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If you encounter a pop-up message saying ‘System scan is recommended: click on Start Scan to begin system prognosis’, which prompts you to start a system scan, and you do not recognize the brand on the popup, then it’s likely that MacKeeper is installed on your Mac. Besides this popup, you may also see an ‘Update Tracker’ pop-up from the application. Although it’s not malware and could be useful, it’s difficult to remove, but in this article, we’ll show you how.
It’s not clear how you may have gotten MacKeeper on your Mac in the first place. Some Mac users reported getting it after installing Mac Android emulators from a website, while some others got it after downloading a fake, infected version of Acrobat Reader.
Steps to Uninstall MacKeeper
Here are the steps to remove MacKeeper from your Mac:
Step 1: Check for Menu Bar Preferences
Open MacKeeper first to check if there are any menu bar preferences that need to be unchecked. Double-click the icon to launch the app, then click the MacKeeper drop-down menu and select Preferences. If you have an older version of the program, you will see a General tab: select it and uncheck the box next to ‘Show MacKeeper icon in menu bar’ if there is one. Don’t do anything else in MacKeeper, just close the app.
Step 2: Delete Extra Data with AppCleaner
Download and install AppCleaner, and drag the MacKeeper icon to it to delete all data associated with the app. This is done first because after uninstallation, you won’t be able to tell AppCleaner which app data to search for.
Step 3: Remove MacKeeper
Now, drag the MacKeeper icon to the trash and enter your password to delete it. At this point, a window will pop up asking why you are uninstalling the app. If you get the older, shorter exit survey, click ‘Remove MacKeeper’. A more recent version of the app opens the exit survey in a web browser where you have to choose your reason for uninstalling.
Step 4: Final Guide Sweep for Data
Look in the hard-to-find library folder and search for any outstanding data that AppCleaner and MacKeeper may have missed. Check for the MacKeeper Helper folder and delete it if found. Additionally, delete data in the following locations:
- ~ / Library / Caches / com.mackeeper.MacKeeper
- ~ / Library / Caches / com.mackeeper.MacKeeper.Helper
- ~ / Library / LaunchAgents / com.mackeeper.MacKeeper.Helper.plist
- ~ / Library / Application Support / MacKeeper Helper
- ~ / Library / LaunchDaemons / com.mackeeper.MacKeeper.plugin.AntiTheft.daemon.plist
Empty the recycle bin and restart your Mac.
How to Remove the Pop-ups
If you think you have a fake or untrustworthy version of MacKeeper which causes pop-ups, you need to take the following steps to remove them:
- Chrome: Go to Window> Extensions, remove them if any, then select Chrome> Clear Browsing Data, check all 3 options and click Clear Data.
- Safari: Go to Safari> Preferences> Extensions, remove all suspicious extensions. Next, go to the Privacy tab, click on Manage website data, and look for MacKeeper to delete the cache and cookies related to the app.
FAQs
1. Is MacKeeper a virus?
No. Although MacKeeper may seem like malware, it’s not a virus. However, it’s still not a decent app as it’s difficult to remove from the system.
2. Do I need a tool to uninstall MacKeeper?
While you can manually uninstall MacKeeper, using a tool like AppCleaner will help to ensure all associated files are removed from your system.