Clean Installation of OSX

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Level 1

12 points

Clean Installation of OSX

Hi Friends,

I am in serious trouble and request the help from the best of the OS X technologist out there.

Problem is my OS-X (10.3.3) got virus effected (Its true, even though some of you might raise their eyebrows at that line). Here is the behavior of the machine.

1> Its automatically types, and all the typing happens in CAP's even though I tried all possibilities of deactivating the caps' lock. SystemPref etc.

2> System goes super slow, like each finder takes at least of 5-8 sec to complete its animation to max / minimize its window.

So, I decided to format the system (clean install), went to utility and tried almost all version of OS-X available with me (from SL onwards). Although it troubled me to initialize the partition due to "disk unmounting issue" first , yet using USB , was able to flash the OS in it. However, to my surprise, even after doing 7 secure formatting and partitioning and flashing , it appears the system behavior has't changed. It is to an extend that in order to register the OS-X , I can't type my name and password because of this auto typing stuffs. So, any of you can please help me regarding this as I am stuck.

This is how I solved this same virus in Windows. I got same virus in my another Lappy with windows as well. For that even after reformatting and all things were not changing for a long while. After hours and days of hunting, I found windows, had a small 10MB SYSTEM folder, which is where their core stuffs were there. Every time, we format, we won't get this SYSTEM partition get formatted and this virus had effected this one. After a lot of hassle, I got a way around to wipe this SYSTEM and was able to irradiate this bug in Windows and is working fine from past few weeks.

I am core engineer but with MAC, I haven't exposed to SYSTEM level and wonder the issue lies in some filesystem which is infected but not able to reach while formatting and hope, someone could really help me figure this out.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), Blackout

Posted on Aug 4, 2015 4:13 AM

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Answer 1

hprem Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 4, 2015 5:10 AM in response to hprem

Anyone, Please help or comment if I didn't make clear enough !!!

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Answer 2

hprem Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 5, 2015 1:52 AM in response to hprem

So nobody ??

As been reported recently in "http://www.rt.com/usa/311597-new-virus-wreck-apple-computers/" , the Virus is actually may be set up @ firmware. Is there anyone who can tel me how to remove it .. PLS.. Anyone ?

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Answer 3

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Aug 5, 2015 2:38 AM in response to hprem

What you describe is not the behavior of any known malware. It's certainly not the result of Thunderstrike 2! (Ignore that article you linked to, it's alarmist crap. See What You Need to Know About the Thunderstrike 2 Worm.)

My guess is that you have a hardware issue with your keyboard, especially if the typing is random rather than coherent, and since the issue survived erasing the hard drive and reinstalling the system.

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Answer 4

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Aug 5, 2015 5:49 AM in response to hprem

I agree with Thomas, doesn't sound like a software issue.

…however, I'm not clear how you did the "Clean Install" —- To do a clean install, first BACKUP, then boot into recovery (hold ⌘R on boot), then select Disk Utility, then erase the HD (All your data and 3rd party apps will be erased, so have a backup), then exit Disk Utility and select "Re-Install MAC OS X"

Do not migrate from your backup at this time (you can use migration assistant later).

If you still experience the issues you're having, then it's not a software issue.

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Answer 5

hprem Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 5, 2015 6:31 AM in response to thomas_r.

Thank you very much Thomas / Tony for your words.

I didn't really meant that it is Thunderstrike 2, issue was developed before the announcement of this virus. However, it is not at all the Keyboard issue. I am certain to the point that I can bet every single dollar I've got .

As you appeared to be the best known individual to answer this query. Please, help me pointing out the areas how you would have approached to this solution (Considering , Keyboard isn't an issue).

Also, kindly help me sharing the cleanest way to install OS-X of any version, as I am pretty sure, I can fix this if I can do 100% clean install.

As of now I am I am trying the following option.

1> Booting on USB stick, formatting Mac DRIVE with 3 / 7 pass. Doing repartitioning (which erases again ) and then going to restore of Disk utility and choose OS X as the source and the Mac Drive as the destination.

2> 1> Booting on USB stick, formatting Mac DRIVE with 3 / 7 pass. Doing repartitioning (which erases again ) and then going back to utility and going go reinstall OS X from the list of 4 available options.

Thanks,

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Answer 6

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Aug 5, 2015 6:58 AM in response to hprem

hprem wrote:

Also, kindly help me sharing the cleanest way to install OS-X of any version,

For Lion and later:

To do a clean install, first BACKUP, then boot into recovery (hold ⌘R on boot), then select Disk Utility, then erase the HD (All your data and 3rd party apps will be erased, so have a backup), then exit Disk Utility and select "Re-Install MAC OS X"

Do not migrate from your backup at this time (you can use migration assistant later).

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Answer 7

t quinn

Level 5

7,043 points

Aug 5, 2015 7:25 AM in response to hprem

Hi hprem,

Consider the possibility of this being a keyboard issue. The behavior you are discribing is the same as my wife's macbook after an unfortunate spill. If you have another keyboard it is easy enough to check.

quinn

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Answer 8

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Aug 5, 2015 7:52 AM in response to hprem

hprem wrote:

I am pretty sure, I can fix this if I can do 100% clean install.

I'm doubtful of that, but it will still be something I think it's important for you to try.

First, what system do you actually have? Is it really 10.3.3, or is it 10.10.3? The answers will vary drastically depending on the answer. If you're not sure, go to the Apple menu and choose About This Mac, then find the version number in the window that opens.

