lucyshaw__

Q: How do i get rid of adds popping up every time i click?

I think my macbook air has got a virus, every few clicks a new tab is opened and an ad pops up on the one i was on, always about betting or websites to get rid of viruses. This has been happening for 6 months and I've tried everything. Ive tried blocking pop up adds and various other ways. This occurred when i dowloaded some sort of downloader application, i have finally managed to get rid of it but not the adds it brought with it. Would deleting everything of my mac help? hopefully someone can help as it makes me so frustrated

MacBook Air

Posted on Apr 15, 2016 9:31 AM

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Q: How do i get rid of adds popping up every time i click?

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  • by pinkstones,Solvedanswer

    pinkstones pinkstones Apr 22, 2016 11:02 AM in response to lucyshaw__
    Level 5 (4,209 points)
    Safari
    Apr 22, 2016 11:02 AM in response to lucyshaw__

    You don't have a virus, because there are no viruses for OS X.  What you have is malware/adware, installed on your computer when you installed whatever "downloader application" it was you'd put on your hard drive previously.  You have two options to remove it —

     

    • Download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware for Mac.  It was developed by a trusted and respected contributor here.  It's a simple, non- intrusive program that deletes known malware/adware from your hard drive.  That's all it does.  It doesn't add anything and it doesn't take away anything else.
    • Follow the directions in this Apple support article to remove it manually --> http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987

     

    In the future, do not download anything other than from the Mac App Store or from the developer's website, and absolutely do not download anything from a torrent or an aggregate download site.  Often times, those installers are bundled with malware, and you end up right where you are now.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Apr 15, 2016 3:01 PM in response to lucyshaw__
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Apr 15, 2016 3:01 PM in response to lucyshaw__

    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.

    Back up all data first.

    Some of the most common types of adware can be removed by following Apple's instructions. But before you follow those instructions, you can attempt an automatic removal.

    If you're not already running the latest version of OS X ("El Capitan"), updating or upgrading in the App Store may cause the adware to be removed automatically. If you're already running the latest version of El Capitan, you can nevertheless download the current updater from the Apple Support Downloads page and run it. Again, some kinds of malware will be removed—not all. There is no such thing as automatic removal of all possible malware, either by OS X or by third-party software. That's why you can't rely on software to protect you.

    If the malware is removed in your case, you'll still need to make changes to the way you use the computer to protect yourself from further attacks. Ask if you need guidance.

    If the malware is not removed automatically, and you can't remove it yourself by following Apple's instructions, see below.

    This easy procedure will detect any kind of adware that I know of. Deactivating it is a separate, and even easier, procedure.

    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.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Apr 16, 2016 7:02 AM in response to lucyshaw__
    Level 9 (74,064 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 7:02 AM in response to lucyshaw__
  • by lucyshaw__,

    lucyshaw__ lucyshaw__ Apr 22, 2016 11:03 AM in response to pinkstones
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Safari
    Apr 22, 2016 11:03 AM in response to pinkstones

    Thank you so much for this, it worked perfectly and finally my laptop is back to normal. I can't thank you enough

  • by pinkstones,

    pinkstones pinkstones Apr 22, 2016 2:20 PM in response to lucyshaw__
    Level 5 (4,209 points)
    Safari
    Apr 22, 2016 2:20 PM in response to lucyshaw__

    You're very welcome!  I'm glad everything has worked out.