Are AdwareMedic and ZipCloud approved by Apple?

"ZipCloud" is some sort of cloud-storage service with a doubtful reputation. The OS X client is sometimes distributed along with malware. Although ZipCloud may not be malicious itself, it should be deemed suspect by virtue of the company it keeps.

To remove ZipCloud, start by backing up all data (not with ZipCloud itself, of course.)

Quit the application, if it's running, and drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash.

Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.jdibackup.ZipCloud.autostart.plist

Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)

from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with a file selected. Move the selected file to the Trash.

In the same folder, there may also be a file named

com.jdibackup.ZipCloud.notify.plist

Move that to the Trash as well.

Log out or restart the computer and empty the Trash.

*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select

Go ▹ Go to Folder...

from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

As for "adwaremedic," it's not needed if genuine, and if not genuine it may be malware. Any software that you didn't intentionally install should be deleted, no matter what it is.

This website is rife with propaganda that "adwaremedic" should be used to remove common types of adware, contrary to Apple's recommendations. The predictable result will be that malware attackers will take advantage by distributing their own malware under that name and infesting the Web with links to it. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's already happening.

The only valid thing stated about AdwareMedic is that you must ensure it is genuine. However, that advice applies to every piece of software available.

Given that it "just appeared" on you Mac would indicate what you downloaded wasn't valid.

He suggests that malware developer's will try to impersonate AdwareMedic, but that is already being done for much of the software distributed. All of Adobe's Creative Suite can be found for "free" and is bundled with malware. Many of the bulk download sites bundle all of their downloads with malware. Any website suggesting you need a "codec" to view their content is likely tricking you into installing malware.

AdwareMedic, as provided by The Safe Mac website (http://www.thesafemac.com/), is a useful tool to remove Adware that you installed yourself--you didn't know that you chose to install it, but you did. See here: How to install adware

Apple's own kb article on removing Adware will never keep up with The Safe Mac's updates to AdwareMedic.

As with all software, only download it from the Mac App Store or directly from the developer's website. Any other source is suspect.

<Edited by Host>

hcofield wrote:

AdwareMedic and ZipCloud are two that just appeared on my laptop. Are they approved by Apple? Are they safe to use? If I run AdwareMedic will it return the speed to my laptop?

ZipCloud is not legit. It is often found installed alongside adware, and thus it should be removed.

As for AdwareMedic, have you recently brought your Mac to an Apple Store or some other tech service to deal with an adware problem? If so, one of the things that often happens in such cases is that the tech will download AdwareMedic to deal with the problem. Often, they will leave it in place for future use.

If you have not done this and are not sure whether you or someone else downloaded this, there's a simple test you can do to see if it's legit. Open the Terminal (found in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder) and enter the following command:

codesign --display --verbose=2 /Applications/AdwareMedic.app

This should result in some information about the app's cryptographic signature being displayed in the Terminal. It should look like this:

Identifier=com.thesafemac.adwaremedic Format=bundle with Mach-O thin (i386) CodeDirectory v=20200 size=16150 flags=0x0(none) hashes=800+3 location=embedded Signature size=8521 Authority=Developer ID Application: Thomas Reed (DKYMKWTFCU) Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority Authority=Apple Root CA Timestamp=May 26, 2015, 6:54:16 AM Info.plist entries=14 TeamIdentifier=DKYMKWTFCU Sealed Resources version=2 rules=12 files=32 Internal requirements count=1 size=188

The identifier and authority information are the important parts... make sure they match what is shown above exactly! If they don't, please let me know. As the developer of AdwareMedic, I would want to know immediately if someone were distributing an AdwareMedic impersonator! (I've never yet heard of such a thing happening, though.)

As for your other questions, AdwareMedic is not officially approved by Apple - no third-party software is - but Apple techs will often use or recommend it. It is safe to use. It may help your laptop's speed, but only if 1) you're infected with adware, and 2) the cause of your performance problems is that adware. There are many other possible reasons for performance problems, though, and AdwareMedic doesn't do anything to help with those.

If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

I opened the Terminal and entered the command as you have put it, and it says "no such file or directory." ?? I have AdwareMedic on my iMac and have used it a few times, so I don't understand why it's not being found?

Rutachka wrote:

I opened the Terminal and entered the command as you have put it, and it says "no such file or directory." ?? I have AdwareMedic on my iMac and have used it a few times, so I don't understand why it's not being found?

Terminal command did not work as most likely AdwareMedic on your iMac isn't stored inside /Applications folder or you have mistyped the command.

What message did you get back from running this command in Terminal? You should get something anyway?

Rutachka wrote:

I opened the Terminal and entered the command as you have put it, and it says "no such file or directory." ?? I have AdwareMedic on my iMac and have used it a few times, so I don't understand why it's not being found?

That means that you don't have AdwareMedic in the Applications folder, but is somewhere else instead. You can enter the following part of the command in the Terminal:

codesign --display --verbose=2

Make sure there's a space at the end, following the "2", but don't press return yet. Find your copy of AdwareMedic, wherever it is, and drag it onto the Terminal window. This will insert the path to the app into the command. Now go back to the Terminal and press return.

One other thing: if you have actually downloaded Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac, which is what AdwareMedic is now called, and are concerned at the fact that the AdwareMedic site redirected you to Malwarebytes, that's normal now. Be aware that the signature on the newer Malwarebytes version of the app will be different. Its developer ID is "Malwarebytes Corporation (GVZRY6KDKR)".

I can see that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is in my Applications folder, but I dragged and dropped it into the Terminal instead as your suggestion and that worked. I can see the signature now. Thanks for the tip with the new developer ID, as I see that one instead of Thomas Reed.

Thank you

Glad to be of assistance!

Thank you ADWAREMEDIC for getting rid of these:

Now there are no more browser redirects and security flags. Excellent program.

helped, Thank you

Thank you very much Davis for instruction.

I am not sure how I get this ZipCloud, as I carefully download everything from the web.Now, it is deleted.