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
Brogaig

Q: how to remove malware

mac running 10.9.5 and inadvertently downloaded malware thinking it was required for face time. now everytime open a window in safari a second window opens with macdefender or similar.

 

preference for safari opening changes automatically to http://www.only-search.com/?babsrc=HP_tedge&affID=129880

 

any assistance in removing this would be greatly appreciated

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Nov 12, 2014 11:59 AM

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Q: how to remove malware

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Nov 12, 2014 12:02 PM in response to Brogaig
    Level 10 (270,846 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 12, 2014 12:02 PM in response to Brogaig

    Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems

     

    If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide and AdwareMedic.

     

    Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.

     

    The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.

     

    Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari.

     

    Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.

     

    Quit Safari

     

    Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.

     

    Relaunch Safari

     

    If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.

     

    This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.