How do I get rid of viruses that are on my mac and are slowing my computer down?
its really slowing up my computer and i have no clue how to get rid of them PLEASE HELP!!!
There are no viruses. There is a trojan you would have to download and run from strange websites. What makes you think the slowdown is due to a virus? Maybe you could provide some specific evidence.
Trojan War
If you discover a trojan program is running on your computer then look to the following information for assistance:
1. A recent discussion on the Apple Support Communities: MacDefender Trojan.
2. An excellent site devoted to Mac Malware: Macintosh Virus Guide
3. Another site for removing MacDefende, et.al.: MAC Defender Rogue Anti-Virus analysis and Removal
4. A new removal utility - MacDefenderKiller
5. And to protect against a recent variant, MacGuard.
Before you delete anything, we need your help. Some AV folks in our community need to analyze these files in order to protect others. Before you delete anything please consider doing the following: Upload either the original .zip file or the MacGuard application to http://www.VirusTotal.com. If either is not detected by ClamXAV, then also upload it to http://cgi.clamav.net/sendvirus.cgi. If you are uncomfortable doing this for any reason and can determine the URL of the site where you got it please send the link to [email protected].
Removing strange software can be a task. The following outlines various ways of uninstalling software:
Uninstalling Software: The Basics
Most OS X applications are completely self-contained "packages" that can be uninstalled by simply dragging the application to the Trash. Applications may create preference files that are stored in the /Home/Library/Preferences/ folder. Although they do nothing once you delete the associated application, they do take up some disk space. If you want you can look for them in the above location and delete them, too.
Some applications may install an uninstaller program that can be used to remove the application. In some cases the uninstaller may be part of the application's installer, and is invoked by clicking on a Customize button that will appear during the install process.
Some applications may install components in the /Home/Library/Applications Support/ folder. You can also check there to see if the application has created a folder. You can also delete the folder that's in the Applications Support folder. Again, they don't do anything but take up disk space once the application is trashed.
Some applications may install a Startup item or a Log In item. Startup items are usually installed in the /Library/StartupItems/ folder and less often in the /Home/Library/StartupItems/ folder. Log In Items are set in the Accounts preferences. Open System Preferences, click on the Accounts icon, then click on the LogIn Items tab. Locate the item in the list for the application you want to remove and click on the Delete [-] button to delete it from the list.
Some software use startup daemons or agents that are a new feature of the OS. Look for them in /Library/LaunchAgents/ and /Library/LaunchDaemons/ or in /Home/Library/LaunchAgents/.
If an application installs any other files the best way to track them down is to do a Finder search using the application name or the developer name as the search term. Unfortunately Spotlight will not look in certain folders by default. You can modify Spotlight's behavior or use a third-party search utility, Easy Find, instead. Download Easy Find at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
Some applications install a receipt in the /Library/Receipts/ folder. Usually with the same name as the program or the developer. The item generally has a ".pkg" extension. Be sure you also delete this item as some programs use it to determine if it's already installed.
There are many utilities that can uninstall applications. Note that you must have this software installed before you install software you may need to uninstall. Uninstallers won't work if you install them after the fact. Here is a selection:
AppZapper
Automaton
Hazel
CleanApp
Yank
SuperPop
Uninstaller
Spring Cleaning
Look for them and others at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
For more information visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on removing software and dealing with spyware and malware.
After removing all the components of the software you may have to restart the computer to fully disable the software. This will be the case when removing software that has installed a daemon. After the daemon has been removed you need to restart the computer to stop the daemon. Alternatively, you can kill the daemon process using the Terminal application or Activity Monitor.
Similar Messages
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hi i was just wondering how do i get rid of viruses?! Everytime i go on safari my computer goes all weird and starts to pop up with other internet sites without me even typing it in. My arrow also starts to click on all things that i didn't even click on and opens up apps that i didn't want?!
There are several possible causes for this issue. Take each of the following steps that you haven't already tried until it's resolved. Some may not be applicable.
