how to remove mac adware cleaner pop up window

this is great help could you help me in the launch agents i have a lot of things could you tell me if there ok if i need to delete them please: i have deleted 4 of the mac adware ones but I'm not sure if these are ok. thank you

An updater for Adobe's software never prompts for you to install or update Java. It's only after you launch an Adobe title that it tells you Java is required in order to use the software. This is common for many CS6 and older apps.

What the older Adobe software is looking for in particular is Apple's Java 6. Whatever you installed, it wasn't from Adobe, Apple or Oracle.

Your Mac tops out at El Capitan, 10.11.x. You can get it by following this link. Before doing that, make sure to have a full and complete backup you can restore if anything goes wrong with the upgrade. Preview is included with all versions of the Mac OS, so you'll still have that.

I just used the instructions provided by Linc Davis. They still work and I no longer have that annoying pop up. It was actually slowing my Macbook down when starting up. I also had to "force quit" the application everytime I logged in. I just wished there was an easier way to remove it.

You didn't get it from Adobe. You fell for one of hundreds, or easily thousands of sites that prompt you to download and install fake software.

It's particularly worth nothing that Adobe has never, ever, had any control of, or distributed Java. So Adobe Java is an oxymoron.

Java is only available from Oracle. For Adobe, the most common fake download is for the Flash Player. That also is only available directly from Adobe.

Never, never, ever trust any site that insists you download something from them. Doesn't matter what the message says. It's a lie. Period.

Linc hasn't participated on these forums for quite some time now.

Just at a glance, I can tell you Smokyashan is part of a type of adware. Montageogox is one of the many variants of Genieo adware (one of the more difficult ones to remove).

You'd be much better off using MalwareBytes for Mac to locate and remove the adware for you. It will locate all of various pieces that are installed in other locations. It may miss something brand new, but will clear most of it. So let it do the majority of the work and then see what's left, if anything.

Thank you very much for the excellent suggestion to download MalwareBytes for Mac. I was really apprehensive about downloading anything. I have a MacBookPro, late 2008, running 10.9.5, and until last month had virtually no issues. I was researching when I accidentally clicked on an ad instead of the 'next page' arrow. It's been a constant nightmare since then until I read your posts. I cleared cache, history, (after writing down every password for each website I use) and still it bullied its way into my laptop. I'm so glad I found your post.

I have a back up system for my Mac that I run, and I never take it off my desk. No one touches my Mac-

A few questions:

How often should the system be scanned?

Should I upgrade to a newer OS? I have Snow Leopard

Regards,
Dinah

Hi Dinah,

You can scan as often as you like. MalwareBytes for Mac only takes up system resources when run. When you close it, it's done. Not like normal AV software that runs the entire time you computer is on.

EtreCheck is another useful tool for this. It started out as a utility to take a snapshot of your system and all running processes. It has also been used thousands of times by users of these forums and elsewhere. The author, etresoft (a member of these forums), has somewhat recently added the ability to remove adware and other invasive apps it finds. It used to only mark them and it was then up to you to figure out how to remove the junk.

But the basic answer is, be careful where you download from. Avoid aggregate sites like Softonic, downloads.com, etc. Much of what you get from them installs adware along with the software you want to try. I do use them, but only to find software titles. After I find what I'd like to try, I go directly to the vendor's web site and download it from there.

Snow Leopard is a great OS, but it's also hopelessly out of date. It, and Safari in that version are greatly behind on security updates. Firefox is dropping support for Snow Leopard soon (if they haven't already). And so is Chrome. There will essentially be no browser security protection for SL. How far you can upgrade the OS depends on the model Mac you have.

Thank you Kurt for responding. That is great information about downloads, and generally speaking I seldom even used the download, except for PDF's for work, but again, it only takes once and you can get zapped. 🙂

I have trouble using Firefox and Chrome, so I don't even have those. I use Safari only. I was going to upgrade my OS but at the time, and an Apple support person helped me. It deleted almost all of my images and some of the programs I used so I went back to Snow Leopard. It was a mess, and now I'm a bit apprehensive about upgrading to another OS.

I have a late 2008 MacBook Pro. What would be the least invasive OS that would allow me to keep my images in tact and not lose Preview?

Regards,
Dinah

Thank you Kurt. I just got off the phone with Apple Support and I have Maverick, and it's fine, so now that you have helped me rid my laptop of the adware nonsense, I think that is all on the agenda for now. My 2008 doesn't have enough space for El Capitan or Sierra, and since I also do not have a cell phone, or watch, and have no plans on acquiring them, we will just carry on with Maverick. 🙂 After all I got my first Apple in 8 boxes back in the 80s (wish I still had that one), so I tend to stick with what works for me.

Vintage all the way

Dinah

Yes, I believe Apple is still supporting Mavericks with security updates, so you can stay there if you wish. When it drops, you'll want to upgrade to El Capitan (your Mac can't install Sierra). From the sounds of it, you'll have to put in a larger drive. But by that point, you may have already upgraded to newer hardware.

I'll confess that the instructions above are on the techie-side for me ... not being a person who reads or understands code (though i'm trying to learn!!)

Are there more layman's instructions? ALSO -- i found another set of directions via Google search and think it actually prompts you to download yet another software to deal with this -- obviously i ignored and looked for answers from the Apple community site instead. Man, so many ways to get messed up out there. I confess I've become complacent about viruses since abandoning PCs (required for work), so I need to wake up.

Oh GOOD FOR YOU!! How lucky is that! Mine were in lots of boxes and very boxy, not cool like the clam, but I did have an orange one years later. LOVED IT!! That is so cool. Not jealous at all, very happy for you.

Dinah

Finding adware in the Applications folder is a rarity. Usually, they're either an extension in Safari, or they've been installed to the LaunchAgents and/or LaunchDaemons folders in your user account. And don't expect them to be easy to spot names.

MalwareBytes for Mac is by far the easiest way to remove adware.

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 for Mac. 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.