My Mac has been infected with Adware and/or a computer virus. How do I go about removing it? It is prohibiting me from working on my computer.

Download and run this (Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac.)

https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/mac/

As a secondary option, use these Apple support instructions:

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

Ciao.

Why do you think the computer is infected with adware? No matter what the problem really is, you should never use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" software.

Run MalwareBytes for removal of known Adware/Malware. If is commonly used and has a high success rate in diagnosing and eliminating most of it, and is constantly updates.

If you are comfortable doing manual file removals use the somewhat more difficult method:

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

Cheers

Pete

Do not download or install anything. Describe the problem in more detail. No matter what the cause, pursuing an "anti-virus" solution is inappropriate and invariably leads to additional, unrelated problems.

If you are encountering a web page alleging the existence of "viruses" and you cannot find a way to get rid of that page, read Phony "tech support" / "ransomware" popups and web pages.

If you believe you inadvertently installed adware, read How to install adware.

Your question brings up the subject of removing adware. This is a general comment on that subject.

The only tools that anyone needs to detect and remove adware are the Finder and a web browser, both of which you already have. Anyone who has enough computer skill to install adware can just as well remove it without using anything else.

Under no circumstances should you ever allow anti-virus software to delete something for you.

Apple doesn't endorse any third-party "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product. Here and here are its general statements about malware protection, and here are its instructions for removing the most common types of ad-injection malware. None of those support pages mentions anti-malware products. An Apple employee who recommends such a product is speaking only for himself or herself, not for the company. See this thread for an example of what the results can be.

You become infected with malware by downloading unknown software without doing research to determine whether it's safe. If you keep making that mistake, the same, and worse, will keep happening, and no anti-malware will rescue you. Your own intelligence and caution are the only reliable defense.

The Windows/Android anti-malware industry had more than $75 billion in sales in 2014 [source: Gartner, Inc.] Its marketing strategy is to convince people that they're helpless against malware attack unless they use its products. But with all that anti-malware, the Windows and Android platforms are still infested with malware—most of it far more harmful than mere adware. The same can be expected to happen to the Mac platform if its users trust the same industry to protect them, instead of protecting themselves.

You are not helpless, and you don't have to give full control of your computer—and your data—to strangers in order to be rid of adware.

<Edited By Host>

Linc Davis wrote:

Why do you think the computer is infected with adware? No matter what the problem really is, you should never use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" software.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac only detects possible adware candidates that the user can remove if so they wish. It is not a anti-virus or anti-malware software as such and I suspect you know that. All that you are doing is introducing elements that have not been found to be germane to this discussion and as a consequence causing unnecessary confusion.

Ciao.

Linc Davis wrote:

Your question brings up the subject of removing adware. This is a general comment on that subject.

The only tools that anyone needs to detect and remove adware are the Finder and a web browser, both of which you already have. Anyone who has enough computer skill to install adware can just as well remove it without using anything else.

Under no circumstances should you ever allow anti-virus software to delete something for you.

Apple doesn't endorse any third-party "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product. Here and here are its general statements about malware protection, and here are its instructions for removing the most common types of ad-injection malware. None of those support pages mentions anti-malware products. An Apple employee who recommends such a product is speaking only for himself or herself, not for the company. See this thread for an example of what the results can be.

You become infected with malware by downloading unknown software without doing research to determine whether it's safe. If you keep making that mistake, the same, and worse, will keep happening, and no anti-malware will rescue you. Your own intelligence and caution are the only reliable defense.

The Windows/Android anti-malware industry had more than $75 billion in sales in 2014 [source: Gartner, Inc.] Its marketing strategy is to convince people that they're helpless against malware attack unless they use its products. But with all that anti-malware, the Windows and Android platforms are still infested with malware—most of it far more harmful than mere adware. The same can be expected to happen to the Mac platform if its users trust the same industry to protect them, instead of protecting themselves.

You are not helpless, and you don't have to give full control of your computer—and your data—to strangers in order to be rid of adware.

These are generalities. Regarding the "malwarebytes" product in particular, you may be told that there are no reports that is has caused damage. In fact, there is such a report by ASC user LizardMBP in this thread. Draw your own conclusions from that report.

You can also search this site for thousands of other comments on all kinds of anti-malware by ASC members other than myself. Below are a few examples, all quoted from different discussions.

I am unaware of any completely harmless Mac anti-virus software. They are all made by Windows software developers who know nothing about Macs. At best, they will slow your machine down and could easily corrupt important file[s] and/or databases.

There will always be threats to your information security associated with using any Internet - connected communications tool... Assuming that any product will protect you from those threats is a hazardous attitude...

Antivirus software does more damage to Macs that the malware does.

We spend far more time here on the support forums cleaning up problems with antivirus software than we do cleaning up problems with viruses.

The only malicious software is the anti-virus or "clean up" software itself.

If you'd like to see links to the quoted discussions, ask.

