Advanced Network Care on Mac: what it is and how to remove it
Advanced Network Care by IObit is the macOS software that aims at the improvements in network speed and stability . However, this application is a subsidiary app of the MacBooser, which has already been labeled as malware by many cybersecurity researchers.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps checked against Apple's current documentation and the security vendors' reports. We have not run the malware on a Mac. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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Advanced Network Care: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | Advanced Network Care |
| Type | Loader |
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Removal | Scan the Mac with security software to find the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 3 more facts
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| First seen | 2 July 2020 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
What Advanced Network Care does on an infected Mac
From our report of Jul 2020 · not reviewed since
Advanced Network Care is an affiliate of the MacBooster malware and both of the apps are not recommended using
Advanced Network Care by IObit is the macOS software that aims at the improvements in network speed and stability .
However, this application is a subsidiary app of the MacBooser, which has already been labeled as malware by many cybersecurity researchers. Therefore, believing that it's going to increase Internet speed and other Network-related problems would be naive.
Alike its precursor, the Advanced Network Care is a scam that displays predetermined scan results and initiates other misleading processes to make people give away their money for a full-featured version of this tool. In fact, this rogue tool imitates a system scan and displays non-substantial scan results. Typically, the user is not notified of what problems the application has supposedly experienced, except enumerates them and offers to fix.
The Advanced Network Care virus is listed as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) and a rogue system optimizer. People reported the distribution of this network optimizer in freeware packages, which triggered unwanted automatic system scanners and regular popups displaying scan results. The slower PCs performance accompanied by intrusive web browser's redirects to the Advanced Network Care website may be the side effects of the pre-scheduled system scanners.
Advanced Network Care is a scam because it's not capable of improving the system's performance. Thu,s the claims that it's going to "Fix Your Mac Network Problems," "Optimize Your Mac Network Speed," and "Optimize Your Mac App Network" are perverse and deceptive.
Upon installation, the software creates a schedule, which automatically launches the Advanced Network Care scanner. During the scan, the system may slow down, web browser pages may start loading very slowly, programs do not respond, etc.
Apart from side effects during the scan, the Advanced Network Care virus generates pre-selected scan results. It launches a window, which typically contains four sections, i.e. Safari, iCloud, iTunes, AppStore. All these sections are marked with a red numbered circle.
That's a supposed indication that Safari, AppStore, or another directory needs maintenance and optimization. However, these recommendations are bogus and have no clear ground. Even if you decide to optimize the recommended network-related issues, there will be no visible changes.
In general, this application is not a reliable piece of software. It seems to be scareware, which uses misleading methods to tempt users to purchase the license key.
For this purpose, it distributes its free trial version bundled with other free applications on sources like Cnet, Download, or Softonic and then continuously promote the license that offers a full-featured network optimizer. However, it's better that you remove Advanced Network Care from Mac as it can hardly improve anything.
Instead of bogus Mac optimization tools, rely on reputable software that is capable of maintaining a machine's performance. Luckily, Advanced Network Care removal can be initiated rather easily. Users can either launch a professional anti-malware or follow manual malware removal guidance submitted by our security experts.


From our report of Jul 2020 · not reviewed since
Be careful with promotional content and triggered downloads
Most of the Internet users are familiar with a situation when clicking on a suspicious commercial ad on some site triggers software download.
Cybersecurity experts from Virusai.lt recommend people to upload the downloaded files to VirusTotal analysis before opening or delete. That's because triggered downloads are often used for malware or can even launch a virus accidentally.
Besides, in order to prevent PUPs from getting installed, check every freeware that you are going to install for additional parts. Quick or Basic installation techniques may be offered to disguise "optional downloads" that are spread in one pack as pre-selected items.
The only way to decompose the bundle is to opt for Advanced installation and then carefully look for grayed out or marked checkboxes. Skipping such installation windows is a straightforward way to unconscious PUP installation and subsequent issues on the machine.

