Uninstall Mac Cleaner

One of the most common scams online are pop-up adverts for tools that claim to be able to ‘clean’ your Mac and improve its performance. Unlike legitimate Mac cleaning tools, these programs start scanning your Mac without your consent, claim to have found problems and then demand payment. Advanced Mac Cleaner is one such program.

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  4. Advanced Mac Cleaner Reviews

What is Advanced Mac Cleaner?

It’s an application that claims to clean and protect your Mac by scanning it for potential problems. However, the problems it finds are fake and it offers no protection or performance improvement for your Mac. It is a category of software known as ‘potentially unwanted programs’ (PUPs) that are downloaded to your computer by stealth and launch themselves without your consent.

  • Dec 03, 2018  Uninstall Mac CleanUp Pro. Mac CleanUp Pro is a Potentially Unwanted Program which can make your internet browsing experience very frustrating. This is why you should probably look for a way to uninstall Mac CleanUp Pro safely: Open Finder located in the bottom left. Go to Applications inside your Mac. Find and uninstall Mac CleanUp Pro.
  • Uninstall Advanced Mac Cleaner using the Finder First method for manual potentially unwanted program removal is to go into the Finder, then Applications. Take a look at the list of programs on your computer and see if there are Advanced Mac Cleaner, other dubious and unknown applications. If you see any, you need to uninstall them.

In the case of Advanced Mac Cleaner, it is usually bundled with other applications, so that you have no idea that you’ve downloaded it until it pops up on your screen. When it does, it claims to be scanning your Mac so that it can clean it and protect you from malware. Of course, it finds lots of ‘problems’ and then tries to sell you a ‘solution’ by persuading you to part with your cash. In addition to trying to persuade you to pay for a full version of the app, it also tries to upsell other supposedly helpful utilities.

Procedures to Remove Advanced Mac Tuneup Step 1: Quick Fix - Scan the System with Combo Cleaner. Step 2: Quit Advanced Mac Tuneup Process. Step 3: Delete Advanced Mac Tuneup Login Items. Step 4: Delete Malicious Files that have installed Advanced Mac Tuneup. Step 5: Run another Scan using.

Can it harm my Mac?

Advanced Mac Cleaner is not a virus, and there’s no evidence it will do any lasting harm to your Mac. However, the Advanced Mac Cleaner pop-ups are an irritation and it can slow down the performance of your computer while it’s running.

If you take the bait and pay for it, you will have spent money for nothing. But you will also have given your credit card details to people who use scam tactics to take money and so your financial security would be at risk.

How can I avoid Advanced Mac Cleaner?

The simplest way is to leave your Mac security settings for downloading applications at their default. That way, if you try to download an app that’s not either from the App Store or a trusted developer, you will see a warning and will be required to manually override the security settings. As Advanced Mac Cleaner comes bundled with other tools, when you try to download one of those tools you’ll see the warning. If you’re worried, don’t give permission for it to download.

As a general rule, avoiding malware is accomplished by being vigilant about not clicking links in emails or messages your receive or on websites, unless you are absolutely sure where those links lead. Also, there are some websites that are more likely to host malware, such as PUPs bundled with apparently legitimate applications, than others. These include sites that offer access the latest movies, TV programs, games and software for free, and some free porn sites. You should avoid those if you want to minimize the chances of downloading malware.

Tip: If you want a tool that can free up disk space on your Mac by getting rid of unnecessary files, we recommend CleanMyMac X. This is a legit app that is notarized by Apple, meaning it doesn't contain any malicious components.

How can I uninstall Advanced Mac Cleaner?

First of all, launch Activity Monitor from Applications>Utilities and look for a process called “Advanced Mac Cleaner”, select it and press the Quit Process button in the toolbar, then close Activity Monitor.

1. In the Finder, click on the Go menu and paste this: ~/Library/LaunchAgents/

2. In that folder, look for a file called “com.pcv.hlpramc.plist”
3. When you find it, drag it to the Trash
4. Click on the Go menu in the Finder again and paste this: /Library/Application Support
5. Look for a file called “amc” and drag it to the Trash
6. Again in the Go menu, paste this: ~/Library/
7. Find the file “AdvancedMacCleaner” and drag it to the Trash

Don't give up just yet, we're almost there!
8. Go to the Applications folder and drag the Advanced Mac Cleaner application to the Trash
9. Empty the Trash
10. Launch System Preferences from the Apple menu and choose the Users & Groups pane
11. Click your user name and choose Login items
12. If there is an entry for Advanced Mac Cleaner, click the “-“ sign next to it to remove it.

