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Remove Mac Mechanic virus popups from Mac

This article will give you an idea why Mac Mechanic is considered a potentially unwanted application and how to remove it and thus stop the annoying popups.

In the present-day Mac software ecosystem, it may not be too simple to tell the genuine from the rogue. This unsettling state of things applies in particular to the niche of optimization and security applications. Pseudo performance boosters are being released so frequently that they are turning into a real scourge of the Mac world. For instance, the Advanced Mac Cleaner tool has been wreaking havoc for a few years now and keeps on doing its dirty job. The utility called Mac Mechanic bears a close resemblance to the above-mentioned notorious pest. Moreover, it might be the next big threat from the same lineage.

Mac Mechanic GUI

Here’s some food for thought and a few clues regarding the affiliation of the two. Their main menu, which reflects the features set, is identical. They both pretend to improve a Mac’s functioning through cleanup of redundant and junk files as well as unneeded programs. And finally, they follow the same distribution logic that has caused a great deal of frustration among users. So, let’s now get to the point. Mac Mechanic is spreading in two ways. One is technically clean – it’s the official website path, where users can opt for the service by going to advancedmactools.com and downloading the stub installer from there. The other method, though, is foul play. It boils down to ads on the Internet that imitate some sort of a system health status report and thus dupe people into installing the tool. Also, Mac Mechanic can be bundled with benign apps in such a way that users can hardly make an informed decision – they are simply unaware of the combo infiltrating their systems.

Mac Mechanic scan report listing numerous pseudo issues

Once the setup has taken place, either normally or obscurely, Mac Mechanic makes itself felt via obnoxious popups. First of all, it’s the scan window that splashes all of a sudden and in the end reports a plethora of issues. What also calls forth inconveniences is the popup warnings that interrupt the victim’s computing routine and try to pressure them into taking urgent action. The areas that this fake optimizer purports to check for problems include cache, logs, trash, extra languages, Internet history, unnecessary login items, duplicate files, large files, and – most ironically – rogue apps. Its scan will always return disconcerting results, stating that dozens or even hundreds of issues have been spotted and additionally gauging the improvement potential, most labeling it as ‘High’.

The only goal pursued by Mac Mechanic in doing all of these annoying things is to convince the victim into purchasing its license, which it says is the only way to actually repair the system whose status is wrongfully characterized as critical. But instead of buying the ineffective full version of this nasty app, just get rid of it and bid farewell to all the nag screens and other popups.

Mac Mechanic virus manual removal for Mac

The steps listed below will walk you through the removal of this potentially unwanted application. Be sure to follow the instructions in the order specified.

• Open up the Utilities folder as shown below

Open up the Utilities

• Locate the Activity Monitor icon on the screen and double-click on it

Locate the Activity Monitor

• Under Activity Monitor, find the entry for Mac Mechanic, select it and click Quit Process

• A dialog should pop up, asking if you are sure you would like to quit the Mac Mechanic executable. Select the Force Quit option

• Click the Go button again, but this time select Applications on the list. Find the entry for Mac Mechanic on the interface, right-click on it and select Move to Trash. If user password is required, go ahead and enter it

Malicious app icon under Applications

• Now go to Apple Menu and pick the System Preferences option

Pick the System Preferences

• Select Accounts and click the Login Items button. The system will come up with the list of the items that launch when the box is started up. Locate Mac Mechanic there and click on the “-“ button

Malicious entry under Login Items

Use automatic tool to uninstall Mac Mechanic malware from your Mac

The Mac maintenance and security app called Combo Cleaner is a one-stop tool to detect and remove Mac Mechanic virus virus. This technique has substantial benefits over manual cleanup, because the utility gets hourly virus definition updates and can accurately spot even the newest Mac infections.

Furthermore, the automatic solution will find the core files of the malware deep down the system structure, which might otherwise be a challenge to locate. Here’s a walkthrough to sort out the Mac Mechanic virus issue using Combo Cleaner:

  1. Download Combo Cleaner installer. When done, double-click the combocleaner.dmg file and follow the prompts to install the tool onto your Mac.

    Download Combo Cleaner

    By downloading any applications recommended on this website you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. The free scanner checks whether your Mac is infected. To get rid of malware, you need to purchase the Premium version of Combo Cleaner.

  2. Open the app from your Launchpad and let it run an update of the malware signature database to make sure it can identify the latest threats.
  3. Click the Start Combo Scan button to check your Mac for malicious activity as well as performance issues.

    Combo Cleaner Mac scan progress

  4. Examine the scan results. If the report says “No Threats”, then you are on the right track with the manual cleaning and can safely proceed to tidy up the web browser that may continue to act up due to the after-effects of the malware attack (see instructions above).

    Combo Cleaner scan report – no threats found

  5. In case Combo Cleaner has detected malicious code, click the Remove Selected Items button and have the utility remove Mac Mechanic virus threat along with any other viruses, PUPs (potentially unwanted programs), or junk files that don’t belong on your Mac.

    Combo Cleaner – threats found

  6. Once you have made doubly sure that the malicious app is uninstalled, the browser-level troubleshooting might still be on your to-do list. If your preferred browser is affected, resort to the previous section of this tutorial to revert to hassle-free web surfing.
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