02-15-2010, 02:59 PM

I lent my MacBook Pro to my friend two days ago and just got it back. After browsing through the web history to find a page I was on the week before, I noticed that he had been frequenting several porn sites and possibly using the computers webcam. He downloaded a couple files which he didn't take the time to delete from my Downloads folder, and as a result, I'm quite annoyed.

I'm a fairly new Mac user, so I'm not sure what to do to protect my computer.
I downloaded MacScan and ran a full scan (which revealed 2 tracking cookies, nothing really extreme) and that's all I've done so far.

Should I look into changing my IP address if he potentially used pay sites? Is that even possible?
I need this computer to last me a good while, help me Mac OSX Forum, you're my only hope!

02-15-2010, 03:48 PM

Don't blame it on your mate

02-15-2010, 03:56 PM

I don't even let my wife use my Mac! Mine, mine, mine!

02-15-2010, 03:59 PM

Fap, Fap, Fap!! Might want to clean that keyboard too :O

02-15-2010, 04:10 PM

I don't see anything wrong with what he did. In fact, he did you a major favor. If you can't figure out what it is, then perhaps you should lend it to him again.

02-15-2010, 04:12 PM

Also. Cookies go off after a while, i would eat them now before they go stale.

02-15-2010, 04:18 PM

I'm a slow learner also.

First home computer - '81
Last time someone was allowed to use my computer while logged into my user account - somewhere around '93
Last time someone was allowed to sit down in front of the keyboard on my primary computer while it was powered on - '98
Last time I loaned one of my computers out - never.

(Yes, someone includes my wife. Although I guess, if we were down to one computer, I might would let her use it, on a non-admin account, maybe.)

02-15-2010, 04:21 PM

I would go into Safari (after you get that site from your history), click Safari from the menu bar, then click on 'Reset Safari...'. By default everything is checked so just hit Reset.

Any open windows will close and you'll be left with a new window displaying your home page.

Then drag the files to your trash and hit Finder, Secure Empty Trash if you want to be really sure there is no trace of them.


Other than that, don't worry if any these sites did have dodgy files chances are they'd only effect a windows system and OS X is immune to these viruses. The tracing cookies could have come from anywhere and these are absolutely nothing to worry about.

02-15-2010, 04:22 PM

If your going to be lending your mac out, then really you should have made him an account via the 'system Preference>Accounts' section, from there you could have made him a guest account, then when the mac was returned you could have simply removed his account and been safe in the knowledge your files and privacy would have been untampered. Also as a guest your friend wouldn't have been able to install new software or change any critical settings without your administrator password.

Anyway the horse has now bolted so its down to damage limitation. Obviously have a good scan round your mac, deleting any files you think he's downloaded (make sure you have a time machine backup first though), macs being macs they're generally virus free etc so I wouldn't worry too much on that front, for now I'd go on a bit of an exercise resetting passwords, clearing down browser histories and emptying the browser cache.

Resetting your IP (externally) is normally controlled by your ISP, internally you could change it to something else if your not setup as a DHCP machine (in which case your router controls IP assignment), but I dont see really what that would achieve.

My final suggestion is look into getting a program called Little Snitch, it allows you to control outbound communication from your mac, something your firewall doesn't do by default, it'll give you a better idea if theres something on your mac trying to contact the outside world in the background.

Hope that helps

02-15-2010, 04:42 PM

lol been there. I use Onyx as a quick, easy way to clear out everything if you need to.

02-15-2010, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by Doug b

I don't see anything wrong with what he did. In fact, he did you a major favor. If you can't figure out what it is, then perhaps you should lend it to him again.

What favor would that be? The PRoN URL's? I love it when Windows people do a lot of porn because usually they infect their computers and bring them to me and I get $$$ for cleaning them up!

To the OP, Do you have any passwords saved in Safari? If you don't or don't care, go to the Safari menu and Reset Safari. Throw the downloaded files in the trash.

02-15-2010, 04:49 PM

Again, Onyx is free, and clears out everything everywhere as far as I can tell.

02-15-2010, 04:51 PM

As suggested, you could have created a guest account for him to use. Not only that, but you could have turned on Parental Control on this account as it sounds as though your friend needs it. That way you could have restricted him to the Disney Channel website

02-15-2010, 04:52 PM

And, after you use Onyx (no I do not work for them lol), just tell him, "You are my friend man, but you got porn spam all over my precious Mac, so you can't use it again."

02-15-2010, 05:05 PM

Three rules when lending stuff to a friend. You don't lend them the following.

1. Money
2. Your computer
3. Your girl