From our report of Jul 2020 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Advanced Network Care
- Rogue system optimizer / Potentially Unwanted Program (PUP)
- The application can be downloaded (free trial and full version) from the official site
- It's not a trustworthy application.
- It pretends to be collaborating with Norton (logo positioned on the official site and installation setup) and can hardly improve optimize Wi-Fi network as promised
- Do not rely on rogue optimization tools as they can compromise system files and trigger errors.
- The app uses outdated or fake certificates claiming that the Advanced Network Care malware is secured by Norton .
- The logo is positioned on the payment window, though there's no reference to Norton's certificate on the main page.
How to remove Advanced Network Care
How to remove Advanced Network Care from a Mac
Start with the passwords and crypto, from another device: a stealer copies them in seconds.
Then clean the Mac, or erase it.
Step 1: Change passwords from another device first
If you pasted a command into Terminal or opened a downloaded file from Advanced Network Care, assume the passwords saved in the browsers and in Keychain on this Mac are known to the attacker.
From a phone or a clean computer, change the e-mail password first, then banking, shopping, social and work accounts, and sign out of all other sessions on each one.
Move any cryptocurrency to a new wallet created on a clean device, because a seed phrase that was stored on this Mac is compromised. Do this before cleaning the Mac: cleaning does not undo the theft.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Step 2: Quit what is running that you do not recognize
Open Activity Monitor (in Applications > Utilities, or search for it with Command + Space).
In the CPU or Network tab, look for a process you did not install or whose name is random, select it, click the stop button (the octagon with an X) and choose Quit or Force Quit.
Note the name first: you will look for the same name in the next steps. Malware that comes back after a restart is handled in the next two steps.
Step 3: Remove unknown login items and background items
Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Under Open at Login and Allow in the Background, switch off or remove anything you do not recognize, especially items whose developer is shown as an unknown name or that appeared on the day you ran the command.
Then open Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and check
~/Library/LaunchAgents,/Library/LaunchAgentsand /Library/LaunchDaemons for property list (.plist) files you did not add. Drag suspicious ones to the Bin, then restart the Mac.Step 4: Delete apps and downloads you did not intend to install
Open the Applications folder and your Downloads folder. Drag any app you did not install, and any disk image (
.dmg), installer (.pkg) or archive (.zip) that came from Advanced Network Care or a site you do not trust, to the Bin, then empty the Bin.Also check
~/Library/Application Supportfor a folder with the same name as the app you removed.Step 5: Check the browsers for extensions and changed settings
In Safari open Settings > Extensions and General (homepage). In Chrome open
chrome://extensions, in Firefoxabout:addons.Remove any extension you did not add, and reset the homepage and search engine if they changed. Browsers hold saved passwords and cookies, which is why the password step comes first.
Step 6: If it was an infostealer, erase and reinstall macOS
Stealers copy data and often leave persistence you cannot be sure you found.
The only complete fix is to back up your personal files only (documents, photos, not apps or settings), then open System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Erase All Content and Settings, or use macOS Recovery to erase the disk and reinstall macOS, as Apple describes in its support articles.
Restore only your files afterwards, and install apps again from their official sources.
Step 7: Report it and watch your accounts
Report the site and the command to the authorities in your country, and tell your bank if any card was saved in a browser or in Keychain.
Over the next weeks watch your e-mail, bank and exchange accounts for sign-ins and transfers you did not make. Keep the notes you made, such as the process names and the file dates, in case a bank or the police ask for them.
Full procedure with screenshots: Report a cyber attack or scam to the authorities
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.

Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.

Remove from Google Chrome
If you keep seeing Advanced Network Care ads while web browsing on Chrome, check it for malware
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.

Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.

Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click Remove.

Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.

Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.

Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.

Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data...
- Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.

Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.

- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.

Delete from Safari
Safari is the most widely used web browser by Mac users. In case it seems to be hijacked by a third-party application you should follow these steps
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.

Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.

Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.

Delete from macOS
Manual Advanced Network Care removal guide shows every step, so all you have to do to perform them in the right order.
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.

Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.

Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.

Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.

From our report of Jul 2020 · not reviewed since
Learn how to uninstall Advanced Network Care from Mac OS
To remove Advanced Network Care virus from Mac, you need to find all related files, registries, and applications.
Using reliable security software allows you to see all PUPs that may be causing havoc on your Mac.
The Advanced Network Care removal requires some time, though the process can successfully be performed manually. However, please note that it's not sufficient to run the in-built uninstaller. You should ensure the removal of associated files from all directories.
Besides, if you have noticed that the web browser keeps redirecting to third-party sites or opened unwanted search sites regularly, you may have to remove Advanced Network Care-related PUPs from the web browser. If you have never dealt with malware before on Mac, you can follow the instructions given down below.

After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Secure your accounts after the clean-up
Assume that whatever was saved in the browsers on this PC while the PC showed advanced Network Care in the list of installed apps has been copied:
- passwords
- cookies
- autofill data
Work from a clean device, or from this PC once the offline scan finds nothing.
Start with your main e-mail account, because it can reset everything else, then banking and payment, then social and gaming accounts. Change each password, sign out of all sessions and turn on two-step verification: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account.
The full order, including crypto wallets and card replacement, is in securing your accounts after malware.
Choose a proper web browser and improve your safety with a VPN tool
Online spying has got momentum in recent years and people are getting more and more interested in how to protect their privacy online.
One of the basic means to add a layer of security - choose the most private and secure web browser. Although web browsers can't grant full privacy protection and security, some of them are much better at sandboxing, HTTPS upgrading, active content blocking, tracking blocking, phishing protection, and similar privacy-oriented features.
However, if you want true anonymity, we suggest you employ a powerful VPN - it can encrypt all the traffic that comes and goes out of your computer, preventing tracking completely.
Lost your files? Use data recovery software
While some files located on any computer are replaceable or useless, others can be extremely valuable.
Family photos, work documents, school projects - these are types of files that we don't want to lose. Unfortunately, there are many ways how unexpected data loss can occur:
- power cuts
- Blue Screen of Death errors
- hardware failures
- crypto-malware attack
- even accidental deletion
To ensure that all the files remain intact, you should prepare regular data backups. You can choose cloud-based or physical copies you could restore from later in case of a disaster. If your backups were lost as well or you never bothered to prepare any, can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
Questions about Advanced Network Care
What is Advanced Network Care and why is it on my PC?
Advanced Network Care is a program that was installed on the PC, most likely together with something else you downloaded. Free software sites and many installers add extra programs on setup pages with pre-ticked boxes, so the extra install looks like your choice even though nobody read the page.
Check the install date in Settings, Apps, Installed apps: the program you installed that day is the probable carrier. If you do not need Advanced Network Care, uninstall it. If it belongs to your hardware or to a program you use, search its exact name and publisher first, because drivers and their tools can have unfamiliar names.
Advanced Network Care came back after I uninstalled it. Why?
Something else is reinstalling it. Common causes are a second program from the same publisher, a scheduled task that downloads it again, or a browser extension that keeps prompting for it. Sort Installed apps by install date and uninstall each entry from the same day that you did not choose.
Then open Task Scheduler and look in the Task Scheduler Library for tasks with updater-style names that you do not recognise. Check Startup apps in Task Manager too. If Advanced Network Care still returns, start Windows in Safe Mode, uninstall it there and run a Microsoft Defender offline scan, which looks for loaders that ordinary scans can miss.
How do I know if my PC has Advanced Network Care?
