Q: Help - EtreCheck on super slow Macbook Pro

Something has corrupted your mac and changed your hosts file.

It can be that you use(d) cracked software, or that it is used by crapware like Genieo.

We are going to take care of that.

But first you must do following:

Locate SeagateStorageGauge (look in Applications, and in Utilities): if you do not find it,

in Finder  go to  MacintoshHD /Library/LaunchAgents/  folder and delete the  com.seagate.SeagateStorageGauge.plist   file.

Restart, empty the trash, now make backups (if you did not make them before).

Rationale: do never install any "smart" software that came with HDD's, it is counterproductive in OSX.

Next: in SystemPreferences open Accounts, open the LoginItems Tab, then remove all entries in there, with the minus sign underneath. It will not uninstall them, they will not start automatically after a restart.

Next: restart.

Now go about removing Genieo a real mac killer, a serious job, after that we are going to clean other software that you do not want to have on a healthy mac.

But first the removal of Genieo (thanks to Thomas Reed):

You may need help, because it is a tricky task to remove the Genieo "malware", but here we go.

Read this here completely before you begin, make sure that you do understand it.

If you hesitate, don't do it, and ask help.

- Before starting this, empty the Trash bin. From now on only items trashed during this operation will be in the Trash bin.

- During this operation do not empty the Trash bin, so that a wrongly trashed file(s) can be "put back".

- Do not type the Go to commands but use copy/paste.

1.

Click the apple menu (the little apple at top left):

then choose “force quit” from the menu

if you see “Genieo” in the ForceQuit window, choose it, and click the blue ForceQuit button. Confirm ForceQuit.

if you do not see Genieo, go on to:

2.

copy this (it copies to the clipboard) from this post here:

/private/etc/launchd.conf

just that,

3.

Now you must be very very careful, it may cripple your computer if you make a mistake here.

open Finder: in the top menu bar click GO, a menu opens, choose “Go To Folder” from the menu,

then in the goto field  paste  (from the earlier copy)

/private/etc/launchd.conf

check carefully it must be exactly that, if it checks then click the Go button.

The folder opens and the  launched.conf  file is highlighted.

If you do not see such file, smile, and close the Finder window with the little red button, go on to the next point;

If you do see the highlighted file, concentrate, and drag the file to the Trash bin;

do not empty the Trash bin.

4. (You need to be in a administrator account, normally your own account)

Open Finder again, you are going to remove 9 files (some or all may not be there):

open the Applications folder and drag the following two files to the trash bin:

   Genieo

   Uninstall Genieo

(if they are not there even better, go on)

do not empty the Trash bin

then in Finder, “GO”,  then “Go To Folder” copy/paste:

/Library/LaunchAgents/

and click the Go button;

in that folder look for files that begin their name with:

com.genieo….

and drag them to the Trash bin,

there are three or less such files.

do not empty the Trash bin

then in Finder menu, “GO”,  then “Go To Folder” copy/paste:

/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/

and click the Go button;

in that folder look for files that begin their name with:

com.genieo…

there is one or none,

drag it to the Trash bin

do not empty the Trash bin

then in Finder menu, “GO”, then “Go To Folder” copy/paste:

/usr/lib/

and click the Go button;

in that folder look for the following files:

libgenkit.dylib

libimckit.dylib

libimckitsa.dylib

drag them to the Trash bin

do not empty the Trash bin

5. Now restart the computer.

After startup, in Finder,  “GO”,  then “Go To Folder” copy/paste:

/Library/Frameworks/

and click the Go button;

in that folder look for a file that begins its name with:

com.genieoExtra…

there is one or none,

drag it to the Trash bin

do not empty the Trash bin

6. When all has gone well, remove all browser extensions that you do not trust, especially the Omnibar extension (if it is there):

Start Safari, click the Preferences in the Safari menu, go to the extensions tab.

7. Everything OK ?

Empty the Trash bin…..

Restart.

Pfffff

Report back.

Lex