Advanced MacCleaner popup virus

I was surprised to find that the app store has 30+ $5 virus cleaners for the Mac.

All of them are worthless and a waste of money.

Back up your Mac if you have not done so already. To learn how to do that read https://www.apple.com/support/backup/. To learn how to use Time Machine read Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac.

Be advised this procedure applies only to the "Advanced Mac Cleaner" version available as of this writing. The scam artists disseminating such junk are always seeking ways to obscure its appearance.

Like all similarly categorized Mac "cleaning" products, "Advanced Mac Cleaner" is a scam whose only purpose is to coerce you into spending money. To remove it read below. If you have questions regarding a file you're not sure about removing, ask.

1. Quit the app it if is running. Select "No Thanks" when harassed to purchase it.
2. Open your Mac's Applications folder, and drag the Mac Adware Cleaner icon to the Trash. A popup window may open when you do that, pleading for you to reconsider. Just close it. Do the same if a browser window opens.
3. Then, hold an Option key while selecting the Finder's Go menu. Select Library. Locate any folders bearing the following names, and drag them to the Trash. Not all of them may be present.
   • Advanced Mac Cleaner
   • Mac Adware Cleaner
   • hlpramc
   • hlprawc
   • hlpramcn
   • hlpradc
   • pcvark
4. Then, locate the LaunchAgents folder, and open it. Inside there will be files containing the name adwarecleaner, hlpramc, hlprawc, or names similar to those described in the previous step. Not all may be present. Drag all of them to the Trash.
5. Open  (Apple menu) > System Preferences > Users & Groups > select your User Account > Login Items. Select the item named Mac Adware Cleaner, and click the [—] (minus) button to delete the now nonexistent program from your Login Items.
6. Empty the Trash if you wish.
   

Removing all its remnants is optional. If you wish to do that, continue below.

1. Return to the Library folder (you can use the "back arrow" button to do that). Open the Application Support folder and open it. Locate any folders with the following names, and drag them to the Trash. Once again you may find files with names similar to those in the previous section's Step 3. If you find additional ones, ask before deleting them.
   • amc
   • awc
   • Advanced Mac Cleaner
   • Mac Adware Cleaner (You will be asked to authenticate).
2. Then, return to the Library folder again (back arrow), and open the folder named Preferences. Locate all files containing the names Mac Adware Cleaner, adware, adwarecleaner or pcvark, and drag them to the Trash.
3. Return to the Library folder again (back arrow), and open the folder named Logs. Locate all files containing the names Mac Adware Cleaner, hlpramc, hlprawc, and drag them to the Trash.
4. Return to the Library folder again, and open the folder Saved Application State. Locate all folders containing the names pcvark or Mac Adware Cleaner, and drag them to the Trash.
5. Open System Preferences > Users & Groups > select your User Account > Login Items. Select the item named Mac Adware Cleaner, and click the [—] (minus) button to delete the now nonexistent program from your Login Items.
6. Empty the Trash if you wish.
7. Log out or restart your Mac.

rwinburn wrote:

Given the extensive steps necessary (mentions above) "helperamc" must have many folks stealing money from us.

Yes. There are people stealing money from you when you seek to uninstall them also. It makes the world go 'round.

Either way, you don't have to play that game, as long as you don't install adware to begin with. Read How to install adware. The only effective defense against adware is its recognition and avoidance.

Upon encountering a seemingly helpful but unsolicited dialog offering to "clean" your Mac of adware (or anything else for that matter), your immediate reaction should be not only no but h**l no. As in: Want to optimize your Mac? No. Want to clean your Mac? NO. Want to protect your Mac? NO. Why not, it's free and 100% safe? NO!

Channel your inner Captain Rex Kramer.

Is there nothing APPLE can do to remove/prevent "helperamc"?

Sure there is. Apple could lock down Safari in the same manner as its iOS version, so that users can't install things that modify its behavior. I don't want that to happen, but it's coming.

This was enormously helpful, thank you so much, John Galt!

Addendum: If any cockroaches (my name for malicious files) won't let you fully empty trash, don't give up. Such as: com dot pcvark dot Mac-File-Opener.plist. Restart and keep trying! Kill that thing.

Ugh! Don't even know how "Adverse Mac Cleaner" even got on my system.