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maybe "adchoices" solution

lasloduncan

lasloduncan

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 2, 2015
552
32
https://macmost.com/checking-for-and-removing-adware-from-your-mac.html- so far seems to be working.. changed login page and browser...and checked launchagents and launchdamons..._ not sure yet ..but adchoices is not showing up in the previous places that it has in the past...(note. all in safari) never in chrome brave epic firefox opera--next question from me to you is can I delete all of launchagents/daemons in my library and the systems library. I seem to think the system will build new plists as necuessary?
 
lasloduncan said:
can I delete all of launchagents/daemons in my library and the systems library. I seem to think the system will build new plists as necuessary?
Click to expand...
Definitely do not do that! The system will not repopulate them, and things will be broken.
 
hope that is clear...two librarys each with launchagents/damons..one user one system library ..can I delete the plists from each or only one? if so which. one.?--
two apple folks said it could not be done (remove adchoices)..so much for that hassle.
[doublepost=1559830989][/doublepost]
chrfr said:
Definitely do not do that! The system will not repopulate them, and things will be broken.
Click to expand...
thns that is what I need the correct answer would be delete the one or two that would signify adchoices..huh?
 
lasloduncan said:
hope that is clear...two librarys each with launchagents/damons..one user one system library ..can I delete the plists from each or only one? if so which. one.?--
two apple folks said it could not be done (remove adchoices)..so much for that hassle.
[doublepost=1559830989][/doublepost]
thns that is what I need the correct answer would be delete the one or two that would signify adchoices..huh?
Click to expand...

1. Launch daemons and Launch agents (both system and user ones) populate during installation of app/system and if you delete something there, it will NOT get repopulated. As noted above. DO NOT modify unless you know what you are doing, you can break the system easily.
2. If you break the system easiest way to fix it is to reinstall the system over the existing one (same or higher version preferably). And reinstall all apps which may have anything in these folders. Which can be lot of work and challenge unless you know what to do.
3. If you have adware (adchoices) and need to remove it, identify which records in these locations are related to them and then remove those (and only those) to some other location. Delete after you check that everything else is working.
4. Apple support (at least the low level one) is instructed to NOT allow users to use command line tools or try to modify system folders. I told them once that I have done some changes using command line tools and they refused to work with me on fixing the problem. Basically, Apple solution for users is to ONLY use GUI tools.
which begs a question: how do they fix problems which simply cannot be fixed through GUI tools???
 
Honza1 said:
1. Launch daemons and Launch agents (both system and user ones) populate during installation of app/system and if you delete something there, it will NOT get repopulated. As noted above. DO NOT modify unless you know what you are doing, you can break the system easily.
2. If you break the system easiest way to fix it is to reinstall the system over the existing one (same or higher version preferably). And reinstall all apps which may have anything in these folders. Which can be lot of work and challenge unless you know what to do.
3. If you have adware (adchoices) and need to remove it, identify which records in these locations are related to them and then remove those (and only those) to some other location. Delete after you check that everything else is working.
4. Apple support (at least the low level one) is instructed to NOT allow users to use command line tools or try to modify system folders. I told them once that I have done some changes using command line tools and they refused to work with me on fixing the problem. Basically, Apple solution for users is to ONLY use GUI tools.
which begs a question: how do they fix problems which simply cannot be fixed through GUI tools???
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1559929272][/doublepost]Thank you. the answer to your question is they dont--I cannot tell you how incredibly pissed off I am about this - so much so I am looking into ubuntu ssd drive and virtual machine...and de-googling....it is one thing if I can cant debug it quite another if noone else can either...adchoices is a google in your heine deal...-

-----it will be a major deal to change all of my emails banking etc. but I am going to do my best to do it...tho I may do a mojave reinstall first...I am looking for someone local to assist me or do it for me...it looks to be quite an undertaking at least for me...thanks btw here it is now...adchoices
[doublepost=1559929681][/doublepost]
lasloduncan said:
[doublepost=1559929272][/doublepost]Thank you. the answer to your question is they dont--I cannot tell you how incredibly pissed off I am about this - so much so I am looking into ubuntu ssd drive and virtual machine...and de-googling....it is one thing if I can cant debug it quite another if noone else can either...adchoices is a google in your heine deal...-

-----it will be a major deal to change all of my emails banking etc. but I am going to do my best to do it...tho I may do a mojave reinstall first...I am looking for someone local to assist me or do it for me...it looks to be quite an undertaking at least for me...thanks btw here it is now...adchoices
Click to expand...
and I have an entrecheck list if anyone is up to it...if it is there I cant see it but it came in with a bs. adobe flash download I am afraid..(maybe)_ thank you for your help ...eventually everyone will get away from them...good I say snowden looks better every day.
 

