to de-register it (which removes it from his Apple ID) so you can use it with your Apple ID. Anything else is considered software piracy ("nice iTunes stuff").

babowa wrote:

 

Nah, I bought it from a friend who wasn't really all that Mac savvy to be honest. I cleaned all the remaining old files programmes out, except for some nice ITunes stuff :-) and did a complete system upgrade from 10.8.x to Mavericks. Perhaps indeed I should have done a complete reformat and clean install but it's been an interesting learning experience this way. ;-)

 

Please be aware that any software (OS or otherwise) obtained at the app store is not transferable; the SLA requires that the seller remove anything obtained at the app store and reinstall the original OS. If that is not done and the Mac had been upgraded via the app store, the buyer will not be able to reinstall the OS or update any apps. If the machine came with Mountain Lion originally, the seller would need to de-register it (which removes it from his Apple ID) so you can use it with your Apple ID. Anything else is considered software piracy ("nice iTunes stuff").

Thanks. I'll head off to a more relevant thread for extra info.

Hi all, I just ran TheSafeMac's Adware Removal Tool and it found Downlite and a couple other things.  All fixed now.  Thanks MadMacs0!

I had the exact same problem listed here.  After spending a 1-1/2 days researching, backing up, upgrading to Maverick, talking to my son who is a Mac trained IT Tech, finding and deleting these files is the only thing that fixed the problem.  I also ran the SafeMac Adware Removal tool afterwards and no Adware was found!!!

A Big Thank You!!!  Now to check my other computer to make sure none of these files exist.