Does my mac have a virus?
Occasssionally over the last couple months while on the internet I notice this alert box that shows up it usually reads "about/blank.." followed by different combinations of numbers. It doesn't remain there long (i've tried to screen shot it) then dissapears. It will reappear and dissapear a couple more times and if I don't turn off my Airport controls and sever the internet connection it will eventually freeze my computer and I will have to power it off manually. I was told when purchasing the MacBook Pro that it did not need any virus protection software, however, now-a-days I realize Macs are more popular, therefore having a greater possiblity to be suseptable to newly developing viruses. My friend said I should download some AVG for Macs, which sounds good, but he's a PC man and I just wanted to check with you Mac professionals first!
Thank you, Tasha6797
You probably don't have a virus - what you may have are 'browser redirects' and you can read about them and how to prevent them at -> http://www.reedcorner.net/eliminating-browser-redirects-and-advertisements/.
Just in case you want to give your drive aa 'one-over' virus scan, I would recommend Sophos for Mac. It's good, free and comes with an uninstaller that actually works. Stay away from any commercial AV software as it tends to batter your system and can actually cause damage.
After you've done a one-time scan of your hard drive you can keep Sophos running or uninstall it - it's your call. I keep it installed just to scan my Downloads and email folders.
Good luck,
Clinton
Similar Messages
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I am having problems viewing my iPhoto from the dock and have to go through my applications to view. What do I have to do to correct this please? Also does the Mac have a defrag function? I have also been advised by the sales person that the Mac does not need an antivirus programme, is this true?
I'm sorry but your post make no sense
first off All Caps is not necessary and makes things hard to read and is consider shouting - it is rude
Second you do not have "an iPhoto" - iPhoto is an application that manages photos - the photos are stored (by default) in the iPhoto library in a SQL lite database and you use the iPhoto program to manage them
I am having problems viewing my iPhoto from the dock and have to go through my applications to view.
can you please explain this in some detail. When you launch iPhoto by clicking on the iPhoto icon in the Dock what happens?
As to your other OS questions this is certainly not hte best place to address them - we are iPhoto users just like yourself here --- basically as I understand it (and I have had had Macs for 30+ years) there is no "defrag and you do not need one - and antivirus is your choice - most people feel it is a waste of money on a Mac but some like to have it
LN -
Does my Mac need anti virus software?
Does my Mac need anti virus software? I see in the press malicious code is on the rise for the Mac. What does Apple consider best practice for their OS?
Not very likely since OS X has built-in malware protection that Apple updates whenever it's required.
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection
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.
If you require anti-virus protection I recommend using ClamXav. -
Does PSE6-Mac have Date/Calendar View?
Hello
Years ago, I used PSE for windows and I liked the date/calendar view, especially since, if I remember correctly, I could add text to a date even if I didn't have photos associated with that date.
Does PSE6-Mac have this date/calendar feature?
If not, do you know of a calendar application that does link with a set of photos, to link by date
Thank you -
Marion in RochesterNo.
PSE for the Mac has no Organizer features whatsoever. -
Does the Mac need anti-virus software?
I have been told the Mac does not need anti-virus software. I have Kapersky on my Mac now and was told to take it off. I was told Apple updates the protection software daily. Any thoughts?
1. This comment applies to malicious software ("malware") that's installed unwittingly by the victim of a network attack. It does not apply to software, such as keystroke loggers, that may be installed deliberately by an intruder who has hands-on access to the victim's computer. That threat is in a different category, and there's no easy way to defend against it. If you have reason to suspect that you're the target of such an attack, you need expert help.
If you find this comment too long or too technical, read only sections 5, 6, and 10.
OS X now implements three layers of built-in protection specifically against malware, not counting runtime protections such as execute disable, sandboxing, system library randomization, and address space layout randomization that may also guard against other kinds of exploits.
2. All versions of OS X since 10.6.7 have been able to detect known Mac malware in downloaded files, and to block insecure web plugins. This feature is transparent to the user, but internally Apple calls it "XProtect." The malware recognition database is automatically checked for updates once a day; however, you shouldn't rely on it, because the attackers are always at least a day ahead of the defenders.