Take a shortcut: Destroy it with a legit cleaning app

If all steps above seem like a lot of effort, there is an easier way. CleanMyMac X is a real cleaning tool for your Mac. CleanMyMac X has been notarized by Apple meaning it doesn't contain any malicious components. Unlike Advanced Mac Cleaner, it does actually scan your Mac and identify files that can be safely deleted to free up disk space. It also uninstalls applications at the click of a button, including removing all the files associated with the application, including those in the Library and Application Support folders. So you can use it to remove Advanced Mac Cleaner.

1. Download CleanMyMac X (a link to free version) and install it
2. Click on the Uninstaller utility
3. Look through the list of applications, or type “Advanced Mac Cleaner” into the search box
4. Check the box next to the Advanced Mac Cleaner icon
5. Press Uninstall

What if I’ve already paid for Advanced Mac Cleaner?

Inform your credit card company immediately. Windows .dmg. Tell them you think you may have been scammed and that your details are at risk. They will cancel your card and issue with a new one. Then, follow the steps above to remove Advanced Mac Cleaner from your Mac.

Advanced Mac Cleaner is potentially unwanted program that seeks to persuade you there is a problem with it that it can fix, as long as you hand over money in the form of credit card details. In reality, it has downloaded itself to your Mac without permission, hasn’t scanned it and hasn’t found any problems. Of course, if you hand over money you won’t improve the performance or security of your Mac but will have exposed your credit card details to someone with a bad intent.

You can remove Advanced Mac Cleaner using the steps outlined above, and you should also inform your credit card company, if you’ve paid for the ‘full’ version of the application.

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Learn why the Mac Cleanup Pro app is considered malicious, what it does to an infected Mac, and how to uninstall this pseudo system optimizer in a few steps.

Update: October, 2019

Mac

The nuts and bolts of hassle-free Mac usage involve periodic maintenance aimed at deleting software leftovers, Internet cache and other unneeded data the operating system and apps routinely generate. There are plenty of nifty tools out there that do the optimization trick. The utility called Mac Cleanup Pro, however, has nothing to do with junk removal done right. It deliberately reports low-severity or nonexistent macOS issues, flagging them critical and offering its paid performance enhancement service. No matter how well-tuned your system is and how scrupulously you’ve been keeping the hard disk space in optimal condition, this application will “detect” numerous issues regardless and emphasize the high improvement potential that can be allegedly squeezed out of the areas it purports to cover.

Speaking of the scan areas, the GUI of Mac Cleanup Pro lists the following: cache, logs, trash, extra languages, Internet history, login items, duplicates files, large files, and rogue apps. The latter, by the way, is really interesting because the program is outright scareware itself. Some insights into its genealogy reveal a direct relation to the most infamous family of bogus Mac optimizers as yet, which is also represented by such malicious heavyweights as Mac Auto Fixer, Advanced Mac Cleaner, Mac Tonic, and the recent one called Similar Photo Cleaner. Hailing from the same rogue cradle, Mac Cleanup Pro is backed by a sizeable distribution campaign that has allowed it to reach thousands of computers already and keep on spreading. Let’s look into one of these propagation tricks.

Uninstall Movavi Mac Cleaner

The unprincipled developers of the scareware in question are known to engage a framework of misleading web pages to push their digital culprit. One of these landing pages is parked at lp.superutils.co/adsph/2/ domain. The site includes a script that determines and displays the visitor’s country and IP address – this way, the users are more likely to fall for the deceptive tactic. A big giveaway, though, is that the “OS version” field says the victim uses OS Sierra, even if they visit the page from a Windows PC. Anyway, the site displays a warning that goes, “Your Mac Might Be Infected!” and provides some pseudo details, namely: “Your Mac might be infected by the latest viruses. If you do not remove them, they may damage your system files and slow down your Internet browsing speed.” (macOS Catalina 10.15 update: “helpermcp will damage your computer. You should move it to the Trash”). To get rid of the viruses (which aren’t there for real), the user is instructed to download and run Mac Cleanup Pro, which is dubbed “Mac Cleaner” on the phony page. Incidentally, another likely source of contamination is a site that renders a counterfeit alert saying “Your Mac is infected with 3 viruses”.

There are two possible ways that Mac users end up on lp.superutils.co/adsph/2/ domain. One is via redirect activity bolstered by a PUA (potentially unwanted application) that infects one’s web browser and forces hits to the misguiding site. In this case, the user needs to get rid of the troublemaking browser add-on or plugin, which may be a nontrivial objective due to obfuscation and persistence mechanisms of these pests. The other way is through hacked websites or online ads that lead to the scareware’s landing page.

