Remove Mac Auto Fixer (Removal Guide) - Sep 2020 update
Mac Auto Fixer is a potentially unwanted application which claims to fix Mac-related issues
Questions about Mac Auto Fixer
Mac Auto Fixer is an unreliable system optimization tool that was developed by an infamous developer called PCVARK. The main sign showing that your PC is infected is the Maftask task that can be found running in the computer's Activity Monitor. This potentially unwanted program (PUP)[1] is similar to Advanced Mac Cleaner, Mac Tonic, Mac Mechanic, Mac Shiny, and similar suspicious applications that all promise to help users improve their PCs' functionality. However, if you have been wondering is Mac Auto Fixer a virus, we definitely recommend you to get rid of it. Despite its attractive description, GUI and seemingly effective functionality, this program seems to imitate its activity on the system and seeks the only aim – your money. Don't buy its useless licensed version offered as the only way to improve the computer's work! There are plenty of free programs available on the market these days.
| Name | Mac Auto Fixer |
|---|---|
| Type | System tool; PUP; adware |
| Danger level | Medium. Does not perform system changes |
| related task | Maftask |
| Symptoms | Performs questionable system scans and reports about invented malware. Offers its paid license key as the only way to fix the system |
| main dangers | Spending your money on useless software; revealing your credit card information to strangers |
| Distribution | Third-party apps; bundling distribution technique |
| Elimination | You can uninstall Mac Auto Fixer and other potentially unwanted programs with Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego |
Mac Auto Fixer virus has been bothering PC users for more than a year now.[2] Unreliable system optimization tools are not malicious apps that pose serious harm to PC systems. However, they rely on misleading distribution techniques, cause fake warning messages and then start pushing their victims into buying their license. In other terms, users are not advised to keep this program on their computers as it employs misleading techniques to sell its 118 € worth license. Besides, it is not capable of fixing Mac-related problems.
Another issue related to Mac Auto Fixer is its distribution techniques. Note that this app can be installed on the computers together with third-party tools or via fake ads offering to check the system for free. Likewise, many people do not even notice this potentially unwanted program until it starts delivering intrusive and less than reliable Mac Auto Fixer ads and scanners that include the list of invented errors.
Once inside the system, Mac Auto Fixer performs system scans that report about numerous cyber threats and errors. The list of scan results includes the following:
- Infected files;
- Junk items;
- Privacy exposing data.
According to the experts, it is not hard to check the reliability of the unwanted items found by Mac Auto Fixer. You should install an alternative optimization tool, which is known to be reliable, and run a full system scan. You can also use your own anti-virus software. Once it finishes its scan, compare its results with the ones displayed by the PUP. We can guarantee that there will be no errors similar to the ones included in the first scan.
The scan results and cyber threats detected by this program are non-existent and merely shown just to trick gullible people into purchasing the full version of the program. Likewise, Mac Auto Fixer virus term is a popular description used by people online.
Mac Auto Fixer is a questionable system optimization tool which might deliver modified scan results.
Furthermore, users who have Mac Auto Fixer are disappointed as it causes unwanted redirects to other questionable sites. Be aware that the developers of this software are not responsible for the content of those websites. Thus, users might end up on malware distribution pages and infect their Mac computers with threats similar to the potentially unwanted application.
It is evident that this fraudulent system optimization tool is not worth your trust. Likewise, the best decision would be to switch to a professional security tool and remove Mac Auto Fixer without dealing with the useless software. If you want to speed up your computer's functionality, get Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego or another reliable software which is capable of doing that.
For Mac Auto Fixer removal, you can use manual removal guide presented below. In case your computer is also infected with Mac Mechanic or MacShiny, you will need to uninstall them as well. Before that, launch Activity Monitor to force quit the PUP. Thus, a full system scan is recommended after uninstalling these apps as it helps you make sure that all unwanted components are gone. To prevent the reappearance of this PUP, make sure you delete Mac Auto Fixer together with its leftover files.
Bundling: PUPs infiltrate the system without user's consent
There are several distribution techniques used to spread potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). Although, the most prominent and widely used one remains bundling as it does not require the user's consent to infiltrate the system. This method allows the developers to offer their questionable tools as one program with another third-party app.
However, there is a way how users can detect and reject potentially unwanted programs during the installation of freeware. The first step is to never agree with Quick or Recommended settings. Instead, you MUST pick Advanced or Custom ones as this is the only way to reveal hidden PUPs.
Keep in mind that they come as optional components. Likewise, you should attentively check each installation step and search for pre-selected items. PUPs may be marked as “I agree to install XXX,” or “Get XXX now” check-marks. De-select them and double-check your system with an antivirus.