1. Follow the instructions in this support article, and also this one, if applicable.
2. Open the Bluetooth preference pane in System Preferences and check for unknown or forgotten input devices. Disconnect any USB input devices that you aren't using.
3. Boot in safe mode and test, preferably without launching any third-party applications. If you don't have the problem in safe mode, but it comes back when you reboot as usual, stop here and post your results. If you can't boot in safe mode, do the same. If you booted in safe mode and there was no change, go on to the next step.
4. Reset the System Management Controller.
5. If you're using a Bluetooth trackpad, investigate potential sources of interference, including USB 3 devices.
6. A swollen battery in a MacBook Pro or Air can impinge on the trackpad from below and cause erratic behavior. If you have trouble clicking the trackpad, this is likely the reason. The battery must be replaced without delay.
7. Press down all four corners of the trackpad at once and release. If there's any effect, it's likely to be temporary, and the unit needs to be serviced or replaced.
8. There's a report that a (possibly defective) Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter can cause the built-in trackpad of a MacBook to behave erratically. If you're using such an adapter, disconnect it and test.
9. There's also a report of erratic cursor movements caused by an external display that was connected but not turned on.
10. If none of the above applies, or if you have another reason to think that your computer is being remotely controlled, remove it from the network by turning off Wi-Fi (or your Wi-Fi access point), disconnecting from a Bluetooth network link, and unplugging the Ethernet cable or USB modem, whichever is applicable. If the cursor movements stop at once, you should suspect an intrusion.
11. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store to have the machine and/or external trackpad tested. -
How do I get rid of viruses on my MAcBook Pro
How do I get rid of viruses on my MAcBook Pro
A
It may not be malware, a Web scam that only affects your browser, and only temporarily. There are several ways to recover.
1. Some of those scam pages can be dismissed very easily. Press the key combination command-W to close the tab or window. A huge box will pop up. Press the return key and both the box and the page will close. If that doesn't happen, continue.
2. Press and hold command-W. You may hear repeating alert sounds. While holding the keys, click the OK button in the popup. A different popup may appear, which you can cancel out of as usual.
3. From the Safari menu bar, select
Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Security
and uncheck the box marked Enable JavaScript. Leave the preferences dialog open.
Close the malicious window or tab.
Re-enable JavaScript and close the preferences dialog.
4. If the Preferences menu item is grayed out, quit Safari. Force quit if necessary. Relaunch it by holding down the shift key and clicking its icon in the Dock. None of the windows and tabs will reopen.
After closing the malicious page, from the menu bar, select
Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Privacy ▹ Remove All Website Data
to get rid of any cookies or other data left by the server. Open your Downloads folder and delete anything you don't recognize.
B
If the above step doesn't solve the problem, you may have installed one or more of the common types of ad-injection malware. Follow the instructions on this Apple Support page to remove it. It's been reported that some variants of the "VSearch" malware block access to the page. If that happens, start in safe mode by holding down the shift key at the startup chime, then try again.
Back up all data before making any changes.
One of the steps in the article is to remove malicious Safari extensions. Do the equivalent in the Chrome and Firefox browsers, if you use either of those. If Safari crashes on launch, skip that step and come back to it after you've done everything else.
If you don't find any of the files or extensions listed, or if removing them doesn't stop the ad injection, ask for further instructions.
Make sure you don't repeat the mistake that led you to install the malware. It may have come from an Internet cesspit such as "Softonic" or "CNET Download." Never visit either of those sites again. You might also have downloaded it from an ad in a page on some other site. The ad would probably have included a large green button labeled "Download" or "Download Now" in white letters. The button is designed to confuse people who intend to download something else on the same page. If you ever download a file that isn't obviously what you expected, delete it immediately.
Malware is also found on websites that traffic in pirated content such as video. If you, or anyone else who uses the computer, visit such sites and follow prompts to install software, you can expect more of the same, and worse, to follow. Never install any software that you downloaded from a bittorrent, or that was downloaded by someone else from an unknown source.