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Mac Cleanup Pro may re-infect your Mac multiple times unless you delete all of its fragments, including hidden ones. Therefore, it is recommended to download Freshmac and scan your system for these stubborn files. This way, you may reduce the cleanup time from hours to minutes. Download NowLearn how Freshmac works and get insights into its Terms of Use. If the utility spots malicious code, you will need to buy a license to get rid of it.

Uninstall Mac Cleaner 3

Mac Cleanup Pro is often accompanied by extra threats that allow the attackers to add one more layer of monetization to their fraudulent activity, aside from the scare tactic alone. The infections that typically arrive in the same bundle include TechSignalSearch and TechNetSearch, the former being more common. In fact, both of them share identical characteristics and goals. The objective is to hijack Safari, or whichever browser is the victim’s default one, and redirect their web traffic to Yahoo or Bing via a series of disreputable ad networks. In some cases, the infected users keep visiting tech support scam sites that display fake alerts about Mac health and security problems that aren’t actually there. The shenanigans of TechSignalSearch virus may also result in Internet connectivity issues, where the wireless and LAN connection goes missing at certain intervals, usually every couple of minutes.

Obviously, this type of offending code is subject to immediate removal, but this turns out to be easier said than done. First of all, although the TechSignalSearch.app entry can be found in the infected Mac’s Applications folder, moving it to the Trash only yields a temporary effect and the pest will reappear shortly. Secondly, the rest of the files may be hidden in the LaunchAgents folder, which is a place not every Mac user knows how to access. With that said, a special security procedure is required to spot and completely delete all the elements of the follow-up nasties.

Mac

Whereas Mac Cleanup Pro can arrive by means of different techniques, it behaves in the exact same fashion when on board any Mac. It pops up out of the blue and triggers system scans that return really unsettling results over and over. The app thus attempts to persuade the victim that their machine has hundreds of performance issues, ranging from superfluous cache to unused languages that take up a great deal of disk space. It will also notify the user how much space can be recovered in just one click. Predictably, the cleaning feature can only be unlocked by activating the full version of the program, which is a matter of making a payment. This is precisely what the gist of the Mac Cleanup Pro virus is about. It frightens users into purchasing the full version. That’s a disgusting strategy, so there is, obviously, one reasonable way to treat the double-dealing program. Remove it now and mind what you download on untrustworthy websites further on.

Mac Cleanup Pro [helpermcp] 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.

  1. Open up the Utilities folder as shown below
  2. Locate the Activity Monitor icon on the screen and double-click on it
  3. Under Activity Monitor, find the entry for Mac Cleanup Pro, select it and click Quit Process
  4. A dialog should pop up, asking if you are sure you would like to quit the Mac Cleanup Pro executable. Select the Force Quit option
  5. Expand the Go menu in Apple Finder and select Go to Folder.
  6. Type or paste the following string in the folder search dialog: /Library/LaunchAgents
  7. Once the LaunchAgents directory opens up, find the following entries in it and move them to Trash:
    • com.MacCleanupPro.agent.plist
    • com.MCP.agent.plist
    • com.MacCleanupPro.mcphlpr
    • com.MCP.mcphlpr
    • TechSignalSearch
    • TechNetSearch
  8. Use the Go to Folder lookup feature again to navigate to the folder named ~/Library/LaunchAgents. When this path opens, look for the same entries (see above) and send them to Trash
  9. Similarly, go to the ~Library/Application Support folder. Locate and move the following entries to Trash:
    • MacCleanupPro
    • helpermcp
    • hlprmcp
    • hlprmaccleanuppro
  10. Click the Go button again, but this time select Applications on the list. Find the entry for Mac Cleanup Pro on the interface, right-click on it and select Move to Trash. If user password is required, go ahead and enter it
  11. Now go to Apple Menu and pick the System Preferences option
  12. 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 Cleanup Pro, TechSignalSearch, TechNetSearch, or other suspicious entries there, put a checkmark next to each one, and click on the “-“ button

Use automatic tool to uninstall Mac Cleanup Pro virus from your Mac

When confronted with malicious code like the Mac Cleanup Pro virus on Mac, you can neutralize its toxic impact by leveraging a specially crafted system utility. The Freshmac application (read review) is a perfect match for this purpose as it delivers essential security features along with must-have modules for Mac optimization.

