I have a pop up window whenever I'm in google chrome that says, "Recommended download, install mac adware cleaner" now to protect our mac device from malware, adware and other security threats. Is this a real pop up or an adware?
How do i get rid of it?
thanks
MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)
A
First, never use any kind of "anti-virus" or "anti-malware" software on a Mac. That's how you create problems, not how you solve them.
B
You may have installed a fake "utility" called "Advanced Mac Cleaner." Like any software that purports to automatically "clean up" or "speed up" a Mac, it's a scam, and some variants of it are ad-injection malware.
To remove it, please take the steps below. Some of the files listed may be absent in your case. Back up all data before proceeding.
Malware is always changing to get around the defenses against it. This procedure works as of now, as far as I know. It may not work in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for a more recent discussion, or start a new one.
If you paid for the software with a credit card, consider reporting the charge to the bank as fraudulent.
Step 1
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
~/Library/LaunchAgents
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Open
from the contextual menu.* A folder named "LaunchAgents" may open. If it does, look inside it for files with a name that begins in either of these ways:
com.pcv.
com.WebShoppy
Move any such file to 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.
Step 2
Open this folder as in Step 1:
/Library/LaunchAgents
Inside it there may be one or more files with a name beginning in
com.WebTools
If so, move those files, and only those, to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password.
Don't delete the LaunchAgents folder or anything else inside it.
Log out or restart the computer.
Step 3
Open the Applications folder and move an item named "Advanced Mac Cleaner" (if it's present) to the Trash. Also remove any items with a name such as "Shoppy" or "WebShoppy." Empty the Trash.
Step 4
In the Extensions tab of the Safari preferences window, uninstall an extension named "XSearch" if it's present. Also remove any other extensions that you don't know you need. If in doubt, remove all of them. None is required for normal operation. You may have to do the equivalent in the Chrome and Firefox browsers, if you use either of those.
Step 5
The malware is now permanently inactivated, provided that you don't reinstall it. This step is optional.
Delete the following items, if they exist, as in Step 1:
/Library/Application Support/amc
~/Library/AdvancedMacCleaner
~/Library/Application Support/WebTools
There's no need to log out or restart after taking this step.
The problem may have started when you downloaded something, such as the application "FileZilla," from the "Sourceforge" website or some other Internet cesspit. Never visit that site again. All software should be downloaded only from the developer's website or from the Mac App Store, if applicable.
C
Links have been posted in this thread to the "macupdate" website. Do not follow the links, and never download anything from that site. It intentionally distributes OS X malware by packaging some free applications (such as "Firefox" and "Skype") in an unnecessary and malicious "installer."
All software should be downloaded directly from the developer's website or from the App Store. Don't trust any site such as "macupdate" that aggregates links.
Erick, I'm sorry -I don't understand what you are referring to or meaning, when you say
"Apple, then the Wi-Fi".
Reading Kappy (Dec 30) and Linc Davis (Dec 31) replies seems to answer the original question don't you think?
Load the Apple.com URL and then turn on the Wi-Fi.
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.
Thank you so much - it worked. I went to the Apple store & called Apple & no one could help me.
I just encountered this same problem (in 2017) after installing mac cleaner, which was a BIG mistake! Any updates in how to get rid of pop up and adware?
I can't figure out how to get rid of these mac cleaner popups on my desktop, right hand corner of my mac monitor. It is really annoying. Thank you.
Thank you very much, this was very helpful. When I ran Malware it found 2
threats that were plist files, something like that, and the Malware got rid
of them. randy
Thanks Kurt, this was very helpful. My first time using Communities, this is very nice. Next problem I run into, this is where I'll go.
You are quite welcome. 🙂
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
how to remove mac adware cleaner pop up window
