Safari downloading Unknown files

Hi Tammy ..

If you haven't done this yet, in Safari go to your Safari > Preferences then select the Privacy tab then click Mange Website Data. Give the data, (cookies) to load then click Remove All > Done.

Then quit and relaunch Safari.

While using Safari the Command , (comma) keyboard shortcut should open the Safari Preferences pane for you too.

The site is malicious , your Mac system files are corrupted erase the hard drive and reinstall the os https://support.apple.com/kb/ph25649?locale=en_US

After that factory default reset of ISP router and air port express ( if used ) , change the passwords for accounts , Apple ID , iCloud , admin account , wireless network password .

make back up before installation .

It happened to me also but I received 4000 of unknown - download 2 bytes and had Norton scan it and they said no threats. Where did all of them come from? I blued them in sections and kept blueing them until they were all gone into the trash.

Thanks I’ve done this but I wanted to ask is this type of thing harmless as long as you dont open any of the files it downloads? Should I reinstall Mac OSX due to this happening even though i didn’t open any of the many files that were downloaded?

If nothing abnormal is happening on your computer, you are probably okay. Instead of reinstalling the OS, you would need to restore your computer from a backup made prior to the files downloading. Reinstalling the OS will not get rid of other files that are on the computer.

The next time I relaunched Safari, all the website data that I deleted came right back. Does this mean that from now on I have to delete all those before I can use Safari safely? I don't seem to have the same problem with Chrome. And Lord, how I hate Chrome!

I've had this happen to me several times. Its some sort of virus/malware.

Very easy to deal with as follows:

1. Shut down safari

2. Turn wifi off or otherwise disconnect from internet

3. Open safari and close all tabs (no need to close pinned tabs)

4. Delete all files in downloads folder

You can then reconnect to the internet and its as if nothing happened. 😊

Carolyn,

OK. My wife had this happen on both her MacBook and Air. I can do the procedure you described, but what is causing it? Is it malware? A Safari glitch? Something else?

Thanks,

Jeff

Spoof web sites that download malware/adware.

I tried this but it didn't work. Safari kept downloading those files the next time I used it. Any other ideas?

One last thing... is the damage limited just to Safari, or is this a bigger issue, affecting my hard drive and the MacOS itself? I'm running High Sierra. Thanks.

restore your computer from a backup made prior to the files downloading.