In this article we are looking to help you remove the Mac Adware Cleaner “bogus” message that keeps popping-up on your screen.
There are a lot of software programs out there that are legit and legal but are regarded as unwanted due to different unpleasant features that they might posses. One such program is the so called Advanced Mac Cleaner. The problem with this piece of software is that it has the annoying tendency to display an intrusive pop-up while you are surfing the internet. The pop-up tells you to download a tool called Mac Adware Cleaner if you want to protect your computer from adware and malware or other unwanted and potentially harmful programs. However, the pop-up itself can be regarded as a form of adware. Many users have been complaining from this as it is both annoying and does not seem to go away no matter what they do. That is why, we created this article in which we will help our readers get rid of the program that generates the pop-up as well as teach them how to avoid any future encounters with such PUP’s (potentially unwanted programs).
Concerning Mac Adware Cleaner Pop-up
Oct 08, 2019 About Advanced Mac Cleaner Advanced Mac Cleaner is recognized as a Rogueware or PUA. When it enters into your PC, your system will run slowly and you may be disturbed by lots of fake system reports. So you will be annoyed. If so, you should believe in your feeling and take measures to check up your PC condition. We think the earlier you found it and removed it, the less harms you will.
As we already mentioned, the most probable cause for the pop-up is a program you have probably installed on your Mac that is called Advanced Mac Cleaner. While its name might make you think that this is some kind of helpful and beneficial software tool, you should keep in mind that since you are using a Mac, you probably do not need a cleaner/system optimization tools. A general rule about Mac’s is that in most cases their operating system is enough to protect them from viruses and malware. Therefore, any form of protection tools that you might download on a Mac are oftentimes some form of bloatware that will not help improve your computer’s security in any given way. Instead, as is the current case, such obscure programs might actually cause certain unwanted effects, such as the intrusive pop-up that keeps on showing while you are online.
Do not click on the pop-up!
Some of you might think that clicking on the pop-up and downloading the promoted tool (Mac Adware Cleaner) is a good idea. Well, while it may make the unwanted pop-up disappear, there is nothing good about further filling your machine with unwanted programs that do not benefit you in any way. It is also possible that if you download Mac Adware Cleaner more pop-ups will start to appear. The only truly effective way to get rid of the intrusive online content is to uninstall its source – Advanced Mac Cleaner.
How to avoid similar problems in the future
If you want to prevent any similar intrusive online box messages and pop-ups in future, here are a couple of useful rules and guidelines to follow:
- Do not fall for similar sketchy adverts of system optimization tools. As we already said, Mac computers do not need such programs as their OS is secure enough already.
- Stay away from websites with shady appearances and do not download anything from sources that are unreliable.
- Always make sure to check the setup installers of any new software you want to install. Sometimes, there are applications bundled with the installer that get in your system along the main thing. This method is called file bundling and is commonly used for the distribution of all sorts of software. That way, you might have installed Advanced Mac Cleaner without even knowing it! Thus, we advise you to always look for any added programs and uncheck them if you think that they might turn out to be a PUP (sometimes, you might have to opt for the custom installation settings to see all added content).
Mac Adware Cleaner Removal
This short guide will help you quickly remove the cause for the intrusive online pop-up. Just follow the steps and it will be over in no time.
OPTIONAL OFFERTo remove parasite on your own, you may have to meddle with system files and registries. If you were to do this, you need to be do be extremely careful, because you may damage your system.
If you want to avoid the risk, we recommend downloading ComboCleaner - a professional malware removal tool - to see whether it will find malicious programs on your mac.
Download ComboCleaner
Keep in mind, ComboCleaner’s malware scanner is free. If it detects a malware, you'll need to purchase its full version to remove it. More information about ComboCleaner and steps to uninstall. If you want to read up more on its policies, please review ComboCleaner's EULA and Privacy Policy.
Step 1: Removing the PUP
- Open Go and select Utilities.
- Go to Activity Monitor.
- In the list that gets displayed, find Advanced Mac Cleaner and select it.
- With the PUP selected, now click on the Quit Process button. You will be asked whether you are sure you want to do this – select Force Quit.
- Next, go back to the Go menu and this time open Applications.
- Again, find Advanced Mac Cleaner and right-click on it.
- Now, select Move to Trash
- After that, open the Apple menu and select System Preferences.
- Go to Accounts > Login Items.
- Find and select Advanced Mac Cleaner and then select the minus (-) button.
Step 2: Browsers
In order to ensure that any changes that the PUP might have made to your browser are gone, you’d need to reset it. Here’s how to do that:
Safari
- Open Safari.
- Go to the menu labeled Safari.
- Select Reset Safari.
- Tick all check-boxes.
- Select Reset.
If you are a Chrome or Firefox user, here’s how to reset them:
Chrome
- Open Google Chrome.
- Select Customize and Control Google Chrome.
- Click on Options and go to the Under the Hood tab.
- Select Reset to Defaults.
Firefox
- Open Mozilla Firefox.
- Select go to Help > Troubleshooting Information.
- Click on Reset Firefox.
