Adware in Safari Extension "Print Plus" by Slice Factory
I installed this extension called "Print Plus" from apple.com Safari extension page and noticed that when I was browsing amazon.com, I started getting popups for something called "Best Price" - which showed a balloon window with a link to another site.
At first I wasn't sure where this was coming from, but ended up at a page on a "Slice Factory" website that showed the best price discount finder extension and noticed that Print Plus was listed as another of their extensions. So I uninstalled the "Print Plus" extension and the ads went away.
This was easily reproducible by me - install the "Print Plus" extension, go to amazon.com and look at the Apple Battery Charger - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XIJ566 - and you should get a pop up with an ad for another site. Uninstalled the extension and the popup ad went away.
So my advice is avoid all extensions by "Slice Factory".
Have never had Price Blink installed (or any extension of that ilk), only Print Plus, and it was never actually used. As I mentioned before the Print Plus localstorage file seems to contain the answers. The reason I got immediate results on the one machine and delayed results on the other has to do with the fact that uninstalling the Print Plus extension does not delete the file in ~Library/Safari/LocalStorage.
*At this point, I can pretty much guarantee that if you install Print Plus 1.0.2.0 eventually you will begin to see the adware balloons* (I mentioned the Apple Battery Charger at amazon.com before, but started getting it on other items (also at amazon.com) when testing it on another machine) - *took about an hour or so* (plus a reboot, but don't know if that matters) *for the balloons to start showing up on a second machine after I installed Print Plus on that, yesterday.*
I've ended up deleting all Slice Factory extensions (I was using a Dictionary extension on another computer, it didn't exhibit the behavior, but just don't want to chance it. Also deleted their files from ~Library/Safari/LocalStorage/ as well.
The posts on macrumors.com that I linked to above claim that they notified Apple about this at the beginning of the month (the posts were around the 7th and 8th of March) - I notified them yesterday about this as well (through the "we don't respond to every request...." page.
I'm not computer illiterate, PriceBlink was never installed by me. Just for laughs, install Print Plus, leave it in for a few hours and see if you don't get the balloons also.
Similar Messages
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My Safari extensions have stopped working. I am running Safari 7.0.3 on OXS 10.9.2. One day I went on to the internet and my extensions still appear, but are not functioning (my antivirus toolbar is unusable as only half of it is appearing, and my add blocker appears but doesn't actually block apps). I'm not quite sure if this is an issue with my extensions, or Safari, so I thought I would find out if anyone else is having this issue.
May be there is an adware installed.
Identify and remove adware/malware
http://www.thesafemac.com/arg/
Run EtreCheck and look for any third party app that may be causing this problem.
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6173 -
Can not turn on Safari Extensions in Preferences, switch just doesn't respond. How can I do it?
Can not turn on Safari Extensions in Preferences, switch just doesn't respond. How can I do it?
Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a test, not a solution. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
Step 1
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account.
Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”
While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.
Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?
After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.
*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac” is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.
Step 2
The purpose of this step is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login, by a peripheral device, by a font conflict, or by corruption of the file system or of certain system caches.
Please take this step regardless of the results of Step 1.
Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards, if applicable. Start up in safe mode and log in to the account with the problem. You must hold down the shift key twice: once when you turn on the computer, and again when you log in.
Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Ask for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start up and run than normal, with limited graphics performance, and some things won’t work at all, including sound output and Wi-Fi on certain models. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem?
After testing, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of Steps 1 and 2. -
Before installing the AdBlock extension for Safari, I greatly enjoyed the excellent presentation of Sudoku puzzles on sudoku.com.au; however, since iI installed AdBlock, the 2 side columns of the sudoku site have vanished; I can play the Easy sudoku only, and can't tell how much time I've spent on it—actually, it's too easy to be fun, so I guess I waste, rather than spend, the time when I work that one.
I'm on an iMac, running Safari 5.3.1 on OS X 10.7.2 . The AdBlock extension, which one accesses using the Safari pulldown menu, then clicking on Safari Extensions, does a great job of blocking ads, but also blocks non-advertising material on the sudoku.com.au site. I've emailed them in hopes that they can fix the problem, but I'm posting here in case others have had similar problems with other sites.oh, hi! I use adblock with mozilla firefox on a (gasp!) pc, but maybe the settings are similar?
