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every time I click on an item an ad page opens. I also get a red screen if i click on a story on my home page. Help!

I don't know what exactly I have done, but when I open Safari, I get this warning and red screen and it basically is locking me out of my browser. I attempted to download a movie that was available by a site that was cleared, but I did not have my firewall on and I fear something else slipped in with that software. I have removed all of it I can find. Also, as I was trying to get joined to this forum, each time I clicked on an item, I would get a new screen with an ad for all kinds of stuff. How can I get rid of this?

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3)

Posted on May 20, 2015 11:10 PM

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2 replies

May 20, 2015 11:16 PM in response to BentonW

Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems


If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide, remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac, and AdwareMedic. If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.) You might consider adding this Safari extensions: Adblock Plus 1.8.9.


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.

May 21, 2015 12:42 AM in response to BentonW

BentonW wrote:


I don't know what exactly I have done, but when I open Safari, I get this warning and red screen and it basically is locking me out of my browser.

Just force quite Safari and re-open it with the <Shift>-key down. It's just a scam ad.

I attempted to download a movie that was available by a site that was cleared, but I did not have my firewall on and I fear something else slipped in with that software.


What does "site that was cleared" mean? Almost all movies that are still in theater are illegal to download.


You don't need your firewall on as long as you are behind a trusted router (which has it's own firewall) using a strong WPA2 password (e.g. home or work). That is just for hotspots such as Starbucks or the public library. Beside which, a firewall will not provide any protection whatsoever, from malware, so nothing else has slipped past.

as I was trying to get joined to this forum, each time I clicked on an item, I would get a new screen with an ad for all kinds of stuff. How can I get rid of this?

As Kappy has already recommended, AdwareMedic is the safest, most efficient way to identify and optionally delete all current forms of Adware.

every time I click on an item an ad page opens. I also get a red screen if i click on a story on my home page. Help!

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