Large ugly multicolored masks on black background have appeared on my computer screen - Is this a virus or malware?
How did I get it? How can I get rid of it and guard against it?
Thanks in advance!
MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), null
This is not malware.
As for what it is, answering that would require more information. Can you provide a screenshot showing the problem? 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.
Thomas,
Thanks for so much your response.
The mask screen appeared twice when I went out of the room for a while leaving the computer on. These were several sinister looking primitive masks, some purple and green that looked like chalk drawings. I can't find anything like them in search images.
Each time the masks appeared, I cleared out the cookies, files in Safari and reset Safari, then shut down the computer, restarting it holding down the shift key.
On the possibility that the computer gets invaded when it sleeps, I stopped the sleep function.
The masks haven't returned in a couple of days - so I can't capture them for you.
Although the scary masks haven't reappeared, I have had some screen saver images of brightly colored discs appear that I did not select - and can't find in the apple files, instead of the beach photos I use as a screen saver.
This doesn't seem to be adware, because I ran AdMedic after the Apple tech support recommended it and it said my computer didn't have adware.
Thanks again!
That seems rather like what would be expected from the screen saver and some photos. > System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver > Screen Saver > select never from the Start after popup. Could well be that the National Geographic photo set is selected, based solely on the "primitive masks" description.
Again, this is not malware, and your computer is most definitely not being invaded while it sleeps!
I'm unclear on exactly where you saw these things. Was it within Safari, as your screen saver, as your desktop background, or something else entirely?
In the Finder, choose Go to Folder from the Go menu. Enter the following path in the window that opens:
/Library
The click Go. In the folder that opens, look inside two folders: Desktop Pictures and Screen Savers. Those contain all the default images used for those. Do you see anything familiar there?
Neither the scary masks nor the shiny bright disks (some with shields or logos) were in those default image folders.
Hold on a sec... I think you may be describing Launchpad! Open the Launchpad app (found in the Applications) folder. Is that what you saw? If so, you're just accidentally triggering it.
Go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts and select the Launchpad & Dock item. See if there's a key assigned to Show Launchpad, and if so, what key. Take note of that. Also, go to System Preferences -> Trackpad -> More Gestures. Take note of the gesture that is used to show Launchpad.
Thomas R., Mr. Hoffman,
It WAS a screen saver issue! However, the screen saver was using a file from May 25, 2010 - iChat Icons 47 bytes Alias - rather than anything I had selected from my own computer files.
I'd really like to use one of my iPhoto pictures (or a group of them as a slide show) as a screen saver, but the computer won't give me that option for some reason - the iPhoto logo is grayed out.
I did select Never for the screen saver and deleted the Scary Primitive Masks and will select another option IF I am ever use the screen saver mode again.
I'm very glad to have solved this issue - thanks to you both! I'll give you both credit for your kind responses and for helping me track down the issue.
PS - I was alarmed about the appearance of the masks because of the Mask malware that had hit some Mac computers AND because my All In One PC had just gotten an encryption/ransom virus and I lost everything - including my email files and all my photos of grandchildren. I was not about to pay the malevolent people who were responsible - I'd rather lose everything than give them one penny.
Just for clarification - I did NOT download the Alias Masks onto my computer, at least knowingly...so I guess it was a kind of malware.
It sure was startling when these faces appeared after the invasion of my other computer by the ransom/encryption virus.
GAFL wrote:
Just for clarification - I did NOT download the Alias Masks onto my computer, at least knowingly...so I guess it was a kind of malware.
It was not malware.
The iChat Icons folder is on every Mac OS X system by default, and can be found in every user's Pictures folder. (See the screenshot from my own system below.) You simply accidentally chose that folder for your screensaver to pull from, probably while trying to select a different subfolder in Pictures.
Thanks, Thomas R. You are right!
I still wish I could make a screen saver from iPhoto albums or photo events.
Apologies to Thomas R and Mr Hoffman - I accidentally hit the wrong button and gave myself credit for solving the problem. I am sorry.
GAFL wrote:
I still wish I could make a screen saver from iPhoto albums or photo events.
You should be able to. I can't say why you're not, though. That would be a question better asked of the folks in the iPhoto for Mac forum.
Try System Preferences/Desktop & Screen Saver/Screen Saver - select the Floating screen saver (or another as applicable) until you get Source in the right panel. You should be able to select a folder/iPhoto there.
Colored masks black background - virus or malware?
