macbook virus checking

[triffid]

My Macbook has suddenly become drastically slower or even incapable to load websites. I'm presuming this is because of a virus. I have just the free iAntivirus on it. Is there a simple way for me to check if it's a virus problem and to remedy it? Would the Apple Care shop (In Chiangmai) have this capability - to check and remedy it? If it's not that easy perhaps it would be wiser to wait another month when I go to Europe and get it done there. (I have minimal confidence - based on experience - in the local shop).

[HeijoshinCool]

1. Download CCleaner.

https://www.piriform.com/mac/ccleaner

2. under Safari preferences, remove all website data. I do this everyday.

3. Clean white space with CCleaner

4. anti-virus programs can slow your computer, and Mac really doesn't need anti-virus; consider removing the software

5. definitely wait for Europe. One month is not that long.

[arnestockholm]

CCleaner is useles and more danger than helpful on a Mac. So wouldn't use it at all. Try to repair your file permissions via the disk utility app. Helps often and give you back better performance. Also check your activity monitor to see any background processes or apps that maybe take more resources than needed.

[triffid]

1. Download CCleaner.

https://www.piriform.com/mac/ccleaner

2. under Safari preferences, remove all website data. I do this everyday.

3. Clean white space with CCleaner

4. anti-virus programs can slow your computer, and Mac really doesn't need anti-virus; consider removing the software

5. definitely wait for Europe. One month is not that long.

In your 2 do you mean the 'remove history items' which can be set to various period - mine is now at 2 weeks and you have set at daily?

[RichCor]

My Macbook has suddenly become drastically slower or even incapable to load websites.

How well does your Mac perform with other (non browser) applications? If it's just a slow everywhere else it could be a memory or even a hardware issue (not enough RAM, not enough free memory on the HD or a failing HD).

If the computer works fine everywhere else, have you tried downloading another browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.)

[cpbkk]

I would wait a few days. There was a break in the transpacific cable just off Vietnam. It has slowed or halted traffic considerably -- especially for websites that use US servers. Mine is improving, but still not back to normal.

[T_Dog]

Doubt it is a virus, but you might try using Disk Utility and Repair Permissions on your hard drive. Those can sometimes hog resources and slow down your system. Permissions can get corrupted during power outages if you don't use a UPS.

[rotary]

I used AVG Anti-virus for years for a PC. Now we are pretty much a MAC family and AVG has a few months ago come out with AVG for MAC, It is FREE for private users so perhaps download this and check

[traviss]

CCleaner is useles and more danger than helpful on a Mac. So wouldn't use it at all. Try to repair your file permissions via the disk utility app. Helps often and give you back better performance. Also check your activity monitor to see any background processes or apps that maybe take more resources than needed.

+1...Repair and verify file permissions

[BudRight]

Despite the confirmed existence of Mac viruses, it's still unlikely that you have one.

[richusa]

Clean up with 'Disk Utility and Repair Permission'

Get all the useless crap off.

Get a mini hard drive to store excess, movies, photos, etc...

Keep your HD free as possible

All my macs run fast; I use Chrome Browser

I have Avira Vurus, no slowdown.
Is free

Try resetting your PRAM, follow this link

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14222?viewlocale=en_US

[johninbkk71]

If your using mavericks and have less than 30% of your harddrive free it will slow you down. As far as slow to load web pages: Safari is slow, Firefox is quicker but can cause your computer to crash, chrome is useless. Use disk utility and repair permissions as said.

[Eaglekott]

Some tips:

1, Verify that you have free space on your Harddrive, 10% or more,

2, Run Disk Utility first, Repair permissions and then Verify disk. If Verify says Disk appears to be ok, fine. If it says "need to be repaired" then you restart in recovery mode (cmd-r) and from there run Disk Utility and choose repair Disk, Hope it can be repaired or you need to reformat/ reinstall.

3, Download Maintenance (free) for your OS version: http://www.titanium.free.fr/downloadmaintenance.php , or if you want mor setting download Onyx. (same developer)

4, Uninstall Virus Application, They tend to slow down you computer, and they only find PC viruses anyway, you Mac OS has a built in virus prevention that is updated with your OS.