I went to your sudoku site, then clicked on "tools" on the menu bar...
Selected Adblock Plus and got a dropdown menu with many options, including:
report issue
open blockable items
filter preferences (where you can tell adblock what to filter on this page)
Disable on sudoku.com.au
Disable on this page only
Disable everywhere
and Options
These options allow you to fix the setting so you can enjoy your sudoku wholeheartedly!
Hope this helps! -
Safari Extensions are migrated
I'm running OS X 10.9.5 and the latest Safari 7.1
Every morning I have an automatic script that starts Safari, goes to a site, prints the page, and then shuts down.
Lately I've been coming to the machine and finding an error message: "Your Safari extensions have been migrated. You can choose the extensions you want to use in Safari Preferences", and it has a button to "Open Preferences". When I do that I find one of my extensions- Custom Reader 2, is disabled and I have to check it again.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.Hi .
Might be corrupted preferences.
Open the Finder. From the Finder menu bar click Go > Go to Folder
Type or copy paste the following:
~/Library/Safari/Extensions/Extensions.plist
Click Go then move the Extensions.plist file to the Trash.
Quit and relaunch Safari to test. -
Safari extensions have been migrated...to ?
After some routine updates I opened Safari and a window popped up with 'safari extensions have been migrated'. It didn't say
to where, nor did it say why! It also said something to the effect that I could get select extensions on the Apple site.
I'm a long time Mac user and have never encountered such (since OS6) but not a formal tech. The appearance is that
Apple is monkeying around with a surreptitious update??? I connected with Apple's joint online support (pretty neat).
The rep had me toss 3 apps: Clean My Mac, Mac Pilot and Mac Cleanse (Koingo software) but she
didn't answer the question. It seemed perfunctory and did not resolve the issue.
I did find and removed 3 Trojan Horse files (using ClamAV-direct and removed them along with two bad plugins, ytime
and ensure. That's reassuring but the issue remains: open Safari and get the above!
Does anyone know what is going on here?Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems
If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide and AdwareMedic.
Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.
The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.
Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari.
Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.
Quit Safari
Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.
Relaunch Safari
If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.
This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.
An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.
Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.
See these Apple articles:
Mac OS X Snow Leopard and malware detection
OS X Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
OS X Mountain Lion- Protect your Mac from malware
OS X Mavericks- Protect your Mac from malware
About file quarantine in OS X
If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.)
From user Joe Bailey comes this equally useful advice:
The facts are:
1. There is no anti-malware software that can detect 100% of the malware out there.
2. There is no anti-malware that can detect everything targeting the Mac.
3. The very best way to prevent the most attacks is for you as the user to be aware that
the most successful malware attacks rely on very sophisticated social engineering
techniques preying on human avarice, ****, and fear.
4. Internet popups saying the FBI, NSA, Microsoft, your ISP has detected malware on
your computer is intended to entice you to install their malware thinking it is a
protection against malware.
5. Some of the anti-malware products on the market are worse than the malware
from which they purport to protect you.
6. Be cautious where you go on the internet.
7. Only download anything from sites you know are safe.
8. Avoid links you receive in email, always be suspicious even if you get something
you think is from a friend, but you were not expecting.
9. If there is any question in your mind, then assume it is malware. -
Safari extensions are removed when behind proxy
Since 10.7.4 (I'm guessing) my Safari extensions are removed whenever I login at my office location.
I recive an error stating:
"Safari can't use extension XYZ because the extension is no longer Valid"....
The extension is then removed. Back home I can reinstall and use as normal.
As I mentioned this is a relative new "feature"
My company uses proxy servers, to manage Internet access.
My Computer is not managed by IT, they have no permissions or control over it.
This "feature" only occures when I'm in the office.
All Extensions are removed!I have the same issue. I use the Cloak VPN when using free hotel wifi. When I connected yesterday, Safari dumped a bunch of my extensions - gone. I reinstalled some of the key ones and they worked fine. The wifi at his hotel is pay-per-day and when I signed up again this morning and used Cloak, Safari dumped the remaining extensions it did not trash yesterday, plus the two that I reinstalled.
Using Safari 5.1.6 on Lion 10.7.4. -
Safari and google plus site issues.
