lagging and advertisement popping

Please review the options below to determine which method is best to deal with the Adware installed on your computer.

The Easy, safe, effective method:

http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php

If you are comfortable doing manual file removals, use the Apple support document below.

http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987

Also, read the articles below to better understand why it has happened and be more prepared for the next time there is an issue on your computer.

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-7471

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-8071

http://www.thesafemac.com/tech-support-scam-pop-ups/

No, Stedman gave you the easy way for complete success, AdwareMedic. And the alternatives when you want to do it by hand (I would not). And the information to avoid it in the future...

There is no need to download anything to solve this problem.

You may have installed one or more of the common types of ad-injection malware. Follow the instructions on this Apple Support page to remove it. It's been reported that some variants of the "VSearch" malware block access to the page. If that happens, start in safe mode by holding down the shift key at the startup chime, then try again.

Back up all data before making any changes.

One of the steps in the article is to remove malicious Safari extensions. Do the equivalent in the Chrome and Firefox browsers, if you use either of those. If Safari crashes on launch, skip that step and come back to it after you've done everything else.

If you don't find any of the files or extensions listed, or if removing them doesn't stop the ad injection, ask for further instructions.

Make sure you don't repeat the mistake that led you to install the malware. Chances are you got it from an Internet cesspit such as "Softonic," "CNET Download," or "SourceForge." Never visit any of those sites again. You might also have downloaded it from an ad in a page on some other site. The ad would probably have included a large green button labeled "Download" or "Download Now" in white letters. The button is designed to confuse people who intend to download something else on the same page. If you ever download a file that isn't obviously what you expected, delete it immediately.

Malware is also found on websites that traffic in pirated content such as video. If you, or anyone else who uses the computer, visit such sites and follow prompts to install software, you can expect more of the same, and worse, to follow. Never install any software that you downloaded from a bittorrent, or that was downloaded by someone else from an unknown source.

In the Security & Privacy pane of System Preferences, select the General tab. The radio button marked Anywhere should not be selected. If it is, click the lock icon to unlock the settings, then select one of the other buttons. After that, don't ignore a warning that you are about to run or install an application from an unknown developer.

Still in System Preferences, open the App Store or Software Update pane and check the box marked

Install system data files and security updates (OS X 10.10 or later)

or

Download updates automatically (OS X 10.9 or earlier)

if it's not already checked.

I would suggest that you DO download AdwareMedic. It is a very quick download and when opened will run very quickly. Suggesting that a download is more complicated or will take longer than following the multistep procedure advocated by Linc Davis should be viewed as an erroneous inference. Unlike Linc Davis' narrowly focused suggestion, AdwareMedic is designed to identify numerous possible problem makers. Therefore it will not be only easier to use but the chances for a successful resolution are much improved. Let me also point point out that the procedure advocated by Linc Davis has already been referred to by Steadman1 as an option.

In addition, the complicated procedures advocated by Linc Davis, by comparison, invites the possibility of unnecessary errors and mistakes. So keep it fast and simple, use AdwareMedic. If there is no success, then by all means try the cumbersome procedure posted by Linc Davis. But the chances are that you will not need to.

Note these links to some of the many satisfied Adwaremedic users:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6531502

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6640492

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6740074

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6850506

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7067735?start=15&tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7007203

This post is not under copyright and can be used in part or whole without attribution.

Ciao.

I second Ogeltorpe 100%.

Easy and trusted solution.

Lex

I would suggest that you DON'T download unknown applications merely because strangers on a website tell you to. It is a very quick way to become infected with malware, as you've already discovered. Suggesting that adequate investigation of a download is less complicated or will not take longer than following Apple's instructions should be viewed as an erroneous inference. Note that this procedure has already been presented by others as a primary option.

Unlike a narrowly focused suggestion, following safe computing practices is designed to address the underlying behavioral problem that caused you to be infected in the first place. Therefore it will not be only easier to use but the chances for being reinfected later are much reduced. In addition, the complicated procedure of researching and running an unknown application, by comparison, invites the possibility of unnecessary errors and mistakes.

I also would like to point out that Apple's instructions have been advocated for use by Apple Support. They prefer the speed, efficiency and simplicity of those instructions over running any third-party software.

