HT202225: How to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware in Mac OS X v10.6 or earlier

Learn about How to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware in Mac OS X v10.6 or earlier
bmacmur

Q: What is mdworker?

I don't know why my Mac book pro is working so slowly. I wondered if I had somehow gotten MacDefender downloaded and realised it was malware... I couldn't find it in the Applications but I did find   mdworker.  I don't know what that is. Could it be related to MacDefender?

 

I am very frustrated with the performance of my Mac recently and I don't know what to do about it.

 

HELLLLLPPPPPPP!

MacBook Pro

Posted on May 30, 2012 8:16 AM

Close

Q: What is mdworker?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by twtwtw,

    twtwtw twtwtw May 30, 2012 8:20 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 5 (4,935 points)
    May 30, 2012 8:20 AM in response to bmacmur

    mdworker is system software that takes care of spoltlight indexing.  it's perfectly normal, and if this is a new machine (or a machine you've just added a lot of files to) then mdworker will be busy for a while indexing.  best thing to do is to leave your computer on for a couple of hours and let it get done, and after that it will only pop up occassionaly to deal with new material.

  • by bmacmur,

    bmacmur bmacmur May 30, 2012 8:25 AM in response to twtwtw
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2012 8:25 AM in response to twtwtw

    I have had this machine for a year and a half and I haven't added a lot of files to it. I have given my children their own accounts. Would this slow it down? Also, why would my fan be running loudly for over 16 hours?

    I have the computer on a quartz desk top and there is lots of ventilation around it.

  • by twtwtw,

    twtwtw twtwtw May 30, 2012 8:29 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 5 (4,935 points)
    May 30, 2012 8:29 AM in response to bmacmur

    well, there could be a lot of reasons.  first thing that comes to mind: do you use fast user switching for your kid's accounts?  if they've left their accounts logged in with peer-to-peer networking running that could be eating up a lt of CPU.  How much memory do you have?  are the vents clogged with dust?  if you open activity monitor and sort by CPU usage, what processes are at the top?

  • by bmacmur,

    bmacmur bmacmur May 30, 2012 8:33 AM in response to twtwtw
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2012 8:33 AM in response to twtwtw

    It looks like it's with Skype and it is using around 100 percent of the CPU It also says 'skype not responding'

     

    The next in the list is Java Application stub with 19%.

     

    What does this mean?

  • by twtwtw,

    twtwtw twtwtw May 30, 2012 8:36 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 5 (4,935 points)
    May 30, 2012 8:36 AM in response to bmacmur

    You didn't answer my other questions.  for instance, I don't know whether skype is running in your account or a different one.

     

    at any rate, force-quit skype (you can do that from Activity Monitor).  have you installed the latest updates with the java patches?

  • by bmacmur,

    bmacmur bmacmur May 30, 2012 8:48 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2012 8:48 AM in response to bmacmur

    first thing that comes to mind: do you use fast user switching for your kid's accounts? 

     

    *******I don't know what  'fast switching' is ... they just log in or out under the apple menu.

     

    if they've left their accounts logged in with peer-to-peer networking running that could be eating up a lt of CPU.

     

     

    ********I don't know if we have peer to peer networking ... what is it and can I check to see if it's on the computer?

     

    How much memory do you have?  I have 928.6 mg free   2.17 gb is active

     

    ******* I'm useless with computers... every question requires more questions...

     

    are the vents clogged with dust?  no

  • by twtwtw,

    twtwtw twtwtw May 30, 2012 9:46 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 5 (4,935 points)
    May 30, 2012 9:46 AM in response to bmacmur

    Fast user switching is a way of quickly moving between accounts, by leaving one account running in the background.  If you always use the Apple menu, then that's not the case, so you don't have to worry about peer-to-peer (those are file-sharing programs, where people can trade things like music and movies).

