Why do we see MacKeeper advtzd w DetectX Swift ?

[davowolf]

DetectX Swift seems to be the currently recommended s/w but MacKeeper long maligned.

 

[chscag]

Which website did you use to download DetectX Swift?

That looks like a dodgy advertisement from a less than honest site.

Always download from the developers site if possible.

 

[IWT]

@davowolf ,

This is the developer's site. Use it.

DetectX

kicking out badware on macOS since 2014

sqwarq.com

Ian

 

[davowolf]

Ah thanks Ian, I will. But its not before I had previously downloaded "DetectX' yesterday from 'macupdate.com' which showed that MacKeeper ad. Clearly not the same site as yours.

Strange thing I spot this morning. Although I see my Documents in icloud, the local files seem to have disappeared ! And I suddenly get No Access to Guest files !! What's happening ? Is this something top do with the DetectX I downloaded from the 'macupdate.com' site ?

 

[davowolf]

Can I just delete yesterdays "DetectX' from my Applications. There doesn't seem to be an 'uninstall' button. But nor is there for Malwarebytes should I want to get rid of that.

 

[IWT]

I'm afraid "Macupdate" has been known to bundle extra bits of software along with the app one has chosen.

NB I am not stating that this is the case here, but it's certainly well known for doing this.

Regarding your Documents: there are several possibilities but one I'd ask you to check.

Open System Preferences, then Click on Apple ID.

At the bottom is "Optimise Mac Storage" checked?

Next: If you have iCloud Drive checked, just along from it is "Options". Click on that.

Is "Desktop and Documents Folders" checked?

The answers to these two questions might well explain your situation - or not, of course.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

And you, since you are NOT Guest, don't have access to the Guest account or folders. That's the security of macOS. Guest, similarly, doesn't have access to YOUR files or folders.

 

[davowolf]

I'm afraid "Macupdate" has been known to bundle extra bits of software along with the app one has chosen.

NB I am not stating that this is the case here, but it's certainly well known for doing this.

Regarding your Documents: there are several possibilities but one I'd ask you to check.

Open System Preferences, then Click on Apple ID.

At the bottom is "Optimise Mac Storage" checked?

Next: If you have iCloud Drive checked, just along from it is "Options". Click on that.

Is "Desktop and Documents Folders" checked?

The answers to these two questions might well explain your situation - or not, of course.

Ian

Both checked and ticked.

So let's get rid of that version of DetectX. Just delete from applications ? Well just did that....

 

[MacInWin]

From those images, your Desktop and Documents folders (and everything in them) are stored in iCloud. All that you have on the Mac are links to where those things are in iCloud. If that is not what you want, you cannot just uncheck the boxes because that won't necessarily get them back. It should, but there are lots of reports of that not happening. What I would recommend is that you make sure you are logged into your iCloud account, then create two new folders, one named "New Desktop" and the other "New Documents." Where they are doesn't matter as long as they are NOT on the Desktop or in Documents. Now copy down all of the documents and folders from iCloud to the respective folders. That could take quite a while, depending on your internet connection. Once you know that you have all of them on the Mac, you can untick the Desktop & Documents Folders under iCloud Drive and untick "Optimise Mac Storage." At that point, theoretically, those documents in those two folders may start to download to your Mac. If so, good. If not, you can now copy everything from "New Desktop" to "Desktop" and from "New Documents" to "Documents" and erase New Desktop and New Documents. If they do download over the internet, when it is done and you are sure you have everything, you can delete New Desktop and New Documents.

 

[davowolf]

Thanks a lot Jake. I have some work to do clearly.

In the meantime I've initiated Monteray and its instaling as I write.

 

[IWT]

Both checked and ticked.

So yes, that was the problem. Glad I asked.

And now, you have the solution, ie Jake. He's an expert on this aspect of things, in fact on most things. He will guide you through the morass, as indeed he's already started to do.

Ian

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Fun fact here guys… MacUpdate.com is now owned by the developers of MacKeeper. So it comes as no surprise that they’d be hawking their own garbage. Anyone know of a good alternative to MU?

 

[Rod]

There you go then. I think we have all been advising against MacUpdate for a while now but that definitely cliches it.
As stated by chscag in Post #2 always download from the developer's site.
As for uninstalling MalwareBytes:
To uninstall Malwarebytes for Mac, simply uninstall the program through Mac's Help menu.

1. Open Malwarebytes for Mac. If you have multiple apps open, make sure Malwarebytes is the one selected.
2. At the top of your Mac screen, click Help, then click Uninstall Malwarebytes.
   
   
3. A prompt appears with the following message:
   "This will completely remove the Malwarebytes software. Are you sure you wish to proceed?"

You may need to enter your Admin password to complete the process.

 

[davowolf]

From those images, your Desktop and Documents folders (and everything in them) are stored in iCloud. All that you have on the Mac are links to where those things are in iCloud. If that is not what you want, you cannot just uncheck the boxes because that won't necessarily get them back. It should, but there are lots of reports of that not happening. What I would recommend is that you make sure you are logged into your iCloud account, then create two new folders, one named "New Desktop" and the other "New Documents." Where they are doesn't matter as long as they are NOT on the Desktop or in Documents. Now copy down all of the documents and folders from iCloud to the respective folders. That could take quite a while, depending on your internet connection. Once you know that you have all of them on the Mac, you can untick the Desktop & Documents Folders under iCloud Drive and untick "Optimise Mac Storage." At that point, theoretically, those documents in those two folders may start to download to your Mac. If so, good. If not, you can now copy everything from "New Desktop" to "Desktop" and from "New Documents" to "Documents" and erase New Desktop and New Documents. If they do download over the internet, when it is done and you are sure you have everything, you can delete New Desktop and New Documents.

Great advice Jake. As it turned out I think I’ve solved it rediculously easily. I simple dragged the Documents folder out of iCloud and up to the local group. Realising as you say of course the files are only links and it was instantaneous.

 

[MacInWin]

Great advice Jake. As it turned out I think I’ve solved it rediculously easily. I simple dragged the Documents folder out of iCloud and up to the local group. Realising as you say of course the files are only links and it was instantaneous.

Ah, but did you drag just links, or the files themselves? The instantaneous result is because macOS just changed the full path the to the folder from where it was to where you put it, so it had just that one change. It didn't really "move" anything, just changed the address. So, you may or may not have the real files at that point. What the system is supposed to do is to then start downloading all of them from the cloud to put where you dropped it, but that can take a while, depending on how many, how big, and how fast the internet is. You can test by disconnecting the Mac from the internet, no wifi, no ethernet, and see if those files will now open or not. If they do, you have the full file, but if they won't, you just have the links to the cloud version.

 

[Jim40]

My bank supplies two copies of Malwarebytes free, to add to it's Security. There are some additions for Mac, but Malwarebytes provide them free also. Also find them good in responding fast to queries.

 

[davowolf]

Ahh that makes sense even to me and I thank you for that. I’ll try it after doing some housework on the files.