27" iMac Replaced HDD having issues

[Brendan_85]

Hey everyone,

My seagate 1TB HDD crashed,recently had it replaced with a WD1TB HDD through an authorised apple repairer.

Having issues with safari,the speed is very slow,When i use google most of the time suggestions don't come up.when i hit search it lags out and can take up to 20/30 seconds to go from the google screen to the results.And popups,installed ad block pro & it's taken care of the popups - however it's blocking a lot of sites,sometimes dozens at a time if i'm multi tabbing etc.at the moment it's blocking 8 sites with only 1 tab open!

Firefox runs fine,normal speed etc.Tried everything i can think of,even installed a virus scanning program and it comes up clean.

Would really appreciate any help or advice.Let me know if you need all the details of what hardware i have,It's just a stock iMac purchased in 2011...Before my hard drive crashed,never had any issues with my mac.was always super fast etc which is why i'm surprised as to why it would be running slow with a new HDD.It's not my internet.

Regards,Brendan.

 

[chscag]

When the original hard drive crashed and the new drive was installed, how did you recover your data? And, did the Apple repair service install OS X for you? As far as the hardware is concerned, the WD drive was very likely a proprietary type drive for your iMac otherwise you would be having fan and heating problems if it wasn't. I think we can eliminate the hard drive as being the reason your Safari internet is slow.

Also since FF is running normally and the problem only appears to be with Safari, it's probably best to focus there. One thing you can try is reset Safari from its preference menu but that will erase History, cache, and your bookmark Favcons.

Also, you neglected to tell us which version of OS X you're running?

 

[Brendan_85]

I had my data backed up.

Yes,they installed the CD stock OSX operating system.

I then updated to Mavericks.

Yeah,i doubt it's the hard drive now,iv'e started using chrome - which is better than safari anyway imo.Iv'e already tried resetting safari,disc utility checks,anti malware scans....virtually everything i can think of.

I'm about to start a new semester of school,so the last thing i need is another crash...and i really don't feel like lugging my iMac back to the store again lol.

Is there another,more thorough scanning app i can run?

Thanks for your reply btw!

PS:

Forgot to mention,my original seagate 1TB HDD,was the faulty drive that apple offered to replace back in late 2012/early 2013.However i stupidly ignored the offer...thus having to pay $260 a few weeks ago.

My hardware:

27-inch, Late 2009

Processor 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3

Graphics ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 MB

Software OS X 10.9.4 (13E28)

I was considering a RAM upgrade,they quoted me $150AUD,I'm not even sure that i need extra RAM.

 

[harryb2448]

More memory would help but not at Apple's pricing. You can purchase from OWC or Crucial, and install yourself. Another 4Gb will fit the bill and much cheaper. For what it is worth I would have gone with my own clean install of Mavericks.


http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/8566DDR3S4GP/

 

[Brendan_85]

Is it relatively easy to install RAM? When i had a quick look on replacing the HDD,decided it was a bit to full on to do it myself.

Anyway,think i may have found my problem.Pretty sure i have malware,"Dynamic Pricer" comes up in all search results,in all browsers.I cannot get rid of it.It's a marketing/advertising bug.Iv'e searched how to remove it with no luck! there's also random what i can only describe as "flashing" when i'm browsing...the screen flashes basically.Only when browsing though,not when I'm on my home screen/not on the internet.

I installed several apps,when i was setting up my new HDD so iv'e obviously picked up up with one of them.

Blah,what a hassle!

 

[Brendan_85]

OK,so as you can see ad block is now blocking over a thousand sites/adds or whatever.This screen shot was taken while using chrome,so it's now effecting both chrome and safari.

No idea how to get rid of this,and if i can't get any help here i'm just going to take it back and demand apple fix the issue - never had this crap happen with my old HDD.what a joke!

 

[chscag]

How to remove "Dynamic Pricer Ads" from your browser.

And you're going to blame Apple because you downloaded something you shouldn't have on your new hard drive?

 

[Brendan_85]

How to remove "Dynamic Pricer Ads" from your browser.

And you're going to blame Apple because you downloaded something you shouldn't have on your new hard drive?

I never had any issues previously,and now all of a sudden i'm bombarded with malware/spyware? I'm always downloading,installing apps etc and didn't have any problems at all for over 4 years! and now the day i get my new HDD,it's running like a slow piece of PC junk!

I'm just extremely annoyed with the whole thing to be honest.

And that didn't work,there is no dynamic pricer in any of my extensions/add ons.I already tried that while searching on how to fix the problem.

Edit:

Spent over an hour trying to resolve the issue,read the entire (windows based) article forwarded to me,still cannot get rid of 'dynamic pricer'.I cannot find one bit of info on how to remove the adware ON MAC.It's all windows based info.

I'm willing to paypal someone money if they can help me,i'm serious - i didn't spend money to get my machine fixed to have it run like a buggy malware infested PC.....this is the reason i switched form PC to mac and now I'm considering selling my mac and going back to PC.

 

[harryb2448]

Are you using, or have ever installed, Genieo? Think the answer lies in something you have installed.


The Safe Mac » Mac adware menace continues


And memory is easy. Little box under the iMac.


http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1423?viewlocale=en_US#4

 

[pm-r]

What are you using to find the bits and pieces you want to find?? Spotlight won't be enough - big understatement!!