Often you do not, which is the point of a trojan. Possible signs are an antivirus alert naming Advanced Network Care or a generic trojan detection, unknown programs or scheduled tasks, processes with random names in Task Manager, browser extensions you did not add, security settings turned off, slower performance, or account alerts about logins from unknown places.
The reliable check is a full scan followed by Microsoft Defender's offline scan. If you recently ran a crack, a fake installer or a command a website told you to paste, scan even without symptoms.
Do I need to reinstall Windows to get rid of Advanced Network Care?
Usually not. A thorough clean-up is enough when the offline scan finds nothing afterwards and you do not see advanced Network Care in the list of installed apps again. A reset is the safer choice if an attacker had remote control, if security tools were switched off, or if detections come back after every clean-up.
Windows 11 can reset itself without a USB stick under Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC. Copy documents and photos out first and scan the copies. A reset does not change passwords or undo stolen data, so the account steps still apply.
Should I report Advanced Network Care?
Report it if you lost money, if accounts were taken over, if you are a business, or if the trojan came through a scam call. A police or national cybercrime report gives you a reference number for your bank and insurer and helps link cases.
You do not need to report a trojan that antivirus blocked before it ran. Before reporting, write down the dates, the detection name, file names and any messages or transactions linked to the attack; screenshots of antivirus alerts are useful evidence. The country list is in the report section above.
I found AnyDesk or ScreenConnect that I did not install. Is that Advanced Network Care?
Not necessarily Advanced Network Care, but it is a warning sign. These are legitimate remote support tools, and criminals use them as ready-made backdoors, especially after tech support scams or fake invoice calls.
If you did not install it and no one you trust set it up, uninstall it, change passwords from a clean device and check your bank account. If someone connected to your PC through it, follow the steps for remote access trojans and consider a Windows reset. Installed apps sorted by date shows when it appeared.
Which malware family is Advanced Network Care?
That is not known yet. Advanced Network Care has been reported by people who saw advanced Network Care in the list of installed apps, but no sample has been analysed publicly, so security companies have not assigned it to a family. The name you see may be a file or program name chosen by the authors, not a family name.
This does not stop you from removing it: the startup points, the offline scan and the account steps are the same for most families of this type. If Microsoft Defender or another scanner gives the file a detection name, write it down; that name is the best clue to the family and is useful when you report the incident.
How dangerous is Advanced Network Care?
Treat it as serious until proven otherwise. The visible sign is advanced Network Care in the list of installed apps, and programs that behave this way often have more abilities than they show:
- copying passwords
- downloading other malware
- giving remote access
Its family is not known yet, so nobody can say which of these it uses. The good news is that the response is the same in every case and takes about an hour:
- cut the network
- remove the startup entry
- run an offline scan
- change passwords from a clean device
If someone had remote control, a full reset is safer.
My antivirus was on. How did a trojan get past it?
Antivirus programs see a file only when it is written or run, and criminals test each new build against popular scanners before release. Detection catches up within hours or days, which is often after the first victims ran it.
Archives with passwords, installers that fetch the malware later, and scripts run through PowerShell make the job harder. That is why behaviour such as downloading cracks or pasting commands matters more than any setting. Keep Windows and Defender updated, and turn on Reputation-based protection in App & browser control.
Will Fortect remove Advanced Network Care?
Fortect for Mac scans for malware and unwanted programs, and its free scan shows what it finds on your Mac before you decide anything.
For Advanced Network Care, follow the plan on this page as well: removing a launch item or an app is done in macOS itself, and a scanner cannot undo what was typed or entered on the infected Mac, such as saved passwords that were copied.
Change your passwords from another device first, and if the page tells you to erase the Mac, a scan is not a substitute. The free scan costs nothing and the full-featured product needs a license.
Sources
- MakeUseOf: Are Mac Cleaning Apps Worthless? 7 Factors to Consider (read October 7, 2026)
- Norton: Remove Fake pop-up or tech support scam messages that warn the computer is infected (read October 7, 2026)
- Virusai: SAUGUMO IR VIRUSŲ NAUJIENOS (read October 7, 2026)
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)