Popup Ads Out of Control

[Librarian]

On OS X, you should "man scutil" to learn how to interface with BSD configurations, which will include DNS settings. /etc/resolv.conf is not used in BSD OS X, although /etc/hosts is for overrides, so check that, too.

This is so far beyond my level of understanding.

I swear, my first thought was that you're telling me to check my muffler bearings, or top up my taillight oil.


Thanks to all for your replies. I'm thinking I might need to take it into the shop.

I'm really still living back in the days of the Commodore 64.

Yeah, ocabj was speaking to you as U*X command-line user.

"man" is a built in application for 'manual'. You get to it by opening a "Terminal" window, which you will find in Applications, Utilities.

"scutil" is "system configuration utility", an application that allows you to change things related to networks.

If you type "man scutil" into the Terminal window, that will bring up the manual page - you can see the content here. There are slight differences among U*X implementations.

BSD is "Berkeley Software Distribution", and it's the (now somewhat modified) version of UNIX that OS/X is built on top of.

DNS is "Domain Name Service" - it describes a location that has a translation table that lets your computer use 'http://www.calguns.net' into something like "52.35.13.99" which is what the 'net uses to find things.

If you follow my first suggestion - Check System Preferences, Network, advanced, DNS - you will get a page with two text boxes.

On the left, mine has
8.8.8.8 - a google free DNS
64.6.64.6 - Verisign public DNS
8.8.4.4 - another Google free DNS
and an AT&T address, since that's my service provider.

Looking at yours, you can type the addresses you see into a search engine, and the result will tell you something about the service at that address.

For one example, if you get something that shows up as 'something.ru', you have a problem - a Russian DNS server is highly likely to be problematic.

[CaliforniaLiberal]

Yeah, ocabj was speaking to you as U*X command-line user.

"man" is a built in application for 'manual'. You get to it by opening a "Terminal" window, which you will find in Applications, Utilities.

"scutil" is "system configuration utility", an application that allows you to change things related to networks.

If you type "man scutil" into the Terminal window, that will bring up the manual page - you can see the content here. There are slight differences among U*X implementations.

BSD is "Berkeley Software Distribution", and it's the (now somewhat modified) version of UNIX that OS/X is built on top of.

DNS is "Domain Name Service" - it describes a location that has a translation table that lets your computer use 'http://www.calguns.net' into something like "52.35.13.99" which is what the 'net uses to find things.

If you follow my first suggestion - Check System Preferences, Network, advanced, DNS - you will get a page with two text boxes.

On the left, mine has
8.8.8.8 - a google free DNS
64.6.64.6 - Verisign public DNS
8.8.4.4 - another Google free DNS
and an AT&T address, since that's my service provider.

Looking at yours, you can type the addresses you see into a search engine, and the result will tell you something about the service at that address.

For one example, if you get something that shows up as 'something.ru', you have a problem - a Russian DNS server is highly likely to be problematic.

Thanks Librarian, much more illuminating.

The DNS Window has only '10.0.1.1'

and the Search Domains Window has only 'hsd1.ca.comcast.net'

So, no Russians. I'm guessing that these are reasonable addresses to expect and aren't the source of Chronic Pop Up Adverts.

Many years ago I had something wrong with a Hard Drive and carefully followed instructions for using the 'Terminal' window to check the Hard Drive. Made me feel like I was profanely treading on holy ground. I even pushed gently on the keyboard keys, like I might break something.

Seems like there was a key combination to hold down when starting up that would interrupt the normal start up and take you directly to 'Terminal' I felt like Tom Cruise hanging from the ceiling while breaking in to the CIA.

I once took an IBM 360 Assembly Language class at Sac City College. We used punched cards to run super simple student programs. Probably about 1980. Someone should have shot the 360 and put it down but the Computer Department thought it was a useful class for students.

Desktop computers seemed inconceivable to me then. Had a Commodore 64 (that's a 64K sized CPU) at home in 4 or 5 years after that. Super cutting edge, I thought. Bought it at Toys R US.

