I need help cleaning a mac without installing any kind of software

Hi my girlfriends Mac computer is lagging and cannot be cleaned, Its currently updating but a very slow rate. It is possible that one of her family members may have opened a Virus. Nothing moves or works but i need something that dosent require installing. For example on Windows you can open the run box and type in a simple Clean Manager and it cleans all old junk files. Is there something similar on Macs that could help me.

The first thing to do is diagnose the problem and not try
treating the symptoms.
First, open Activity Monitor and look at how much memory
is installed and how much of it is being used. Also, look
at the amount of PageOuts (or swap used if Mavericks).
Also, in activity monitor, look at the CPU tab and click
the %CPU to sort the list in highest usage down. See
if there is any item using an unusually high amount of CPU.
Next, how much free disk space is there?
In addition, since others have access to the computer, something
may have been installed by them that is slowing things down.
To this end, boot the computer in safe mode (hold down shift key
when booting). This disable all 3rd party drivers and add ons
and also disable startup items. If things speed up in this mode
then will need to do further troubleshooting to find out the culprit.
Note that booting into sake mode will also clear system many
caches so bootime may be a little slower doing this.

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I just got my MacBook Air and every time I go to a website other ads and websites pop up saying I need to clean my mac out. Any ideas on what I should do?

When I am surfing the web other websites pop up saying I need to clean my mac out or I am a winner of something. I just got my Mac so I'm not sure how this happened.

You may have installed the "VSearch" trojan, perhaps under a different name. Remove it as follows.
Malware is constantly changing to get around the defenses against it. The instructions in this comment are valid as of now, as far as I know. They won't necessarily be valid in the future. Anyone finding this comment a few days or more after it was posted should look for more recent discussions or start a new one.
Back up all data before proceeding.
Step 1
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.vsearch.agent.plist
Right-click or control-click the line and select
          Services ▹ Reveal in Finder (or just Reveal)
from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item named "com.vsearch.agent.plist" selected. Drag the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator login password.
Repeat with each of these lines:
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.vsearch.daemon.plist
/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.vsearch.helper.plist
/Library/LaunchDaemons/Jack.plist
Restart the computer and empty the Trash. Then delete the following items in the same way:
/Library/Application Support/VSearch
/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/Jack
/System/Library/Frameworks/VSearch.framework
~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ConduitNPAPIPlugin.plugin
Some of these items may be absent, in which case you'll get a message that the file can't be found. Skip that item and go on to the next one. Even if you find none of the items listed in this step, go on to Step 2.
Step 2
From the Safari menu bar, select
          Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Extensions
Uninstall any extensions you don't know you need, including any that have the word "Spigot," "Trovi," or "Conduit" in the description. If in doubt, uninstall all extensions. Do the equivalent for the Firefox and Chrome browsers, if you use either of those.
Reset the home page and default search engine in all the browsers, if it was changed.
This trojan is distributed on illegal websites that traffic in pirated content. If you, or anyone else who uses the computer, visit such sites and follow prompts to install software, you can expect much worse to happen in the future.
You may be wondering why you didn't get a warning from Gatekeeper about installing software from an unknown developer, as you should have. The reason is that this Internet criminal has a codesigning certificate issued by Apple, which causes Gatekeeper to give the installer a pass. Apple could revoke the certificate, but as of this writing, has not done so, even though it's aware of the problem. This failure of oversight has compromised both Gatekeeper and the Developer ID program. You can't rely on Gatekeeper alone to protect you from harmful software.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
          Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

I'm new to mac. Is there a need for Clean my Mac?

I'm new to mac. Is there a need to have Clean my Mac on my computer?

