Apple Mail - Spyware, Malware & Mackeeper

Those were almost certainly Windows malware attached to email messages. (Probably messages in your spam folder, but not necessarily.) There's really not any Mac malware that gets commonly emailed, unless you are involved with - or are a member of - the Uyghur people of Asia, who have been repeatedly targeted.

For more information, see my Mac Malware Guide:

http://www.thesafemac.com/mmg

MacKeeper didn't create the nasty files, but it may have misidentified them as malware. Since MacKeeper is of no use, you should remove it.

Remove "MacKeeper" as follows. First, back up all data.

"MacKeeper" has only one useful feature: it deletes itself.

Note: These instructions apply to the version of the product that I downloaded and tested in early 2012. I can't be sure that they apply to other versions.

IMPORTANT: "MacKeeper" has what the developer calls an “encryption” feature. In my tests, I didn't try to verify what this feature really does. If you used it to “encrypt” any of your files, “decrypt” them before you uninstall, or (preferably) restore the files from backups made before they were “encrypted.” As the developer is not trustworthy, you should assume that the "decrypted" files are corrupt unless proven otherwise.

In the Finder, select

Go ▹ Applications

from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-A. The "MacKeeper" application is in the folder that opens. Quit it if it's running, then drag it to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your login password. Then a dialog will pop up asking why you want to uninstall it. You don't have to provide that information. Enter anything you like in the text box, then click the Uninstall MacKeeper button. All the functional components of the software will be deleted. Reboot.

Do not empty the Trash after dragging the MacKeeper application to it. Let the application delete itself.

Do not try to uninstall by dragging the MacKeeper icon in the Dock or the LaunchPad to the Trash.

Here are some general suggestions. If you want your computer to be usable, don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” "tune-ups," “accelerators,” “extenders,” “cleaners,” “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this kind of material is useless, or worse than useless.

The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.

The only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it.