Mac Tweaker (Removal Guide) - Free Instructions
Mac Tweaker Removal Guide
What is Mac Tweaker?
Mac Tweaker – a rogue system optimizer that might leave you disappointed
Mac Tweaker is advertised as an optimization tool that can clean and optimize Mac OS X system 10.7 & above. Similarly to MacKeeper, Mac Optimizer, Mac Mechanic and many others, this questionable application infiltrates users’ machines without permission. Thus, it falls into potentially unwanted program[1] category.
SUMMARY | |
Name | Mac Tweaker |
---|---|
Type | Potentially unwanted program |
OS affected | Mac OS X 10.7 and above |
Main dangers | Wasted money on full license, important file deletion, personal information disclosure |
Distribution | Bundling, online advertisements or official website – hxxp://mactweaker.com/ |
Elimination | Download and install FortectIntego. Manual method also available |
As soon as the unwanted app infests your system, it performs a computer scan. You should not be surprised that, according to Mac Tweaker, your system is affected by many issues that need to be addressed. As soon as you proceed and click “Fix” however, you are prompted to buy a full version of the program.
A licensed version is subscription based and costs $39.95 every six months. You are also offered additional software that costs another $19.95. The service is expensive, especially when you combine it with questionable functionality.
If you proceed with the purchase, you are asked to provide personal details, including name, email, phone and bank information. Please read the following from developer’s EULA:
7.2. You acknowledge that Mac Tweaker collects certain information regarding the users of the Software, including certain personally identifiable information. You hereby consent to Mac Tweaker for collection and use of such information, and agree that Mac Tweaker's collection and use of such information will be governed by Mac Tweaker's Privacy Policy
We highly advise refraining from this offer as the personal information might be used for questionable purposes (typically marketing); however, you can never know when your data might be misused, especially when payments are handled by 3rd parties, too. Thus, do not trust this program – remove Mac Tweaker immediately.
The main problem with fake optimization tools is that all of them have a similar function: they mostly enter users machines through software bundling or advertisements, perform the scan, find hundreds of “issues” and demand payment for the alleged fix. The whole scheme is incredibly shady. Therefore, some people might call it Mac Tweaker virus (although it is not).
If you want proper tools to protect your computer, select reputable security software, like FortectIntego. Not only can it help you with Mac Tweaker removal but can also detect other PUPs or even malware. Furthermore, junk files,[2] trash, logs and other issues can be eliminated manually – for free.
Mac Tweaker is a legitimate software, claiming it can clean and speed up Mac. However, its functionality raises doubts to security experts.
Ways rogue software invades users’ machines
The suspicious application can be distributed in two ways – downloaded and installed intentionally or installed together with other free software. As the PUP performs scan instantaneously after installation, confused and scared users might proceed with the full license purchase.
Therefore, do not let questionable applications enter your Mac OS that easily – be attentive while installing freeware. The most important thing is not to rush the installation while clicking “Next” button without looking. By doing so, you might skip essential steps. Thus, read installation instructions carefully and always opt for Advanced or Custom installation mode. Make sure you deselect any pre-selected tick marks by add-ons, toolbars, optimization tools, etc.
Uninstall Mac Tweaker from your Mac and save your money
Security experts[3] noted that fake optimization tools are not useful for your computer and should be avoided in the first place. However, if you noticed that your system is being scanned out of nowhere, remove Mac Tweaker at once.
You can remove Mac Tweaker manually by using our guide below this article. Do not forget that you have to eliminate all related files in the libraries. Also, we do not advise picking this method if you are not that computer-savvy individual.
You can also opt for automatic Mac Tweaker virus removal – it will only take a few minutes. Please pick one of the programs mentioned below, install and run a full system scan. If you recently installed free software and obtained Mac Tweaker, it is highly likely that you have other PUPs installed on your system, like a browser hijacker or an adware program. Security software will detect all of these unwanted programs and eliminate them for good.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. 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.
Getting rid of Mac Tweaker. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
To eliminate Mac Tweaker form your Mac OS X, follow these steps:
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, 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 and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
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.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
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
- 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
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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.
Remove from Google Chrome
Do not forget to reset your Google Chrome browser:
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 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.
Delete from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
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.
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.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Mac Tweaker registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting system tools
Protect your privacy – employ a VPN
There are several ways how to make your online time more private – you can access an incognito tab. However, there is no secret that even in this mode, you are tracked for advertising purposes. There is a way to add an extra layer of protection and create a completely anonymous web browsing practice with the help of Private Internet Access VPN. This software reroutes traffic through different servers, thus leaving your IP address and geolocation in disguise. Besides, it is based on a strict no-log policy, meaning that no data will be recorded, leaked, and available for both first and third parties. The combination of a secure web browser and Private Internet Access VPN will let you browse the Internet without a feeling of being spied or targeted by criminals.
No backups? No problem. Use a data recovery tool
If you wonder how data loss can occur, you should not look any further for answers – human errors, malware attacks, hardware failures, power cuts, natural disasters, or even simple negligence. In some cases, lost files are extremely important, and many straight out panic when such an unfortunate course of events happen. Due to this, you should always ensure that you prepare proper data backups on a regular basis.
If you were caught by surprise and did not have any backups to restore your files from, not everything is lost. Data Recovery Pro is one of the leading file recovery solutions you can find on the market – it is likely to restore even lost emails or data located on an external device.
- ^ What is a…PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program)?. Fraud Watch. Internet Security Company.
- ^ Brandon Jones. The Five Most Common Junk Files on Your Computer . PSafe. Leader in Security, Performance, and Privacy Apps.
- ^ DieViren. DieViren. German security experts.