How to maintain a Mac
Make two or more backups of all your files
One backup is not enough to be safe. A copy of a backup doesn't count as another backup; all backups must be made directly from the original data.
Keep at least one backup off site at all times in case of disaster. Backing up to a cloud-data service is one way to accomplish this, but don't rely exclusively on such backups.
In fact, don’t rely exclusively on any single backup method, such as Time Machine.
If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
Keep your software up to date
In the App Store or Software Update preference pane (depending on the OS version), you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis.
Keeping up to date is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Don't install such modifications unless they're absolutely necessary. Remove them when they are no longer needed. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all system modifications that you use are compatible. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of difficulties with system updates.
Don't install crapware
...such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
It's not much of an exaggeration to say that the whole "utility" software industry for the Mac is a fraud on consumers. The most extreme examples are the "CleanMyMac," "TuneUpMyMac," and “MacKeeper” scams, but there are many others.
As a rule, you should avoid software that changes the way other software works. Plugins for Photoshop and similar programs are an obvious exception to this rule. Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery.
Only install software that is useful to you, not (as you imagine) to the computer. For example, a word processor is useful for writing. A video editor is useful for making movies. A game is useful for fun. But a "cache cleaner" isn't useful for anything. You didn't buy a computer so you could clean caches.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve. Do not rely on "utilities" such as "AppCleaner" and the like that purport to remove software.
Don't install bad, conflicting, or unnecessary fonts
Whenever you install new fonts, use the validation feature of the built-in Font Book application to make sure the fonts aren't defective and don't conflict with each other or with others that you already have. See the built-in help and this support article for instructions.
Deactivate or remove fonts that you don't really need to speed up application launching.
Avoid malware
"Malware" is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X was once so rare that it was hardly a concern, but it's now increasingly common and dangerous.
There is some built-in protection against malware, but you can’t rely on it—the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party "anti-virus" products for protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness—not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must come directly from the developer's website. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash. A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam.
In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
Don't fill up your disk or SSD
A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a startup failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem.
While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage use and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move seldom-used large files to secondary storage.
Relax, don’t do it
Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
To use a Mac effectively, you have to free yourself from the Windows mindset that every computer needs regular downtime for maintenance such as "defragging" and "registry cleaning." Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform.
A well-designed computing device is not something you should have to think about much. It should be an almost transparent medium through which you communicate, work, and play. If you want a machine that needs a lot of attention just to keep going, use a PC, or collect antique cars.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

Hello. I need help! I can't install adobe flash on my macbook pro...

Hello. I need help! I can't install adobe flash on my macbook pro.. What do I do?

Find the Mac OS forum for your version / then find the notebook forums.
Same question was asked a couple days ago. Think you can find it with Google search?
Lion Communities
MacBook Pro Apple Support

I need help whenever I want to install a new application I receive a message that I cannot be connected to I tunes store although I am connected to the Internet Help

I need help whenever I want to install a new application I receive a message that I cannot be connected to I tunes store although I am connected to the Internet Help

Click here and follow the instructions to change the iTunes Store country.
(85848)

I have an iMac 27" which is 4 years old and probably overdue for a clean-up. Is there any good reliable software out there that would help? Has anyone had any experience of 'Mackeeper'?

I have an iMac 27" which is 4 years old and probably overdue for a clean-up. Is there any good reliable software out there that would help?
Has anyone had any experience of 'Mackeeper'?

Check how many applications are starting when you log in, I found that if there was a lot of activity at login Finder did not display the icons on the desktop correctly, again like you it did not occur at every login, just occasionally.
For Safari have you tried resetting Safari, if that does not help you could disable plugins and extensions one at a time. You may find one of those is causing the problem.

Oracle pages on clients without installed any oracle package

i use oracle 10g
how can i run oracle pages on clients without installed any oracle package
can i work this?

ZaMaN wrote:
I cannot understand you.
what is this relationship mean?It means that in a 3-tier application, the only client to the database is the app server ... NOT the individual end user machines.

I have a Mac Book Pro, What kind of software should i buy to able me to watch movie on the net. Right now it just said " Blocked plug in"

I have a Mac Book Pro, What kind of software should i buy to able me to watch movie on the net. Right now it just said " Blocked plug in"

The Apple Support Communities are an international user to user technical support forum. As a man from Mexico, Spanish is my native tongue. I do not speak English very well, however, I do write in English with the aid of the Mac OS X spelling and grammar checks. I also live in a culture perhaps very very different from your own. When offering advice in the ASC, my comments are not meant to be anything more than helpful and certainly not to be taken as insults.
The type of plugin that you need depends on the type of video file that you wish to view. We would need more details to assist.

Can't install any of the software from HPs support website

Hello,
Everytime I try to install any of the software from the software and drivers page specific to my model, I can get an error message that reads:
"Your system does not meet the operating system requirements."
I didn't get this message before when installing any of the software/drivers. It is only since having to reset my OS.
I am running Windows 8.1 64-bit.
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Hello @TysAri08,
Welcome to the HP Forums, I hope you enjoy your experience! To help you get the most out of the HP Forums I would like to direct your attention to the HP Forums Guide First Time Here? Learn How to Post and More.
I understand that you are having issues installing any of the HP Software and require assistance. I would be happy to assist you, but first I would encourage you to post your product number for your computer. I am linking an HP Support document below that will show you how to find your product number. As with this I can provide you with accurate information.
How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?
Please re-post with the requested information and I would be happy to provide you with assistance. Thank you for posting on the HP Forums. Have a great day!
Please click the "Thumbs Up" on the bottom right of this post to say thank you if you appreciate the support I provide!
Also be sure to mark my post as “Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others who face the same challenge find the same solution.
Dunidar
I work on behalf of HP
Find out a bit more about me by checking out my profile!
"Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong." ~ Donald Porter

I have just purchased an iMac, Should I install any internet security software, if so what do you recommend ?

