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Aug 20, 2014 11:13 AM in response to hvanessaby John Galt,a red screen appears with a white box with writing in it saying to call a phone number immediately and that my mac has found two malicious viruses but I have read online that this isn't a virus just something attached to online streaming.
Whatever that is, it's completely bogus and should be ignored.
You're mixing a lot of metaphors. Please provide a screenshot of what you're experiencing:
Screenshots (Mac):
To take a screenshot hold ⌘ Shift 4 to create a selection crosshair. Click and hold while you drag the crosshair over the area you wish to capture and then release the mouse or trackpad. You will hear a "camera shutter" sound. This will deposit a screenshot named "Screen Shot...." followed by a date and time on your Desktop.
When you post your response, click the "camera" icon above the text field:
This will display a dialog box which enables you to choose the screenshot file (remember it's on your Desktop) and click the Insert Image button.
⌘ Shift 4 and then pressing the space bar captures the frontmost window.
⌘ Shift 3 captures the entire screen.
Don't capture or upload any information you consider personal. To edit an existing screenshot, read How to edit a screenshot.
Drag the screenshot to the Trash after you post your reply.
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Aug 20, 2014 11:16 AM in response to hvanessaby sanjampet,Some reading for you
http://www.thesafemac.com/arg/ Adware guide
http://www.thesafemac.com/art/ Adware removal tool
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Aug 20, 2014 11:35 AM in response to hvanessaby John Galt,... I believe this problem has occurred from streaming a movie.
It might not have been the movie itself, but a malicious program you installed that modified your Mac's browser settings. For an explanation or how this may have occurred, how to avoid it in the future, and for one possible solution read How to install adware.
The desire to stream movies appears to be a common weakness adware creators are fond of exploiting. If you ever see an unexpected alert indicating that you need to install or upgrade your video player, just ignore it. The only exception to that rule is Adobe Flash Player. I recommend avoiding it too, because it remains a potential vector for malware intrusion. If you must use Adobe Flash Player though, always obtain it directly from Adobe, and never by clicking on a link that spontaneously appears in an unsolicited popup. Then, keep it up to date along with all your other software.
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Aug 20, 2014 11:46 AM in response to hvanessaby John Galt,Thanks. Rest assured the dialog box is completely fraudulent and the information in it should be ignored.
If the Recovery Procedure in the How to install adware User Tip does not result in normal Safari operation, write back for additional instructions. I recommend you read the whole thing though.
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Aug 20, 2014 12:05 PM in response to John Galtby hvanessa,Thank you, but unfortunately as soon as I open safari this pops up not allowing me to complete any functions on safari at all. I can quit safari but that is it.
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Aug 20, 2014 12:12 PM in response to hvanessaby John Galt,In that case please follow the instructions near the end:
- In case you overlooked the preface of this document, this document's limitation is that adware is a constantly evolving threat, and what works today might not work tomorrow, next week, next month, or this afternoon. That's the problem with any automated means of detecting and intercepting malware of any description. In general though, you can search Apple Support Communities for recent eradication instructions, post a new question, or consult AppleCare for assistance. Just remember to contact Apple using the Contact Us link that appears on the bottom right of this page, never blindly following the results of a Google search, and never using a phone number displayed on some popup that appears. Phony "technical support" alone is one likely reason for adware's very existence. Don't compound one lapse of judgment with another.
The User Tip addresses a popular, but very specific adware threat. I haven't personally encountered any others, so I'm reluctant to provide any particular recommendations.
You can also try the following: hold a shift key while starting Safari again. That will force it to load only your chosen Home page.
Then, try resetting Safari. Make it look like this
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Aug 20, 2014 12:31 PM in response to John Galtby hvanessa,Okay I opened safari again and that red screen with the white box was gone and everything seemed back to normal I still reset my safari settings. Thank you for all the information. I know I didn't complete all the downloading for that specific adware but now I am much more aware about the topic.
Thanks again
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Aug 20, 2014 12:39 PM in response to hvanessaby John Galt,You're welcome - strictly speaking it might not even have been adware, just a scam webpage that refused to go away. That's common also.