If you don't have or are using them, download and use with or both "EasyFind" and "Find Any File" and search on words or parts of any associated name and have a look in their found lists.

Freeware applications and services for Mac - DEVONtechnologies
EasyFind for Mac | MacUpdate
Thomas Tempelmann - Find Any File

 

[Brendan_85]

Thanks guys,

Used both those apps to search for 'dynamic pricer'...nothing found,including hidden folders.Searched for 'dynamic'...it found a few suspicious sounding things in the app support folder.Deleted them,didn't fix the problem.Also searched for Genieo,no luck there either.

Iv'e gone through and deleted every single app that i downloaded,apart from VLC player - and a pirated copy of iLife and Office Mac,both of the copies were downloaded and installed after i was having the problems anyway.

would a system reset/erase/delete everything on the HDD and start again,with my instal disc do the trick?

Thanks heaps for your help guys!

 

[harryb2448]

Well you could have hit the nail on the head with the pirated copies. Always expect problems. Some time ago a certain bay was distributing office suites with malware. Depends when in 2011 the iMac was purchased. Some came with Snow Leopard OS X.6 and an install DVD, and later in the year Lion OS X.7 which does not include discs as it was the start of the digital download era.

A clean install may be the go. You could format the drive and start with Snow Leopard, or download Mavericks and burn to a thumb drive, boot from that, format the drive and do the clean install. If you go that way, update using the Combo Updater.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

There is an adware issue on OS X that the built-in XProtect isn't catching. See this thread:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/switcher-hangout/313218-popup-misery-please-help.html

The OP there was having the exact same issues, only partially mitigated by using AdBlock and Ghostery. Running the Adware Removal Tool from SafeMac found adware and fixed it properly.

 

[pm-r]

There is an adware issue on OS X that the built-in XProtect isn't catching. See this thread:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/switcher-hangout/313218-popup-misery-please-help.html

The OP there was having the exact same issues, only partially mitigated by using AdBlock and Ghostery. Running the Adware Removal Tool from SafeMac found adware and fixed it properly.

A quick Google search on 'mac Mavericks adware issue' got several discussion hits that started early this spring and focused mainly on two culprits: "DownLite" adware and "Genieo" as has been mentioned on this forum I believe, and removal tools provided at those sites.

But I didn't think that the built-in XProtect was expected to catch and protect users when downloading pirated software, so maybe more normal users are actually protected. maybe...??? ;P

 

[chscag]

But I didn't think that the built-in XProtect was expected to catch and protect users when downloading pirated software, so maybe more normal users are actually protected. maybe...???

It's not. And when I learn that someone has been downloading pirated software, it's game over as far as I'm concerned. They're on their own from that point on. No help from our forums will be forthcoming.

 

[Brendan_85]

There is an adware issue on OS X that the built-in XProtect isn't catching. See this thread:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/switcher-hangout/313218-popup-misery-please-help.html

The OP there was having the exact same issues, only partially mitigated by using AdBlock and Ghostery. Running the Adware Removal Tool from SafeMac found adware and fixed it properly.

worked a charm,thanks so much! it literally detected the adware instant,within a second of opening the app.

"Downlite" was detected and immediately moved to the trash.

 

[Slydude]

@Brendan_85 Did you download any of the software from Softonic or CNET recently? Both have been accused of wrapping an installer which installs adware around installers for legit programs see here and here

Softonic's response can be found in the comments here.

I have rarely used Softonic over the years and haven't used CNET as a source for anything Mac-related in a long time. No problem avoiding either of these sites. So far my response has been as follows:

1. Download software from the App Store
2. For software not in the App Store I tend to go directly to the developer site.

 

[Brendan_85]

May have downloaded a softonic app,not 100% but it really does sound familiar.Possibly GIMP - a free image editing app.

I'll be much more careful now.

Can i ask you guys some advice for a RAM upgrade...

I'll probably be purchasing from this site,as recommended by another poster here:

OWC 8566DDR3S4GP 4.0GB (2x2.0GB Kit) PC-8500 DDR3... in stock at OWC

However,i'm considering going for the 8GB upgrade now,it's only $50 more.

anyway,will i notice much of a difference with apps loading,general speed of the machine? in other words,is it worth upgrading from 4GB memory?

I'm a newb with hardware guys lol.

 

[pm-r]

...
... ...
I have rarely used Softonic over the years and haven't used CNET as a source for anything Mac-related in a long time. No problem avoiding either of these sites. So far my response has been as follows:

1. Download software from the App Store
2. For software not in the App Store I tend to go directly to the developer site.

I'd suggest changing the order:

1. Download software from the developer if possible.
2. Download software from macupdate.com which can often provide a link to the developer's site as well
3. Download software from the App Store but be aware, it's version may be lacking some features that the version from the developer contains.

 

[pm-r]

It's not. And when I learn that someone has been downloading pirated software, it's game over as far as I'm concerned. They're on their own from that point on. No help from our forums will be forthcoming.

I almost missed your post that's on page 1.

And I guess one can assume that the problem may have been a cumulation of or start of previous non-official downloads even though the "problems" started prior to the admission of the latest non-official downloads.