Remove MacProtector

Problem

When using your Mac, you are told by a program called MacProtector that you have viruses and that you must pay for the product in order to remove them. This is actually a fake antivirus that lies about your system security in order to get your money and is actually a variant of the MAC Defender trojan.

Solution

To remove the MacProtector malware, you can download our Removal Tool or follow these instructions:

  1. Click the Spotlight magnifying glass icon (top right of the screen) or press cmd + Space.
  2. Type in Activity Monitor and press Enter.
  3. Make sure the dropdown (near the top right of the window) is set to All Processes.
  4. In the list, click on MacProtector.
  5. Click the Quit Process button.
  6. Click Force Quit.
  7. Go to your Applications folder.
  8. Delete the MacProtector file and empty the trash.
  9. Click the Apple icon in the top left of the screen, then click System Preferences.
  10. Click Accounts.
  11. Click on your username on the left.
  12. Click the Login Items tab.
  13. If MacProtector is there click on it, then click the minus (-) button.

It is recommended that you Disable Automatic File Opening in Safari to prevent this happening again.

123 comments

    1. I want to thank you for the easy instructions. It worked like a charm. What a nuisance their icon was, which perched itself at the top of my screen every time I logged on. It went through this ridiculous animation of data analysis, which never ever found anything leaving me suspicious as hell. Your excellent instructions helped me to find it planted deep within my system, I never would have found it on my own, but I’ll know next time if anything similar should ever happen. These frauds took $20 from me, and god knows how many other people. I hope they can be caught. So glad to be rid of mac protector. Thank You!

      Reply

  2. THIS IS AMAZING!!! I fought with my computer for a couple of days until I found this and it was EASY! Thank you!

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  3. Thank you very very much…… I was sweating my self till I found this solution…. now.. all sorted!!
    Thanks again… yr the Best!!

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  4. Carl ….. you the man, I thought it was gonna be a big job to get rid of this virus, but thanks to you .. all sorted and I've passed this info to other friends who have Macs!!

    Thanks again mate….. Mac saver!!.

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  11. Thank you very much Carl! I tried everything and wasted 45 mins before finding your solution.

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  12. omg! thank you for this bit of information. i called them up and they denied that they were part of "mac protection." & since i wasn't a (paying customer) they denied me customer support. they yelled at me and even hung up. they don't even have a website to go to. they place all these crazy viruses on your machine and tell you to buy their product to remove them. what bull***t. they are evil. thank you carl!!!

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  15. hey!!! you got no Idea how mad this Mac protector was getting me.but for sure this has been so helpful and so easy to follow. Many thanx keep up d good job and always be well

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  16. thanks man. i was pretty sure it was fake, I just couldn't figure out how to close it so i could get rid of it. this helped a lot.

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  21. Constant awful porn sites popping up randomly came at the same time as the "mac protector". With 4 girls ages 9-14 I really was horrified. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your easy solution. I appreciate you taking the time to help my family.

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  22. thanks so much ! After many operations, I found your solution and now this bad program is deleted ! thanks !!!!!

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  23. Yes thanks for this help, good to know there are some good guys out there, cheers

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  24. thnkz bro or sis or whoever it definitely worked thus far! but gay porn popping up wit 3 kids in the house nd clients dat i record on my mac is not a good look lol! i wish 8 stomach viruses on whoever created that crap.

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  28. Thank you very much for the excellent instructions oh how to get rid of this. Worked the 1st time and it was easy to follow.

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  30. Happen to me. Said 60$` went to bank stop charges which came out of an arizonia software shot. Had 100$ bill but canceled card and stopped payment

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  31. Thanks for ending my nightmare! Your solution worked without a hitch. Great job and thank you again.

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  35. a tremendous help. i almost smashed my mac before i saw this. your a lifesaver buddy :]

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  37. Good thing I'm a suspicious person, cause this almost snagged me; thanks for helping me out with what could have been a potential problem I could of had.

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  38. MacProtect displayed itself as if it was an Apple download. Even though I read all the news about what to avoid doing and happening this kind of thing never happened before. Then I asked myself. 'If it was from Apple how would I know?' I remembered that Apple updates are pretty much invisible. So I decided to cancel the install and search for MacProtector before going forward. I luckily got you. I used your procedure and found MacProtector nowhere (I already sent the download to the trash). Thank you, I can go forward knowing I am in the clear.

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  39. Thank you. You helped me more than Apple did. They talked me into buying the ten dollar anti-virus program before you helped me.

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  40. This helped me yesterday, May 10. It happened again today.When I went to Disable Automatic File Opening in Safari, there was no option for doing that. Please help!What can I do to prevent this from continually happening. In the many years of having a Mac, this is the first time I had a problem with viruses.

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  43. Thank you Thank you Thank You. I have never seen anything like this. Thank you for your support I really thought i had a big problem That was easy to fix. Bless you for having such a generous heart.

