Should I Install Apps That Claim To Speed Up My Mac?
One of the key benefits of owning a Mac is having to do very little in order to maintain it. Some software providers run advertising to convince you otherwise but in our experience most are junk and can slow your Mac.
PC users have to worry about all sorts of problems to keep their computers running smoothly including the constant threat of malware; Mac users can sleep relatively soundly.
There are a number of apps doing the rounds, some with large ad budgets that try to convince you that your computer is riddled with problems, junk files and wide-open to attacks and only their premium version can protect you against these problems. MacKeeper is one of the biggest and most well known. They have paid out millions of dollars in the settlement of a class action lawsuit over deceptive claims and false advertisement.
Our suggestion is avoid these apps like the plague, and you and your Mac will be better off for it. If you have installed any of these apps we recommend that you remove it ASAP. If you are experiencing a slow Mac it may benefit from a clean up or hardware upgrade. Please see out post on Speeding up a Slow Mac.
How do I get rid of MacKeeper?
1st Remove it from the Menu Bar
- Launch the MacKeeper app in the Applications folder.
- Click on the MacKeeper menu and then select Preferences.
- Click on the General tab.
- Uncheck the box for Show MacKeeper icon in menu bar.
2nd Uninstall the App
- 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.
- A survey may open in Safari asking you for feedback about why you are removing MacKeeper.
3rd Remove the stuff left behind
Trash the following files and folders:
- ~/Library/Application Support/MacKeeper Helper. Inside this MacKeeper Helper folder is a NoticeEngine.plugin file. Go ahead and toss the MacKeeper Helper folder and this file will disappear right along with it.
- ~/Library/Caches/com.mackeeper.MacKeeper
- ~/Library/Caches/com.mackeeper.MacKeeper.Helper
- ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.mackeeper.MacKeeper.Helper.plist
- ~/Library/Application Support/MacKeeper Helper
- ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.mackeeper.MacKeeper.plugin.AntiTheft.daemon.plist