Privacy, Spamming and viruses

[DaveR]

Why not just leave it in situ, but not use it, for the time being, until you are up to speed with Firefox?

[Michael]

   A few hours ago I clicked here and there and before I knew it I had downloaded an innocent? application to join a forum to do with Epson printers.

  Now something by the name of GENIEO and says it comes from Israel has highjacked my home page which is normally Safari.

   Actually this GENIEO appears quite good, its got lots of uptodate news lines, sport, all sorts. But I never asked for it nor want it.
   It has a questions and answers section and amongst them is "I want to delete you."

    Gave this a go, it gave instructions on how to disinstall, I did this and a pop up comes up "Genieo wants to alter your system. Is this O.K? Your user name and password.
 
Thats when I thought I wouldn't do any more and wait and see what develops.

    Any ideas from a technically minded members?

[DaveR]

It's not a virus and seems 'fairly' harmless, you must have downloaded with the printer application software:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4497906?tstart=0

[Michael]

  Thanks Dave. Reading your link it appears its been around for a good while. Trust me to find it.

    If I wasn't so irritated by it just taking over my screen I think I could actually enjoy it. Looks a lot fresher with the news than Safari.  Mike

[Ian]

The other point, Mike, is that the Apple won't let you install anything that's even mildly suspect without making you go through the rigmarole of suspending your security settings. Here;s how to uninstall it:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5835767?tstart=0

Scroll down to Linc Davies and follow the detailed instructions.

[Ian]

It's an irritant, rather than a virus, Mike, but you must have clicked on something to download it. Just to be absolutely on the safe side for the future, however, go to  System

Preferences / Security and Privacy / General

Towards the bottom of the screen there's a section which reads:

"Allow apps downloaded from:"

and there are then three options. Make sure there's a dot in the option which says

"Mac App store and identified developers". 

Under no circumstances allow a dot in the option at the very bottom, which says

"Anywhere".

You only use that option if you're very used to Macs and know exactly what you're doing.

[Ian]

It's an annoyingly persistent bit of adware which is crafted to resist easy removal, by disguising its components. Softonic and Download.com are two of the worst sites in terms of allowing this thing to piggy-back on their downloads, so it's wise to give them a wide berth. Generally, you should always look first on the App store for anything you might need.  The Mac itself will automatically alert you to software downloads for your printer (I got one only last week), so you don't need to go round looking for those.

Probably the best guide to removing the pesky thing is here:

http://www.thesafemac.com/arg-genieo/

Some other good tips on the site too.

[Ian]

One other- albeit unlikely - thing, Mike, is the possibility that your router has been hacked. It's worth reading this

http://www.thesafemac.com/how-to-manage-a-hacked-wireless-router/
'
to make sure.

[Michael]

  Thank you very much, both Dave and Ian. But especially Ian.

  I have all my life been a late starter, without an alarm clock I doubt if I would wake up before noon.
So you can imagine my admiration for anyone who helps out with technical problems at around 07.30 in the morning. In the unlikely event of my reading the forum at that time, it would only be through bleary eyes and holding a mug of tea

[Michael]

  Re my earlier posts about tho Genieo. Thanks again to Dave and Ian but --- tonight I took the bull by the horns and started to get rid of Genieo.
   I'm am not easily frightened but at first glance at the start of following one of the removal links was enough to frighten any middle of the road computer user.  Just a brief quote "If you do not follow exactly the instructions for removal your computer will probably freeze and you will be unable to use it."  And the instructions are not of the easily understood nature.
   I am still trying, but with my heart in my mouth. BUT --- BUT, why me? Why should me trying to join a friendly forum to discuss problems with an Epson printer bring all this down on my head?

[Michael]

  It gets worse. Ian gave me a link a day or two ago and said this is probably the best way to remove it. Now Ian please believe me when I say this looks an absolute minefield. The more you read the worse it becomes.
  To add insult to injury whilst I was reading it shacking in my boots a pop up comes up in the corner of my screen from of all people Genieo. Telling me the easy way to remove unwanted adware. Hard to believe.
   Anyway I am not going to do anything. I am just going to accept Genieo as my home page and just ignore it

[Ian]

This is a nasty scam on the lines of the Courier scam, but more sophisticated.  Worth listening to.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z2ntt

[Fester]

Mike,  is this Genio (or whatever it is) causing you to have lots of ads popping up all over your screen?

You click them off, and then they just pop up elsewhere soon after?

[Walker]

Another article about Genieo: http://www.macsecurity.net/view/56/

[Michael]

  I've got yet another computer problem (groans from any readers) I am horrified that I was the last forum member to use this particular Topic five months ago --- am I being a pest?
   This evening I logged on to a website that I log on every night to. Its a business firm who, incidentally, do a lot of work with computers over the internet. Up comes a screen:----

    Web Servers Default Page.

   This page is generated by "Parallels Plesk Panel"

   You see this page because there is no web site at this address. 

   _________________________________________________________________________

   There was then a whole lot more, all apparently highly technical, all way above my head. Cannot understand a word of most of it.

   I got my iPad out and I gt straight through to the company website I was after, no problems. So I have emailed them to see if they have got any ideas what it is all about, but I assume it is nothing to do with them as there is no problem when I use the iPad.

   The only other thing I noticed is when their website address showed up in the panel at the top, before their address there were two virtical red bars that are not normally there.

   Anyone any ideas what is going on?