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It's been few months that I am having problem with my Macbook pro. First it started with pop up or adds windows while using internet then I installed Avast Anti Virus which controlled the pop up windows to some extent. However, the problem is still there and sometimes my computer get totally stuck and hang. Please advise how to deal with such problem. Thank you.
MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)
Adware is installed without your knowledge, removing it will help.
1. Use free Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac/ AdwareMedic to remove adware
http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php
Download, install , open, and run it by clicking “Scan for Adware” button to remove adware.
Once done, quit Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
or
Remove the adware manually by following the “HowTo” from Apple.
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987
2. Safari > Preferences > Extensions
Turn all extensions off and relaunch Safari. Test.
Turn those on one by one and test.
3. Safari > Preferences > Search > Search Engine :
Select your preferred search engine.
4. Safari > Preferences > General > Homepage:
Set your Homepage.
Note: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac/ AdwareMedic is recommended by Apple support.
Avast
Avast wouldn't help. Remove it if you wish.
AV applications are totally unnecessary on a Mac. I urge you to rid the MBP of Avast. It can corrupt the MBP.
Ciao.
A
"Avast" is the worst of the whole wretched lot of commercial "security" products for the Mac. Not only does it fail to protect you from any real danger, it may send personal data (such as web browsing history and the contents of email messages) back to the developer without your knowledge, give false warnings, destabilize and slow down the computer, expose you to network attack, and corrupt the network settings and the permissions of files in your home folder. Removing it may not repair all the damage.
Some versions of the product also inject advertising into web pages. In short, apart from the fine print in the license agreement, Avast is indistinguishable from malware, and is arguably worse than any known malware now in circulation.
Back up all data, then remove Avast according to the developer's instructions. Restart. Never install any "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" software again.
If you tried to remove Avast by dragging an application to the Trash, you'll have to reinstall it and then follow the instructions linked above.
B
You may have installed ad-injection malware ("adware").
Don't use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" product on a Mac. There is never a need for it, and relying on it for protection makes you more vulnerable to attack, not less.
Some of the most common types of adware can be removed by following Apple's instructions. If those instructions don't work for you, or if you have trouble following them, see below.
This easy procedure will detect any kind of adware that I know of. Deactivating it is a separate, and even easier, procedure that doesn't involve downloading anything.
Some legitimate software is ad-supported and may display ads in its own windows or in a web browser while it's running. That's not malware and it may not show up. Also, some websites carry intrusive popup ads that may be mistaken for adware.
If none of your web browsers is working well enough to carry out these instructions, restart the computer in safe mode. That will disable the malware temporarily.
Step 1
Please 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/LaunchAgents
In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. Press return. Either a folder named "LaunchAgents" will open, or you'll get a notice that the folder can't be found. If the folder isn't found, go to the next step.
If the folder does open, press the key combination command-2 to select list view, if it's not already selected. Please don't skip this step.
There should be a column in the Finder window headed Date Modified. Click that heading twice to sort the contents by date with the newest at the top. If necessary, enlarge the window so that all of the contents are showing.
Follow the instructions in this support article under the heading "Take a screenshot of a window." An image file with a name beginning in "Screen Shot" should be saved to the Desktop. Open the screenshot and make sure it's readable. If not, capture a smaller part of the screen showing only what needs to be shown.
Start a reply to this message. Drag the image file into the editing window to upload it. You can also include text in the reply.
Leave the folder open for now.
Step 2
Do as in Step 1 with this line:
/Library/LaunchAgents
The folder that may open will have the same name, but is not the same, as the one in Step 1. As in that step, the folder may not exist.
Step 3
Repeat with this line:
/Library/LaunchDaemons
This time the folder will be named "LaunchDaemons."
Step 4
Open the Safari preferences window and select the Extensions tab. If any extensions are listed, post a screenshot. If there are no extensions, or if you can't launch Safari, skip this step.
Step 5
If you use the Firefox or Chrome browser, open its extension list and do as in Step 4.
Problem with Pop up windows and adds while using internet.
