I think I have a virus on my Mac - Please help!

I've had my iMac for about a year now. In the past few weeks however I have noticed that it is beginning to freeze and run more slowly. I'm getting messages that my startup disk is almost full and when I look at my hard drive, it shows that it is almost full- which is impossible. Also, since today, Safari won't work properly: When I try to open it, hundreds of safari windows open and the whole computer crashes. I downloaded ClamXav from the internet and I ran it and it showed several files which were infected and I deleted all of them. However, I'm pretty sure the problem runs deeper than that. What should I do now, are there any programs e.t.c. which I can download which will rid my computer of the virus?
Thanks in advance

I doubt what you are desribing is a Virus, more likely it's a runaway Log. Here are a few things to work through before you get off into the weeds with chasing a phantom virus.
Where did my Disk Space go?
http://macmost.com/what-to-do-when-your-hard-drive-is-full.html
OmniDiskSweeper is a good program to see what's taking up space: http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnidisksweeper/
OnyX for Mac
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/11582/onyx
http://helpdesk.hsc.unt.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Mac-OS-X-10.6-run-OnyX.pd f

Similar Messages

Do I have a virus?... please help

At the beginnig when I switch on the mac, on my display appears an image of a world which flickers and then disappears in about five seconds, running the OS normally. What does it mean?. Do I have a virus?... please help!
Thanks.
-HREsquivelO

You don't have a virus since there are no viruses that currently affect or infect OS X which just had its 6th birthday.
Try reselecting your startup volume (or system) at System Preferences > Startup Disk and then perform a restart.

I think I have a virus on my mac, how do I get rid of it?

For the last few weeks, my mac has been working very slowly. I heard it might have a virus. Does anyone know how to find out if you do have a virus and how to get rid of one on a mac?

There are no OS X viruses. If your computer is running slow it's not because of a virus. You might see the following:
Kappy's Personal Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For disk repairs use Disk Utility. For situations DU cannot handle the best third-party utilities are: Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible. Drive Genius provides additional tools not found in Disk Warrior. Versions 1.5.1 and later are Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or Lion and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems. For more about malware see Macintosh Virus Guide.
I would also recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. There is no confirmation that this version also works with Lion.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand. I also recommend booting into safe mode before doing system software updates.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
Carbon Copy Cloner
Data Backup
Deja Vu
SuperDuper!
SyncTwoFolders
Synk Pro
Synk Standard
Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac Maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.

I Think I Got a Virus in My iPhone Please Help

i went to redtubemobile dot com and it took me to a pornographic site and after that, my facebook app keeps giving me blank pop-up everytime i log into my account. what should i do?? im extremely worried.. by the way on the pop up thing, it said m.facebook dot something so that pop up wasn't a pornographic link. this happeneds EVERYTIME i log into my Facebook account on my Facebook app. The Safari is fine when I go to Facebook..just the FB app by itself is doing this. Can someone please help me?

You need to go to your settings in facebook and change around all the settings there and possibly goto the setting on your iPhone and turn on push messaging for the facebook. But I have been told by many people most who are computer GEEKS lol that since the iphone doesn't have an operating system like a regular computer like Windows and so forth that the iphone can't get a virus. I have had a iPhone for over 4yrs now and several people have gotten on it and went to unspeakable websites and such and I have never had a virus. I thought I did but after doing just a couple things my brother told me to do it was fixed. The very first thing I suggest is to do a soft boot and you should do this like every 4-7 days. At exactly the same time, hold the power button (at the top of phone) and the home button (on bottom of face of phone) down until the phone flashes and goes black. You will see an option to slide to the right to shut off but don't do that, just keep holding until you see the little flash and the phone goes black. Wait about 30-45 seconds and the press both buttons again and you will see the apple sign and wait...don't get nervous it takes a little while for it to reboot and to come back on, it is cleaning itself and organizing everything again. I got worried the first time because it took so long but its normal. You will find that you get better signal and a faster phone. Anyhow, when ever you have other problems BE VERY SPECIFIC and GOOGLE the problem. For instance... "Why am I not recieving push notifications from my facebook on my iphone?" I GOOGLE everything. I hope I helped a little.

I have two questions *NEW TO MAC PLEASE HELP*

Hi I've been a windows user basically my whole life and am now entering the new realm of mac. For now I have two basic questions:
(1) I want to select certain files and delete them, but I dont want to select all of them, and I dont want to select one by one. With windows to do that I simply click and press shift on the first and last file that I want, and everything in between. I have no idea of how to do that on Mac and I really need to.
(2) I am a spanish speaker and on windows whenever I need to use the letter ñ I simply go Alt+164. Is there a way to use this letter in mac by just using keystrokes??
If anybody could help me out on this it would be greatly appreciated.

