Dear MacUpdate Users, I have stated this before on MacUpdate but, since some people didn't get the memo, I'll say it again: Quickie, one-liner 5-star reviews on this site are WORTHLESS. I would also say that quickie, one-liner 5-star reviews by people who purport to be Mac malware experts (I'm referring to 'Hanspoot' just below) with 'over 300' clients are EXCEPTIONALLY worthless. Especially when that 'expert' is claiming (it actually sounds like boasting) that his 300+ clients are averaging 5 infections PER MONTH. My friends, if you are averaging 5 infections per month, while you pay both a Mac consultant, and also for anti-malware software, your Mac consultant is not only incompetent but irresponsible. A properly protected Mac, with a properly trained user (and a reputable Mac consultant should be a *teacher* for his or her clients, rather than leaving them uneducated and vulnerable in order to suck money out of them) should not get 5 infections in A YEAR. You especially want to avoid a consultant who allows you to get 5 infections per month while using a 'real-time' scanner like the paid subscription version of Malwarebytes. This is beyond irresponsible -- it is appalling. For that kind of money, you should not be getting ANY infections. That's the point of 'real-time' scanning, and why you pay a premium (in money and performance) for it. Also, please, be skeptical of reviewers who make silly, boastful claims that can't be substantiated. This is something akin to what Malwarebytes does with it says that it 'crushes the latest threats' and other hyped-up nonsense. * * * Now, if you want to see a useful review, scroll down to 'Jimw's' comments on May 17, 2019, where he points out that not only does Malwarebytes cause instabilities (inexcusable in and of itself), but its so-called 'uninstaller' doesn't actually uninstall everything like it should. It leaves bits and pieces of Malwarebytes junk all over the place. This is beyond inexcusable -- it's disgraceful.-SBP.S. And by the way, 'Hanspoot,' I don't get money from any AV vendors as you insinuate in one of your snarky comments below. I don't actually recommend ClamXAV though I do subscribe. The Intego VirusBarrier Scanner works just as well as an on-demand scanner -- and it's free.And I actually do use and recommend the older 'Malwarebytes Anti-Malware' program (v.1.3.1.628) It still works very well, much as it did when Thomas Reed originally developed it -- a tight, light, free scanner for active infections -- before Malwarebytes (the company) turned it into a bloated piece of expensive corporate crapware.
One icky thing I’m seeing more frequently these days is adware installed on Macs. Let’s say that you’re surfing along and decide you want to use a third-party program, so you Google its name and find a site that offers a download. But when you install it, all of a sudden your browser’s home page has changed, the search engine you were using has been replaced (and may be redirecting you to places you don’t want to go!), and you’re seeing pop-up ads everywhere. Yuck.
How to Remove Malware and Adware From Your Mac. Originally expanded into the Mac security software arena by purchasing and rebranding a popular application named “Adware Medic” that we and others have used successfully in the past. If you want to remove malware, spyware, and other garbage software from your Mac, we recommend you.
Removing all of the pieces that these crappy, invasive programs install on your system is not difficult to do by hand as long as you’re familiar with your Mac’s file system and know where to find, for example, your /Library/LaunchAgents folder, but it’s much easier to use an automated tool to clean stuff up. If that’s the way you want to go, I recommend AdwareMedic by The Safe Mac (donationware). This nifty little utility scans your system very quickly, alerts you if it finds any adware, and offers to clean it out for you. So to get started, go to the page I linked above and click on the giant “Download” button.
Once the file has finished downloading, open the disk image from your Downloads folder.
If you click on “Scan for Adware” on that screen, you can, well, scan your system for adware. Surprise, surprise.
One other thing that makes The Safe Mac so useful is that the developer, Thomas Reed, also has a manual removal guide up on the site, which is handy if you’re running an OS X version earlier than 10.7 or if you just don’t want to run AdwareMedic for some reason. But in any case, if you find the program or the site helpful, consider donating to The Safe Mac to help Mr. Reed churn out more great utilities!
![Medic Medic](http://www.findmysoft.com/mac/thumb/313.jpg)