In the Security & Privacy pane of System Preferences, select the General tab. The radio button marked Anywhere should not be selected. If it is, click the lock icon to unlock the settings, then select one of the other buttons. After that, don't ignore a warning that you are about to run or install an application from an unknown developer.
Still in System Preferences, open the App Store or Software Update pane and check the box marked
Install system data files and security updates (OS X 10.10 or later)
or
Download updates automatically (OS X 10.9 or earlier)
if it's not already checked. -
How can I get rid of photos that were downloaded from my computer?
How can I get rid of photos that were downloaded from my computer? I need to free up space on my iPad
Assuming that you synced the photos from iTunes - or whatever downloaded means - you must use iTunes again in order to remove the songs from the iPad. You have to uncheck the albums in the photos folder that you sync from in the Photos tab of iTunes and follow that with a sync.
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Here's a screenshot of my desktop, as of a few minutes ago: http://lewgoodman.com/desktop.tiff
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In Pages when I click the 'Sections' button then click on the 1st page I get a page that is titled "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet"! Where did it come from and how do I get rid of it? I have tried deleting and "dont save" but it comes back. It is a full page in some unknown language. The only thing I can decifer is 'cupy uf cak'. Rdal
Roger,
The icon is +Sections, not just Sections, as in "Add a Section". When you click that icon you get a section break and and a new section template, complete with preformatted text called placeholder text. The reason "Lorem ipsum" is there is so you can see what the format looks like. The reason that it is Latin gibberish is so you won't get hung up on, or distracted by, what it says. It's just a display of format. Select the "Lorem ipsum" text and start typing your content.
Jerry -
Hi. I tried using Pinterest tonight and got a message that I have a bot in my network..what is this, and how do I get rid of it? My phone has been running really slow too on Safari (but not on Google Chrome)
Google changed their menu bar. Firefox hasn't used Google for the default homepage since the Firefox 3.6 versions. Firefox 4+ versions use '''about:home'''.<br />
http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/29/2598717/google-bar-redesign-rethinks-the-navigation-bar -
How do I get rid of the blank space after one paragraph and before the next paragraph startsin Pages '09? I understand that I should not have a page break mid paragraph but that is what I want.
Hi stephanie,
These are unrelated questions/statements.
Space before and space after a paragraph are controled in the Text Inspector, as you've found out.
Pages will create a page break whenever there is no room for another line on the page. That break can come anywhere in a paragraph.
You may be thinking of Widow and Orphan prevention, and the other Pagination controls, found under the More button in the Text Inspector. (If that's what you found, then thanks for the refresher! I hadn't been to that pane for awhile, and had forgotten the variety of pagination controls available.
Regards,
Barry -
HT1481 How do I get rid of my music on my ipod shuffle and re enter new songs?
How do I get rid of old songs on my ipod shuffle and re enter new songs??
This is document lists the four iPod shuffle models and the ways to sync music to the shuffle.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1719
The way you remove songs depends on the model (1st and 2nd gen versus 3rd and 4th gen), and the method being used to add songs. I don't know your specifics (please provide), I'll go with one possibility...
You have a 4th (current) gen shuffle and you use the manual method to load the shuffle, by dragging songs to the shuffle from your iTunes library in iTunes (or using the Autofill feature). If that is your shuffle model and how you load it...
First, in the latest iTunes, the sidebar can be hidden. To show it, go up to the menu bar, under View, and select Show Sidebar.
To remove songs, select the shuffle in the sidebar, under DEVICES. "Drop down" its content list, which is indented below the iPod. Click on Music there. Over to the right, you see a list of songs currently on the shuffle. Select the song you want to remove, and hit the Delete key on keyboard. Confirm action. You can do this with one song, a selection of songs, or the entire list (by selecting Select All from the File menu).