(1) I want to select certain files and delete them,
but I dont want to select all of them, and I dont
want to select one by one. With windows to do that I
simply click and press shift on the first and last
file that I want, and everything in between. I have
no idea of how to do that on Mac and I really need
to.
and you didn't try it? it works the same way on a mac: click on the first and shift click the last.
to select one by one, click and command click the next,...
(2) I am a spanish speaker and on windows whenever I
need to use the letter ñ I simply go Alt+164. Is
there a way to use this letter in mac by just using
keystrokes??
press alt-n and then press n

Trojan virus suspected...please help

I've been reading about PINTSIZED i have found a file in my launch daemons similar to the files stated that are associated with this virus    the files that are shown are as follows...
com.apple.cocoa.plist
cupsd(Mach-O binary)
com.apple.cupsd.plist
com.apple.cups.plist
com.apple.env.plist
now it said to search my library launch agents and daemons and the system library launch agents and daemons.   so i did and i found this file   org.cups.cups.plist in my system library launch daemons....can anyone please tell me if this is an infected file??

All of those are OS X system files. Why do you think you have a virus? What version of OS X do you have, and what is the exact model of your computer? Please describe in detail what is happening to make you think you have a virus.
See the following:
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.

What can I do if I think I have a virus?

QuestionWhat can I do if I think I have a virus?
AnswerSkip this and contact a professional
If you'd like to skip this guide and contact a professional, CLICK HERE.
There are a few steps you can take if you think you have a virus.
Use anti-virus software
One of the first things you should do is scan your computer with anti-virus software. Many Toshiba computers come with software for this purpose. You may choose to use an alternative, but you should only have one anti-virus program installed at a time.
Run your anti-virus program and ensure it's fully updated. Once it's updated, preform a full scan of your computer.
Disconnect accessories
If that doesn't help, you should disconnect any accessories connected to your computer. It's possible that the symptoms that you think are due to a virus could be due to an accessory.
Uninstall new software
An error with a new program might be causing problems that you think are being caused by a virus. To check this, uninstall any new programs that you installed near the time your computer's symptoms first appeared.
Perform system restore
If none of the previous suggestions helped, you might consider performing a system restore. This will return your computer's system files to a previous state. System settings will revert, and programs installed since the restore point was created might need to be reinstalled. Your documents shouldn't be changed.
For more information on performing a system restore, see one of the following articles:
How To: Understanding System Restore, Refresh, Reset, and, Recovery options in Windows 8 + Video
How To: Perform a system restore in Windows 7
Contact a professional or perform a system reset
Lastly, you might want to return your computer to factory default conditions. This is sometimes called a system reset or a system recovery. Note that this will remove all of your software and data that you added including applications, documents, photos, etc.
If you don't want to reset your computer and you'd like to contact a professional, CLICK HERE.
If you do want to proceed with a system reset, the system reset will remove the virus. For more information, see the following article:
How To: Understanding System Restore, Refresh, Reset, and, Recovery options in Windows 8 + Video

Some processes are critical, but many can be interrupted without any problem.
You can monitor your ongoing processes by going to Applications/Utiltities/Activity Monitor; pay particular attention to Disk Activity and Network. To interrupt a process, highlight the process, and tap "Quit Processes." This will interrupt or stop the runaway process.

I think I have a virus or a bot. Numerous people on my e-mail list received strange e-mails from me overnight. How do I get rid of this virus or bot? Any suggestions.

I think I have a virus or bot on my MacBook. Random e-mails have been sent from my e-mail overnight. I use comcast.net. Any suggestions for removing the bot.

Let me guess, one or more of your friends has asked you why you're sending them solicitations for phony pharmaceuticals or shady software?
These emails did not originate from your MacBook. What happens is that one or more of your friends has a Windows computer with your email address stored in its Address Book (or whatever Windows calls it). Their computer gets infected with a program that examines email addresses stored on it and used yours as the "return address" on the spam it's spewing forth, to disguise the actual source.
At present, there are no such known programs that run on Macs. Therefore, there is nothing to remove on your MacBook. All you're guily of is sending an email to someone with a Windows computer, who is lacking the anti-malware utilities that are a practical requirement for Windows.
Summary: There's nothing you can do.
Lesson: Friends don't let friends run Windows.

I think I have a virus/spyware/adware???