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Surely Adchoices isn’t the malware part, just the adverts that the malware is pulling, so you’re unlikely to find anything called ‘Adchoices’ to remove.

If it’s only in Safari, what extensions are installed? Can you ‘reset’ Safari to factory fresh, by removing all extensions & plugins?
 
lasloduncan said:
[doublepost=1559929272][/doublepost]Thank you. the answer to your question is they dont--I cannot tell you how incredibly pissed off I am about this - so much so I am looking into ubuntu ssd drive and virtual machine...and de-googling....it is one thing if I can cant debug it quite another if noone else can either...adchoices is a google in your heine deal...-

-----it will be a major deal to change all of my emails banking etc. but I am going to do my best to do it...tho I may do a mojave reinstall first...I am looking for someone local to assist me or do it for me...it looks to be quite an undertaking at least for me...thanks btw here it is now...adchoices
[doublepost=1559929681][/doublepost]
and I have an entrecheck list if anyone is up to it...if it is there I cant see it but it came in with a bs. adobe flash download I am afraid..(maybe)_ thank you for your help ...eventually everyone will get away from them...good I say snowden looks better every day.
Click to expand...
First, I can't believe that nobody has suggested installing and running Malwarebytes for Mac;
https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/
The free version is certainly capable of finding and removing the culprit that you're looking for.
 
lasloduncan said:
wrong of course I have ran it dozens of times.
Click to expand...
I read all of your posts again, cannot see anywhere that mentions you have already tried running Malwarebytes for Mac. Did I miss that?
Obviously, you are very sensitive by now, trying to deal with this irritating adware, but you have not responded to requests to list the launch agents etc, you are seeing. It is very hard to guess what is causing this issue. If Malwarebytes isn't picking it up, it is most likely a Safari extension or something similar. Have you tried disabling all such add-ons?
Actually, I just ran a Google search for "malware adchoices" and it seems that the issue is a bit more complex. You will have to read up on it, but one of the articles that search revealed said that one of the first steps to a solution is editing your Google preferences.
Can you try searching for that solution? https://www.2-spyware.com/remove-adchoices.html etc.
These "solution" sites actually seem a little suspicious, and I got several unwanted requests to install cookies. Ugh.
 
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davidlv said:
I read all of your posts again, cannot see anywhere that mentions you have already tried running Malwarebytes for Mac. Did I miss that?
Obviously, you are very sensitive by now, trying to deal with this irritating adware, but you have not responded to requests to list the launch agents etc, you are seeing. It is very hard to guess what is causing this issue. If Malwarebytes isn't picking it up, it is most likely a Safari extension or something similar. Have you tried disabling all such add-ons?
Actually, I just ran a Google search for "malware adchoices" and it seems that the issue is a bit more complex. You will have to read up on it, but one of the articles that search revealed said that one of the first steps to a solution is editing your Google preferences.
Can you try searching for that solution? https://www.2-spyware.com/remove-adchoices.html etc.
These "solution" sites actually seem a little suspicious, and I got several unwanted requests to install cookies. Ugh.
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1560393216][/doublepost]Thank you very much for taking an interest..I am punchy from trying to deal with this google rape---to explain as best that I can what I have done etc would have to be done along with a q an a over the phone would be best --if your in on this...if we or either one of us should be able to fix it we should or could be adware removal commodities.(haha)
[doublepost=1560394610][/doublepost]here they are as I respond to you...note the two little turquoise upper right hand icon those are the signifying i.d.s - they have toned them way down in size and obtrusiveness in recent days... it is a safari deal not in brave epic chrome firefox sphere tor that I can see..

I would say I am a semi competent user- old guy so not up to speed on this weeks changeware - have done what I guessed on extensions reloads cookies caches websites reloaded mojave three times ...still there as you can see ..yes I did that spyware deal like you said more of gotcha than a helper like most of the bs on the net anymore.
I need a strong terminal library safari bit twiddler tekkie...phone is best if that works for you you can call me or whatever you want let me know -

I have mbp and not on there?? --I will make myself available to you- I have ran malwarebytes probably 10 times as well as safe mode restart cold unplug boots and so on...so it is a terminal maybe, launchagent/daemons deal -tho I went through them. if I had to guess -came in with a conflicting adobe flash player upgrade ..you know the phony one-- then check with adobe none available --check back, one available.-probably in April ..a remedy would be a reload of safari from prior to April if that was the case not sure I have that time machine has a bug for mbp in Mojave...so may not have it --

cannot delete safari and reload it but a bit twiddler tekkie could.T

Thank you for you interest in kansas cst here but let me know I can take your call...or call you....
 