The following caveats apply to XProtect:
It can be bypassed by some third-party networking software, such as BitTorrent clients and Java applets.
It only applies to software downloaded from the network. Software installed from a CD or other media is not checked.
3. Starting with OS X 10.7.5, there has been a second layer of built-in malware protection, designated "Gatekeeper" by Apple. By default, applications and Installer packages downloaded from the network will only run if they're digitally signed by a developer with a certificate issued by Apple. Software certified in this way hasn't necessarily been tested by Apple, but you can be reasonably sure that it hasn't been modified by anyone other than the developer. His identity is known to Apple, so he could be held legally responsible if he distributed malware. That may not mean much if the developer lives in a country with a weak legal system (see below.)
Gatekeeper doesn't depend on a database of known malware. It has, however, the same limitations as XProtect, and in addition the following:
It can easily be disabled or overridden by the user.
A malware attacker could get control of a code-signing certificate under false pretenses, or could simply ignore the consequences of distributing codesigned malware.
An App Store developer could find a way to bypass Apple's oversight, or the oversight could fail due to human error.
For the reasons given above, App Store products, and other applications recognized by Gatekeeper as signed, are safer than others, but they can't be considered absolutely safe. "Sandboxed" applications may prompt for access to private data, such as your contacts, or for access to the network. Think before granting that access. OS X security is based on user input. Never click through any request for authorization without thinking.
4. Starting with OS X 10.8.3, a third layer of protection has been added: a "Malware Removal Tool" (MRT). MRT runs automatically in the background when you update the OS. It checks for, and removes, malware that may have evaded the other protections via a Java exploit (see below.) MRT also runs when you install or update the Apple-supplied Java runtime (but not the Oracle runtime.) Like XProtect, MRT is presumably effective against known attacks, but maybe not against unknown attacks. It notifies you if it finds malware, but otherwise there's no user interface to MRT.
5. XProtect, Gatekeeper, and MRT reduce the risk of malware attack, but they're not absolute protection. The first and best line of defense is always your own intelligence. With the possible exception of Java exploits, all known malware circulating on the Internet that affects a fully-updated installation of OS X 10.6 or later takes the form of so-called "trojan horses," which can only have an effect if the victim is duped into running them. The threat therefore amounts to a battle of wits between you and the malware attacker. If you're smarter than he thinks you are, you'll win.
That means, in practice, that you never use software that comes from an untrustworthy source, or that does something inherently untrustworthy. How do you know what is trustworthy?
Any website that prompts you to install a “codec,” “plug-in,” "player," "extractor," or “certificate” that comes from that same site, or an unknown one, is untrustworthy.
A web operator who tells you that you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, or that you have won a prize in a contest you never entered, is trying to commit a crime with you as the victim. (Some reputable websites did legitimately warn visitors who were infected with the "DNSChanger" malware. That exception to this rule no longer applies.)
Pirated copies or "cracks" of commercial software, no matter where they come from, are unsafe.
Software of any kind downloaded from a BitTorrent or from a Usenet binary newsgroup is unsafe.
Software that purports to help you do something that's illegal or that infringes copyright, such as saving streamed audio or video for reuse without permission, is unsafe. All YouTube "downloaders" are in this category, though not all are necessarily harmful.
Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. If it comes from any other source, it's unsafe.
Even signed applications, no matter what the source, should not be trusted if they do something unexpected, such as asking for permission to access your contacts, your location, or the Internet for no obvious reason.
6. Java on the Web (not to be confused with JavaScript, to which it's not related, despite the similarity of the names) is a weak point in the security of any system. Java is, among other things, a platform for running complex applications in a web page, on the client. That was always a bad idea, and Java's developers have proven themselves incapable of implementing it without also creating a portal for malware to enter. Past Java exploits are the closest thing there has ever been to a Windows-style virus affecting OS X. Merely loading a page with malicious Java content could be harmful.