My sister got a Macintosh, paid thousands of dollars for it. The mouse was completely mind blowing, and a Graphical User Interface!! With a little trash can icon. Wow!

I got super out of touch with computers more than 20 years ago. Eight Bits to the Byte, right?


In more ways than computer technology I've never completely integrated into the 21st Century.

[CaliforniaLiberal]

I've got it! By George I think I've got it! The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly in the Plain!


So right after posting here I see a tiny little window pop up and I see the label "MyShopcoupon" I remember seeing this same sort of little window a couple of times when my Pop Up Plague was just starting a few weeks ago but I didn't pay close attention then.

So I enter "MyShopcoupon" into Searchlight and get three little files that have "MyShopcoupon" in their names, which I promptly moved to the Trash and Empty the Trash.

When I was starting all this I read some article about "MyShopcoupon" but couldn't find any folders or files in my Application Folder with that in the name. I now think that there was an invisible Folder in my applications folder. Have no idea how to see invisible Folder but was able to Trash the three guilty files through Spotlight.

I didn't think to search with Spotlight before now.

When I Trash the three files I get a little window saying "Are you sure you want to remove MyShopcoupon? It provides access to wonderful online bargains!" Buttons for 'Cancel' and 'Restore MyShopcoupon' I ignored it.

So I've been happily clicking around with no pop up ads. Even Brownell's site which was the worst has none at all.

We'll see if it lasts.


So the solution is to find folders and files labeled MyShopcoupon and delete them. I think.

[38Special]

This is so far beyond my level of understanding.

I swear, my first thought was that you're telling me to check my muffler bearings, or top up my taillight oil.


Thanks to all for your replies. I'm thinking I might need to take it into the shop.

I'm really still living back in the days of the Commodore 64.

Someone else already said Ad-block plus. It is a free download and works great.

[Librarian]

Next step looks like this page - https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-mac-os-x-virus/

Ah, you posted while I was looking. Good result.

See also https://malwarefixes.com/remove-myshopcoupon-mac-os/

[CaliforniaLiberal]

Thanks CalGuns for all the time, attention and suggestions.


Seems to be fixed.

Although I'm faintly bothered that I can't find an empty folder labeled MyShopcoupon anywhere even with the Command+Shift+Period keyboard shortcut, which is supposed to reveal Hidden Folders.

Alls well that ends well.

Thanks again!

[the86d]

...iMac....

This is so far beyond my level of understanding...

[wpage]

Avast

[Dragunov]

This is so far beyond my level of understanding.

I swear, my first thought was that you're telling me to check my muffler bearings, or top up my taillight oil.


Thanks to all for your replies. I'm thinking I might need to take it into the shop.

I'm really still living back in the days of the Commodore 64.

...And *THIS* is why I use a PC.

[Librarian]

...And *THIS* is why I use a PC.

... because RegEdit is so much fun.

[Twystd1]

... because RegEdit is so much fun.

Agreed. It is a life saver.

-T

[Dragunov]

... because RegEdit is so much fun.

Registry is not a problem for me. I LOVE working with RegEdit!!

[squeeze]

WHAT??????? Now I understand why I have only visited this thread maybe 3 times. I can more easily understand the telephone spammmmmer lady speaking Chinese. Can Librarian understand her too?

Sooo, I am using a imac with the latest browser, Safari, and popups are a non issue. I also use Firefox for calguns dot net and couple of other sites. No popups. I have and use the free ad blocker for both browsers. BUT, I purposely pause it for sites that I want to make $$$ of of my visits. And I purposely click on an ad on calguns so they can make $$$. But still, no popups except when I visit sailorboysjustwanna.........

[-hanko]

I'm on Windows, maybe it's for macs too, but I use ghostery. Seems to work well.
You may need to reconfigure to individual web sites if you want to read and or make comments.

As I write this on a 2-year old MacBook Pro, Adblock Plus has stopped 6 popup's and Ghostery nailed one. I do have an ad at the very top of the screen, but if I raise the page so the first line I see is CALGUNS.NET, it disappears.

[BigPimping]

you better take it to a repair place. It sounds like it really needs some antivirus software and to have the hard drive scrubbed.