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When you said you reinstalled os multiple times, did you erase the drive first? And did you skip copying back your files via TimeMachine?
 
lasloduncan said:
[doublepost=1560393216][/doublepost]Thank you very much for taking an interest..I am punchy from trying to deal with this google rape---to explain as best that I can what I have done etc would have to be done along with a q an a over the phone would be best --if your in on this...if we or either one of us should be able to fix it we should or could be adware removal commodities.(haha)
[doublepost=1560394610][/doublepost]here they are as I respond to you...note the two little turquoise upper right hand icon those are the signifying i.d.s - they have toned them way down in size and obtrusiveness in recent days... it is a safari deal not in brave epic chrome firefox sphere tor that I can see..

I would say I am a semi competent user- old guy so not up to speed on this weeks changeware - have done what I guessed on extensions reloads cookies caches websites reloaded mojave three times ...still there as you can see ..yes I did that spyware deal like you said more of gotcha than a helper like most of the bs on the net anymore.
I need a strong terminal library safari bit twiddler tekkie...phone is best if that works for you you can call me or whatever you want let me know -

I have mbp and not on there?? --I will make myself available to you- I have ran malwarebytes probably 10 times as well as safe mode restart cold unplug boots and so on...so it is a terminal maybe, launchagent/daemons deal -tho I went through them. if I had to guess -came in with a conflicting adobe flash player upgrade ..you know the phony one-- then check with adobe none available --check back, one available.-probably in April ..a remedy would be a reload of safari from prior to April if that was the case not sure I have that time machine has a bug for mbp in Mojave...so may not have it --

cannot delete safari and reload it but a bit twiddler tekkie could.T

Thank you for you interest in kansas cst here but let me know I can take your call...or call you....
Click to expand...
Sorry, I am not into trouble-shooting over the telephone, there are just too many knots to get by. And really, as I am in Japan, the time difference and 1-day difference is also a rather big hassle. Given our respective busy schedules I doubt a call would be productive, and international calls are expensive!
Can you do the following:
1. list the LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons you have installed
2. list the Safari extensions installed
3. list the problems EtreCheck found; if I am not mistaken, someone else asked you about that but you didn't answer that, and the screen shot you posted did not show anything from the Etracheck results. Actually I find it difficult to agree with those results in most cases. Sometimes it does help to find a potential issue.
The most likely cause of these adds is a Safari extension that was added (installed) by that bogus Flash installer. I used the Flash uninstaller from the Adobe HP a long time ago and have never missed Flash at all. https://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/support/uninstall_flash_player_osx.dmg
If this was my problem I would have switched browsers by now, Chromium is perhaps preferable to GoogleChrome; latest available here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/osxportableapps/files/Chromium/?
In fact I have trouble using Safari due to it's dark fonts on the menu bar, and my old eyes.
 
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5BE4ACCC-BD15-4126-B476-0F9F9D1B8310.png


Are you talking about the advert at the bottom of posts, like the one above?

If so, it’s not ‘adware’, it’s simply this website serving some ads to help with revenue.

To remove then you just need to install an ad-blocker, but then you’d be depriving this valuable resource of revenue.
 
even more difficult by email-I have actually switched...but pisses me to have too- currently running a new fresh full back up from my unaffected mbp ...once that is done I may be able to figure out how to delete the corrupted safari and replace with good one from my mbp---No I did wipe disk first..I was trying to establish that was necessary--somehow something got downloaded and noooo out of place name.--adchoices digital advertising alliance...courtesy of google- like it or not-

Thank you very much for your effort and shame on all the holes that passed...hopefully they will get it also...by then I will have remedied... and tho it says you can opt out haanaaa-- and I can date mariah carey too--thanks again
p.s tho not at all qualified I was anticipating someone leading me through the terminal command line search delete fix..


two apple folks gave up --one a senior advisor supposedly...
I think they are limited in assisting to extensions etc no command line coding amendments etc.
b.s,--

I cannot be the only guy in the world with this adware if I was?- google realized that I have been talking bad about them the behind their back..
here it is...
DigitalAdvertisingAlliance.org
https://digitaladvertisingalliance.org
The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) establishes and enforces responsible privacy practices across industry for relevant digital advertising, providing consumers with enhanced transparency and control through multifaceted Principles that apply to Multi-Site Data and Cross-App Data gathered in either desktop or mobile environments.
 
lasloduncan said:
cannot be the only guy in the world with this adware if I was?- google realized that I have been talking bad about them the behind their back..
here it is...
DigitalAdvertisingAlliance.org
https://digitaladvertisingalliance.org
The Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) establishes and enforces responsible privacy practices across industry for relevant digital advertising, providing consumers with enhanced transparency and control through multifaceted Principles that apply to Multi-Site Data and Cross-App Data gathered in either desktop or mobile environments.
Click to expand...
This is not adware. Just install an adblocker and you won't see them anymore.
 
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