How to avoid or remove Mac Defender malware

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4650

Summary

A recent phishing scam has targeted Mac users by redirecting them from legitimate websites to fake websites which tell them that their computer is infected with a virus. The user is then offered Mac Defender "anti-virus" software to solve the issue. 

This "anti-virus" software is malware (i.e. malicious software).  Its ultimate goal is to get the user's credit card information which may be used for fraudulent purposes. 

The most common names for this malware are MacDefender, MacProtector and MacSecurity.  

In the coming days, Apple will deliver a Mac OS X software update that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants.  The update will also help protect users by providing an explicit warning if they download this malware.  

In the meantime, the Resolution section below provides step-by-step instructions on how to avoid or manually remove this malware.

Products Affected

Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.6, Mac OS X 10.5

Resolution

How to avoid installing this malware

If any notifications about viruses or security software appear, quit Safari or any other browser that you are using. If a normal attempt at quitting the browser doesn't work, then Force Quit the browser.

In some cases, your browser may automatically download and launch the installer for this malicious software.  If this happens, cancel the installation process; do not enter your administrator password.  Delete the installer immediately using the steps below.

1. Go into the Downloads folder or your preferred download location.
2. Drag the installer to the Trash. 
3. Empty the Trash.

How to remove this malware

If the malware has been installed, we recommend the following actions:

• Do not provide your credit card information under any circumstances.
• Use the Removal Steps below.

Removal steps

• Move or close the Scan Window
• Go to the Utilities folder in the Applications folder and launch Activity Monitor  
• Choose All Processes from the pop up menu in the upper right corner of the window
• Under the Process Name column, look for the name of the app and click to select it; common app names include: MacDefender, MacSecurity or MacProtector
• Click the Quit Process button in the upper left corner of the window and select Quit
• Quit Activity Monitor application
• Open the Applications folder
• Locate the app ex. MacDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector or other name
• Drag to Trash, and empty Trash

Malware also installs a login item in your account in System Preferences. Removal of the login item is not necessary, but you can remove it by following the steps below.

• Open System Preferences, select Accounts, then Login Items
• Select the name of the app you removed in the steps above ex. MacDefender, MacSecurity, MacProtector
• Click the minus button

Use the steps in the "How to avoid installing this malware" section above to remove the installer from the download location.

Note: Apple provides security updates for the Mac exclusively through Software Update and the Apple Support Downloads site. User should exercise caution any time they are asked to enter sensitive personal information online.
 

Windows 7 Keyboard shortcuts

The navigation keys allow you to move the cursor, move around in documents and
webpages, and edit text. The following is the list stating some common functions of
these keys.



Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow : Move the cursor or selection one space or line in the direction of the arrow, or scroll a webpage in the direction of the arrow

Home : Move the cursor to the beginning of a line or move to the
top of a webpage

End : Move the cursor to the end of a line or move to the bottom
of a webpage

Ctrl+Home: Move to the top of a document

Ctrl+End : Move to the bottom of a document

Page Up : Move the cursor or page up one screen

Page Down : Move the cursor or page down one screen

Delete : Delete the character after the cursor, or the selected text; in
Windows, delete the selected item and move it to the
Recycle Bin

Insert : Turn Insert mode off or on. When Insert mode is on, text
that you type is inserted at the cursor. When Insert mode is
off, text that you type replaces existing characters.

Press Alt+PrtScn: To capture an image of just the active window, instead of the
entire screen.

F1: Display Help

Ctrl+C: Copy the selected item

Ctrl+X: Cut the selected item

Ctrl+V : Paste the selected item

Ctrl+Z :Undo an action

Ctrl+Y: Redo an action

Delete: Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin

Shift+Delete: Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle
Bin first

F2:Rename the selected item

Ctrl+Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word

Ctrl+Left Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word

Ctrl+Down Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph

Ctrl+Up Arrow Move: the cursor to the beginning of the previous
paragraph

Ctrl+Shift with an arrow key: Select a block of text

Shift with any arrow key: Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop,
or select text within a document

Ctrl with any arrow key+Spacebar: Select multiple individual items in a window or on the
desktop

Ctrl+A : Select all items in a document or window

F3: Search for a file or folder

Alt+Enter: Display properties for the selected item

Alt+F4: Close the active item, or exit the active program

Alt+Spacebar Open the shortcut menu for the active window

Ctrl+F4: Close the active document (in programs that allow you to
have multiple documents open simultaneously)

Alt+Tab: Switch between open items

Ctrl+Alt+Tab: Use the arrow keys to switch between open items

Ctrl+Mouse scroll: wheel Change the size of icons on the desktop
Windows logo key +Tab: Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip
3-D
Ctrl+Windows logo key+Tab:Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the
taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D

