How to remove Advanced Mac Cleaner from Mac?
- What Is Advanced Mac Cleaner
- What Does The Advanced Mac Cleaner Virus Do
- Advanced Mac Cleaner Scam
- What Is The Advanced Mac Cleaner App
What is Advanced Mac Cleaner?
Aug 19, 2018 Advanced Mac Tuneup is a suspicious program that may appear on Macintosh system unexpectedly without user’s involvement. Its existence can flood the screen with various warning and alert messages stating a magnitude of software errors and system troubles. 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.
Advanced Mac Cleaner is a deceptive application that falsely claims to enhance computer performance by cleaning junk files, removing unwanted software, and providing other system optimization-related functionality. Judging on appearance alone, Advanced Mac Cleaner might seem legitimate, however, it is a potentially unwanted program (PUP) that typically infiltrates systems without users' consent.
Immediately after infiltration, Advanced Mac Cleaner performs a fake computer scan and displays dozens of 'issues'. Users are encouraged to immediately remove these errors, however, a problem is introduced: Advanced Mac Cleaner's free version is supposedly 'unable' to carry out this task. To resolve this, users are encouraged to pay for the full version of this (PUP). In fact, this program is a scam and the claims and list of errors are false - your system is likely to be completely safe and optimized. Furthermore, cyber criminals use Advanced Mac Cleaner to generate fraudulent revenue. They attempt to scare and trick victims into paying for a full version of this potentially unwanted program. As mentioned above, Advanced Mac Cleaner is likely to infiltrate systems without permission, together with other PUPs. These programs (mostly, adware-type software) usually collect sensitive information, deliver intrusive advertisements (coupons, banners, pop-ups, etc.), and misuse system resources. For these reasons, we strongly advise you to uninstall Advanced Mac Cleaner and other potentially unwanted programs immediately.
Name | Advaned Mac Cleaner potentially unwanted program |
Threat Type | Mac malware, Mac virus |
Detection Names (MacCleaner.pkg) | Avast (MacOS:AMC-EJ [PUP]), BitDefender (Gen:Variant.Application.MAC.OSX.AMCleanerCA.2), ESET-NOD32 (a variant of OSX/GT32SupportGeeks.V potentially unwanted), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal) |
Symptoms | Your Mac became slower than normal, you see unwanted pop-up ads, you get redirected to shady websites. |
Distribution methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers, torrent file downloads. |
Damage | Internet browsing tracking (potential privacy issues), displaying of unwanted ads, redirects to shady websites, loss of private information. |
Removal | To eliminate Advaned Mac Cleaner potentially unwanted program our malware researchers recommend scanning your computer with Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner. |
There are hundreds of potentially unwanted programs similar to Advanced Mac Cleaner. For example, CompariShop, MacBright, TURBOMAC, and many others. As with Advanced Mac Cleaner, these other PUPs offer various 'useful features', however, these claims are merely attempts to trick users to install. The only purpose of potentially unwanted programs is to generate revenue for developers. Rather than providing any real value for regular users, they pose a direct threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.
How did Advanced Mac Cleaner install on my computer?
Advanced Mac Cleaner has an official download website, however, in most cases, this (and other similar PUPs) infiltrate systems without permission. Be aware that developers proliferate these programs by employing intrusive advertisements and a deceptive marketing method called 'bundling'. Intrusive advertisements usually redirect to infectious websites. Furthermore, some execute scripts that download and install malware. 'Bundling' is stealth installation of third party applications together with regular software/apps. Developers do not disclose these installations properly - they hide 'bundled' apps within 'Custom/Advanced' settings or other sections of the download/installation processes. Therefore, clicking various advertisements, rushing download/installation processes, and skipping steps, often leads to inadvertent installation of PUPs - users expose their systems to risk of various infections.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?
What Is Advanced Mac Cleaner
The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. Therefore, be cautious when downloading/installing software and browsing the Internet in general. Select the 'Custom/Advanced' settings, carefully analyze each window of the download/installation dialogues, and cancel all additionally-included programs. In addition, avoid using any third party download/installation tools, since criminals monetize them by promoting dubious applications (the 'bundling' method). Note that criminals invest many resources into the design of intrusive advertisements. Therefore, they look legitimate, however, these ads are distinguishable for their redirects - most lead to gambling, adult dating, and other dubious websites. As mentioned above, intrusive ads are delivered by adware-type applications. If you encounter them, uninstall all suspicious programs and browser extensions. The key to computer safety is caution.
List of files created by Advanced Mac Cleaner application:
- ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.techyutils.cleaner.savedState/data.data
- ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.techyutils.cleaner.savedState/window_2.data
- ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.techyutils.cleaner.savedState/window_2.data
- ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.techyutils.cleaner.savedState/window_3.data
- ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.techyutils.cleaner.savedState/windows.plist
Deceptive application installers promoting Advanced Mac Cleaner PUP:
Screenshot of official Advanced Mac Cleaner installation setup:
Screenshot of Advanced Mac Cleaner PUP:
Fake error message encouraging users to download Advanced Mac Cleaner:
Advanced Mac Cleaner asking for user's permission to modify various system settings:
IMPORTANT NOTE! Advanced Mac Cleaner adds itself to the list of applications that automatically run upon each user log in. Therefore, before commencing, perform these steps:
- Go to System Preferences -> Users & Groups.
