A
Back up all data before proceeding.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.lsreset.plist
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)
from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item selected. Move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password. Restart the computer and empty the Trash.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.
B
"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.
C
"MacKeeper" is a scam with only one useful feature: it deletes itself.
First, back up all data.
Note: These instructions apply to the version of the product that I downloaded and tested in early 2012. I can't be sure that they apply to other versions.
If you have incompletely removed MacKeeper—for example, by dragging the application to the Trash and immediately emptying—then you'll have to reinstall it and start over.
IMPORTANT: "MacKeeper" has what the developer calls an “encryption” feature. In my tests, I didn't try to verify what this feature really does. If you used it to “encrypt” any of your files, “decrypt” them before you uninstall, or (preferably) restore the files from backups made before they were “encrypted.” As the developer is not trustworthy, you should assume that the "decrypted" files are corrupt unless proven otherwise.
In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Applications
from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-A. The "MacKeeper" application is in the folder that opens. Quit it if it's running, then drag it to the Trash. You'll be prompted for your login password. Click the Uninstall MacKeeper button in the dialog that appears. All the other functional components of the software will be deleted. Restart the computer and empty the Trash.
☞ Quit MacKeeper before dragging it to the Trash.
☞ Let MacKeeper delete its other components before you empty the Trash.
☞ Don't try to drag MacKeeper from the Dock or the Launchpad to the Trash.
☞ Don't try to remove MacKeeper while running in safe mode.
D
"CleanMyMac" is another scam and a common cause of instability and poor performance. Depending on what version you have, the developer's instructions may not completely remove it. Follow those instructions, then do as below.
Back up all data before proceeding.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2.Agent.plist
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)
from the contextual menu.* A folder may open with an item selected. If it does, move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password.
Repeat with this line:
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac2.Agent
Restart the computer and empty the Trash.
You may also have to remove one or more of these items in the same way:
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac.helperTool.plist
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac.volumeWatcher.plist
~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.macpaw.CleanMyMac3.Scheduler.plist
Never again install "CleanMyMac" or anything like it.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You may not see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.