It is not proclaiming to be an Anti-Virus as you keep repeating, Linc. (Although I believe you already know that.) Do YOU have links where it claims to be?

Cheers

Pete

Linc Davis wrote:

The only tools that anyone needs to detect and remove adware are the Finder and a web browser, both of which you already have. Anyone who has enough computer skill to install adware can just as well remove it without using anything else.

The problem with this statement is that there are situations where third party applications are more efficient and comprehensive than what is offered by Apple. I know that to be factual because I have experienced it. I have used Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac with great success.

Apple doesn't endorse any third-party "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product.

What you omit is that Apple does not prohibit or discourage the use of third party applications to be used for problem solving. It does not now nor has it in the past. The implication that a user should not use a third party application is a false one. Please demonstrate if my statement is incorrect.

An Apple employee who recommends such a product is speaking only for himself or herself, not for the company.
in your argument, not simply ones that may support your narrow agenda.

How untrue this statement is. Any employee whose job is to communicate with a company's customers is speaking for the corporation because that is their job. These include the persons who staff the telephone support service or the genius' at an Apple genius bar. When they recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac, they are speaking for Apple and many of them have made that recommendation. Why? Because they have found it faster, simpler and more efficient than the Apple support article that you seem wedded to. They work with such problems daily and I submit that they will use what their expertise and experience has shown to be the best approach in solving a given problem.

Tell me, who speaks for Apple Corporation? Only Tim Cook? Is it within you ability to answer this question?

Your attempt to set a premise that non Apple approaches to solving malware and adware problems is at variance with Apple corporate policy is a spurious one. What you are doing is a disservice to the third party reader who may be a neophyte in these situations and may not understand the nuances and differences involved. I suggest that you include all the elements involved your argument, not simply ones that may support your narrow agenda.

Ciao.

Rpgarding the use of "so called harmful" software, please see the quote below from a respected, high level poster here at ASC.

"The site is hosted by Apple, which does not allow it to be used to distribute harmful software"

Be guided accordingly:

Ciao.

Linc Davis wrote:

Regarding the "malwarebytes" product in particular, you may be told that there are no reports that is has caused damage. In fact, there is such a report by ASC user LizardMBP in this thread. Draw your own conclusions from that report.

It should be noted that the discussion that LizardMBP started, at your request on that thread, was filled with demonstrably false claims, and has since been removed by the moderators. Draw your own conclusions from that.

You can also search this site for thousands of other comments on all kinds of anti-malware by ASC members other than myself. Below are a few examples, all quoted from different discussions.

I see that you have changed the quotes you are including, presumably so that I will no longer be able to say that you're taking my own words out of context. However, you're still taking other people's words out of context. Without that context, we have no way of knowing the full meaning of the quote in context. Further, some of the quotes you have used were quite old, many years in some cases. Again, without the context, we have no way of knowing how outdated those quotes are. We also have no idea who said them, and whether or not they are a reliable source of information.

This is non-information, and should be treated as such.

It should be noted that the discussion that LizardMBP started, at my request on that thread, was not filled with demonstrably false claims, and has since been removed by the moderators at his own request. Another thing that should be noted is that "thomas_r" is an employee of "malwarebytes," whose product is being promoted on this site. Draw your own conclusions from that.

Linc Davis wrote:

Another thing that should be noted is that "thomas_r" is an employee of "malwarebytes," whose product is being promoted on this site.

To say that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac is being 'promoted' as to imply some commercial gain or unethical actions is false. My suggestion to use this software was no different than using any other appropriate third party software in order to address the problem at hand.

Would pleas expand on your last statement:

Draw your own conclusions from that.

Specifically what conclusions are your drawing from that? Are you suggesting there is something nefarious or fraudulant going on here? Remember I am the one who suggested the use of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac, not the author and even if that were not the case, does that make a difference?

I await your reply.

Ciao.

The great thing about MalwareBytes is that it actually works and I have never seen it cause damage. But I suppose there are always people who would never trust any third party app. These days my Mac would be most unproductive if I relied on Apple Software. iPhoto - unsupported iWeb - unsupported iDVD - unsupported Aperture - unsupported Appleworks - unsupported etc. etc. Apple are not a software company as such, and as soon as a third party app appears that may be of help to many many users, it gets howled down on these forums and misquoted as Anti-Software by a tiny few.

This argument has wasted too many pages in these threads.

Cheers

Pete

<Edited By Host>

Linc Davis wrote:

It should be noted that the discussion that LizardMBP started, at my request on that thread, was not filled with demonstrably false claims

You wouldn't know that, since you were not party to any of the private communications that I had with her and have absolutely no evidence to support your beliefs. This is simply a convenient blunt instrument that you're trying to use to attack me.

Further, you're being highly disrespectful of the moderators here, who have repeatedly shown their opinions on the matter by removing those accusations from your posts every time you include them.