Suspicious "Mac Protector" application

Today, inadvertently the "Mac Protector Version 2.6" was downloaded onto my iMac and I cannot remove it. They want to sell it for $79.95 and tell me that my computer is gravely infected by viruses. I do not want this thing but for the life of me I cannot remove it from my computer.
Shutting down my machine won't do it. Trying to put it in the trash won't work either.
Also, all of a sudden these disgusting porn pop ups appear every time I go on the internet. I have never been a porn junkie and have no idea why this stuff appears now.
Help! how do I get rid of this junk?
I am not very computer savvy, so please speak to me in lay language rather than tech jargon.
Many thanks!

Follow the instructions posted by cwa here

edit: nevermind - I couldn't find that link.

delete Macprotector Version 2.6

It's so easy...
Just go to Application and find the icon for Macprotector,highlight it,then press conrtol button,and click on show the package content.
Then transfer the whole package to the trash can and empty that,if it doesn't let you to make that empty;go to Finder and click Secure Empty Trash.
Finally restart your computer and back to application and highlight the icon ,belongs to macprotector-which is empty content-and highlight it and shoot it to the trash can.
Good luck !...;D

"Mac Protector"? Or "Mac Defender"? (or both?)
Not arguing semantics. I'm curious if there is more than one App doing this.

Proves yet again the biggest threat to Mac OS X is antivirus software marketed by dodgy brothers' companies.

Mac Protector

The same thing has happened to me. I got a Mac Protector popup and I clicked on it to see what it was. Now it is installed on my computer and I can't get it off. You can't put it in the trash because it says it's open. Now I am getting pop up porn sites. I don't know what to do. I even turned my computer off and turned it back on.

I have small grandchildren that are always on my computer and it upsets me that I can't control the popups.

same problem

Hi, Thank you for the question about removing the mac protector. I keep trying to move it to the trash as suggested and the message I get is that it can't be done because the program is open. I can't find a way to close the program, so I can't move it to the trash. I also am getting crazy porn pop ups. Please help! Thank you

Mac Protector virus

I just had someone help me get rid of this off my computer and it was so easy. I tried all the other things posted but it didn't work.

This is what they told me to do: Open Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor and quit any processes linked to MacProtector.

2. Delete MacProtector from the Applications folder.

3. Check System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items for suspicious entries

4. Run a Spotlight search for "MacProtector" to check for any associated files that might still be lingering.

It took me 2 minutes to get rid of it.

Good luck!

Same thing happened to me last night. Mine was called mac protector (havent seen mac defender). Thanks for the instructions Vida, it seems to have worked.

Got the same thing last night (started out with mac fender, which I got rid of) This morning I found I also had mac protector. Stupid, dang thing was driving me crazy. Thanks so much for the info. I think it's gone!

It does look like there are two different fake anti-virus products out there at this point. One is "Mac Protector", the other is "Mac Defender". I posted a link previously to a tutorial specific to "Mac Defender", this seems like a solid guide to removing "Mac Protector":

[Fix-KB] - Remove Mac Protector

And again, to prevent this in the future, it is CRITICAL that you turn off this setting in Safari:



And, as always, any time you get prompted for your admin password, it means that a program is trying to make a change to your operating system. Most programs that you install don't need to do this. If you run into it "out of the blue", it should make you very suspicious - always be wary of putting your admin password in when prompted.

lizzybluts said:

i just had someone help me get rid of this off my computer and it was so easy. I tried all the other things posted but it didn't work.

This is what they told me to do: Open applications > utilities > activity monitor and quit any processes linked to macprotector.

2. Delete macprotector from the applications folder.

3. Check system preferences > accounts > login items for suspicious entries

4. Run a spotlight search for "macprotector" to check for any associated files that might still be lingering.

It took me 2 minutes to get rid of it.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MACprotector

Thank you SOOOOOO much lizzybluts for guiding me through getting this annoyance off my machine. Worked like a charm!!

Macdefender got me!

I've been struggling with this thing all day. I am a mac newbie and would like to thank you all for your help with this annoying bug/virus. It was driving me mad and now its gone. Thank you so much for your help.

Excellent tip CWA - thanks a bunch for alerting us. Looks like a perfectly reasonable setting, but I guess someone found a way to run "safe content".

Thanks for info ~ Deleted Mac Protector immediately!

lizzybluts said:

I just had someone help me get rid of this off my computer and it was so easy. I tried all the other things posted but it didn't work.

This is what they told me to do: Open Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor and quit any processes linked to MacProtector.

2. Delete MacProtector from the Applications folder.

3. Check System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items for suspicious entries

4. Run a Spotlight search for "MacProtector" to check for any associated files that might still be lingering.

It took me 2 minutes to get rid of it.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Thanks for info ~ Deleted Mac Protector immediately!

Mac protector version 2.6

I also have this horrible thing on my imac for the last 2 days. Help! The nearest
apple service center is a 3 1/2 hour drive and I have no driver's license!

delete macprotector verion 2.6

I got as far as deleting it, but mt edit box doesn't show a delete option.

shivajessie said:

I got as far as deleting it, but mt edit box doesn't show a delete option.

Click to expand...

See this post (in the same thread):

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/os...-mac-protector-application-2.html#post1231509