Erinlee1408

Q: My MacBook pretty much has a virus I guess because I've never had a Mac before. But I do know something is wrong because my Internet is freezing says I have no Internet connection which I do pop ups are out-of-control I can't change Yahoo off my

last night I was downloading something for church (I am new to Mac notebooks it's the first one I've ever owned and I've owned it since March 2014). I have never had a problem ever with this computer that's one reason I love it. So after I was downloading this thing it sent me somewhere and to download my file so I had download my file well I don't think it downloaded the file I wanted because I never saw that file ever again I've tried everything to figure out what's going on because now my Internet is pretty much crashed it says that there is no Internet connection I have pop-ups that want to stop me using my Internet and says it's unavailable then last night when I was on a site I have all these things at the top and at the bottom that show me other prices for things and I can't figure out how to get those off I go to their website for removal and there is no removal for Mac. Google is my search engine it will not let me put in Google when I go to type for google it throws me on Yahoo no matter what Yahoo has pretty much taken over my Internet and I don't know what to do it it's a mess. Can someone please help me I am definitely not Mav Savy.

 

Thanks a bunch

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5)

Posted on Dec 7, 2014 11:25 AM

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Q: My MacBook pretty much has a virus I guess because I've never had a Mac before. But I do know something is wrong because my Intern ... more

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  • by Allan Eckert,

    Allan Eckert Allan Eckert Dec 7, 2014 11:27 AM in response to Erinlee1408
    Level 9 (54,075 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 7, 2014 11:27 AM in response to Erinlee1408

    Try http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php for your browser problem.


    I suggest you download and install EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

     

    Run EtreCheck and publish report here

     

    Allan

  • by stedman1,

    stedman1 stedman1 Dec 7, 2014 11:26 AM in response to Erinlee1408
    Level 9 (74,253 points)
    Apple Watch
    Dec 7, 2014 11:26 AM in response to Erinlee1408
  • by Esquared,

    Esquared Esquared Dec 7, 2014 11:28 AM in response to Erinlee1408
    Level 6 (8,518 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 7, 2014 11:28 AM in response to Erinlee1408

    You probably installed some kind of adware with that "thing" you downloaded.

     

    Here's a way to get things fixed: http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT6506

    Here's an easier way: http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Dec 7, 2014 11:31 AM in response to Erinlee1408
    Level 10 (271,794 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 7, 2014 11:31 AM in response to Erinlee1408

    Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems

     

    If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide, AdwareMedic, or Remove unwanted adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac - Apple Support.

     

    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.

     

    An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.

    Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.

    See these Apple articles:

     

      Mac OS X Snow Leopard and malware detection

      OS X Lion- Protect your Mac from malware

      OS X Mountain Lion- Protect your Mac from malware

      OS X Mavericks- Protect your Mac from malware

      About file quarantine in OS X

     

    If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.)

     

    From user Joe Bailey comes this equally useful advice:

     

    The facts are:

     

    1. There is no anti-malware software that can detect 100% of the malware out there.

    2. There is no anti-malware that can detect everything targeting the Mac.

    3. The very best way to prevent the most attacks is for you as the user to be aware that

         the most successful malware attacks rely on very sophisticated social engineering

         techniques preying on human avarice, ****, and fear.

    4. Internet popups saying the FBI, NSA, Microsoft, your ISP has detected malware on

        your computer is intended to entice you to install their malware thinking it is a

        protection against malware.

    5. Some of the anti-malware products on the market are worse than the malware

        from which they purport to protect you.

    6. Be cautious where you go on the internet.

    7. Only download anything from sites you know are safe.

    8. Avoid links you receive in email, always be suspicious even if you get something

        you think is from a friend, but you were not expecting.

    9. If there is any question in your mind, then assume it is malware.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Dec 7, 2014 1:05 PM in response to Erinlee1408
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Dec 7, 2014 1:05 PM in response to Erinlee1408

    The answer of stedman1 is correct.