Safari and google plus crashes when I go to the google plus website, but it works with my other browser apps. Help? I am using the mac retina display.
Launch the Console application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.
Step 1
For this step, the title of the Console window should be All Messages. If it isn't, select
SYSTEM LOG QUERIES ▹ All Messages
from the log list on the left. If you don't see that list, select
View ▹ Show Log List
from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
In the top right corner of the Console window, there's a search box labeled Filter. Initially the words "String Matching" are shown in that box. Enter the name of the crashed application or process. For example, if Safari crashed, you would enter "Safari" (without the quotes.)
Each message in the log begins with the date and time when it was entered. Select the messages from the time of the last crash, if any. Copy them to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Paste into a reply to this message by pressing command-V.
☞ The log contains a vast amount of information, almost all of which is irrelevant to solving any particular problem. When posting a log extract, be selective. A few dozen lines are almost always more than enough.
Please don't indiscriminately dump thousands of lines from the log into this discussion.
Please don't post screenshots of log messages—post the text.
☞ Some private information, such as your name, may appear in the log. Anonymize before posting.
Step 2
In the Console window, select
DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION ▹ User Diagnostic Reports
(not Diagnostic and Usage Messages) from the log list on the left. There is a disclosure triangle to the left of the list item. If the triangle is pointing to the right, click it so that it points down. You'll see a list of crash reports. The name of each report starts with the name of the process, and ends with ".crash". Select the most recent report related to the process in question. The contents of the report will appear on the right. Use copy and paste to post the entire contents—the text, not a screenshot.
I know the report is long, maybe several hundred lines. Please post all of it anyway.
If you don't see any reports listed, but you know there was a crash, you may have chosen Diagnostic and Usage Messages from the log list. Choose DIAGNOSTIC AND USAGE INFORMATION instead.
In the interest of privacy, I suggest that, before posting, you edit out the “Anonymous UUID,” a long string of letters, numbers, and dashes in the header of the report, if it’s present (it may not be.)
Please don’t post other kinds of diagnostic report—they're very long and rarely helpful. -
My Safari Extensions preference page is blank. How do I resolve it? (Safari 5.1.2 on Lion 10.7.2)
I found my extensions window blank back when I used Snow Leopard. I thought Lion and new updates will eventually solve it. But it is still there. I tried everything I can. I tried downloading Safari 5.1.2 and reinstalling it. It didn't work. Then I uninstaled safari using CleanMyMac and then tried installing it from scratch. It didn't work. When I googled I found that deleting some plist file resolves the problem on some older version of Safari. But I cannot locate that plist file on Lion. How can I get back my extensions preference page?
Delete the following items:
/Library/Application Support/SIMBL
/Library/LaunchAgents/net.culater.SIMBL.Agent.plist
/Library/ScriptingAdditions/SIMBL.osax
Log out and log back in.
Make sure you never reinstall SIMBL, as it’s one of the worst articles of crapware on the Mac platform. It’s likely to come bundled with some other modfication that depends on it. If you want trouble-free computing, avoid software that makes miraculous changes to other software, especially built-in applications. The only real exception to that rule is Safari extensions, which are mostly safe, and are easy to get rid of when they don’t work. SIMBL and its dependents are not Safari extensions. -
When using Firefox to print most documents ( boarding passes, mastercard statements,genealogy documents) the printing only shows on 1/4 of the page, is in the lower left quarter and does not print part of the right side of the information. When I go into Safari and print the same documents within 2 minutes they always print fine. We like Firefox and would prefer to continue to use but if we can't print we will have to use Safari more often
I have the same problem with cutting of the page since installing the new version. If you manually zoom out the print it only shows 1/4 of the page on a whole page of paper. Something is wrong here.
I have done all these steps and it still does NOT print correctly!
I am a IT professional and something is not right with the new firefox browser. Please supply with fix or we will have to permanently switch back to Internet Explorer, which works perfectly. -
Error while trying to install safari extensions on Macbook Pro Retina
Dear All,
Yesterday I had to re-install Mountain Lion OS on MacBook Pro Retina. Everything went smoothly however after the installation process and updating sytem to the newest possible version, I am not able to install any Safari extensions. I was trying to find any information in the internet about this but so far I am unsuccessful in solving this issue. I am currently running Mountain Lion 10.8.2 and Safari 6.0.1. I would be grateful for any help.
