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Safari automatically downloading strange file

When accessing certain websites that can be regarded as safe (such as http://travelcodex.com/), Safari 11 automatically downloads a file called "hbpix.dms". Can anyone tell me what this could be?

MacBook Pro TouchBar and Touch ID, macOS High Sierra (10.13)

Posted on Oct 4, 2017 8:39 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Nov 9, 2017 9:36 AM

See this article Safari General preferences - Apple Support

Set as ask for each download ( it will ask the permissions from administrator , and uncheck the box of open safe files after downloading ) .


User uploaded file

User uploaded file

15 replies

Oct 4, 2017 9:48 PM in response to brflyer

1. Use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac to remove adware/malware.


https://www.malwarebytes.org/antimalware/mac/


Download, install , open, and run it by clicking “Scan” button to remove adware.

Once done, quit Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.

Install guide


https://support.malwarebytes.com/docs/DOC-1817

The installer may ask you to allow it in System Preferences > Security & Privacy. Allow it.



2. Disable Extensions if any and test.


Safari > Preferences > Extensions

Select, disable all extensions and test.

Enable Extensions one by one and test.

To uninstall any extension, select it and click the “Uninstall” button.


3. Safari > Preferences > Search > Search engine:

Select your preferred search engine.


4. Visit the site you want it to be the Home page

Safari > Preferences > General > Homepage

Click the button “Set to Current Page” button.


5. Restart your Mac.

Nov 8, 2017 10:39 AM in response to brflyer

Where is a real response (and solution) from Apple on this? This appears to be a massively widespread problem affecting Safari, Firefox and Chrome across multiple versions of macOS (and maybe OSX too?).


Installing some 3rd party crapware that needs security permissions is not a real solution and frankly I'm surprised moderators left "solution" up for a month plus.


This appears to be an incredibly widespread problem but even worse many of the search results that show up on the first page when looking for a solution try to misguide/mislead users into installing things like MacKeeper instead of providing real solutions. This is awful.


I wonder if the purpose of the virus is not just to promote MacKeeper and other scamware.

Nov 8, 2017 2:38 PM in response to brsm1990

brsm1990 wrote:


Where is a real response (and solution) from Apple on this?

This is a user-to-user technical support forum. Apple's participation here is limited. If you want to speak to Apple Support, use the Contact Support link in the upper right corner of every page.




Installing some 3rd party crapware that needs security permissions is not a real solution and frankly I'm surprised moderators left "solution" up for a month plus.

Malwarebytes is a highly respected piece of software that has been proven over and over again in these forums to find and remove malware. Most long time forum members don't recommend anti-virus software but they will recommend Malwarebytes as dominic23 did. The hosts are not going to remove that suggestion because they know it's a good one.


Malwarebytes is NOT MacKeeper or anything like it.

Nov 8, 2017 2:44 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

IdrisSeabright wrote:

Malwarebytes is a highly respected piece of software that has been proven over and over again in these forums to find and remove malware. Most long time forum members don't recommend anti-virus software but they will recommend Malwarebytes as dominic23 did. The hosts are not going to remove that suggestion because they know it's a good one.


Malwarebytes is NOT MacKeeper or anything like it.

I was at a Genius Bar a few weeks ago, and the customer next to me was concerned that her computer contained a virus. The genius downloaded and installed Malwarebytes on it to check. Her computer was clean; the problem was a popup saying her computer was infected, demanding money to fix it.

Nov 8, 2017 2:46 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

Lawrence Finch wrote:


IdrisSeabright wrote:

Malwarebytes is a highly respected piece of software that has been proven over and over again in these forums to find and remove malware. Most long time forum members don't recommend anti-virus software but they will recommend Malwarebytes as dominic23 did. The hosts are not going to remove that suggestion because they know it's a good one.


Malwarebytes is NOT MacKeeper or anything like it.

I was at a Genius Bar a few weeks ago, and the customer next to me was concerned that her computer contained a virus. The genius downloaded and installed Malwarebytes on it to check. Her computer was clean; the problem was a popup saying her computer was infected, demanding money to fix it.

It's a beautiful thing.


But just think, if that customer had asked here on the forums, that would have been the recommended solution and she wouldn't have had to make the trip to the Apple Store.

Nov 9, 2017 7:18 AM in response to brsm1990

You've actually already been given a solution above, from PN2 on October 5: use an ad blocker. This is not a "virus." It's a problem with the sites in question, probably due to a bad third-party ad that they are using.


You may find many websites that will claim this is a virus. These days, you can search for "xyz virus removal", where "xyz" is anything anyone might have ever asked that question about, and you'll get a whole bunch of results telling you that it's a virus and that you need to download some junk software to remove it. Don't believe that.


As for your issue with Malwarebytes, that's definitely not junk software, and Lawrence Fitch and IdrisSeabright are not posting "advertisements." I work for Malwarebytes, and I can definitively say that they are in no way affiliated with us. Those aren't ads, they're happy Malwarebytes users giving recommendations. Nonetheless, I will tell you that Malwarebytes is not the solution to this particular problem, nor is any other anti-virus software.

Nov 10, 2017 6:15 AM in response to brsm1990

brsm1990 wrote:


If you're all done posting advertisements for some third party software, can we now get a real solution?

I am recommending a tool that I have personally found useful. So has Apple. The Geniuses often use and recommend it.


If you asked me what the best way to dig a hole was and I told you to use a shovel, would you say I was advertising shovels?


You keep asking for help here and then deriding the people who try to help. That is a bit counterproductive.

Jan 3, 2018 10:12 AM in response to brflyer

I have the same issue with Safari adding a .dms extension when downloading PDF files.

Downloading the same file with Chrome or Firefox does not exhibit this behaviour.


Looking for solutions elsewhere (MacRumours) I see that this is a known bug with Safari.

Safari erroneously adding .dms extension to downloads | MacRumors Forums


Until Apple fix this I have found a temporary workaround; after the file is downloaded, replacing the .dms extension with .pdf and all is good. Seems to just be an issue with Safari incorrectly adding the .dms extension.

Jan 3, 2018 11:04 AM in response to Kiwi5555

In Safari View menu, select Show Status bar. Roll your mouse over the link of what you believe is the PDF file. If it really is a PDF, that last thing you will see in the bottom Safari status bar will be .pdf. Otherwise, it may be a link on a website that uses a content management solution (e.g. Drupal) that places a .dms extension on an internal link name that points to the real PDF document.

Jan 4, 2018 12:33 AM in response to VikingOSX

@VikingOSX, thanks for the tip.

I am getting this problem with our company CRM - we use Microsoft Dynamics.

The link shown in the status bar is not a PDF, so as you suggest is something being pulled from the CRM database; but the problem with adding the .dms extension is only with Safari, works perfectly in Chrome and FireFox.

It is not the CRM that is the problem it is Safari, plus the problem only seems to have started since I upgraded to Safari v11.

Jan 4, 2018 5:10 AM in response to Kiwi5555

Despite the link having the .dms extension, does Safari show the PDF in the default browser PDF plug-in, or are you choosing to right-click on the .dms link and from the secondary menu, choosing download linked file, or download linked file as...?


If you were doing the secondary menu download .... is the local .dms simply PDF content with the .dms extension appended, or is it non-PDF?

Safari automatically downloading strange file

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