Fortunately, client-side Java on the Web is obsolete and mostly extinct. Only a few outmoded sites still use it. Try to hasten the process of extinction by avoiding those sites, if you have a choice. Forget about playing games or other non-essential uses of Java.
Java is not included in OS X 10.7 and later. Discrete Java installers are distributed by Apple and by Oracle (the developer of Java.) Don't use either one unless you need it. Most people don't. If Java is installed, disable it — not JavaScript — in your browsers.
Regardless of version, experience has shown that Java on the Web can't be trusted. If you must use a Java applet for a task on a specific site, enable Java only for that site in Safari. Never enable Java for a public website that carries third-party advertising. Use it only on well-known, login-protected, secure websites without ads. In Safari 6 or later, you'll see a lock icon in the address bar with the abbreviation "https" when visiting a secure site.
Follow the above guidelines, and you’ll be as safe from malware as you can practically be. The rest of this comment concerns what you should not do to protect yourself from malware.
7. Never install any commercial "anti-virus" or "Internet security" products for the Mac, as they all do more harm than good, if they do any good at all. Any database of known threats is always going to be out of date. Most of the danger is from unknown threats. If you need to be able to detect Windows malware in your files, use one of the free anti-virus products in the Mac App Store — nothing else.
Why shouldn't you use commercial "anti-virus" products?
Their design is predicated on the nonexistent threat that malware may be injected at any time, anywhere in the file system. Malware is downloaded from the network; it doesn't materialize from nowhere.
In order to meet that nonexistent threat, the software modifies or duplicates low-level functions of the operating system, which is a waste of resources and a common cause of instability, bugs, and poor performance.
By modifying the operating system, the software itself may create weaknesses that could be exploited by malware attackers.
8. An anti-malware product from the App Store, such as "ClamXav," doesn't have these drawbacks. That doesn't mean it's entirely safe. It may report email messages that have "phishing" links in the body, or Windows malware in attachments, as infected files, and offer to delete or move them. Doing so will corrupt the Mail database. The messages should be deleted from within the Mail application.
An anti-virus app is not needed, and should not be relied upon, for protection against OS X malware. It's useful only for detecting Windows malware. Windows malware can't harm you directly (unless, of course, you use Windows.) Just don't pass it on to anyone else.
A Windows malware attachment in email is usually easy to recognize. The file name will often be targeted at people who aren't very bright; for example:
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!!!!!!H0TBABEZ4U!!!!!!!.AVI♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥.exe
Anti-virus software may be able to tell you which particular virus or trojan it is, but do you care? In practice, there's seldom a reason to use the software unless a network administrator requires you to do it.
The ClamXav developer won't try to "upsell" you to a paid version of the product. Other developers may do that. Don't be upsold. For one thing, you should not pay to protect Windows users from the consequences of their choice of computing platform. For another, a paid upgrade from a free app will probably have the disadvantages mentioned in section 7.
9. It seems to be a common belief that the built-in Application Firewall acts as a barrier to infection, or prevents malware from functioning. It does neither. It blocks inbound connections to certain network services you're running, such as file sharing. It's disabled by default and you should leave it that way if you're behind a router on a private home or office network. Activate it only when you're on an untrusted network, for instance a public Wi-Fi hotspot, where you don't want to provide services. Disable any services you don't use in the Sharing preference pane. All are disabled by default.
10. As a Mac user you don't have to live in fear that your computer is going to be infected every time you install an application, read email, or visit a web page. But neither should you have the false idea that you will always be safe, no matter what you do. The greatest harm done by security software is precisely its selling point: it makes people feel safe. They may then feel safe enough to take risks from which the software doesn't protect them. Nothing can lessen the need for safe computing practices. -
Yesterday my e-mail sent out virus e-mails. Then last night my internet was acting up. I can't access some websites, and they look distorted, etc...
My computer at work, which I do occasionally check my home e-mail from, was also acting up today (Smartboard crashing after a few minutes). When I left today tech support was running some checks on my computer.