Hello!
Last week while I was on www.google.com searching images, my Safari download manager popped up and began downloading "soft_58s7.exe". I immediately deleted it and assumed that I had clicked on an image that took me to a link that gave me a virus. I continued on using google, and when searching something completely different the download occurred again, and again. Each time I deleted the file from my computer by locating it in Finder and dragging it to the trash.
However, not I get random pop-ups everyone once in awhile while using sites that I know do not have pop-ups (Google search, aol.com, facebook). So I think I have a virus.
I also tried to download ProtectMac Antivirus, but it tells me that it cannot be downloaded because there is another antivirus software on my computer that it is not compatible with. I checked my applications and there was an app called "VirusProtect", which I drug to the trash as well. However I still received this message that ProtectMac could not be installed because of another antivirus application. I believe that I either did not uninstall VirusProtect correctly, which I need help doing because the icon is no longer there, or this is also an effect of the virus.
Please help!!
Im on a MacBook, running OS X 10 .5.8
Thank you!
I think this is also an effect of the virus because I have no virus protection on my com

.exe files are Windows executables that do not run on Macs, and simply downloading one will not give you a virus. Random pop-ups in your browser may occur but as long as you dismiss them there should nothing of concern.
You cannot delete virus protection software by dragging it to the Trash. You must use the appropriate uninstaller that is included with the software.
Also see:
Do You Need Anti-Virus Protection for Your Mac?
According to Rich Mogull's article, Should Mac Users Run Antivirus Software?,
"The reality is that today the Mac platform is relatively safe. There are hundreds of thousands of viruses and other malicious software programs floating around for Windows, but less than 200 are known to target the Mac, and many of those are aimed at versions of the Mac OS prior to Mac OS X (and thus have no effect on a modern Mac).
It's not that Mac OS X is inherently more secure against viruses than current versions of Windows (although it was clearly more secure than Windows prior to XP SP2); the numerous vulnerabilities reported and patched in recent years are just as exploitable as their Windows equivalents. But most security experts agree that malicious software these days is driven by financial incentives, and it's far more profitable to target the most dominant platform."
Mr. Mogull is a computer security expert. I recommend reading the entire article as it is quite informative.
For additional information on viruses, trojans, and spyware visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on viruses and spyware.

I am having trouble with my mac book air. I think I have a virus because everytime i click on a link it openes up popup windows and other things. How do I reset teh computer?

I am having trouble with my mac book air. I think I have a virus because everytime i click on a link it openes up popup windows and other things. How do I reset teh computer?

Please post a screenshot that shows what you mean. Be careful not to include any private information.
Start a reply to this message. Click the camera icon in the toolbar of the editing window and select the image file to upload it. You can also include text in the reply.

I can't open or receive hotmail emails on my macbrook pro, but it works on other devices. i changed my password, emptied the cache, tried using a different browser, etc. i think i have a virus. help!

I can't open or receive hotmail emails on my macbrook pro, but i can on other devices. i changed my password, emptied the cache, tried using a different browser, etc. i think i have a virus. help!

Thanks for your help. that's not working either! ugh!!
I can open hotmail, but it's not formatting right, i can't open emails, nor send them.
Thank you so much for trying to help. I really appreciate it.
I understand that you can't get a virus by opening an email, but it seems way too circumstancial! This is my third mac -- because unlike PC -- I never had a problem. I understand this problem is not with my macbook, because every other website works fine -- it's hotmail!

I think i have a virus on my Macbook Pro, OS X Yosemite, how do i wipe my computer clean without erasing photos and music etc?

i think i have a virus on my Macbook Pro, OS X Yosemite, how do i wipe my computer clean without erasing photos and music etc?

The update alerts are fake, and are intended to dupe you into installing malware or disclosing private information so that your identity can be stolen.
You might get the alerts when visiting a website that has been hacked. Don't visit the site again. If applicable, notify the site administrator of the problem, but don't send email to an unknown party.
If you get the alerts when visiting more than one well-known website, such as Google, YouTube, or Facebook, then they may be the result of an attack on your router that has caused you to get false results from looking up the addresses of Internet servers. Requests sent to those sites are redirected to a server controlled by the attacker. It's possible, but less likely, that the DNS server used by your ISP has been attacked.
Back up all data.
Unlock the Network preference pane, if necessary, by clicking the lock icon in the lower left corner and entering your password. Cllck Advanced, open the DNS tab, and change the server addresses to the following:
          8.8.8.8
          8.8.4.4
That's Google DNS. Click OK, then Apply.
In Safari, select
          Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Privacy ▹ Remove All Website Data
and confirm. If you’re using another browser, empty the cache. Test. If the fake update alerts stop, see below. Otherwise, ask for instructions.
The router's documentation should tell you how to reset it to the factory default state. Usually there's a pinhole switch somewhere in the back. It may be labeled "RESET." Insert the end of a straightened paper clip or a similar tool and press the button inside for perhaps 15 seconds, or as long as the instructions specify.
After resetting the router, quit the web browser and relaunch it while holding down the shift key. From the Safari menu bar, select
          Safari ▹ Preferences... ▹ Privacy ▹ Remove All Website Data
and confirm. Do the equivalent if you use another browser. Open the Downloads folder and delete anything you don't recognize.
Then go through the router's initial setup procedure. I can't be specific, because it's different for every model. The key points are these:
1. Don't allow the router to be administered from the WAN (Internet) port, if it has that option. Most do.
2. Set a strong password to protect the router's settings: at least ten random upper- and lower-case letters and digits. Don't use the default password or any other that could be guessed. Save the password in your keychain. Any password that you can remember is weak.
3. If the router is wireless, or if you have a wireless access point on the network, use "WPA 2 Personal" security and set a different strong password to protect the network. If the router or access point doesn't support WPA 2, it's obsolete and must be replaced.
During the time the router was compromised, you were redirected to bogus websites. If you ever connected to a secure site and got a warning from your browser that the identity of the server could not be verified, and you dismissed that warning in order to log in, assume that your credentials for the site have been stolen and that the attacker has control of the account. This warning also applies to all websites on which you saw the fake update alerts.
Check the router manufacturer's website for a firmware update.
If you downloaded and installed what you thought was a software update, ask for instructions.