I have just purchased an imac, should I install any internet security software ? , if so what do you recommend ?

You may also find this User Tip on Viruses, Trojan Detection and Removal, as well as general Internet Security and Privacy, useful: The User Tip seeks to offer guidance on the main security threats and how to avoid them.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2435
More useful information can also be found here:
www.thesafemac.com/mmg

Hello, i need to know if there is any way to use windows games in my mac without install a windows os?

i want to play some games but i dont want to install any windows OSs, could you help me please.

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
You can try CrossOver, that allows you to install Windows apps in OS X. However, it doesn't always work, so it's possible that games don't work.
If it doesn't work, you have to install Windows with Boot Camp. You will get the best performance

Guide to installing XP on your Mac without using Bootcamp (kinda)

Installation instructions for bootcamping your mac with XP
This method does not use the bootcamp utility in OSX
What you need:
A working bootable version of Windows XP SP2 ( see note below ) + product key
Bootcamp 2.1 drivers for Windows ( can be installed / copied from the original leopard installation disk under windows )
Windows XP SP3 installer
Apple HFS+ drivers for XP
note:          Using a clean version of the XP installation disk is preferable.. specifically the version that came with Service Pack 2 ( saves time installing services packs later ). Trying to use a unattended slipstream install of XP can result in a disk that cannot be read by OSX bios at boot. So save yourself some time and use a vanilla version.
warning:      Follow these instructions at your own risk. Any loss of data, bricking your computer or any other form of meyhem originating from using these instructions are at entirely your own risk. Have fun!
OK! lets get started!
Burn your windowsXP.iso to a CD/DVD using diskutil application under OSX
choose open ISO image in diskutil
right click loaded image and select burn ISO
( optional step ) reboot while holding down the 'option' key and confirm that OSX can read your newly created boot
Using diskutil partition your OSX hard drive
select the main partition and click the "+" to add a new partition
adjust the size of the partition as needed
set to format the partition to 'fat'
name parition 'Windows HD'
apply changes
Insert XP install disk and reboot
hold down the 'option' key as your mac chimes on restart
wait until your boot options are display ( you will see the Macintosh HD disk, Windows HD disk, and the XP installation disk )
using the arrow keys on the keyboard select the XP installation disk and hit enter
hit any key when the XP installation prompts you to begin installation
Proceed through the installation process
when prompted for installation location browse for the newly created partition from step 2 ( usually identified by partition type.. eg: fat, and size of the partition )
do not reformat the partition..   use it as is.
during the installation XP will reboot several times.. make sure you hold down the option upon each reboot of you mac.. however from now on select the Windows drive
enter in your product key when prompted.
complete installation and boot into XP for the first time.
Install XP Service Pack 3 ( proceed to step 6 if this installs correctly )
          note:           if you are prompted 'not enough space to install' do as below:
Click Start, click Run, type “regedit” (without quotes) and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup
On the Edit menu, point to New, and click String Value.
In the text box under the Name column, type "BootDir" (without quotes) and press ENTER.
Right-click the name BootDir, and then, click Modify.
In the Edit String Value dialog box, type the drive letter for your system drive, and then click OK.   For example, if your system drive is C: then, type "C:\" (without quotes).
Close Registry Editor and restart the computer.
Install Windows XP Service Pack 3 that you downloaded.
note:           x86 folder is for 32-bit Windows
x86_64           folder is for 64-bit Windows
6.   Install bootcamp 2.1 drivers
note: you can also find the drivers on any original leopard OSX installation disk.. just insert into you CD/DVD drive under windows and the installation will start automatically
7.   Update bootcamp twice ( reboot after each update )
8.   Install the Apple HFS+ drivers for XP to gain 'read-only' access to your OSX HFS partition
          a. Copy AppleHFS.sys & AppleMNT.sys to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\
          b. Merge Add_AppleHFS.reg
          c. Restart
At this point you are done.. final things you can do is to set bootcamp to always boot into Windows first ( no need to hold down the option key ) and install any newer drivers.. i.e. graphics drivers.. other than that.. you can go ahead and enjoy XP!
Message was edited by: Jamie Telford