Today when I got home my internet is still acting up and some websites are distorted or inaccessible. My e-mail was blocked as well due to a large amount of spam being sent out from it. I did change the password again and can access it, but it's still acting up.
Does this sound like a virus? I have an appointment with Genius Bar this weekend. I don't know what else to do besides take it in.download ClamXav (free) and run a scan: http://www.clamxav.com/
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Does my Mac have a DVD player?
Does my computer have a DVD player?
Lobes72 wrote:
We just bought this 2 weeks ago and there is no opening for a DVD??
That is correct, in 2012 Apple ceased including a DVD drive in iMacs. There are external solutions, you can locate a USB external DVD drive that is compatible with OS X from multiple sources including Amazon and OWC (www.macsales.com). Apple also sells their own external DVD drive, in the USA online store the link is:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD564ZM/A/apple-usb-superdrive?fnode=5f
The price of Apple's is kind of expensive however it is designed to match the esthetics of Apple computers so it looks good. -
In Windows, when you uninstall a program, it leaves various dll and registry entries. What about a Mac?
There are various software programs in Windows that claim to be able to clean up registry entries from uninstall procedures. Can you buy such programs for the Mac?Simple answer..... no... Mac OS X is not Windows!
The applications are self contained (you can right mouse click on them and "show content" to see what makes up the said application.
This does have a MAJOR advantage over Windows, it means that your system will ALWAYS be lighting fast no matter how many apps you have!
There are some residual data left behind after you simple drag the application to the trash to delete, in your <home>Library-Application Support-<application>... This is to keep certain info by some apps... ok to delete as well.
If this is helpful, click on "Helped" or "Solved"
Have fun deleting your apps! -
Why does my Mac have so many updates?
My Mac constantly needs updating. It reminds me like everyday that it needs an update and then I'll update it and then a few days later it needs another update! This is really frustrating because my internet is too slow to update it all the time. Why does it do this?
If the update hasn't been applied, it will probably remind you until it's been applied. It will probably remind you at least as often as it is set to. You can use the Software Update system preference to turn off automatic updating.
Why would the system nag you often about an update? Because updates contain bug fixes, and it's good to have the latest fixes. On top of that, software updates contain security fixes, and Apple is very interested in making sure all users have the latest patches for any security holes that have been discovered since the last update. Because as you know, malware and security problems can cause you major problems if they are not blocked by the system. And as far as Apple is concerned they do not want any security problems to end up in the news if thousands of users were to be affected. So they issue fixes as soon as they can. -
Why does my mac have 194Gb of OTHERS filling my card
Hi All,
Help my computor says the card is full!! checking it says that OTHERS is 194 . What does this mean? and how do I get it down? I have no big Docs. I read on a blog it could be mail is that right? i dont even want to use mail on my Mac. Can I get rid of it as i like just using gmail.
Can some one assit with getting my card space freed up plaeseHelp my computor says the card is full!! checking it says that OTHERS is 194 .
I am not familiar with the term "card". Is this a flash drive? What is the exact message? What is the path to the folder?
Take a picture of message & post here. see below for how.
Best to have greater than 2gig of free space. Many posters to these forums state that you need much more free space: 5 gig to 10 gig or 10 percent of you hd size.
(0)
Be careful when deleting files. A lot of people have trashed their system when deleting things.
Place things in trash. Reboot & run your applications. Empty trash.
Go after large files that you have created & know what they are. Do not delete small files that are in a folder you do not know what the folder is for. Anything that is less than a megabyte is a small file these days.
(1)
Empty the trash. Space isn't reclaimed until you empty the trash in three places!
The trash can...
-- in the dock
-- for iPhoto
-- with Mail
(2)
Run
OmniDiskSweeper
"The simple, fast way to save disk space"
OmniDiskSweeper is now free!
http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnidisksweeper/download/
This will give you a list of files and folders sorted by size. Go after things you know that are big.
