Cleanup My Mac is a bogus system utility application that may appear on the computer after the installation of dubious freeware or malicious software update. There are also instances of user’s carelessness on deliberately installing fraudulent tool like Cleanup My Mac. Even though computer security analysts have warned people multiple times about the dangers of rogue software, users innocently grab this malware in quest of keeping their system in highly optimized performance.
Also classed as potentially unwanted program (PUP), these invasive programs have developed into moneymakers for their developers. New versions repeatedly succeeding the throne of older variants but with far more updated feature to be a thriving ‘scareware’ for Mac system. Cleanup My Mac retains the same graphical user interface that was jack up with recognizable brand name. Nevertheless, Cleanup My Mac functions the same as other models with tactics of convincing users that computer is dilapidated and requires extensive optimization. At this stage, prompt will surface from the same culprit advising users to proceed with the fix by paying for the registered version of Cleanup My Mac.
Below is another variant with slightly modified title. It is called Cleanup-My Mac
It is apparent at this point that Cleanup My Mac is an absolute match up of previous rogue program releases like Mac Auto Fixer, Smart Mac Care, Mac Tonic, and many more. They are marketed as valuable utility product with striking features like Disk Cleanup, File Manager, App Manager, and 24-hour product support. Believing this scheme may not only cost user some money, but having it on Mac system will surely cause further security risks. Thus, we suggest immediate removal of Cleanup My Mac before it can set off more troubles. Guide to get rid of this threat is provided on this page. Make sure to execute the procedures in exact order to successfully eliminate Cleanup My Mac.
Procedures to Remove Cleanup My Mac
This section contains complete instructions to assist you in removing potentially unwanted program from Mac computer.
A summary of the step-by-step manual removal process:
Instant Removal : Scan the Mac computer with antivirus program
Combo Cleaner is a trusted Mac utility application with complete antivirus and optimization features. It is useful in dealing with adware, malware, and PUP's. Moreover, it can get rid of malicious unwanted application like Cleanup My Mac.
1. Download the tool from the following page:
2. Double-click the downloaded file, combocleaner.dmg and proceed with the installation.
3. The installation window will open. Please double-click or drag the Combo Cleaner icon to the Applications folder.
4. Proceed with the installation. When it displays the Software License Agreement, please click Continue, and then click on Agree in the confirmation window. Continue with the default installation.
5. The program should run automatically after installation. If not, open your Launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon.
6. Wait until antivirus downloads its latest virus definition updates and click on "Start Combo Scan" to start removing Cleanup My Mac and other issues on the Mac computer.
7. After the virus and disk scan processes, the tool will display the results. Click on Remove Selected to start cleaning the computer.
To fully optimize the features of antivirus and privacy scanners, users may have to upgrade to the premium version.
If you are comfortable enough to manually delete the unwanted application and any other potentially harmful objects associated to it, please move on to the next set of instructions.
Step 1 : Quit Cleanup My Mac Process
Before proceeding with the steps below, please close the Cleanup My Mac window if it is open.
1. Go to Launchpad > Other folder, open the Activity Monitor.
2. Select the process you want to quit.
3. In the upper part of the window, click the Stop button.
4. Click on the Force Quit button.
5. You may now delete or remove files that belong to Cleanup My Mac. Proceed to the next steps.
Step 2 : Delete Cleanup My Mac Login Items
Some malware also installs login items into compromised accounts under System Settings. This object automatically runs Cleanup My Mac during user log in.
1. Go to your Dock and open System Settings.
2. Select and click General from the sidebar.
3. Next, click on Login Items on the right panel to see if there are malicious items.
4. In the "Open at Login" area, review the items and select Cleanup My Mac or any suspicious entry.
5. Click on the minus [-] button and confirm your actions.
As stated, the creation of Login Items or Profiles is done on a case-to-case basis. Some malware may add their entries to this section, but others are not concern with making one. So, if the Cleanup My Mac Login item is not present, please continue with the succeeding steps.
Step 3 : Delete Cleanup My Mac Application
1. Go to Finder.
2. On the menu, click Go and then, select Applications from the list to open Applications Folder.
3. Find Cleanup My Mac or any unwanted program.
4. Drag Cleanup My Mac to Trash Bin to delete the application from Mac.
5. Next, go to the Dock, right-click on the Trash icon, and click on Empty Trash.
Step 4 : Delete Malicious Files that have installed Cleanup My Mac
1. Go to your Finder. From the menu bar, please select Go > Go to Folder.
2. Input the following string and press Enter on the keyboard.
~/Library/LaunchAgents
3. You will now see a hidden folder named LaunchAgents. Take note of the following files inside the folder:
- com.Cleanup My Mac.plist
- unknown.service.plist
- unknown.system.plist
- unknown.download.plist
- unknown.update.plist
4. The term unknown is just a representation of the actual malware name. Attackers may use the following file names:
- , (random characters).plist
If you cannot find the specified file, please look for any unfamiliar or suspicious entries. It may be the one causing Cleanup My Mac to be present on your Mac. Arranging all items to see the latest ones may also help you identify recently installed unfamiliar files.
5. Please click on "Show items as..."
6. To arrange the items in chronological order, click Date Modified.
7. Drag all suspicious files that you may find to Trash.
Take note of all the suspicious files, as you may also delete the same item in another folder as we go on.8. Please restart the Mac computer.
9. Open another folder using the same method as above. Copy and paste the following string to easily locate the folder:
~/Library/Application Support
10. Select any suspicious items that you have noted previously. Drag them to the Trash.
11. Repeat the process in the following non-hidden folders (without ~):
/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons
/Library/Application Support
12. Lastly, go to your Finder > Go and open the Applications folder. Look for subfolders with the following names and drag them to Trash.
- , (random characters)
Optional : For locked files that cannot be removed, do the following:
1. Go to Launchpad > Other folder, open the Activity Monitor.
2. Select the process you want to quit.
3. In the upper part of the window, click the Stop button.
4. Click on Force Quit button.
5. You may now delete or remove the locked file that belongs to Cleanup My Mac homepage hijacker.
Step 5 : Run another Scan using Malwarebytes for Mac
Use Malwarebytes for Mac to do another scan to make sure the machine is already clear of viruses, malware, and adware. This efficient anti-malware application allows you to detect things that other security software was unable to recognize.
1. Download Malwarebytes for Mac from the link below.
2. Locate the downloaded Malwarebytes-Mac.pkg and install it with the default settings.
3. Run Malwarebytes for Mac. It will check for updates and download the most recent version if one is available. This is necessary for finding recent malware threats, including Cleanup My Mac.
4. Once you are on the Malwarebytes dashboard, please click on the Scan button to start scanning your Mac computer.
5. After the scan, Malwarebytes for Mac will display a list of identified threats, and Cleanup My Mac is surely part of it. Be sure to select all items in the list. Then, click the Remove button to clean the computer.
System Compatibility Notice
To provide you with easy and accurate methods, the commands used in the guide are common, useful, and tested. We ensured that our tutorial to get rid of Cleanup My Mac is compatible with the majority of Mac operating systems. Please let us know via email or the comment section below if you run into any incompatibility when using this tutorial. We will be pleased to reply and make the required corrections.
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