davilak36

Q: Adware virus on macbook air?

I wanted to watch movies online and it said I needed to download something in order to watch them, but when I did my computer froze so I just shut it off and now it says that I may have the Adware virus. HELP???

MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2014), iOS 7.1.2, null

Posted on Jan 18, 2015 6:03 PM

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Q: Adware virus on macbook air?

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Jan 18, 2015 6:15 PM in response to davilak36
    Level 10 (271,684 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 18, 2015 6:15 PM in response to davilak36

    You're being scammed.

     

    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.

     

    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 Jan 18, 2015 6:40 PM in response to davilak36
    Level 10 (208,017 points)
    Applications
    Jan 18, 2015 6:40 PM in response to davilak36

    You downloaded something, but did you install it?

  • by thomas_r.,

    thomas_r. thomas_r. Jan 19, 2015 4:44 AM in response to davilak36
    Level 7 (30,929 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 19, 2015 4:44 AM in response to davilak36

    davilak36 wrote:

     

    I wanted to watch movies online and it said I needed to download something in order to watch them, but when I did my computer froze

     

    There is no legal (or safe) way to watch movies for free online. That's a dangerous thing to play with.

     

    If you opened whatever was downloaded, you may have installed adware. If you are having pop-up advertisements in your web browser or are being redirected to other search engines than your preferred one, see my Adware Removal Guide for help getting rid of the adware.

     

    so I just shut it off and now it says that I may have the Adware virus.


    What says that? Can you provide a screenshot of the message? Make a screenshot by following the directions here:

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5775

     

    Be sure no sensitive personal information is displayed. To add that image to a post here, click the camera icon in the post editor toolbar.

     

    (Fair disclosure: I may receive compensation from links to my sites, TheSafeMac.com and AdwareMedic.com, in the form of buttons allowing for donations. Donations are not required to use my site or software.)