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Remove Advanced Mac Cleaner rogue program from your computer at once before it can further harm the system. Scan the computer with effective anti-virus and anti-malware tools provided below.
Advanced Mac Cleaner is a dubious computer and Mac OS X system tool. It claims to optimize the computer and fix issues on the Operating System. This potentially unwanted program normally arrives on the computer via third-party software like freeware or shareware. A bundling technique is being used by malware author to spread programs like Advanced Mac Cleaner. With this scheme, any programs are packed to downloadable applications and also installs on the computer without taking permission from user.
Once Advanced Mac Cleaner is installed, it can run a diagnostics on the computer without user’s intervention. Afterwards, user will get alerted by certain issues that it found. The only way you can activate the repair function is by purchasing the full working version of Advanced Mac Cleaner. It is completely a fraudulent tactics which aims to alert victims of non-existent troubles in order to market the product.
Victims of Advanced Mac Cleaner also assert that uninstalling the program is almost impossible. Using the usual uninstall feature of Mac system is inadequate to totally get rid of Advanced Mac Cleaner. Some left over files are capable of reviving the unwanted program.
Advanced Mac Cleaner is technically not a virus. It is more appropriate to be called PUP (potentially unwanted program). Its nature may be as aggressive as computer virus, however, it never replicates once installed on the computer. Also, Advanced Mac Cleaner requires to be fully installed on the system carry out its function. This is why authors of this program are employing the bundling technique as a method of distribution.
If you cannot remove Advanced Mac Cleaner using the typical way as you would uninstall any program, we have prepared a simple guide on this page to get rid of it. This will require anti-malware scanner to find and delete hidden malicious files concealed on the system.
Screenshot Image:
Advanced Mac Cleaner Removal Procedures
Below are several steps that you should carry out to delete Advanced Mac Cleaner unwanted program from Mac computer.
We highly recommend executing both manual removal and thorough scanning of the system using the provided tool.
Fast and Easy Removal with Combo Cleaner
To quickly find and delete rogue programs from Mac system, we highly recommend scanning the computer with Combo Cleaner. This comprehensive and complete tool for Mac is equipped with an advanced virus, malware, and adware scan engines.
1Download Combo Cleaner from the link below.
2Double-click on the file to install the program. As show in the image below, drag the Combo Cleaner.app to Applications folder.
3 Open Launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon to run the tool.
4Click on Start Combo Scan button to begin checking the computer for malicious objects.
Free virus scanner of Combo Cleaner checks and detects various kinds of threats. To remove them from the infected computer, you will have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.
Manual Removal and Additional Scan
Close Advanced Mac Cleaner Application
1 Close Advanced Mac Cleaner opened window or running application.
2 On your keyboard, press Command + Option + Esc to open Force Quit Applications window. Alternatively, you can go to Finder > Go > Utilities > Activity Monitor.
3 Select Advanced Mac Cleaner from the list of running processes and click on Force Quit button.
Delete Advanced Mac Cleaner Login Items
4 Go to Apple menu and choose System Preferences from the drop-down list.
5 Open Users and Groups and click on Login Items button to show the list of applications that launches automatically.
6 Please select Advanced Mac Cleaner and click on minus button (-) at the bottom of the window to remove this unwanted item.
Manually delete Advanced Mac Cleaner items
7 Navigate the Apple Finder and click on 'Go'. Then, select 'Go to Folder'. Alternatively, use keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + G.
8 Copy and paste, or type the following line in the field and press Enter on your keyboard:
/Library/LaunchAgents
9 LaunchAgents folder should open at this point. Look for items with the following names or similar entry:
- com.AdvancedMacCleaner.agent.plist
- com.AMC.agent.plist
- com.AMC.amchlpr
10 Move each file to the Trash. This action may require administrator privilege. If you are not logged in as administrator, you need to provide required password.
11 Using the same 'Go to Folder' procedures, open this location:
~/Library/LaunchAgents
12 Look for the same files and folders and move it to Trash.
13 Next, we need to look at Application Support folder. Using the same method as above. Go to this location:
~/Library/Application Support
14 Locate the following items and move it to Trash:
- Advanced Mac Cleaner
- helperamc
- hlpramc
- hlprawc
- hlpramcn
- hlpradc
- Mac Adware Cleaner
15 Go back to Apple Menu, click Go, and then select Applications from the drop-down list.
16Delete the following folders just in case they do exist.
- Advanced Mac Cleaner
- helperamc
- hlpramc
- hlprawc
- hlpramcn
- hlpradc
- Mac Adware Cleaner
Scan with MBAM to check for Advanced Mac Cleaner remaining objects
17Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac from the link below.
18 Drag the downloaded file MBAM-Mac-[version].dmg to Applications folder.
19 Under Applications folder, right-click on Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and select 'Open' from the given choices.
20 After opening the tool, click on the 'Scan' button to start checking the computer for presence of Advanced Mac Cleaner and other malware.
21 When scanning is done, the tool will display all identified threats. Be sure to select malicious items.
22 Click on 'Remove Selected Items' to delete the threats.
We hope that the procedures and removal tool on this page was able to help you in removing Advanced Mac Cleaner. Your computer should now be malware free.