I think I have a virus or some form of malware on my macbook, is this possible?
When I opened one browser page of safari, it failed to load and instead went on to continuously open page after page of safari windows all of which failed to load. Eventually I was forced to hold down the power button to just stop the whole thing from crashing. I am not sure if this means I have managed to aquire something like a virus or trojan, considering I surf the internet very carefully. Please help!
It's Javascript abuse by a malicious website operator.
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.
Similar Messages
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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 + VideoSome 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 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?
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 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?
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. -
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..
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 would like to build a drag n drop interface and have the results sent to my email in PDF format. Is this possible?
Captivate is not really designed to do what you want in this instance. It's more targeted at allowing a user to complete an assessment and then track whether or not they passed. So it's only really set up to send information in a format that the LMS will understand and interpret as Pass/Faill and what the score was.
You really need something more flexible than that. So I think you would need to get a programmer involved and have the solution custom made. In my experience, any time you try to diverge Captivate from what it was designed to do, and you need to get other IT professionals involved, you can kiss thousands of dollars goodbye before you have a workable solution. -
I already have creative cloud Photography plan and just want to add dreamweaver, is this possible? Alternatively, I have tried purchasing the Complete — For CS Customers but it asks me to contact customer support and then sends me through to the forums!!
yes.
contact adobe support by clicking here and, when available, click 'still need help', https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html -
I am a teacher and I would like to format my page in PAGES to have lines...similar to that of lined paper. Is this possible?
Hi Jay,
I've played with this before, but I was never happy with the result. I gave it another shot to answer your question, and I'm pretty pleased with this result. I'll say that you have a lot of latitude for adjustments in this template, so don't take it as being restrictive to what I'm illustrating. For instance, you can easily vary the line spacing, the weight of the lines, the color, etc.
In this example, the pitch of the lines is 32 points per line, blue stroke, and I placed a light yellow shape in the background. Here's the approach...
Open a blank Word Processing Template.
View > Show Layout.
Pages Preferences > Rulers > Ruler Units: Points.
Insert > Table.
Set the Table to 1-column, 0 Header Rows, and Footer Rows, Row Height = 32 points.
In the Wrap Inspector, set the table to Floating, and Does NOT cause Wrap.
Align the Top Left of the Table with the top Left of the Text Area.
Increase the Column Width until the single column extends all the way across the Text Area.
Increase the number of Rows until the table just fills the vertical Text Area of the page layout, plus one row..
Set the Outside Cell Borders to None.
Set the Mid Horizontal borders to Blue.
With the entire Table Selected, Arrange > Send Object to Background. Format >Advanced > Move Objects to Section Master, Arrange > Lock
If you want the colored background, Insert > Object > Rectangle. Graphics Inspector > Stroke > None. Color > your choice.
Stretch the Shape to cover the entire page size. Arrange > Send Object to Background. Format > Advanced > Send Objects to Section Master.
If the colored object is obscuring the lines, then: Arrange > Send Backward. In either case, Arrange > Lock.
Paste a good size paragraph (several lines) into the document.
Select the text. In the Text Inspector, set line spacing to Exactly and 32 Points.
Inspect the alignment of the Text and the Lines. If you are not pleased, Select the Table and bump it up or down with the vertical Arrow keys.
If you are satisfied, with the overall effect, Select all the Text and Type: Click here and enter text. Select the text "Click here and enter text." and Format > Advanced > Define as Placeholder Text. Lastly, File > Save as Template.
As I mentioned at the outset, you can easily modify these instructions to increase or decrease the number of lines per page, the type size, etc.
If you want to email me, I'll send you a copy of the template I displayed here.
Regards,
Jerry -
I'm not sure but I think my mac has a virus. I'm expecting a lot of die-hard replies saying there are no viruses for mac, I used to be the same until this happened.
My mac (Powermac G5) slowed down - a lot - and applications stopped working in certain user areas, files have been deleted leaving some final cut projects useless (hours and hours of work lost) and I get a kernal panic every time I try to reinstall OSX from the DVD.
I figured it was probably just a hardware problem but then something very strange happened - I switched user areas and after the cube animation of changing user area, there was a poor animation of a sheep deficating on my screen which then ran off and dissapeared.
The only explination that I can come up with is a virus - why else would the animation appear? I'm pretty sure a hardware problem would not cause such a thing.
The plot thickens - This computer has never been connected to the internet, and the only disks that I've put into it have been software disks (that have been used on other machines with no ill effect) and disks with files from other macs (which obviously have not been infected with viruses), however, I do have Norton Antivirus installed on the machine.
I didn't install it myself, I would never do such a thing, I recieved the computer from my university and it came pre-installed. The only conclusion that I can come up with is that because I haven't updated Norton or paid any money for updates, it released a virus to make me panic and pay up for a update that I wouldn't need unless this useless software was installed.
Anyone got any thoughts or ideas on what I can do to resolve this problem? I could send the computer back but I'm using it daily for college work. I have tried to uninstall Norton but I'm not convinced its really gone. I can't be completely sure that the problems are being caused by Norton but I'm fairly certain that they are.I figured it was probably just a hardware problem but then something very strange happened - I switched user areas and after the cube animation of changing user area, there was a poor animation of a sheep deficating on my screen which then ran off and dissapeared.
No virus. That's an easter egg for some applications. Not sure which, but I remember hearing about it.
As for files "deleted", that could just be a corrupted spotlight index. That will cause files to disappear. Sometimes repairing permissions and then rebuilding the Spotlight index will fix the issue. Sometimes it means the hard drive is dying and needs your data recovered to a backup as soon as possible. -
I Think i Have A Virus Help Me!
Hey im using a 2011 model imac and when i go onto sites they load very slowly and sometimes only load half the page, on youtube the thumbnails of a few videos look like they have different coloured squares and when i click one it might play for a few second make a wierd noise then stop. im using firefox
and when i search in the google sidebar up top it says the server could not be found and if i look at the adress barit says google.BOM.au/aerifgubq3f793ube9VR*codes and stuff*
when when i tyupe google.com in the adress bar it takes me to goofle.com and i have checked to see if im typing it right and yes i am....
i have problems with anxiety and paranoia and im freking out please i would highly appreciate your help!
EDIT: and sometimes when loading a page it says content coding error and somethimes webpages look out of orderBarry Hemphill wrote:
There are NO, repeat NO viruses that affect a Mac running OS X...NONE.
I have no clue what you are doing (or what things you have added to Firefox).
Barry
This knee-jerk response to the OP is entirely misleading. 99% of people use the term "virus" as a catch-all for any kind of malware. It is true there are presently no OS X viruses, however, this point is lost on the vast majority of users, who could care less whether there are viruses -- using the technical definition of virus -- for Macs. There is Mac malware.
Jaiden1998: It's always possible, but I think it is unlikely your problems are attributable to some kind of malware. For starters, start using these servers from openDNS, which are patched against these kinds of redirects, and see if the misdirections stop.
Simply open Network>Advanced>DNS in Sys Prefs and enter the following numbers for the interface you use, e.g. Airport or Ethernet,
208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220
Hit OK and then Apply. Make sure those numbers are entered above any others you may have there.
To check to see if it's working
http://www.opendns.com/welcome/
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