5, Someone gave a tip about Chrome browser, nice and fast but remember it is used by Google to build your "google profile" so they can send you advertisements about your interests.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Eaglekott

[Eaglekott]

If your using mavericks and have less than 30% of your harddrive free it will slow you down. As far as slow to load web pages: Safari is slow, Firefox is quicker but can cause your computer to crash, chrome is useless. Use disk utility and repair permissions as said.

Yes that is a good tip, you need free space on your hard drive, 30% sounds much but at least 10% with little free space the disk have to work a lot for the swap files that gets fragmented.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Eaglekott

[sometimewoodworker]

Triffid, it is possible for a mac to get a virus but very unlikely. There are at least 3 programs you can run Avira has the best review.

I've been a Mac user for years have at least one mac on the net 24/7/365 another often on the net, down load stuff, go anywhere, etc. I never have A/V running. I do run an A/V program once every 2 or 3 years. They find windows viruses in my email, I've never found a Mac virus.

Any virus that slows browsing will slow everything. As others have said,

1) is the Mac slow, no -> 2

It is slow how much free disk space? Less than 20%: may be the problem. How many programs in memory? lots: may be the problem. Check Page and Swap used outs using Activity Monitor, lots: it is the problem. Quit programs you are not using or buy more memory.

2)try a different browser, slow then probably the net, try a different computer. Not slow clear history and browser caches of the first browser.

[Bonefish]

Both of my Macbook Pro's have had slow Internet connections for the last several days, especially when connecting to websites in Europe and the Americas. The Thai websites are very fast. So I guess it has to do with the international cables, as suggested earlier, or with the servers. It certainly has nothing to do with the computers, since both of them show the same symptoms. I use Safari and Firefox.

[Bonefish]

Just checked the connection speed on Safari vs. Firefox for the same overseas websites. Firefox is much faster.

[Nuddy]

I use Sophos antivirus for Mac

It is free and works well.

www.sophos.com/

Regards

[2fishin2]

Its not your computer, its the cable break. Everybody is experiencing the slow problems. Lastly there is a reason that there is no antivirus on Macs....its not needed. Any of the programs cited above will put useless, unneeded crap to included unwanted advertisements and slow your computer down more. Just wait until this cable situation resloves youll be back to precious speeds.

[triffid]

My Macbook has suddenly become drastically slower or even incapable to load websites.

How well does your Mac perform with other (non browser) applications? If it's just a slow everywhere else it could be a memory or even a hardware issue (not enough RAM, not enough free memory on the HD or a failing HD).

If the computer works fine everywhere else, have you tried downloading another browser (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.)

Works fine other than on internet. Not a RAM or HD memory problem - those are more than enough.

[triffid]

CCleaner is useles and more danger than helpful on a Mac. So wouldn't use it at all. Try to repair your file permissions via the disk utility app. Helps often and give you back better performance. Also check your activity monitor to see any background processes or apps that maybe take more resources than needed.

I have now done the repair thing. Can you please explain in layman's terms what and how about checking 'activity monitor'?

[triffid]

I would wait a few days. There was a break in the transpacific cable just off Vietnam. It has slowed or halted traffic considerably -- especially for websites that use US servers. Mine is improving, but still not back to normal.

thanks for that tip. I think there may be something to your theory - especially as my problem arose all of a sudden. I use safari of course. And it's improving. Of course that could also be because of the other suggested remedies above by helpful people here.

[triffid]

Doubt it is a virus, but you might try using Disk Utility and Repair Permissions on your hard drive. Those can sometimes hog resources and slow down your system. Permissions can get corrupted during power outages if you don't use a UPS.

Have done this. There was quite a bit of 'repair' to do - anyway it took a good 3-4 minutes doing it.

[triffid]

Clean up with 'Disk Utility and Repair Permission'

Get all the useless crap off.

Get a mini hard drive to store excess, movies, photos, etc...

Keep your HD free as possible

All my macs run fast; I use Chrome Browser

I have Avira Vurus, no slowdown.

