please help me block adverts. when i initiate a search i immediately have a full screen advert appearing
please help me block adverts. when i initiate a search i immediately have a full screen advert appearing
Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
please help me block adverts. when i initiate a search i immediately have a full screen advert appearing
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:
https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/mac/
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/
Remove Browser Pop-up Problems
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.0.1.7
Adblock Plus 1.8.9, GlimmerBlocker, or AdBlock
Remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac
How to remove the FlashMall adware from OS X
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 Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.0.1.7. 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.
You've likely installed some form of adware which is causing the issue. Download and run a scan with AdwareMedic: http://adwaremedic.com/index.php.
The best way to remove adware is often the subject of heated debates on these forums. If you feel comfortable running a program, prefer a quicker solution, and don’t want to risk incompletely or incorrectly removing the adware manually, then you should run AdwareMedic as I suggested. If you would rather remove the adware manually because you don’t want to run any programs to solve the problem, then follow Apple’s instructions at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987. Note that this document does not cover all types of adware. If those instructions do not solve the problem, see http://thesafemac.com/arg (from the same author as AdwareMedic).
You will probably hear others’ opinions about whether you should run a program or remove the adware manually. AdwareMedic gets my vote, but don’t let that, or anyone else’s opinions sway you one way or the other.
Rest assured that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac (formerly Adwaremedic) is you best option. Anything else will be an inferior secondary option that is very limited by comparison. Exercise caution if anyone suggests that this application should not be downloaded. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac has a proven track record of success and is benign to your MBP.
Good luck.
Ciao.
You don't need to, and should not, download anything to solve this problem. Never use any commercial "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product.
You may have installed a variant of the "VSearch" ad-injection malware. Follow Apple Support's instructions to remove it.
If you have trouble following those instructions, see below.
Malware is always changing to get around the defenses against it. This procedure works as of now, as far as I know. It may not work in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for a more recent discussion, or start a new one.
The VSearch malware tries to hide itself by varying the names of the files it installs. To remove it, you must first identify the naming pattern.
Triple-click the line below on this page to select it, then copy the text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C:
/Library/LaunchDaemons
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.
A folder named "LaunchDaemons" may open. Look inside it for two files with names of the form
com.something.daemon.plist
and
com.something.helper.plist
Here something is a variable string of characters, which can be different in each VSearch infection. So far it has always been an alphanumeric string without punctuation, such as "cloud," "dot," "highway," "submarine," or "trusteddownloads." Sometimes it's a meaningless string such as "e8dec5ae7fc75c28" rather than a word. Sometimes the string is "apple," and then you must be especially careful not to delete the wrong files, because many built-in OS X files have similar names.
If you find these files, leave the LaunchDaemons folder open, and open the following folder in the same way:
/Library/LaunchAgents
In this folder, there may be a file named
com.something.agent.plist
where the string something is the same as before.
If you feel confident that you've identified the above files, back up all data, then drag just those three files—nothing else—to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password. Close the Finder windows and restart the computer.
Don't delete the "LaunchAgents" or "LaunchDaemons" folder or anything else inside either one.
The malware is now permanently inactivated, as long as you never reinstall it. You can stop here if you like, or you can remove two remaining components for the sake of completeness.
Open this folder:
/Library/Application Support
If it has a subfolder named just
something
where something is the same string you saw before, drag that subfolder to the Trash and close the window.
Don't delete the "Application Support" folder or anything else inside it.
Finally, in this folder:
/System/Library/Frameworks
there may be an item named exactly
v.framework
It's actually a folder, though it has a different icon than usual. This item always has the above name; it doesn't vary. Drag it to the Trash and close the window.
Don't delete the "Frameworks" folder or anything else inside it.
If you didn't find the files or you're not sure about the identification, post what you found.
If in doubt, or if you have no backups, change nothing at all.
The trouble may have started when you downloaded and ran an application called "MPlayerX." That's the name of a legitimate free movie player, but the name is also used fraudulently to distribute VSearch. If there is an item with that name in the Applications folder, delete it. I don't recommend that you install the genuine "MPlayerX," because it's hosted on the rogue "SourceForge" website and is bundled with other malware.
This trojan is often found on illegal websites that traffic in pirated content such as movies. 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.
Then, 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.
It is important to note that:
please help me block adverts. when i initiate a search i immediately have a full screen advert appearing