- Click your account (also know as Current User).
- Click Login Items.
- Look for 'Advanced Mac Cleaner' entry. Select it, and click the '-' button to remove it.
Instant automatic removal of Advaned Mac Cleaner potentially unwanted program:Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced computer skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of Advaned Mac Cleaner potentially unwanted program. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for MacBy downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner for MacBy downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.
Quick menu:
- STEP 1. Remove Advanced Mac Cleaner related files and folders from OSX.
- STEP 2. Remove Advanced Mac Cleaner ads from Safari.
- STEP 3. Remove Advanced Mac Cleaner adware from Google Chrome.
- STEP 4. Remove Advanced Mac Cleaner ads from Mozilla Firefox.
Video showing how to remove adware and browser hijackers from a Mac computer:
Advanced Mac Cleaner PUP removal:
Remove Advanced Mac Cleaner-related potentially unwanted applications from your 'Applications' folder:
Click the Finder icon. In the Finder window, select “Applications”. In the applications folder, look for “MPlayerX”,“NicePlayer”, or other suspicious applications and drag them to the Trash. After removing the potentially unwanted application(s) that cause online ads, scan your Mac for any remaining unwanted components.
Free scanner checks if your computer is infected. To remove malware, you have to purchase the full version of Combo Cleaner.
Remove advaned mac cleaner potentially unwanted program related files and folders:
Click the Finder icon, from the menu bar. Choose Go, and click Go to Folder...
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware generated files in the /Library/Application Support folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/Application Support
In the “Application Support” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious folders. For example, “MplayerX” or “NicePlayer”, and move these folders to the Trash.
Check for adware-generated files in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder:
In the Go to Folder bar, type: ~/Library/LaunchAgents
In the “LaunchAgents” folder, look for any recently-added suspicious files and move them to the Trash. Examples of files generated by adware - “installmac.AppRemoval.plist”, “myppes.download.plist”, “mykotlerino.ltvbit.plist”, “kuklorest.update.plist”, etc. Adware commonly installs several files with the same string.
Check for adware-generated files in the /Library/LaunchDaemons folder:
In the Go to Folder... bar, type: /Library/LaunchDaemons
In the “LaunchDaemons” folder, look for recently-added suspicious files. For example “com.aoudad.net-preferences.plist”, “com.myppes.net-preferences.plist”, 'com.kuklorest.net-preferences.plist”, “com.avickUpd.plist”, etc., and move them to the Trash.
Scan your Mac with Combo Cleaner:
![Advanced Advanced](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126063296/961911348.png)
If you have followed all the steps in the correct order you Mac should be clean of infections. To be sure your system is not infected run a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus. Download it HERE. After downloading the file double click combocleaner.dmg installer, in the opened window drag and drop Combo Cleaner icon on top of the Applications icon. Now open your launchpad and click on the Combo Cleaner icon. Wait until Combo Cleaner updates it's virus definition database and click 'Start Combo Scan' button.
Combo Cleaner will scan your Mac for malware infections. If the antivirus scan displays 'no threats found' - this means that you can continue with the removal guide, otherwise it's recommended to remove any found infections before continuing.
After removing files and folders generated by the adware, continue to remove rogue extensions from your Internet browsers.
Advaned Mac Cleaner potentially unwanted program removal from Internet browsers:
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Remove advaned mac cleaner potentially unwanted program related Safari extensions:
Open Safari browser, from the menu bar, select 'Safari' and click 'Preferences...'.
In the preferences window, select 'Extensions' and look for any recently-installed suspicious extensions. When located, click the 'Uninstall' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Safari browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Safari.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Remove advaned mac cleaner potentially unwanted program related Mozilla Firefox add-ons:
Open your Mozilla Firefox browser. At the top right corner of the screen, click the 'Open Menu' (three horizontal lines) button. From the opened menu, choose 'Add-ons'.
Choose the 'Extensions' tab and look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Remove' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Mozilla Firefox browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Mozilla Firefox.
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Remove advaned mac cleaner potentially unwanted program related Google Chrome add-ons:
Open Google Chrome and click the 'Chrome menu' (three horizontal lines) button located in the top-right corner of the browser window. From the drop-down menu, choose 'More Tools' and select 'Extensions'.
In the 'Extensions' window, look for any recently-installed suspicious add-ons. When located, click the 'Trash' button next to it/them. Note that you can safely uninstall all extensions from your Google Chrome browser - none are crucial for normal browser operation.
- If you continue to have problems with browser redirects and unwanted advertisements - Reset Google Chrome.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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. 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.
What Does The Advanced Mac Cleaner Virus Do
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.
Advanced Mac Cleaner Scam
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.