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Every time I click to open a link, other windows start opening. They all want to sell me Detox your Mac or have warnings about how my Mac is at risk or infected.

How can I check for malware?

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  • Are you using Safari or Chrome or Firefox. In any of those you can set up to BLOCK those pop us.
    – Ruskes
    Mar 16, 2015 at 23:57
  • @Buscar웃 The current crop of adware are immune to pop up blockers. Sadly, the sleuthing and need for trusted cleaning software seems to be on the rise. Hopefully Apple can keep nipping the problem vendors with gatekeeper and code signing.
    – bmike ♦
    Mar 17, 2015 at 0:07

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You can check for malware and also make sure that you don't have some known adware installed:

The second link is quite long, so feel free to point out one line or a paragraph that don't make sense if you need a hand digesting it and then implementing the fixes.

I've also checked into http://www.thesafemac.com/arg/ and their product free but donation supported product Adware Medic and the program and site are valuable and honest tools for fighting malware and adware. I've chipped in some cash to help them continue to make information clear and available.

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    I just used Adware Medic, and it worked fantastically. Thanks!
    – fresh5447
    Mar 30, 2015 at 17:33
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Have you installed any free programs or any open source programs? If so, they may contain adware. The website distributes its software for free, but bundles it with malicious files/adware and are payed per install. Even secure websites can sometimes acquire malware, so you should always scan whatever you download.

When you locate the free program, Google it and find out how to completely uninstall it, for some malicious files cannot be removed by deleting them, as they spread. Install some antivirus software and keep yourself protected regularly. Don't take a free program, they are very invasive.

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  • "Open Source Programs" almost NEVER contain adware or malware unless the download site was hacked! Yes, it's true that ANYONE can submit changes to OSS but the VOLUNTEERS maintaining it can REMOVE malicious changes just as easily and quickly as the bad guys try to add them! The second most common tactic is to register a similar web address and trick people into downloading the app from the wrong site! The wrong site will have added adware and / or malware!
    – Bryan Dunphy
    Jul 24, 2019 at 13:30

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