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I had a Mac Keeper pop up after owning my Mac for about 6 months. Is it legitimate and safe?
MACKEEPER IS MALWARE, DO NOT INSTALL IT.
MACKEEPER IS MALWARE, DO NOT INSTALL IT.
Many users will see references to an application called MacKeeper on various web sites and via pop-ups on their browser. Not only is it expensive for what it purports to do (freeware applications that do the same or more are readily available), it can sometimes install itself without the user realising it, and it can be very tricky to get rid of.
MacKeeper can be regarded as highly invasive malware* that can de-stablize your operating system. It is unethically marketed by a company called Zeobit and a rip-off.
Further opinion on it and how to uninstall MacKeeper malware can be read here:
http://applehelpwriter.com/2011/09/21/how-to-uninstall-mackeeper-malware/
Do NOT download or use the ‘MacKeeper uninstaller’ from the Zeobit site, as this will cause even more damage to your operating system.
This is also worth reading:
http://www.reedcorner.net/news.php/?p=245
Equally phoney was iAntivirus:
http://www.reedcorner.net/news.php/?p=341
until it was purchased recently (May 2012) by Symantic (makers of Norton anti-virus which does not work well with Apple OS X). Even after having tinkered with it, iAntivirus still fails to do the job properly and cannot be recommended.
There are no viruses that can affect Apple OS X and there is therefore no reason to run anti-virus software on a Mac, but a Mac, like all computers, can transmit viruses and malware to other users particularly those running Windows. Note, however, that Trojans are another matter and can represent a genuine threat, an example of which was the recent 'Flashback Trojan' which you can read more about here:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3261
For further information you may find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
The User Tip (which you are welcome to print out and retain for future reference) seeks to offer some guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
* The expression ‘malware’ is a general term used by computer professionals to mean a variety of forms of hostile, intrusive, or annoying software.
Stangmangt wrote:
Mac Keeper ...Is it legitimate and safe?
Only a handfull of users in the forum have found it at all useful and dozens described huge performance and other problems, but it is legitamate commercial software from ZeoBIT.
It has gotten postive reviews, but the most balanced, well researched appears to be this one that came out late last month Is MacKeeper Really a Scam?
An earlier one from Thomas Reed Beware MacKeeper.
To me, the Cult of Mac review doesn't seem exactly "well balanced." It gives the Zeobit rep, who is not given any follow up questions, an unduly large voice and soft pedals or just sidesteps all the criticisms based on real user experiences, not just with the marketing, but with the actual program. The comparison to Symantec is a red-herring.
He never goes into any detail about the evil "affiliates" -- whoever they are -- the Zeobit rep holds responsible.
It's no exagerration to call it a real puff piece.
It's also plagued the iPad community. It locks up Safari on my iPad as well. The only way out is to open the settings menu, dump all cache and history and then start with a fresh window. It's a major headache. I've been in the middle of something and had to start all over. This type of "program" should be illegal. It's like setting fire to your house and asking if you want to buy water from your own hose.
How many times does this question have to be asked? Does nobody read 'More like this' or feed into the search box before filing a question.
What is the matter with people. They have an excellent fount of knowledge and simply ignore it. Okay, it makes points for whoever happens to be on hand (I've gained them myself) but it still begs the question.
How about you cut em a break? Not everyone is so computer savvy. The ipod and ipad are actually the first mac products I've owned. I'm responding now with my droid. This was the first case where I'd ever seen something hijack a browser like this, and this community search engine didn't bring up the results I was looking for either. Google did, however, but took me to this old thread.
MacKeeper is legit software. While some might need it more than others (or think they do), it is as real and as legit as Office for Mac.
AV-Comparatives, for instance, a major antivirus testing and reviewing organization, tested MacKeeper's antivirus component along with other Macintosh security suites (http://www.av-comparatives.org/comparativesreviews/mac-security-reviews). In their last test (Oct. 2012), it got the top spot, along with Avast! and Avira.
While some might argue MacKeeper's usefulness, to me it is a perfectly useful piece of software, as long as you can afford it. For instance, I often use its binary and language cutter to remove PowerPC elements from apps (I have an Intel-based Mac) and app interface languages other than English. I ran it after I installed Skype and it removed 70 MB-worth of foreign language files (more than half the size of the entire app).
I hope this helps.
Any reason you're replying to a thread that's seven months old?
For instance, I often use its binary and language cutter to remove PowerPC elements from apps (I have an Intel-based Mac) and app interface languages other than English. I ran it after I installed Skype and it removed 70 MB-worth of foreign language files (more than half the size of the entire app).
70MB! That must have made a huge difference! Oh, and by the way, you could have done that for free with Monolingual. You can do almost everything MacKeeper crapware does for free, inlcuding better A-V programs like Sophos, if you really insist on running one.
Message was edited by: WZZZ
Yeah, there is. So that people looking for info on this thing don't get fooled by the whole "MacKeeper is malware!" thing. It might be poorly engineered (according to some), but it's not malware.
The 70MB didn't make jack of a difference; that was just for those who are interested in freeing up space. If you have 20 apps or more, it can make a difference to those who desperately need the space.
You clearly didn't read my full post, in order to notice that I didn't necessarily recommend it. I simply stated that it's not malware and that it does what it advertises. Period.
Have a good one.
I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt here, but because the ZeoBIT is well known for offering compensation to users who post favorable reviews, etc. and have sent employees to this forum to defend it, a lot of us here are naturally curious when somebody suddenly drops into such an old thread to post, especially when it involves MacKeeper.
You are, of course, correct that it's not malware and may well be useful to some users, but as WZZZ pointed out, there is freeware available to do most anything it can do.
But just one word of warning regarding the removal of language resources. Not all applications appreciate such actions, including everything from Adobe, as far as I know. As far as I know it will also invalidate the Apple provided code-signature which will cause GateKeeper (depending on preference settings) to keep it from running if you happen to be running Mountain Lion.
In view of Zeobit's reputation for spewing out paid-for endorsements of their software in as many forums as they can find, most of us look on your sudden multiple posts in a number of old threads with suspicion as to your exact motives.
Mihai S. wrote:
AV-Comparatives, for instance, a major antivirus testing and reviewing organization, tested MacKeeper's antivirus component along with other Macintosh security suites
You should be aware that AV-Comparatives, has been shown to accept varying amounts of money from vendors to have their software tested, so I don't put a lot of faith in the results.
I understand your concerns. I, too, dislike companies that practice that sort of "propaganda." I can assure you, though, that I haven't received any compensation from them, and that I don't work for them either.
Like I said before, my only point is that MacKeeper is not malware. I also use other free tools. I was looking stuff up online about MacKeeper's antivirus performance and this discussion was one of the top search results. This is precisely why I replied to it, even though it's an old one. I felt that the statements made by some that it is "MALWARE" were misleading and untruthful.
It is my personal opinion, to which I'm clearly entitled, that MacKeeper can be a useful tool, if one finds it so and can afford it. As far as I'm concerned, I haven't even bothered getting the newer version simply because it's not worth the money to me. But I do use the older one sometimes.
What is Mac Keeper and is it safe?
