MacKeeper - Media Downloader

Christopher99 · Mar 27, 2015

Hello,

I was getting on youtube today, and a pop-up recommended I needed some kind of update… For the life of me, I can't remember what it was, but it looked light… I think it said I needed to update my "media Downloader" in order to watch online video.. So I did it, then all of a sudden my home page is "Yahoo" search engine (which I don't want) and a pop up keeps coming up recommending I scan my computer.
I decided to uninstall whatever I installed, so I went to my applications folder, and saw from todays date "MacKeeper" and "mediaDownloader". I uninstalled both.
Yahoo search engine is still my home page (which I don't want.. I don't want a home page at all.. I want to go back to the multiple windows showing my recent web pages I visited… No home page).
The pop up stating I need a scan seems to have gone away, I think it was the "mackeeper".

Anyway, my question is..
Should I have uninstalled "MacKeeper" and "mediaDownloader"? And How do I get rid of a search engine home page?

Oh.. Something new…
Now all of a sudden I'm getting tons of pop-ups and advertisements on Ebay… That actually keep me from selecting / viewing what I searched for. I never got these before.
What is going on??? What did I do?

RadDave · Mar 27, 2015

Christopher99 said:
................
Anyway, my question is..
Should I have uninstalled "MacKeeper" and "mediaDownloader"? And How do I get rid of a search engine home page?
........................................

Hi Christopher.. - well, you already went too far and should have never installed MacKeeper - notorious software - you need to get all of this malicious stuff off of your computer and may not be easy - sorry -

Take a look and a good reading of these links: 1) MacForums Investigates MacKeeper; and 2) MacKeeper Awareness - post back your results and further questions - Dave

lclev · Mar 27, 2015

You do not state what browser you are using so I will not be able to tell you how to fix the home page issue until you post that information.

As to fixing the other issues. I suggest you download AdwareMedic and run it to clean up any issues you might have missed:

AdwareMedic

Next add as extension to your browser Adblock Plus and Ghostery. Both are free and excellent at preventing popups and ads.

Lisa

Christopher99 · Mar 27, 2015

I have a MacBook Pro and am using Safari

Christopher99 · Mar 27, 2015

RadDave,

Everytime I try to open up one of your links, my internet screens go blank and I have to restart my computer… I must have really screwed things up..

lclev · Mar 27, 2015

To reset the homepage in safari: Click on Safari -> preferences -> general and in the middle of that page you will see "homepage:" paste in: "http://www.apple.com/startpage/" (without quotes) and that will return your start up page.

Lisa

RadDave · Mar 27, 2015

lclev said:
To reset the homepage in safari: Click on Safari -> preferences -> general and in the middle of that page you will see "homepage:" paste in: "http://www.apple.com/startpage/" (without quotes) and that will return your start up page.

@ Christopher.. - the links are working on my MBPro, so take Lisa's advice and try to view them - good luck! Dave

Christopher99 · Mar 27, 2015

I took lclev's advice and installed/used "Adware Medic".. I then deleted everything it recommended to delete.. Since then, I can now open RadDave's links, Ebay doesn't show all those crazy ads and pop-ups, and my internet doesn't appear to be freezing anymore..
Still early, though… I'll keep you posted

Christopher99 · Mar 27, 2015

Another question, though… How do I delete individual items in my trash (I want to delete "Mackeeper", but not necessarily anything else yet..

RadDave · Mar 27, 2015

Christopher99 said:
Another question, though… How do I delete individual items in my trash (I want to delete "Mackeeper", but not necessarily anything else yet..

OK Christopher.. - first, please read the links I left previously - likely information on how to get rid of all the remnants of MacKeeper off your computer - if not enough help, then simply google 'uninstall MacKeeper' for plenty of hits, such as THIS ONE - hope that this helps - let us know and post back here - Dave

TattooedMac · Mar 27, 2015

Christopher99 said:
Another question, though… How do I delete individual items in my trash (I want to delete "Mackeeper", but not necessarily anything else yet..

The 1 big downfall of the TRASH in Mac OS X. You can't. Well you can, but that takes some doing in Terminal, and the way you are at the moment, I wouldn't suggest it.
What you can do, is to make a new Folder on your Desktop by using ⇧⌘N. Call it Trash, then drag that into the Trash. When in Trash, drag everything apart from what you want to get rid of, into the new Trash Folder. Once its all in there, drag the Trash Folder back to the Desktop, and then go and Empty the Trash.

Now drag the trash folder back into the trash, and leave it there, until you decide what you want to do with it all.
Just a FYI, because you have things in the Trash, doesn't mean you have anymore room on your Mac, so until you actually Empty Trash, they still take up wanted space on the HD.
I just say this, because if you don't want to Delete them permanently, then put them where they should be on your HD, even if they are in a Folder named Trash?? . . . . You will at some stage Empty your Trash, and there will be Files/Folders in there that you wanted to keep, and they will be gone forever.
Its a very dangerous practice leaving wanted files in the Trash . . .

Christopher99 · Mar 27, 2015

Great links Dave.

I think I'm good… Can't believe I downloaded that P.O.S. software… Didn't even realize I did.

Christopher99 · Mar 27, 2015

TattooedMac said:
Its a very dangerous practice leaving wanted files in the Trash . . .

Thanks for the tip Tattooed Mac.. but I just deleted everything in my trash..
I'm just a little "paranoid" about permanently deleting stuff, but after I though about it, trash is trash, and I don't need any of it..

RadDave · Mar 27, 2015

Christopher99 said:
Great links Dave.

I think I'm good… Can't believe I downloaded that P.O.S. software… Didn't even realize I did.

GREAT! Hope that all is gone and you're back in business! Let us know if you need further help - Dave

Ewell · Mar 28, 2015

lclev said:
You do not state what browser you are using so I will not be able to tell you how to fix the home page issue until you post that information.

As to fixing the other issues. I suggest you download AdwareMedic and run it to clean up any issues you might have missed:

AdwareMedic

Next add as extension to your browser Adblock Plus and Ghostery. Both are free and excellent at preventing popups and ads.

Lisa

How do I do the Adblock Plus and Ghostery you suggested? I have downloaded and run AdwareMedic.

lclev · Mar 28, 2015

Go to Safari -> Preferences -> Extensions - at the bottom of that window click on "Get Extensions". It will open a window in Safari. Scroll down and you will see on the right a search block. Type in Adblock plus and install it then do the same for Ghostery. They are free.

Lisa

Ewell · Mar 28, 2015

lclev said:
Go to Safari -> Preferences -> Extensions - at the bottom of that window click on "Get Extensions". It will open a window in Safari. Scroll down and you will see on the right a search block. Type in Adblock plus and install it then do the same for Ghostery. They are free.

Lisa

Thank you so much!!!!!

harryb2448 · May 30, 2017

This is a two year old thread but you simply use your search engine or as suggested next line. AdareMedic has been known as Malwarebytes for Mac for two years. You did actually get Malwarebytes for Mac rather some shonky AdwareRemover etc?

Go into Safari > Extensions and there will be an array of possible extensions, including AdBlock Plus and Ghostery. Just click the install button and Safari will do the rest.