(3)
These pages have some hints on freeing up space:
http://thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html
http://www.macmaps.com/diskfull.html
How to show us a screen image. Avoid personal identification.
command + shift + 3 Will take entire screen. You hear a click.
command + shift + 4 Lets you decide what to take. Mouse pointer changes. Move mouse to upper left corner of desire image. Hold down left mouse key where to start image. Drag mouse to lower left of where you want to stop image. Release mouse.
You will get a picture n.png file on the desktop.
On the forum input panel you will see the camera icon.
click on camera icon.
another window will appear.
Make sure you have selected the from your computer tab.
click on Browse button
An open file panel appears. Select the file.
After selection a file, I have this screen showing.
You will have to click on Insert Image. You may have to scroll down to see Insert Image button. -
Does my mac have to be on to use apple tv
I was thinking about picking up an apple tv sometime soon but I wanted to know if you need to have your mac on to watch purchased content on the apple tv.
So say for instance I buy an episode of Father Ted on my iPhone 4 or Mac, would I be able to watch this purchased content later at some stage using my apple TV directly through the internet without needing my mac on?That would be a nice feature but still not quite what i'm after, main thing is that if my mac has to be on and running itunes to watch through apple TV it would be useless for other people in the house when I'm not around with my macbook. Was really hoping apple TV would just stream from the net using your itunes account to validate what you have already paid for....
(incidentally what are the rules about purchasing stuff on different devices? If i purchase a hd film on my mac can I also sync/download it to my iPhone too?) -
Why Does my Mac have to be refresh to load web page
Hey guys,
I have a MB with 2Ghz and mostly everytime i load a new webpage i have to refresh it multiple times before it loads completly....I know this cant be normal..When i refresh it, it could take more than 1 try or it works right away but it gets annoying having to refresh and wait..My regular Windows computer doesnt do that....BTW i have Cable Modem.....
Should i send it in to see what they can do.
has anyone had a problem and had it fixed.Well I have the same problem with my macbook. The only difference is that it does this because I have wireless internet. Some routers dont communicate very well with the macbook if they are not that..... umm.... Airport? Im not exactly sure what its called but its an Apple router. When I connect my modem directly to my macbook, it works fine, But when I work through my router "REFRESH, REFRESH, REFRESH" Oh well, hope any of this helps....
Gudberto J Nava -
Does my Mac have to be on and itunes open in order to wirelessly sync?
Do I have to have my Mac on and iTunes open in order to sync my iPhone 4s wirelessly?
Do I have to have my Mac on and iTunes open in order to sync my iPhone 4s wirelessly?
No.
But make sure Wi-Fi is enabled on the iPhone.
Tap Settings > Wi-Fi -
I have 25 gb of music. 20 gb of movies. 5 gb of pictures. 10 gb of apps. 102 gb of "back up. and 85 gb of "other. which leaves less than 70 gb open on my harddrive.. Why? What is that almost 200 gb of memory? How Do i pinpoint it? I use time machine and an external harddrive to back up my files so what is that? any answers or ideas?
architecture12 wrote:
I have 25 gb of music. 20 gb of movies. 5 gb of pictures. 10 gb of apps. 102 gb of "back up. and 85 gb of "other. which leaves less than 70 gb open on my harddrive.. Why? What is that almost 200 gb of memory? How Do i pinpoint it? I use time machine and an external harddrive to back up my files so what is that? any answers or ideas?
Do not worry about the backups. They will be deleted automatically after a week, or if your HD gets too full. See #30 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.
The "other" stuff is just that -- all sorts of things that don't fall into the few categories listed. The operating system, system work files, plus lots of your stuff like documents, mail, etc. See Lion's Storage Display -
Does apple mac have a free email service
hello again this is marie from Australia, and i just want to thank you Dansyacht, for your help, this time could you please tell me if you can get a free email account with Apple ,as i will be going to prepaid usb moble broadband soon on my home cp as well as my macbook pro, ?? or is it just as easy to go to hotmail or yahoo, thank you once for your help, regards marie
it is just as easy as getting an email address from anywhere else..gmail, hotmail, yahoo etc. You can get one from apple by registering for iCloud if you have 10.7.2
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