How to remove Mac Auto Fixer from the affected PC system
If you have been wondering how to get rid of Mac Auto Fixer from your operating system, note that you are dealing with the potentially unwanted program which can run numerous tasks in the system's background to stay active. According to PC security researchers,[3] you should check the Activity Monitor on your computer to disable the virus. For that:
- Open Utilities folder and locate the Activity Monitor;
- Here, find Mac Auto Fixer, click the mouse on it and click Quit Process;
- Select the Force Quit when a pop up asking if you would like to quit the executable shows up;
Once you perform these steps, you should proceed with the traditional method to uninstall the PUP. Note that potentially unwanted programs are sneaky cyber threats that can leave related elements after inappropriate elimination. Therefore, it is essential to remove Mac Auto Fixer with all its components from the system. Otherwise, the application might reappear after a while.
The best option to do after you take care of Mac Auto Fixer removal is to check the system with the help of a professional security tool. The antivirus will not only uninstall the leftover files PUP but will also get rid of other potentially unwanted programs that might be present on your system. For that, check the list of our recommendations below.
You may remove virus damage with a help of Reimage Reimage Cleaner Intego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
To remove Mac Auto Fixer, follow these steps:
Delete Mac Auto Fixer from Mac OS X system
Mac Auto Fixer removal guidelines:
If your macOS is displaying some infection symptoms, proceed with the following guide:
Remove Mac Auto Fixer from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for Mac Auto Fixer-related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
![Uninstall from Mac 1]( "Uninstall from Mac 1")
To fully remove Mac Auto Fixer, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries related to Mac Auto Fixer and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the Mac Auto Fixer-related entries.
![Uninstall from Mac 2]( "Uninstall from Mac 2")
Erase Mac Auto Fixer from Safari
Reset Safari web browser if you have been suffering from suspicious promoting this questionable web optimization tool:
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension related to Mac Auto Fixer and select Uninstall.
![Remove extensions from Safari]( "Remove extensions from Safari")
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
![Clear cookies and website data from Safari]( "Clear cookies and website data from Safari")
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
![Reset Safari]( "Reset Safari")
Eliminate Mac Auto Fixer from Google Chrome
Refresh Google Chrome to get rid of continuous ads promoting Mac Auto Fixer and similar PUPs:
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 the suspicious plugins that might be related to Mac Auto Fixer by clicking Remove.
![Remove extensions from Chrome]( "Remove extensions from Chrome")
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.
![Clear cache and web data from Chrome]( "Clear cache and web data from Chrome")
If the above-methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the Mac Auto Fixer-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 to complete Mac Auto Fixer removal.
![Reset Chrome 2]( "Reset Chrome 2")
Uninstall Mac Auto Fixer from Internet Explorer (IE)
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 Mac Auto Fixer and other suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
![Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer]( "Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer")
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.
![Reset IE homepage]( "Reset IE homepage")
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete…
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
![Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer]( "Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer")
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 again to complete Mac Auto Fixer removal.
![Reset Internet Explorer]( "Reset Internet Explorer")
Get rid of Mac Auto Fixer from Microsoft Edge
Remove all suspicious add-ons and similar components 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 Mac Auto Fixer-related extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
![Remove extensions from Edge]( "Remove extensions from Edge")
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
![Clear Edge browsing data]( "Clear Edge browsing data")
Reset MS Edge if that 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.
![Reset MS Edge]( "Reset MS Edge")
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
![Advanced MS Edge reset 1]( "Advanced MS Edge reset 1")
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
![Advanced MS Edge reset 2]( "Advanced MS Edge reset 2")
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
![Remove extensions from Chromium Edge]( "Remove extensions from Chromium Edge")
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
![Clear browser data from Chroum Edge]( "Clear browser data from Chroum Edge")
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.
![Reset Chromium Edge]( "Reset Chromium Edge")
Remove Mac Auto Fixer 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 plugins that are related to Mac Auto Fixer and click Remove.
![Remove extensions from Firefox]( "Remove extensions from Firefox")
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Options.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
![Clear cookies and site data from Firefox]( "Clear cookies and site data from Firefox")
In case Mac Auto Fixer did not get removed after following the instructions above, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
![Reset Firefox 1]( "Reset Firefox 1")
- 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 – this should complete Mac Auto Fixer removal.
![Reset Firefox 2]( "Reset Firefox 2")
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
If this free removal guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Potentially unwanted program. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- ^ Permanently delete malware: Mac Auto Fixer (previously Mac Defender). Apple macOS High Sierra forum.
- ^ Virukset. Virukset. Security and Spyware News.
