is adware removal pro safe to use?

Hello sungyle,

This is a user-to-user support forum. We are just other Apple customers like yourself. Apple employees usually do not read or comment here. I guarantee they would never address a delicate subject like this.

Generally I agree with everything you've said. However, I think you are wrong about one important point. This problem has not been in place for a long time. It is relatively new and has been getting worse. At one time, Apple published some half-hearted, difficult-to-follow, manual adware removal instructions but then withdrew those instructions. Apple allows anti malware apps in the Mac App Store that cannot possibly work unless the developers blatantly violate Apple's own rules for the Mac App Store.

Apple does not usually include adware in the anti-malware security logic that it includes inside the operating system. This serves to make people affected by this adware think, falsely, that Apple has no security. That, in turn, makes them vulnerable to a wide variety of scams. We have a rapidly expanding 3rd party Mac security market that sells software that attempts to duplicate functionality that Apple already provides and generally does a poor job against the adware that so many Apple users suffer from. The rules of this forum forbid us from speculating about why Apple is taking this approach. But I can encourage people to send feedback to Apple and tell them directly how they feel about the situation: https://www.apple.com/feedback/

The most disappointing part here is, Apple has done nothing to help her Mac customers.

Why? Don't they know there is a problem?

Short of Apple allowing that crap to show up in the App Store, I don't agree there is a problem. Others do, though.

I think it is the responsibility of the user to not fall prey to a scam.

How do you avoid it? Pretty simple:

Effective defenses against malware and other threats

Phony "tech support" / "ransomware" popups and web pages

How to install adware

None of that requires any knowledge of computer science, just the same common sense you would apply when buying any other product. If you buy a Rolex from a guy on the street in a third-world country, you're going to get scammed.

However, a computer is not a toaster. It does require a modicum of learning to operate safely and effectively. Those three links give you everything you need to know (and teach your children) about using a computer on the Internet.

I personally would not bother wasting resources on chasing down every piece of Adware as it morphs day to day. That would be a complete waste of time because it is so simple for the user to avoid it in the first place.

The most disappointing part here is, Apple has done nothing to help her Mac customers.

Apple absolutely, positively will help you... if you contact them: Contact Support.

Apple: please say something.

Apple's participation on this site is extremely limited. Please read Writing an effective Apple Support Communities question.

At present, the Mac remains a general purpose computing appliance that can be used or abused as its users deem appropriate for their needs or wants. Within certain limitations, macOS will allow users to install whatever junk they want to install. That decision is up to you.

Things might not always be that way, so be careful what you ask for.

I have no idea about Apple's corporate policies. Any discussion or speculation about those policies is strictly forbidden by the Apple Support Communities Terms of Use.

I have my own corporation though. It doesn't take too many interactions with lawyers and liability insurance companies to make one be very reluctant to say anything in public. I have a fair amount of envy for Apple employees' freedom from those worries.

Personally, I would like Apple to do lots of things differently. Unfortunately, Apple's customers, myself included, have repeatedly demonstrated our willingness to spend money for Apple's products regardless.

If you have specific suggestions for Apple, by all means, submit feedback. If you have ideas for specific ways that Apple's products could be improved, maybe file bug reports. But when it comes to Apple's corporate and employee policies, there isn't much that can be done. If you take a quick look at the policies and employee actions of other large, silicon valley companies, Apple and its policies starts to look really, really good by comparison.

I'd be inclined to question 'SecureMacOS' given doubts about privacy & general up-frontness (is that a word ?). Not that the threat is near so bad as there being nothing one can do to prevent it; unless anyone's somehow forced to install some pop-up or banner recommended 'update'.

I would be suspect of any adware or malware products out there for Macs. However, one that you should consider is Malwarebytes. It is developed by one of our own ASC contributors here and comes recommended by others. Disclaimer: I do not work for Malwarebytes but have been using this app for some time now without any issues.

Think about how you heard of this, or any software you are considering:

If the recommendation came from advertising, that says the tool is not good enough to stand on its own, and needs to be Pushed in the marketplace to gain users. Recommendations in pop-up windows are frequently a SCAM. Legitimate products simply do not get advertised this way.

If the recommendation came from trusted technical users who swear by it, and not just [possibly phony] recommendations on the vendor's Web site, it may be worthwhile.

Hello Semisal01,

Scamware is a huge problem right now and anti-virus and anti-adware is a favourite market for the scammers. If you want advice for a particular product, please include a link to the product's web site. There could be a great product called "adware removal pro" (or "ad aware removal pro"?) But you might actually be trying to download a copycat that is malware in disguise. There is no way for us to tell which one you are talking about.

Just a small addition to Etresoft's comment. It's not perhaps the best way round to download and then finding yourself needing to ask if it was a good idea. With any form of security aid, virus detecter and the like, write to us in these forums first. You will quickly be made aware of any shortcomings.

