I think I have a virus
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.
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. -
How do I fix a problem with Facebook. They think I have a virus or malware
I have been having trouble with facebook thinking that I have a virus or malware as I am posting on the games I play. I have an antivurus on my computer and it does not detect anything.
Do 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.<br /><br />
*http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php - Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware
*http://www.superantispyware.com/ - SuperAntispyware
*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
*http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php - Ad-Aware Free
See also:
*"Spyware on Windows": http://kb.mozillazine.org/Popups_not_blocked -
Just updated to Yosemite on my MBP. After shutdown now when I login, it starts the process (the bar starts to move), then the screen goes black, then it asks me to login again and this time it is a successful startup. Is this a Yosemite bug or do I have a virus? I also have some funny tiling on the screen at youtube and some other websites. Another bug?
Reinstalling OS X Without Erasing the Drive
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall OS X: Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
Also see:
Reinstall OS X Without Erasing the Drive
OS X Yosemite- Reinstall OS X
OS X Mavericks- Reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Reinstall OS X
OS X Lion- Reinstall Mac OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet
if possible because it is three times faster than wireless. -
Is there an anti virus program for mac 9.1? Think I have a virus
I don't use an anti virus - using outlook express I got a strange message with no subject or sender - just a blank line. I tried deleting it but it wouldn't be deleted. Since then every time I try to delete it - it crashes the system. Same with Internet Explorer. And now my main screen icons will just 'disappear' from the screen then it crashes.
I tried looking for an antivirus but all of them seem to be for 9.2 or higher and I don't know what to do - if I upload to 9.2 will I loose any programs or files - new to this from the PC world. Thanks
G4 Mac OS 9.1.xHi, debbieM -
Welcome to Apple's Discussions.
It is doubtful that you have a virus - no virus which can harm OS 9 has been released in well over 10 years.
Getting a message every now and then with no subject and no body is not unusual. There are a couple of ways to get rid of a message without opening it.
Click on an adjacent message which is okay to delete, then hold down the Shift key and select the blank messages - none of them will open. Once you have selected all the ones for deletion, press the Delete key.
Or, click and hold on a message; or press the Control key and click and hold on a message. A contextual menu should appear; one of the choices in that menu shuld be to delete the messge. If you choose that, it should happen without the message ever opening.
Things you can do to make Outlook Express run smoother -
• Increase the Preferred memory allocation for it. Adding 20 or 30 thousand to the original Preferred amount, or even more if you have sufficient RAM, is not excessive.
Article #18278 - Assigning More Memory to an Application
• Compact the databases. To do that - with OE not running, hold down the Option key and start up OE. A splash screen will open, asking if you want to compact the database files - click okay, and follow the prompts.
For Internet Explorer, increase its Preferred memory, a lot. Adding 30 to 50 thousand is not excessive.
And now my main screen icons will just 'disappear' from the screen then it crashes.
That could indicate one or more other problems.
• How full is your hard drive? It is good practice to not allow your hard drive to get more than 85% full. When it does get more full than that, odd behaviors including an unstable OS begin occuring.
• Try rebuilding the desktop file (note that the desktop file has very little to do with the desktop). To rebuild the desktop safely, restart - immediately hold down the Shift key until you get the "Extensions Off" message; then release Shift and hold down the Command and Option keys until you get the splash screen asking if you want to rebuild the desktop; click yes (or okay). Once that's done, restart to turn your extensions back on.
• Boot to your most recent OS 9 Install CD, one valid for that machine - ideally it would be OS 9.1, the same as is on the machine. Once booted to the CD, run Disk First Aid from the Utilities folder on the CD. Let DFA have a look at your hard drive, and allw it to repair what it can - it may take more than one pass to do this, especially if the drive is rather full.
If DFA finds things it just can't fix, post back with the description of the problems found.
if I upload to 9.2 will I loose any programs or files....
Updating the OS from OS 9.1 to OS 9.2.1 should not cause any loss of files.
However, in general updating an OS is not a fix for a damaged or unstable OS. It is better to get the OS now on the drive healthy before updating it.
When the machine goes unstable (icons begin disappearing, etc.) are there any error messages? -
Please help!! It's driving me nuts. I've reinstalled the OS via the disc about 3 times so far, but haven't yet erased the drive (and am seriously considering doing so). I barely have any files on my HD because I run everything off of external drives (after losing a TON of stuff after my Mac crashed in the first 3 months of having it). I bought the computer in 2007 and was running Tiger. I passed on Leopard but gave in for Snow Leopard because I wanted an iPhone and iPad. When I installed SL, I had to reformat the HD and made it Journaled......it's been acting ******** ever since.
First you don't have a virus because none exist for OS X. So you can stop worrying about hat. If you recently got a warning about a Virus and accepted downloaded some software then you fell for a Trojan. Here is an article about that and how to rid yourself of it.
If you did not download anything like that then doing a Erase and Install would be the way to go. Here is a video that will show you exactly what to do. -
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.
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