     

    you've got 2 gb of memory, which is on the low side for Lion (assuming you're using Lion).  That can cause excess disk usage (and thus excess heat) because the system will be paging memory out to disk more frequently.  It would be worth the $100 (or whatever) to buy a couple more gigs of ram - when I did that with my laptop the difference in performance was noteworthy.  If you tell me which model MBP you have I can link you to the correct memory type and tell you how to install it.

     

    Do your kids have standard accounts or administrator accounts?  You can check that in System Preferences -> Users and Groups (that used to be called Accounts, if you're on an earlier system).  You should set your kids to standard accounts if they aren't already, which will keep them from innocently installing something like MacDefender.

     

    Did Force Quitting Skype solve the fan problem?

  • by bmacmur,

    bmacmur bmacmur May 30, 2012 9:46 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2012 9:46 AM in response to bmacmur

    are you still there?

  • by twtwtw,

    twtwtw twtwtw May 30, 2012 9:49 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 5 (4,935 points)
    May 30, 2012 9:49 AM in response to bmacmur

    lol - yes, but I do have a life to live.  None of us work for Apple here, so you're going to have to share me with the real world. 

  • by bmacmur,

    bmacmur bmacmur May 30, 2012 9:51 AM in response to twtwtw
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2012 9:51 AM in response to twtwtw

    No the fan is still running high.

     

    I don't know what "lion" is.

     

    The kids are on standard accounts.

     

     

    The serial number is

    W80443E7DB7  I have 4 g of memory.... checked under the apple menu.

    Hey, I'm learning!

  • by twtwtw,

    twtwtw twtwtw May 30, 2012 9:58 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 5 (4,935 points)
    May 30, 2012 9:58 AM in response to bmacmur

    Lion is OS 10.7, and I need the model number not the serial number.  Look at About This Mac (under tha Apple menu) again.  It will tell you the software version right under the apple.  Then click More Info, and click system report, and on the first page (Hardware) it will say something like MacbookPro3,1.  that's what I need.

     

    I'm curious why your memory only said 2.17 G + 928 m free.  you must have missed something.

  • by bmacmur,

    bmacmur bmacmur May 30, 2012 10:22 AM in response to twtwtw
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2012 10:22 AM in response to twtwtw

    Sorry I didn't realise you didn't work for apple.

     

    the model number is

     

      Model Identifier:          iMac11,2

  • by twtwtw,

    twtwtw twtwtw May 30, 2012 11:13 AM in response to bmacmur
    Level 5 (4,935 points)
    May 30, 2012 11:13 AM in response to bmacmur

    what you want is pc3-10600 ddr3 1333mhz ram sticks.  from what I see online you can get a pair of 4gig sticks for around $50, giving you a total of 12G memory.  here's an Apple link that gives step-by-step instructions for installing it.  You probably don't need that much ram, but more ram is always better, and at $50...

     

    As far as the over-heating issue, there are a few standard causes:

    • blocked air vents (which you've already eliminated), or no clearance under the machine (does yours still have its rubber feet?)
    • runaway processes (look in activity monitor for any process that consistently has high CPU values. make sure you choose All Processes from the pull down menu, so you can see system processes)
    • excessive disk access (4Gb should be enough to prevent excess paging, but doing something like running a movie from the hard drive, downloading a huge file, or indexing a drive might kick in the fans)

    I suggest you shut down your machine and let it cool for a couple of minutes, then restart it and see if the fans kick in again.  If they do, download an app called iStat and we'll look at the internal temperatures and other activity.  However, fans running without an obvious cause might mean it's apple-care time.

  • by dturkelson,

    dturkelson dturkelson Oct 4, 2012 6:42 PM in response to bmacmur
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Apple Watch
    Oct 4, 2012 6:42 PM in response to bmacmur

    It is possible that you have malware that is causing your computer to react the way that it is.

     

    see this article.

     

    http://www.inquisitr.com/206866/a-new-mac-os-x-malware-discovered/

     

    I am trying to get rid of this malware myself.

Page 1 Next