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Answer 9

Aug 5, 2015 1:02 PM in response to hprem

Where are you getting all these operating systems? If they are all coming from the same non-apple site, they might all be infected with a keylogger or something. Do you have the original install disks for the computer?

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Answer 10

hprem Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 6, 2015 12:20 AM in response to Keith Barkley

Thanks again to Thomas / Tony / Keith / Quinn.

Keith, yea it is OS issue. Initially I thought it was safari that got corrupted but it spread from just one application to another till it reached to Microsoft windows where I decided to flash new OS. I has changed the files permission to the extend that I have to repair for some 50 files and then after an hour again goes back to the same old class and have to rerun repair.

Quinn, yea I can get that it is possible that Keyboard has been damaged but in this case, I am sure it isn't , reason is I found a kinda pattern, if I type any of the letters "A,Q,I, O ,U, " etc it starts appending letter "I" continuously. and sometime symbol " < " and for that matter in CAP's .. still I am yet to find a way to remove this caps lock (of course it not from Keyboard or system pref as both of them have been checked).

Tony, I tried your steps, yet no solution. Please suggest further action.

Thomas, yea I know the OS varies its troubleshooting, so let me paint the clear history of machine. It is Macbook Air 11 inch (Late 2011). I think it came with Snow Leopard but was upgraded to Lion most of it lifetime and was running Yosemite from the day it was released. You can get the versions of course but to be precise, It guess, it was 10.10.3 when the issue occur. The machine was used relatively low coz from the time it was purchased (2 years back), till now it has only 312 battery cycle. Mostly coz I use this big 15inch Pro all the time.

My doubt of this issue is either the virus from the site "Facebook.com" coz my Sister used it for sometime and she is pretty laymen in terms of computers or the dongle (Wifi adapter) which I generally plugin to excess the internet from remote location.

The machine has so far been formatted more then 5 times, and still no sign of relief and hope someone can really point me in the correct direction.

One last though, as I saw there is a backup.dmg always exist to backup the system, can anyone tell me how to wipe this as I believe it has corrupted this filesystem.

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Answer 11

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Aug 6, 2015 4:09 AM in response to hprem

hprem wrote:

I can get that it is possible that Keyboard has been damaged but in this case, I am sure it isn't , reason is I found a kinda pattern, if I type any of the letters "A,Q,I, O ,U, " etc it starts appending letter "I" continuously. and sometime symbol " < " and for that matter in CAP's .. still I am yet to find a way to remove this caps lock (of course it not from Keyboard or system pref as both of them have been checked).

I'm not at all sure why you think that means it's not a keyboard problem. If anything, your description makes me more certain that it's a keyboard issue. I'd strongly recommend contacting Apple, and taking the machine in for a tech to look at.

You can get the versions of course but to be precise, It guess, it was 10.10.3 when the issue occur.

10.10.3 is VERY different from 10.3.3! 🙂

If you want to reinstall the system cleanly, hold command-R at startup. Once in recovery mode, use Disk Utility to erase the hard drive, then quit Disk Utility and proceed with reinstalling the system. Do not migrate any apps or data onto the new system... set it up as if it were a brand new Mac. If, in this condition, the same problem occurs, it's a keyboard issue. It is not a virus infecting your firmware!

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Answer 12

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Aug 6, 2015 4:55 AM in response to hprem

hprem wrote:

Thanks again to Thomas / Tony / Keith / Quinn.

Tony, I tried your steps, yet no solution. Please suggest further action.

Then it's not an OS issue, as you were able to wipe your HD and install a new OS directly from Apple (by booting into Recovery, erasing the HD and reinstalling OS X).

Test the Hardware. See: Using Apple Hardware Test

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Answer 13

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Aug 6, 2015 4:58 AM in response to thomas_r.

thomas_r. wrote:

If you want to reinstall the system cleanly, hold command-R at startup. Once in recovery mode, use Disk Utility to erase the hard drive, then quit Disk Utility and proceed with reinstalling the system. Do not migrate any apps or data onto the new system... set it up as if it were a brand new Mac. If, in this condition, the same problem occurs, it's a keyboard issue. It is not a virus infecting your firmware!

He said that he already did that — looks like a hardware issue, he needs to run the Apple Hardware Test.

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Answer 14

thomas_r.

Level 7

31,989 points

Aug 6, 2015 6:24 AM in response to Tony T1

Tony T1 wrote:

He said that he already did that — looks like a hardware issue, he needs to run the Apple Hardware Test.

Yes, but I'm unclear on whether or not he migrated any apps and data back to the clean system. If he did, it invalidated the test. Not that I think it's anything other than a hardware issue with the keyboard, of course...

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Answer 15

hprem Author

Level 1

12 points

Aug 6, 2015 7:00 AM in response to thomas_r.

Hello Tony,

Thanks for the Hardware Test solution. However, this machine being 2011 Model, does not fall into the criteria "If your Mac was released after June 2013", and it appears to be not working in this machine.

Could you please help me by sharing how to do hardware test for machines that are earlier then 2013 as I don't have USB for this Air to do that hardware test mentioned over there

I really appreciate the comments from Tomas / Tony, you guys are providing tremendous help in here.

If possible please help me resolving this part "I saw there is a backup.dmg always exist to backup the system, can anyone tell me how to wipe this as I believe it has corrupted this filesystem."

The system is now becoming extremely slow to the extend that even startup / shutdown is taking more then 3 mins. Oh! one more thing there is no migration of data or app from backup. It is clean wiped up. I have created an account with single letter just to avoid any chances of earlier accounts mixup.

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