So keep it fast and simple, use Apple's procedure. If there is no success, then by all means post your results and some other way will be found to remove the adware. But the chances are that you will not need to.

Please note the Bolding, Italicizing and Underlining of the word Options as presented in the very first reply. The choice is always yours, but the correct answer was given in the very first reply.

Linc Davis wrote:

I would suggest that you DON'T download unknown applications merely because strangers on a website tell you to. It is a very quick way to become infected with malware, as you've already discovered.

You often instruct users to download third party applications, yet I do not see where you warn them of any potential dire consequences. Why is that? Are you the sole arbiter of what may be downloaded?

Suggesting that adequate investigation of a download is less complicated or will not take longer than following Apple's instructions should be viewed as an erroneous inference.

Who is suggesting that? I see no such claim. If I missed this, please point it out.

Note that this procedure has already been presented by others as a primary option.

Where? I certainly an suggesting Adwaremedic as a primary option, Steadman1 is offering two options with no declared preference. You are the only one suggesting the Apple support procedures as the primary (or only) alternative.

In addition, the complicated procedure of researching and running an unknown application, by comparison, invites the possibility of unnecessary errors and mistakes.

Again you are introducing an element that no one has brought up here, but you. Perhaps a more careful reading of the various posts on your part is required.

I also would like to point out that Apple's instructions have been advocated for use by Apple Support.

Note that Apple has not made any statement that third party applications are NOT to be used in this or any other instance.

They prefer the speed, efficiency and simplicity of those instructions over running any third-party software.

In my own discussions with Apple genius bar technicians, they find Adwaremedic much FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT that the Apple support procedures that you are promoting. Your statement simply has no foundation and contradicts real world experience.

I suggest that you read this link where a user tried to use the Apple support article procedures that you specifically recommend and found them too complex and SOLVED his problem via Adwaremedic:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6740074

Adwaremedic has also been advocated for use by Apple telephone support personnel and has received excellent reviews by editors of Internet technical sites.

As I have indicated before, one is welcome to express their preferences and opinions. However a convincing argument requires supporting facts which I see in short supply on your part. I have downloaded Adwaremedic and have had successful results with it so I can speak from experience, that it is fast, and it is easy and it works!

Ciao.

Linc Davis wrote:

I would suggest that you DON'T download unknown applications merely because strangers on a website tell you to.

If anyone is uncertain what to do at this point, discuss it with an Apple support tech. They will steer you in the right direction, whether that is Apple's adware removal document, my own AdwareMedic app or something else entirely. Apple techs are seeing a lot of problems like these right now, and know how to handle them. They should be considered the authorities in the case of conflicting advice from strangers on a forum like this one.

When you see a beachball cursor or the slowness is especially bad, note the exact time: hour, minute, second.

These instructions must be carried out as an administrator. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.

Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

The title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select

SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messages

from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select

View ▹ Show Log List

from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Each message in the log begins with the date and time when it was entered. Scroll back to the time you noted above.

Select the messages entered from then until the end of the episode, or until they start to repeat, whichever comes first.

Copy the messages to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.

The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of it useless for solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.

Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.

Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.

Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.

When you post the log extract, you might see an error message on the web page: "You have included content in your post that is not permitted," or "The message contains invalid characters." That's a bug in the forum software. Please post the text on Pastebin, then post a link here to the page you created.

I suggest that you download Etrecheck from www.etresoft.com.

It produces a list about your mac, without personal data, that gives much more information than we now have.

At the end of the list is a "copy" button, then paste it in a message here .

Lex

jjerm wrote:

other than AdwareMedic, is there any other programs to download? As of the lagging, is there any solution to that?

You would only want to use AdwareMedic if you're having symptoms of adware (ads being injected in the web browser where there should not be ads and/or redirects to a different search engine). AdwareMedic does not address lagging, unless that lagging happens to be a side-effect of adware, which can be the case.

If the problem isn't due to adware, do not download any kind of "cleaner" apps that promise to speed up your Mac. Such things cannot live up to their promises, and are essentially scams preying on people who don't know how to solve their issues. Posting system logs, as Linc has requested, and EtreCheck output, as Lex has requested, are both things that can help give us the information needed to help you with an appropriate solution to the lagging.