Your Mac Might Be Infected (2021 update) - virus
Your Mac Might Be Infected Removal Guide
What is Your Mac Might Be Infected?
Your Mac Might Be Infected is a scam that promotes useless software
Your Mac Might Be Infected is a fake alert that threatens Mac OS users that their machines might be compromised by viruses and they need to clean them immediately. The purpose of this scam is to trick them into downloading and installing Advanced Mac Cleaner, MacKeeper, or other suspicious tools that are supposed to fix the computer. However, these programs are known as potentially unwanted and can most commonly bring more bad than good.
If you have spotted the scam message while browsing the web on Safari, Google Chrome, or another browser, ignore this warning and never interact with it. In this article, we will explore in detail what to do when you encounter this scam, as browser redirects[1] to suspicious websites might sometimes indicate adware infection.
| Name | Your Mac Might Be Infected |
| Type | Adware |
| OS affected | Mac |
| Danger Level | Medium (adware can lead to some unpleasant infections) |
| Symptoms | Pop-up ads, redirects, altered search results, slow computer performance, etc. |
| Distribution Methods | Bundling, shady websites |
| Elimination | Use anti-malware tools for general system cleaning |
| Repair | Your device can be recovered with the help of FortectIntego |
Adware is not generally considered malware, although many security experts claim that some PUPs might be particularly dangerous – they operate in a way that can hardly be called legitimate. Once installed, adware typically emits several symptoms through the app they affect the most – the web browser. These are the symptoms of adware infection:
- Ads, banners, deals, offers, coupons are injected into each of owned browsers;
- Random text on web pages is turned into hyperlinks;
- Additional browser helper objects installed without users’ approval;
- Users are redirected to suspicious domains which might be infected with malware;
- Search results are modified and link to affiliated web pages.
However, the main purpose of the Your Mac Might Be Infected virus is to display a misleading message:
Your Mac Might Be Infected!
OS version: OS Sierra
Country:
IP address: Unknown
Attention: Your Mac might be infected by the latest viruses. If you do not remove them, they may damage your system files and slow down your internet browsing speed.HOW TO REMOVE:
Step 1: Click on the button below to download now and install Advanced Mac Cleaner
Step 2: Run Advanced Mac Cleaner and remove all potential viruses immediately
It is evident that crooks are using smart social engineering[2] skills to ensure that the victim falls for the trap and installs fake software. However, it is all a scam, and there are no dangerous viruses on the users’ machines. Thus, you just need to remove the virus to stop the popup, clean the malware pieces from the device and forget about this notification.
Ironically, the scam authors warn that an unknown virus might damage system files and slow down browsing speed. However, adware that is causing these pop-ups actually is the culprit and does precisely that.
Additionally, security experts from Virusai.lt noted[3] that adware is known for collecting non-personally identifiable information used for marketing purposes. Adware developers want to control users’ browsing habits by displaying sponsored content associated with victims’ interests in order to get their clicks and generate revenue in this way.
Adware and other PUPs can multiply really fast, making every web browsing session a complete nightmare. Thus, do not delay Your Mac Might Be Infected removal. The quickest way to get rid of the virus is to use a robust security tool, like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes (you can pick other trusted software, too).
However, if you want to get rid of the virus manually, you can find a detailed and illustrated guide at the end of this article. Keep in mind that ad-supported applications can hide deep in the system. Thus, if you fail to find them, redirects to the scam site come back again.
Adware can be hidden as an additional component in software bundles
The potentially unwanted program is called so for a reason, namely because it appears on the victims’ machine without adequately asking for permission. Typically, these programs bring no benefit to users and continuously disturb a normal computer and browser operation.
When installing free software from the internet, make sure you never pick Recommended/Quick/Default installation modes. Instead, proceed with Advanced/Custom settings and opt-out of any additional programs, such as toolbars, optimization tools, add-ons, search engines, video converters, and similar useless software.
Instead, if you want to use the tools suggested, find an appropriate match on official websites. This way, you will be sure that you will not be exposed to the dangers PUPs can bring.
Eliminate Your Mac Might Be Infected fake pop-up in a few minutes
The easiest way to remove these scam messages is by downloading and installing genuine anti-malware software. This way, you will not have to worry if all the components of adware are eliminated, as the security program will take care of everything automatically.
If you are against additional software on your machine, you can also follow our instructions below. However, if you noticed that the instructions are hard to understand, we urge you to pick automatic Your Mac Might Be Infected virus removal. In this way, you can be sure that adware is gone 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 Your Mac Might Be Infected. 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
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
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 Your Mac Might Be Infected 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 adware
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 Private Internet Access 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, or 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, Data Recovery Pro can be your only hope to retrieve your invaluable files.
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- ^ URL redirection. Wikipedia. A free encyclopedia.
- ^ George V. Hulme & Joan Goodchild. What is social engineering? How criminals take advantage of human behavior. CSO. Security decision-makers.
- ^ Virusai. Virusai. Lithuanian cybersecurity experts.