This tool cleans unneeded applications and persistent malware in one click. It also protects your privacy by eliminating tracking cookies, frees up disk space, and manages startup apps to decrease boot time. On top of that, it boasts 24/7 tech support. The following steps will walk you through automatic removal of the Mac Cleanup Pro infection.

  1. Download Freshmac installer onto your machine. Double-click the Freshmac.pkg file to trigger the installer window, select the destination disk and click Continue. The system will display a dialog asking for your password to authorize the setup. Type the password and click Install Software.
  2. Once the installation has been completed, Freshmac will automatically start a scan consisting of 5 steps. It scans cache, logs, unused languages, trash, and checks the Mac for privacy issues.
  3. The scan report will then display your current system health status and the number of issues detected for each of the above categories. Click the Fix Safely button tto remove junk files and address privacy issues spotted during the scan.
  4. Check whether the Mac Cleanup Pro popups issue has been fixed. If it perseveres, go to the Uninstaller option on Freshmac GUI. Locate an entry that appears suspicious, select it and click Fix Safely button to force-uninstall the unwanted application.
  5. Go to Temp and Startup Apps panes on theinterface and have all redundant or suspicious items eliminated as well. The The Mac Cleanup Pro malware shouldn’t be causing any further trouble. malware shouldn’t be causing any further trouble.

FAQ

Removing Mac Cleaner Virus

No, it’s not. Based on its unethical distribution practices and intrusive activity when on board a computer, Mac Cleanup Pro is flagged as a malicious application. Upon superficial inspection, it might seem that its makers are attempting to cash in on the growing demand for Mac optimization through third-party utilities. However, most users don’t even get a chance to familiarize themselves with its purported features prior to the installation, because the scareware infiltrates their systems in a stealthy way that has nothing to do with an informed decision. It mainly arrives as part of software bundles where the installation client’s default mode conceals the cross-promotion.

Aside from the surreptitious spreading, Mac Cleanup Pro deluges an infected Mac with pesky reports about performance issues that aren’t actually there. Fabricated scan results and follow-up alerts are the common symptoms of the attack.

Furthermore, the rogue optimizer additionally leaves a footprint in the victim’s web browser by redirecting the Internet traffic to fraudulent sites that say the Mac is infected and push a “cleaner” which is a virus in disguise. In summary, Mac Clean Up Pro is not legitimate. It is a fake system utility that does not belong inside your Mac.

Commonplace updates of the operating system and the installed software are actually accompanied by some degree of background maintenance. However, a more thoroughgoing cleanup would imply certain initiative on the user’s end. macOS Sierra and later versions go equipped with a feature called “Optimize Storage”. You can configure it to remove iTunes multimedia content you’ve already watched and handle email attachments in such a way that they won’t be automatically downloaded onto your hard disk. There is additionally an option to empty Trash automatically.

The system also allows you to empty caches and reduce clutter such as large files and the items you probably don’t need anymore. This type of optimization, though, relies on user involvement and cannot be scheduled or otherwise pre-assigned.

At the end of the day, Apple does perform some tidying as long as you configure your Mac appropriately, but a more tangible effect presupposes your action. One way or another, outsourcing this job to a program like Mac Cleanup Pro is a bad idea. You’re better off sorting through your junk files manually or downloading a trusted cleaner from the official store.

There is no on-demand virus scanner built into your Mac. Nevertheless, Apple delivers decent real-time protection against dubious apps you may want to install, plus its Gatekeeper module will generate an alert if a piece of third-party software has been covertly altered since it was last checked. Software updates also maintain an important layer of security through patches of the recently discovered vulnerabilities.

If you need to run a virus scan at will, though, this is doable with a specially crafted tool made by a reputable AV vendor. Be sure to download a security suite of choice from the official Mac App Store only, otherwise you may unknowingly expose your system to a rogue program like Mac Cleanup Pro.

Contrary to a common opinion, Macs aren’t flawless when it comes to self-optimization. You need to do quite a bit of the tedious cleaning work literally by hand to make sure the system runs smooth at all times. Therefore, a third-party app that automates the process of releasing disk space and boosting the Mac’s performance is more than welcome.

Advanced Mac Cleaner Reviews

Thankfully, there are plenty of reliable Mac cleaners on the market. From where we stand, the apps called Combo Cleaner, Freshmac and MacBooster are among the top utilities in this niche. In addition to identifying and wiping memory hogs along with junk files you don’t need, these tools boast privacy and security essentials to keep your Mac experience both hassle-free and safe.