If you have a 1st or 2nd gen shuffle, or you use automatic syncing (not manual loading or Autofill), please post back. -
Hi everyone, I have a computer linked to my iPAD through itunes. Then my Computer crashed and had to get a new one. How do I get rid of the old computers link on ipad and get it on new computer bcos is wont work! (doesn't work) PLZ HELP
what do you mean the old computers link?
my ipad is sycned with my computer but nowhere is there a link
and if I connected it with a new computer and set it to sync it would replace all my data with the data from the new computer -
when i start a new email, it shows some of my old email addresses. how do i get rid of the ones i dont want? they are not in my contacts info.
Unfortunately the Mail app on the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch does have the option to clear previous recipients. If you don't want to live with it, the only way to remove these cached email addresses from the Mail application is by restoring the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch as a new iPad/iPhone/iPod. If you restore from backup, the cache is also restored.
This article shows you the screens you will see during the restore: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414 -
i have made with iweb a website on my macbook, now i want to change it, through my imac, how can I get in the program , which is on the mac book. On both computer I have Lion
You need to transfer your domain.sites file from your MacBook to your iMac. This is the file where iWeb stores all info and can be found under User/Library/Application Support/iWeb/domain.sites.
Transfer this file from your MacBook to the same place on your iMac and double click the domain.sites file and iWeb will open it on your iMac and you can update your site from there too. -
How can I get rid of "myV9" that suddenly appeared the other day when I started Firefox?
Suddenly there was a portal site named "myv9" or "V9" on the screen when I started Firefox the other day. It contains a lot of icons for programs like Facebook, Google and so on. Until now I have had only Google as start page from Firefox. Of course I can click on the Google icon to get there, but it is the only site that I want to use of all these. Nearly all the other icons (except Facebook and some others) lead to specific US sites that I never visit (for example the weather forecast for North America) , because I live in Sweden. How can I get rid of "myv9"?
Even if it doesn´t harm my computer, I am afraid that it will slow it down, and, besides, it needs an extra click to get to Google.
Vidar Ferm, SwedenDo a malware check with some malware scanning programs on the Windows computer.<br />
You need to scan with all programs because each program detects different malware.<br />
Make sure that you update each program to get the latest version of their databases before doing a scan.
*http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php - Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
*http://www.superantispyware.com/ - SuperAntispyware
*http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx - Microsoft Safety Scanner
*http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx - Windows Defender: Home Page
*http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html - Spybot Search & Destroy
You can also do a check for a rootkit infection with TDSSKiller.
*http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/solutions?qid=208280684
See also:
*"Spyware on Windows": http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popups_not_blocked -
How do you get rid of viruses on my computer
hp pavilion g series how do i get viruses off my computer
Hi, Josh:
I like running the free Kapersky rescue CD.
You can boot from that disk and it scans your PC and gets rid of viruses and malware without you even having to boot into Windows.
The link to the download is below. Burn the file to a CD and read the otehr info on the link below such as how to use it.
http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/rescuedisk
Paul -
How can I get rid of files that cannot be imported error message
Hello, this is my first post. I am a new mac user. I have imported my jpgs from an external hard drive which was in the most part successful, however, 14 of the files appear to be corrupted and every time I open iphoto9, I get the error message, '14 of your files could not be imported, would you like to import them now?' I have tried choosing both options yes and no and it then writes error message telling me it has created recovered photos folder. When you go to this folder it is empty and every time I restart iphoto, I get the same message. I have tried deleting all the files and re-importing only to find that the number of corrupted files has now doubled. I have also deleted the iphotos library recovered photo folders to no avail. I have tried creating a new library and importing the files to that but the same problem occurred. How can I get rid of this repeated error as I am now up to recovered folder number 47! Help!
P Robbins
Welcome to the Apple user to user assistance forums
quit iPhoto and right click (control click) on the iPhoto library (in the pictures folder by default) and select the show package contents command - find the import (or importing) folder and drag it to the desktop and launch iPhoto - you should be fine now - open the import(ing) folder on your desktop and if there are any photos you want import them then trash the folder
LN
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