Is free

Try resetting your PRAM, follow this link

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14222?viewlocale=en_US

Loads of HD capacity available (50%).

Have no idea what PRAM means (I'm useless about tech and/or tech terms) but I'll follow the link.

[triffid]

Some tips:

1, Verify that you have free space on your Harddrive, 10% or more,

2, Run Disk Utility first, Repair permissions and then Verify disk. If Verify says Disk appears to be ok, fine. If it says "need to be repaired" then you restart in recovery mode (cmd-r) and from there run Disk Utility and choose repair Disk, Hope it can be repaired or you need to reformat/ reinstall.

3, Download Maintenance (free) for your OS version: http://www.titanium.free.fr/downloadmaintenance.php , or if you want mor setting download Onyx. (same developer)

4, Uninstall Virus Application, They tend to slow down you computer, and they only find PC viruses anyway, you Mac OS has a built in virus prevention that is updated with your OS.

5, Someone gave a tip about Chrome browser, nice and fast but remember it is used by Google to build your "google profile" so they can send you advertisements about your interests.

1. Have plenty of HD space

2. Did this and it carried out repair successfully

3. I will download the Maintenance for OS - thanks fr the link

4. Mine is called iAntiVirus. Is this the built-in one (going by the i in its name). Otherwise, is easy to uninstall? How?

5. I've been happy enough with Safari so far.

[RichCor]

What ISP are you using? Cable. DSL, Mobile Aircard?

True has been performing maintenance this past week and many members have been logging complaints in this thread:

Connecting to international website problems (using True)

Started by Cheops, 2014-08-31 -- 12 replies

Internet almost at a standstill

Started by petedk, 2014-09-16 -- 112 replies

[triffid]

Triffid, it is possible for a mac to get a virus but very unlikely. There are at least 3 programs you can run Avira has the best review.

I've been a Mac user for years have at least one mac on the net 24/7/365 another often on the net, down load stuff, go anywhere, etc. I never have A/V running. I do run an A/V program once every 2 or 3 years. They find windows viruses in my email, I've never found a Mac virus.

Any virus that slows browsing will slow everything. As others have said,

1) is the Mac slow, no -> 2

It is slow how much free disk space? Less than 20%: may be the problem. How many programs in memory? lots: may be the problem. Check Page and Swap used outs using Activity Monitor, lots: it is the problem. Quit programs you are not using or buy more memory.

2)try a different browser, slow then probably the net, try a different computer. Not slow clear history and browser caches of the first browser.

Thanks. I'm going through the responses in order, and you'll notice that I've addressed some of your queries.

"Check Page and Swap used outs using Activity Monitor," Grateful if you could explain this a bit as I have near-zero know how about computers - could have a lot to do with my advanced age

[triffid]

Both of my Macbook Pro's have had slow Internet connections for the last several days, especially when connecting to websites in Europe and the Americas. The Thai websites are very fast. So I guess it has to do with the international cables, as suggested earlier, or with the servers. It certainly has nothing to do with the computers, since both of them show the same symptoms. I use Safari and Firefox.

Some body else has mentioned this, and there could be something to it. Facebook worked fine or at least much much better than other sites. Thaivisa was bad bad. I have only Safari.

[triffid]

What ISP are you using? Cable. DSL, Mobile Aircard?

True has been performing maintenance this past week and many members have been logging complaints in this thread:

Connecting to international website problems (using True)

Started by Cheops, 2014-08-31 -- 12 replies

Internet almost at a standstill

Started by petedk, 2014-09-16 -- 112 replies

I have Truemove and my home Apple time capsule wifi

[triffid]

Gentlemen, thanks you all for your efforts to help.

My Macbook is now performing fine.

I did do the repair-disk. I changed my history delete from two weeks down to daily. I have no idea if that had anything to do with the initial problem. Or if the problem was the broken cable that has been mentioned. The fact that the problem came up very suddenly argues for the latter. But I'm glad to have done the disk repair as there seemed to be plenty needing repair - 4 minutes and a long list in the reporting box.

So thanks again.