Alt+Esc: Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened

F6: Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop

F4: Display the address bar list in Windows Explorer

Shift+F10:Display the shortcut menu for the selected item

Ctrl+Esc: Open the Start menu

Alt+underlined letter: Display the corresponding menu

Alt+underlined letter :Perform the menu command (or other underlined
command)

F10: Activate the menu bar in the active program

Right Arrow: Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu

Left Arrow :Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu

F5 : Refresh the active window

Alt+Up Arrow: View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer

Esc: Cancel the current task

Ctrl+Shift+Esc: Open Task Manager

Shift when you insert a CD: Prevent the CD from automatically playing

Windows logo key : Open or close the Start menu.

Windows logo key +Pause : Display the System Properties dialog box.

Windows logo key +D : Display the desktop.

Windows logo key +M :Minimize all windows.

Windows logo key+Shift+M: Restore minimized windows to the desktop.

Windows logo key +E: Open Computer.

Windows logo key +F: Search for a file or folder.

Ctrl+Windows logo key +F:Search for computers (if you're on a network).

Windows logo key +L :Lock your computer or switch users.

Windows logo key +R :Open the Run dialog box.

Windows logo key +T :Cycle through programs on the taskbar.

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

Mac OS X 10.7 Lion introduces following new feature:
Full-screen apps
The app and nothing but the app.
On iPad, every app is displayed full screen, with no distractions, and there’s one easy way to get back to all your other apps. Mac OS X Lion does the same for your desktop. You can make a window in an app full screen with one click, switch to another app’s full-screen window with a swipe of the trackpad, and swipe back to the desktop to access your other apps — all without ever leaving the full-screen experience. Systemwide support allows third-party developers to take advantage of full-screen technology to make their apps more immersive, too. So you can concentrate on every detail of your work, or play on a grander scale than ever before.

Launchpad:
A home for your apps.
Launchpad gives you instant access to your apps — iPad style. Just click the Launchpad icon in your Dock. Your open windows fade away, replaced by an elegant, full-screen display of all the apps on your Mac. It takes just a swipe to see multiple pages of apps, and you can arrange them any way you like by dragging icons to different locations or by grouping apps in folders. And when you download an app from the Mac App Store, it automatically appears in Launchpad.
Ready to blast off.

Finder
The new finder has now more user friendly option and its sidebar with main list 1)FAVORITES 2) SHARED 3) DEVICES.

NEW MAIN new feature introduces in finder AirDrop and All My Files:
AirDrop:-
AirDrop has nothing in common with DropBox, a cloud-based file sharing service more akin to iDisk. Instead, AirDrop allows users to discover nearby users and share files with them directly, without needing to configure a common WiFi network.

Lion's new AirDrop makes basic file exchange between nearby users as simple as Bluetooth, as fast as WiFi, and as easy as drag and drop, with layers of security and personalization that combine with Apple's easily understandable user interface to make a conceptually complex task easy to initiate even for non technical users.

Send it by air.
With AirDrop in Mac OS X Lion, you can send files to anyone around you — wirelessly. AirDrop doesn’t require setup or special settings. Just click the AirDrop icon in the Finder sidebar, and your Mac automatically discovers other people nearby who are using AirDrop. You’ll even see contact photos for those who are already in your Address Book. To share a file, simply drag it to someone’s name. Once accepted, the file transfers directly to the person’s Downloads folder. When you’re done with AirDrop, close the Finder and your Mac is no longer visible to others.


All My Files:-
It show all you files in your Hard disk categarised like image, documents...

Now from all sides you can resize the Finder window.

Mission Control
Mac command central.
Mission Control is a powerful and handy new feature that provides you with a comprehensive look at what’s running on your Mac. It gives you a bird’s-eye view of everything — including Dashboard and full-screen apps — all in one place. With a simple swipe, your desktop zooms out to Mission Control. There you can see your open windows grouped by app, thumbnails of your full-screen apps, and Dashboard, arranged in a unified view. And you can get to anything you see in Mission Control with just one click. Making you the master of all you survey.

Auto Save
Past perfect.
Say good-bye to manual saving. Auto Save in Mac OS X Lion automatically saves your work — while you work — so you don’t have to. Lion saves changes in the working document instead of creating additional copies, making the best use of available disk space. The lock feature prevents inadvertent changes from being saved and automatically locks documents after two weeks. And the revert feature returns you to the state the document was in when you last opened it, so you can feel free to experiment with confidence.