There was a scam app in the Mac App Store called Adware Removal Pro. Malwarebytes has detected that as a PUP (potentially unwanted program) for a while now, and it would appear that it has been removed from the App Store when I checked this morning.

If this is what you downloaded, you should delete it, but should note that it doesn't actually have any malicious behaviors (other than not really doing what it advertises being able to do). If this isn't it, please let us know exactly what you downloaded, and from where.

Note that there are a large number of scam anti-adware and anti-virus apps on the Mac App Store right now. Do not download any such product from the Mac App Store.

Ad-Aware is a Windows-only anti-virus company, with no Mac products that I can find, so I'm guessing your reference to "ad aware" must have been a typo.

The most disappointing part here is, Apple has done nothing to help her Mac customers.

Why? Don't they know there is a problem?

Why don't they care?

This problem has been in place for a long time.

How many updates has OS-X gone through since then?

What did Apple do?

If a third party can write a program to fix this problem, what's the matter with the Apple programmers?

Why can't they make one themselves?

Why don't their programmers see this as an opportunity for job security... they can do updates for the next n years, eh?

Something is not right. Why is a user error not Apple's problem?

Does Apple sell computers only to those with a doctor degree in computer science?

If Apple is in the car business, will they sell cars that you must know how to double clutch before you can drive it? Why is it so hard to build cars that my grandma can drive too?

This is so sad.

Apple: please say something. I will apologize if I were wrong. Right now, I am as confused as I am frustrated. I am sorry.

A photographer will read any photo magazines to gain inspiration. And so will any artists visiting galleries and scientists reading up on any scientific journals. Why are Apple employees different? What is the Apple corporate policy on employees reaching out to the real world? What is Apple's policy on freedom of thinking and expression? What is wrong with lending a helping hand?

This is so sad.

People keep talking about how to "avoid" getting adware.

People are looking for ways to fix a mistake that often, they don't even know they walked into a trap.

Of course there are stupid people, how else would there be smart people?

We will save a dog.

We will save a tree.

We want to be politically correct when it comes to saving people.

Let us pray that Apple stock price will keep on going up, thank to the, eh, the ones who do not even know what they did.

Ok, I am still looking for ways to get rid of the ssp thing.

Somebody must know how to do that.

It's not in “/Library/LaunchDaemons”

It's not in “~/Library/LaunchAgents”

There is no file names such as “com.aedilic-Prajapati.plist” , “com.zpwzKxZz.plist” or “com.apple.athechyer.plist”.

But there are people out there who wrote (sell?) programs that will find and remove whatever is doing this, so somebody must know the file name, where it is hiding and so they can remove it; or what files do not belong...

May be one day, somebody will share that info.

That's all one can hope for when one comes into a bar and said "Help".

No, please don't get up. We will wait for a retired doctor or police officer who does not mind.

Next time, we will "avoid" getting robbed, raped, stabbed, gun shot, killed. For now, let us bleed.

Sorry to trouble you all, sorry I rocked the boat.

If you are having a specific problem, then, by all means, mention it at some point. Resurrecting a long-dead thread with random complaints about Apple's policies is not an effective way to get your problem resolved.

Adware these days usually uses unique file names. If you have an adware infection, the files on your machine are very likely unique to your machine. You won't find it unless you know what to look for and where to look. Those two directories you mentioned are two of those places, but there are at least 3 or 4 more. The file names could be a random sequence of alphanumeric digits, an unknown, but plausible name, or something that starts with "com.apple". It is impossible to know for sure without checking the underlying code signature of the executable. Even then, it can be tricky.

I just so happen to have written an app that can look for these files. Download EtreCheck from https://www.etrecheck.com, run it, and paste the results here. EtreCheck is perfectly safe to run, does not ask for your password to install, and is signed with my Apple Developer ID. When you are done, EtreCheck can be thrown in the trash.

If adware is installed, EtreCheck will help you remove it, although you may have to supply a password. If you aren’t comfortable with that, just post the EtreCheck report here and other helpers can tell you exactly what files need to be deleted and how to do so.

Most anti-adware apps only look for know files or known patterns of files. They can be effective if those known files are the ones you have. EtreCheck works differently. It looks for provably valid files and then reports everything that might possibly be suspicious. If anything shows up in that "possible adware" list, you can post your EtreCheck report and we can tell you whether you do have adware or not. But whatever you do, please start your own thread and do it there. 🙂

Disclaimer: Although EtreCheck is free, there are other links on my site that could give me some form of compensation, financial or otherwise.

What is "ssp" and what does it have to do with Semisal01's problem?

Next time, we will "avoid" getting robbed, raped, stabbed, gun shot, killed. For now, let us bleed.

Yes, that is the best solution to all of those problems. Learn how to take care of yourself because help will often not be there in time to save you.

If you fail to learn how to prevent being taken in by scams, installing malware, or self-inflicted damage to your computer, it will often be too late to help you after the fact.