Best Regards,
JanBack up all data now.
This procedure will unlock all your user files (not system files) and reset their ownership and access-control lists to the default. If you've set special values for those attributes on any of your files, they will be reverted. In that case, either stop here, or be prepared to recreate the settings if necessary. If none of this is meaningful to you, you don't need to worry about it.
Step 1
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
Drag or copy — do not type — the following line into the Terminal window, then press return:
sudo chflags -R nouchg,nouappnd ~ $TMPDIR.. ; sudo chown -R $UID:20 ~ $_ ; chmod -R -N ~ $_ 2> /dev/null
Be sure to select the whole line by triple-clicking anywhere in it. You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up. You don't need to post the warning. If you don’t have a login password, you’ll need to set one before you can run the command.
The command will take a noticeable amount of time to run. Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign (“$”) to appear, then quit Terminal.
Step 2
Boot into Recovery by holding down the key combination command-R at startup. Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial.
When the OS X Utilities screen appears, select Utilities ▹ Terminal from the menu bar. A text window opens.
In the Terminal window, type this:
resetpassword
That's one word with no spaces. Then press return. A Reset Password window opens. You’re not going to reset a password.
Select your boot volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name) if not already selected.
Select your username from the menu labeled Select the user account if not already selected.
Under Reset Home Directory Permissions and ACLs, click the Reset button.
Select ▹ Restart from the menu bar. -
New york times updates - safari extension - not refreshing
New York Times Updates Safari Extension seems to have stopped updating it's info. I uninstalled it and then reinstalled it, but it only added a couple of items from several days ago. Is this feed no longer viable? The version on the Safari extensions web site is 0.1, the same as always.
Try emptying the Safari cache more often.
You can do this from the Safari menu bar, click Safari / Empty Cache or Command + Option + E on your keyboard.
If emptying the cache didn't make a difference, go to the Safari menu bar click Safari > Reset Safari.
Select the top 5 boxes, click Reset.
Restart your computer. -
Can't print from safari to hp 4620 appears to print but does not first time i have attempted to print from safari , notes print fine no problems. It is like on a desktop my print is sitting in the queue there are error messages only the usual print dialogue. I've turned the printer off and back on with no luck any suggestions?
That's very strange. See if clearing the cache in Safari will make it work. I'll include the steps below. If that doesn't help, install a different browser, such as Opera, to see if that will print from pages that Safari won't. If it will, then something is wrong with Safari. If it doesn't print, then the web pages might have printing blocked. There are sites that are doing that for copyright reasons. Let me know what you find.
To clear the cache on Safari:
Open Settings.
Select Safari
Touch Clear Cache.
Select Clear.
Touch Clear Cookies.
Select Clear.
Touch Clear History.
Select Clear.
I am a printer tech for HP. -
Cannot Install Safari Extensions
Greetings,
Trying to install an extension on my Safari Version 8.0 (10600.1.25.1)
An extension installed successfully, but after Safari restart its all gone.
Does not matter which extension and how many,
After install I can see extensions in Safari Preferences window, but not after a restart.
I can see newly installed extensions in ~/Library/Safari/Extensions/ folder, the folder has correct permissions and owner.
Even though there are extensions in ~/Library/Safari/Extensions/ , Safari does not "sees" it after a restart.
It seems like this problem is specific to my PC, as I have checked it with other people - they don't experience it.
Please help !Back up all data before proceeding.
Launch the Keychain Access application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Keychain Access in the icon grid.
Use the search box in the toolbar of the Keychain Access window to search for an item named "Safari Extensions List". If found, delete it. Quit Keychain Access.
Quit and relaunch Safari. -
Safari extensions not in color
My Safari browser, toolbar and all icons are grey. Does anyone know if you can install the Safari Extensions someway in which they appear in color ? ie; The Weather Channel, Pinterest, Evernote, etc.
I've seen other browsers/toolbars where the icons were in color, making it easier to find each of the icons when needed.
Thanks in advance for any useful advice and/or solutions.
MacBook Pro 17", using OS X 10.9.4 and Safari Version 7.0.5If you want to change the color, use Download Firefox
Always good to have a backup browser installed in case you have problems with Safari and can't connect to the internt for help.
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