Having just put a 1TB hard drive in my MacBook Pro(late 2008) running Mountain Lion. I, being greedy, wanted partition the drive and have Mountain Lion and Snow Leopard (to run legacy apps) and Windows XP(currently running under Fusion) available on boot.
My main partition is ML. I repartitioned the 1TB drive and installed SL. SL Boot Camp won't let you install XP unless the SL partition is the one and only. So I followed your excellent instructions to set up XP having created a 100GB FAT partition. I didn't reformat the partition as per your step 4b (unlike the Boot Camp instructions page 8 step 2). However on rebooting into the XP drive it halts with a "hal.dll" error. ["i'm sorry I can't do that Dave" - 2001 A Space Odyssey]
Other options I've tried have been:
1 to format as NTFS at step 4b
2 to use a 32GB FAT partition as recommended in the Boot Camp guide.
Nothing has worked
Thought of trying to wipe all partitions and install SL as main OS. Then use Boot Camp to install XP. Finally to add partition for ML and install.
Maybe no!
cheers
Dave

Need Help Upgrading Old Mac

I have a macbook pro 15.4 Inch purchased in 2007 *The first intel based mac i believe- But im having trouble upgrading- I tried to upgrade to Snow leopard 10.6.8 (im on 10.5.4) now and i need to upgrade desperatley to run programs i use, The body of the computer (keyboard is shot so i use an external keyboard) when i downloaded different DMGS of snowleopard-i cant get any of them to work and do a DMG instal as you normal would. I tried my original (INSTALL Disks that the my computer came with to an archive install- but the drive kicks the dvds out once i hit option - to try to boot the disk when the computer starts up (the computer's body is ****** but it works ok- it has to be plugged in all the time) but i dont know how i can update my system i even tried snow leopard 911 - but even when i put it on a 4GB hard drive and tried to boot from my little thumb drive (by pushing C on start up) it just started up regularly. I was gonna take smewhere to have an archive install but it would cost me 120.00 per the visit (since this computer isnt worth much and i just need it to be able to run until i get a new one in 2013) - Ive done everything tested the PRAM , done a "C" and even option boots it to EFI mode, which i dont want ive downloaded mutliple DMGS of snow leopard and they dont work , i just want to upgrade!! - Can you help!! if you have ANY solutions
<Email Edited By Host>

I'm not sure where you're getting dmg files of Snow Leopard - it was only ever released on disc. You can order it directly from the Apple Store on disc here - http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard. If your optical drive isn't working, you'll just have to get a fairly inexpensive external optical drive to install the upgrade.
It really sounds as if your machine is shot. I had a 2006 model (which was actually the first Intel MBP) and it's still working. But I took care of it. Sounds as if you've been a little rough on yours.
I'm not certain that the SL update is going to do you any good - but it's worth a try, I guess.
Clinton

I need help making a new Arch install ISO

I have posted a couple of messages, but as yet no one seems to have responded, probably because they have not read them.
I need help building a new ISO for Arch, to take account of dmraid.
I can and have built ones that get so far, and clearly I am not that far away.
All I need help with now is getting at the contents of the initial ramdisk (/isolinux/initrd.img) so I can make a new one with modifications, and if anyone can help, I need a hand working out how to use the kernel26.img that I will end up with on a system.
Any help appreaciated.

As far as I know this will be included in the next ISO release. I solved it by manually bringing the dmraid package to the install and wrote a guide on installing your root system on dmraid. However when the system crashes I have the slight inconvenience of having to install dmraid and manually mount the sets to do a recovery. I guess this is the part you want to get rid of aswell. I decided to wait until the next holy ISO.

Need help with an AU instrument install w/Key File

hey guys, i have a problem. i bought a new AU called Filterbank3 from Tone2. It uses a "Key File" which i have but i don't know where to "put" it. i don't think i have ever purchased and AU that has one. most are serial number type you know, when you open the plugin for the first time the screen pops up you type in the number and you are good to go. i have downloaded the plugin and it shows up in the availible list but when i try to open it it says "key file missing copy (the key file) to Library/audio units/plug ins. i have the key file as sent to me by the publisher and have done this but it doesn't seem to work. i really need some "hand holding" with this one. could anyone give me a walk through of what i should do? thanx-gospel

Yeah Sampleconstruct thats the FIRST thing i did. The plug-in is there and i put the keyfile in as well. Maybe i wasn't really clear in earlier posts the problem i am having is with the Key File copy protection. In addition to the plug in Componenet File there is a .cfg file (which i don't know what that is) and the t2k. file (which is the key file). I have put all of them in the what i think is the correct place. Since it ran off an installer it is in Program HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins and thats where i put the .cfg and t2k.files. I tried to create a sub folder for just Filterbank in the Components folder and put all the stuff in there but it didn't help. i even tried to set up Application Support Folder in Program HD/Library/Application Supportfor FilterBank this did not help either. I do not know what to do the keyfile at all. maybe Tone2 will get back to me. but as always any help from true Mac heads is appreciated.-gos
(to clarify i have 2 HDs one for programs and one for recording, also i have two plugin folders one manual one under users and one general where installers put stuff, i try not to move the individual plug-ins around )

I need help cleaning a mac without installing any kind of software

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