Oh, perfidious software! How you afflict the lives of Mac users everywhere.
MacKeeper has long been one of the most notorious bits of software due to the difficulty some users have with removing it from their systems. While it is purported to help keep your system safe and secure through various quality of life improvements, it has been known to add a whole host of new problems to users’ digital lives. And, you certainly don’t need a program like this to help with basic security such as zipping a file on your Mac.
In this article, we cover everything you need to expunge this troublesome program from your life. Read on to find out how:
While getting rid of MacKeeper is a little harder than dragging the application to the trash can, these steps should give you everything you need in order to have a painless removal process.
4 Steps for uninstalling MacKeeper
- Go to the Applications folder on your Mac.
- Drag the MacKeeper app to the Trash.
- You may be prompted for your administrator’s password. Enter it, click OK, and the MacKeeper app will move to the Trash.
- Another pop-up will appear that is very similar to the previous one. It asks if you are sure you want to uninstall MacKeeper. Enter your password and click OK.
As with all software removal, patience is the key. Taking a deep breath and following a guide is a great way to ensure you don’t make a mistake that could cause you to lose your progress or cause another unforeseen issue in your machine.
Step 1: Pre-check
Before you jump into removing MacKeeper, there are a few things you need to check on your system to ensure you have a clean removal.
MacKeeper offers a few optional encryption tools you can use to protect your files. If this is the first you’re hearing about this or have elected not to make use of this feature, you can feel free to skip this bit. Otherwise, make sure you use the data encryptor to de-encrypt your files.
Furthermore, some users of MacKeeper are simply using the trial version and not the full product. In this instance, you can quit MacKeeper from the program’s menu. If you have activated it, then you’ll need to first quit the menu bar feature that MacKeeper provides. To do this, select ‘preferences’ and find the ‘general’ icon. Choose the option: ‘Show MacKeeper icon in menu bar.’ This will allow you to quit MacKeeper.
Step 2: Uninstalling
Now that all the pre-work is done, you’re ready to remove it from your machine!
- Find the ‘applications folder on your Mac’
- Drag the MacKeeper app from the folder and gently deposit it in the Trash
- If you’re prompted to enter your administrator password, simply enter the same password you use to log onto your computer and click ‘OK”
- Lastly, you’ll be greeted with a final, plaintive, pop-up asking if you’re sure you want to uninstall MacKeeper (you are). Enter your password once more, click ‘OK’ and MacKeeper will be officially removed from your machine. Congrats!
Step 3: Survey
Huzzah! At this point, MacKeeper should be mostly expunged from your computer. We’ll get back to that in a minute.
Following the official uninstall of the software, your default web browser will open a window with a survey from MacKeeper asking for feedback on your experience on the software and an answer for why you decided to uninstall. This survey is completely optional; feel no obligation to fill it out.
For a more holistic view of the options available to you, consider looking at G2’s real user reviews of the best antivirus software on the market! |
Step 4: Final cleanup
While it might seem like you’re all finished, there are still a few things you need to make sure you address on your machine. MacKeeper is notorious for leaving a trail of digital ‘crumbs’, and it pays to ensure they’ve been taken care of. Here’s what you need to do:
- Use your Mac’s finder to navigate to ‘~/Library/Application Support.’ This can be done by pressing Command + Spacebar and entering the aforementioned text.
- Search for any folder with ‘MacKeeper’ in the name and drag them to the trash.
- Use the finder once more to check ‘~/Library/Caches’ and delete any of the caches that MacFinder may have let on your machine. Not every version of MacKeeper leaves traces in this folder, but it never hurts to check.
- Now that every last bit of this nefarious program has been purged, empty your Mac’s trash can by right-clicking on the icon in the menu bar and selecting ‘Empty Trash.’
- Restart your Mac.
That’s all, folks!
With that, your mac should be free of evil influences and foul software that might malign your computer with underhanded business tactics. Make sure to remain vigilant when selecting software for your computer in the future!
Having trouble with your machine? Learn how to force restart your Mac here.