HT4061 I think I have a virus, yesterday I opened this message from verizon about me owning 1,000 to them. and today I have 8 messages from someone on my ipad. how can I tell or fix my ipad of this virus?

I think I have a virus, yesterday I got an email from Verizon that I own $1000 and I tried to open it and now I have 8 emails from the same sender. DO I have a virus and what should I do to clean my ipad?

Chances are your iPad is fine. when you clicked on that e-mail, you confirmed to them 'hey, real person' so now Mr Spammer is working towards his 'make money from home' quota of spam by sending you multiple e-mails. You can block him - I'm not sure what e-mail client you're using so no idea for exact instructions, but you'll probably need to do this on a computer not via the iPad) and you could report him....wouldn't hold my breath that the report will actually accomplish anything beyond the person being blocked.
The iPad's operating system is different from the OS of a PC or Mac. Viruses written for one can't run on the others. (and iPads dont' get viruses in the strictest definition of the term, malicious programs that propogate themselves across the operating system)
The down side, even if you block this person, they know your address is a 'live' one so you'll need to be alert and aware because I'm sure more spam and phising mails are on their way.
If you did enter ANY info, make calls and start changing passwords ASAP.

I think I have a virus - hard disk full and administrator rights gone

I think I have a virus - my hard disk is full allthough I only have about 20G of 60 used. I cant install a virus checker as I have lost my administrator rights (when I check in accounts, I am just a "standard" user. This means I cannot install any software as it will not let me run the installer program - says incorrect username / password

You may have a corrupted disk but you do not have a virus. Boot using your original system installation DVD and run Disk Utility. Repair the disk.
If you have no Administrator accounts at all, follow this procedure to create a new, temporary Administrator account from which you can fix your normal one.
Power on or restart your Mac.
At the chime or grey screen, hold ⌘ and S on your keyboard to enter single-user mode.
At the prompt, type
fsck -fy
and press Return.
This is a simple check for file system integrity and is optional. It will take a moment or two to complete. Wait for it to finish before proceeding.
Type the following exactly as written, one line at a time, each line followed by the return key. There is a single space preceding the first "slash" ( / ) character in each line:
mount -uw /
rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
shutdown -h now
When you restart the machine, it will take you through the entire setup and registration process all over again. When you do so, create a brand new account with Admin privileges. Give it a simple and disposable name since you will delete it later. Do not choose the option to transfer or migrate information to the Mac.
When it completes, log in under that new account, change your previous account back to Admin, and log out.
Log in using your old account, which will now have its Admin privileges restored. Delete the throwaway account you just created.

Pls help my time capsule (4th gen) lost it files..I think it have a virus pls help me to fix it tnx..

Pls help my time capsule (4th gen) lost it files..I think it have a virus pls help me to fix it tnx..

1. Ethernet .. are you using ethernet?
2. Change the name of the TC to short, no spaces and pure alphanumeric.
3. In the file sharing page change the workgroup to WORKGROUP.
4. In the same area, change the guest access to on read and write.
5. If you setup homegroup on the PC get rid of it.. TC is not compatible with homegroup.
6. Turn off ipv6 in the network settings for ethernet. (since you are going to be using ethernet).
From Mac version utility it looks like this.
Go to the admin tools and ensure that bonjour for windows is on.
Manually type the IP directly into windows explorer.. do not open via MyComputer.
\\10.0.1.1
Because the error message is important.

I think I have a virus on my Mac - Please help!

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