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  44. what a relief!! thanks a million for helping me through my first mac virus. greatly appreciated!!!

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  45. I have updated the "Disable Automatic File Opening in Safari" page to include an image.

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  46. What a blessing! THANK YOU for posting this tutorial!! I lost sleep over this last night and was about to take my computer into Peach Mac to get it fixed. I called and he told me to do exactly what you have written here. I SO appreciate this posting!

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  47. THANK YOU! I thought Macprotector was realy at first and downloaded it and after that it was hell trying tog et rid of it!

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  57. Thank you so much, I was panicking when I saw this program going through all my files. My husband called MAC and they said we could take it off ourselves. Thank you so much for easy to follow instructions!

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  60. Thanks sooooooooo much. I inadvertently infected my sister's MAC while I was housesitting for her.
    WHEW!

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  62. Awesome!!!! Solution worked right away, very easy for someone like myself who isn't very tech savvy!! Thanks Again

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  63. As of today, May 15, we received this TROJAN…porn and gay sites came through. Thanks so much for your help. We were in a panic and glad that we did not accept it.

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  64. Thanks for putting this information out there. It would have been a real lousy day of trying to be-rid of this thing.

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  67. Wow. I am so lucky to have found this and you are amazing for helping me out with this. I am not tech savy so I appreciate the simple to follow help!

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  72. This worked immediately. I felt very, very stupid to have picked this thing up in the first place. Thank goodness you are there! And yes, after deleting it, when I re-maximized my browser there was the gay porn. But nothing has come back since. Another grateful Mac user.

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  78. Thanks for the help getting rid of it….what a dumb thing for me to do. It was on Facebook so I thought it was a safe site.

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  81. Thank you. So does it matter if I use Safari or Foxfire? Or that has nothing to do with the problem.

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  82. Thanks…let's hope this solution will be permeant. I had to re-install some of my apps because of this…Lets hope no further damage was done.

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  86. This popped up on my computer just now and I had no idea what it was! Thank you so much for the easy instructions on how to remove it!

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  88. Thank you very much for your help . I was going crazy with all the junk that was coming to my computer. you have restored some sanity for me.

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  91. I have suffered the same as above….horrifies me to think they searched all of my files and photo booth..not that theres anything there cept family photos…but feel violated anyway….i sent , as everyone should post to Apple complaining..they should of sent a warning about this malware…they knew about it 2 years ago..a tech support guy told me today they knew! i'm outraged at Apple….thank's for listening

    Reply

  93. OMG I LOVE YOU! THANK YOU 🙂 I WAS FREAKING OUT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

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  95. HI I just wanted thank you for help,I could take the virus that was on my computer thank very much!

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  96. I've been using mac's since '92 and never got infected till now. Although this Mac Protector 2.6 seems to be more of a scam to get your money and not a destructive program designed to steal passwords or credit card numbers I'm sure glad to get rid of it. Not a big fan of random gay porn sites. Do you know if this program is more malicious then I think it is? Now that its gone should I be concerned with the sensitive data it may have corrupted or stolen? Thanks a million!

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  98. Thank you! Seemed fishy to me too and I googled mac protector right away. Incredible how legitimate this program looked and it didn't take long for gay porn links to open 🙁

    Thankfully I didn't purchase or click on anything & soooo glad I found your solution. I downloaded the free clamdav too in case there are other trojans on my system. THANK YOU!!

    Reply

  100. OMG was I ever scared!!! macprotector and macdefender came for me!!! YIKES…. and this happened coincidentally after installing mackeeper….could there be a connection?? anyway, I took the whole lot of them off!!! Thank you for your help- now I can finally go to bed and not worry!!

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  101. I thought my new baby was infected for life – she was only a few hours old when I accidentally downloaded this. Thanks Carl we're now germ free!!! Here's to another life saved tonght!!

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  106. UNREAL THE BS, we have to put up with, Carl it is nice to know people like U and I and all ABOVE can find a solution with your help to such an ABUSE! THANK YOU Sir L. Oliver

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  110. This popped up today for the second time but was a little different than the last one a few weeks ago (I just closed that one). Unfortunately today I clicked 'scan my computer' and though to myself 'umm this doesn't even look like an Apple deal!' and when they asked to purchase it and was like HELL NO and quickly Googled "Macsheild 2.6" and found your help. Thanks so much from a newbie :)I just hope it didn't go into my computer and find information…

    Reply

  112. THANK YOU CARL!!! Finally that POS Mackeeper is gone from my computer. I too am ashamed to say I was duped by Mackeeper into downloading it to my Mac. I was at a Tech website when I got these crazy warnings that some Mac viruses were found on my computer and in a moment of freak out I was chumped into putting that obviously malicious POS spyware called Mackeeper on my computer. It has taken me months to rid myself of the traces left behind by their maker. Thanks again Carl for your Removal Tool. You the Man!!

    Reply

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