Removing the Trovi 'Virus' and Other Browser Hijackers

I've had multiple calls in the past two weeks about what's become known as the Trovi Virus, as well as other Browser Hijackers. These aren't technically viruses, but are considered malware, and, in short, have the ability to change your browser's homepage to their preferred ad-laden page, effectively cutting off your regular internet habits and in some cases, suggesting your computer is infected, and urging you to call a number and hire them to clean up your machine. I've seen at least 3 cases where people have paid upwards of 3 and even 500 dollars to these scammers.

Because there have been at least 4 different examples of these browser hijackers, I don't have a quick one-step solution to be able to fix these problems. The first thing I would suggest is DO NOT call a foreign number, DO NOT give them your credit card number or computer password, and DO NOT give them access to your computer.

Here are some steps you should take if you suspect you've been infected, and to avoid this situation in the future.

1. Have a back-up or secondary browser. If your Safari becomes infected, you will be able to at least browse the internet and / or download software to eradicate this malware.

2. If Safari has been infected, reset Safari in the Safari menu. To reset Safari 8 in Yosemite, quit the application, then relaunch it holding down the shift key.

3. After resetting Safari, you may also have to reset your homepage. One of the things the Trovi Virus does is change your homepage to its own nefarious search engine. Do this in the Safari general settings.

4. Delete cookies and turn off javascript. You can do this in your Safari Security and Privacy preferences.

5. If you can't get into your Safari preferences because of the malware, you may have to boot in Safe Mode, which will turn off all extensions and allow you to do system maintenance. To do this, restart the machine while holding down the Shift key.

6. DO NOT download MacKeeper. It has no value, I don't trust it, and I consider it malware too.

7. Try downloading and running AdWareCleaner. I generally don't trust 3rd party applications, but I  had success with it on one occasion. ADWAREMEDIC DOWNLOAD LINK

8. You may have to dig a little deeper into your system and user library to remove preference files relating to the Conduit, Only-Search, and Trovi toolbars.

9. Keep your system software up to date. Generally Apple responds quickly to situations like this and will release a Security Update to deal with it. I haven't seen anything yet, but I'm still hoping.

10. DO NOT download and install any Anti-Virus for Mac softwares. They don't work and I've seen them interfere with internet connectivity.

11. Download and enable the Adblock extension from the Apple site. This will remove most ads from most sites.

As you can see, there are multiple issues and multiple solutions going on. I'll keep updating this post to reflect the solutions I've used.

Get Some Peace, Stay Connected Using Do Not Disturb Mode on Your iPhone

Turn On 'Do Not Disturb' in the Control Center

I must have inadvertently turned on 'Do Not Disturb' mode on my iPhone 4S a couple months ago, because my phone seemed to randomly stop ringing for most phone calls and text messages. That was OK for the most part, because I had more or less stopped answering my phone anyway, and no text message was ever so important that it couldn't wait a few minutes for me to visually check my screen. Still, it didn't make sense that some calls and messages got through while others did not. And as one who has 50 + custom ring and text tones, I was missing out on my personal symphony.

Do Not Disturb mode is available to you through either the Control Center, or with more options through the main Settings page in IOS 7. You can customize which calls and texts will ring through from either your phone favourites, or any group in your address book. Keep in mind the calls and texts are still going to voicemail, and available visually on the screen, your phone just won't alert you through the speaker. You can schedule when it kicks in, say from 5:00 pm till 9:00 am and buy yourself some peace and quiet, while keeping closely, if not constantly connected.

Back Up Your Hard Drive With Time Machine

Backing up your hard drive has never been easier, thanks to the software Apple has been including with your Operating System since Leopard 10.5.

I've done it myself, more than once, it's true. I've had hard drives fail on me without having a back-up of any kind. It was devastating, but eventually I learned, and now I keep redundant back-ups of all my data, thanks to the affordability of external hard drives and the native Time Machine software. Still, I see it every week, and my un-scientific study shows a good 40-60% of people still don't keep a good back-up.

Here's how easy it is to do.

1.) Plug any external hard drive into the USB port on your Mac.
2.) When the Time Machine software launches and prompts you whether or not you'd like to use said external hard drive as your Time Machine back-up, say yes.
3.) Get some sleep.

Seriously, it's that easy. In operating systems Mountain Lion 10.8 and previous, you don't even have to partition the disk, just click yes and ignore. In Mavericks you will have to partition the hard drive as Mac OS Extended (journaled) in Disk Utility, but the software will lead you like an ox by the nose through every step.

The beauty of Time Machine, is that you can access old files that you've changed in the past, and restore the old configuration of that file to the present date. Consider if you've changed your iPhoto library, or deleted an important email, or edited a movie, document or Garageband file. Also, if your hard drive should fail, and the probability of that is 100%, you can restore your entire system, docs, and network settings from that most recent Time Machine back-up.

How to Install the Adobe Flash Update

Lots of emails this week about the new Adobe Flash update and how to install it. They seem to update this plugin every 4 to 6 weeks, and it's essential to many online services like YouTube videos and other sites

First, go directly to the Adobe.com website and navigate to Downloads.

Select the Adobe Flash update and click to download. 

Now this is where most people get tripped up. After downloading the software, you still have to go through several steps to complete the install. Locate the update .dmg (disk mounted image) file in your downloads folder. Double click to launch the installer.

Choose the volume where you wish to install the software (your Macintosh HD) and follow the prompts the installer presents. It will require that you close any browsers, Safari, Firefox etc., before continuing.

 You also have to agree to the software terms and conditions. 

Once you've completed all of these steps, you should be good to go.