Mail 5
A whole new way to look at email.
Just like Mail on iPad, Mail 5 in Mac OS X Lion features a new layout that takes advantage of the widescreen display on your Mac. You see the messages in your inbox as well as a full-height preview of the selected message. The new Mailbox bar gives you one-click access to your favorite folders. Mail 5 also includes a powerful new way to search that makes finding what you’re looking for quick and easy, even in the largest of inboxes.

Keep the conversation flowing.
Mail 5 also introduces Conversations, a natural new way to read and manage email that automatically groups messages from the same conversation — even if the subject changes along the way. Just click a conversation in your inbox to reveal a streamlined feed of individual messages in chronological order, and easily file or delete an entire conversation.

All-new FileVault
A new level of security.
Keep all the data on your Mac even more secure with XTS-AES 128 data encryption at the disk level. Initial encryption is fast and unobtrusive — it encrypts everything in the background while you work. FileVault also encrypts for your external drives, and provides the ability to wipe all the data from your Mac instantaneously.

Resetting synced information with MobileMe

After you’ve set up your computer to sync with your MobileMe subscription, you can reset the information you want to sync anytime you are connected to the Internet. Use the Sync pane of MobileMe preferences to set up the type of information you want to sync; for example, your contacts or calendars.

If you’re not sure you want to keep the changes made during your last sync, you can reset the information you want to synchronize on your computer to match the information on MobileMe, or you can reset the information on MobileMe with the information on your computer.

You may also want to reset your information if you’ve had problems syncing and want to “start over.”

You need to be connected to the Internet to sync with MobileMe.

To reset sync information:
Choose Apple > System Preferences, and then click MobileMe.

Click Advanced, select the computer you want to use, and then click Reset Sync Data.

Choose the sync information you want to reset, such as Bookmarks, Keychains, or All Data from the Replace pop-up menu.

Click the arrow pointing toward the computer icon to copy the information from your MobileMe account to your computer. This replaces the information on your computer with the information on MobileMe. Click the arrow pointing toward the MobileMe icon to copy the information from your computer to your MobileMe subscription. This replaces the information on MobileMe with the information on your computer.

Using the Reset Sync Data command erases the information on your devices and replaces it with the information from the source you selected.

Resetting your keychain in Mac OS X

check keychains for problems using Keychain First Aid:

Open Keychain Access, located in the Utilites folder in the Applications folder.


1)Choose Keychain Access > Keychain First Aid.

2)Enter your user name and password.

3)Select Verify and click Start. Any problems found will be displayed.

4)If there are problems, select Repair, and then click Start

To change the Keychain First Aid settings, choose Keychain Access > Preferences, and then click First Aid.

Symptoms
If Keychain First Aid finds an issue that it cannot repair, or if you do not know your keychain password, you may need to reset your keychain. (Resetting a keychain sets aside the original default keychain file and creates a new one.)

Resolution
>>>To reset your keychain in Mac OS X 10.4, Mac OS X 10.5, and Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or later:

Open Keychain Access, which is in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
1)From the Keychain Access menu, choose Preferences.
2)Click General, then click Reset My Default Keychain.
3)Authenticate with your account login password.
4)Quit Keychain Access.
5)Restart your computer.

>>>To reset your keychain in Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.3.9:

1)Open Keychain Access, which is in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder.
2)From the Window menu, choose Keychain First Aid.
3)Click Options...
4)Click Reset My Keychain, which is under the General pane.
5)Authenticate with your account login password.
6)Quit Keychain Access.
7)Restart your computer.

Windows Phone 7 Connector

Windows Phone 7 Connector is a simple, easy-to-use application designed to sync your favorite media files from your Mac, with your Windows Phone 7 or Zune HD. You can also sync photos and videos you captured on your phone with your Mac, and when needed, update your Windows Phone 7 software.

Download it from App store

Troubleshooting User Initialization

If the process is not able to initialize the user environment, the user will never be given control of the graphical interface. You may see the user’s desktop background picture, but no applications will load, including the Dock or the Finder. Or it may appear that the user session starts, but then the login screen will reappear. At this point you should first attempt a Safe Login, which is initiated by holding down the Shift key while you click the Log In button at the login screen. Safe Login is also part of the Safe Boot startup mode. In addition to the Safe Boot procedures covered previously in this chapter, the displays the login screen with the words “Safe Boot” in bright red text under the Mac OS X logo.

With Safe Login enabled, the process will not automatically open any user-defined login items, and the user’s ␣␣␣␣␣␣␣ process will not start any user-specific LaunchAgents. Obviously, if a Safe Login resolves your user session issue, you need to adjust this user’s Login Items list from the Accounts preferences or any items in the /Library/LaunchAgents or ~/Library/LaunchAgents folders.

if not contact applecare