This article explains how to remove MacKeeper from a Mac. It include information on verifying it is gone and how to remove any existing remnants of MacKeeper from Safari and Keychain.

What to Know

  • Press Command+Q to quit MacKeeper. Select Go < Applications and drag MacKeeper to the trash.Enter your Mac admin password in two boxes to confirm the deletion.Right-click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash. Confirm by selecting Empty Trash in the warning box. Restart the Mac.

How to Remove MacKeeper

MacKeeper has been around for a while. It’s marketed as a collection of utilities, apps, and services that keep your Mac clean, protected from viruses, and in tip-top shape.

In the past, some users found that MacKeeper caused more problems than it fixed. Early versions of MacKeeper had a reputation for being difficult to uninstall, but uninstalling recent versions is a straightforward process.

When you decide it’s time to uninstall MacKeeper, here’s what you need to do.

If you used any of MacKeeper’s encryption options to protect any files, be sure to use MacKeeper’s Data Encryptor to decrypt all of your files before uninstalling the program.

  • Quit MacKeeper by pressing Command+Q. In older versions, go to the MacKeeper menu and select Preferences > General. Uncheck the box for Show MacKeeper icon in menu bar. Now you’ll be able to quit the program.
  • Go to Go > Applications, and drag the MacKeeper icon to the Trash.
  • Confirm that you want to uninstall the product, and enter your Mac admin password in the two notification boxes.
  • An optional Uninstall Survey opens in the browser. Complete this if you’d like to give feedback or ignore it.
  • Right-click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
  • Confirm that you want to empty the Trash by selecting Empty Trash in the warning dialog box.
  • Restart your Mac.

Verify That MacKeeper Is Gone

While all traces of MacKeeper should be gone, it’s a good idea to verify that all associated files have been erased. If you uninstalled an older version of MacKeeper (prior to version 3.x), it’s more important to go through these steps to make sure no MacKeeper files are lurking around.

Quit MacKeeper by pressing Command+Q. In older versions, go to the MacKeeper menu and select Preferences > General. Uncheck the box for Show MacKeeper icon in menu bar. Now you’ll be able to quit the program.

Go to Go > Applications, and drag the MacKeeper icon to the Trash.

Confirm that you want to uninstall the product, and enter your Mac admin password in the two notification boxes.

An optional Uninstall Survey opens in the browser. Complete this if you’d like to give feedback or ignore it.

Right-click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

Confirm that you want to empty the Trash by selecting Empty Trash in the warning dialog box.

Restart your Mac.

  • After you restart your Mac, verify that the MacKeeper icon is no longer in the top menu bar.
  • Go to Finder > Go > Home and make sure the MacKeeper Backups folder is gone.
  • Go to Finder > Go > Go to Folder and search for the following directories to make sure they’re gone:
  • Library/Application Support/MacKeeperLibrary/Application Support/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperLibrary/Application Support/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperAgentLibrary/LaunchAgents/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperAgent.plistLibrary/Caches/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperLibrary/Caches/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperAgent
  • If none of these directories are found, you can be certain that MacKeeper is gone.

Clear Safari of MacKeeper

On its own, MacKeeper doesn’t install any Safari extensions, but if you downloaded the app from a third party, you might experience unwanted pop-ups.

After you restart your Mac, verify that the MacKeeper icon is no longer in the top menu bar.

Go to Finder > Go > Home and make sure the MacKeeper Backups folder is gone.

Go to Finder > Go > Go to Folder and search for the following directories to make sure they’re gone:

  • Library/Application Support/MacKeeperLibrary/Application Support/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperLibrary/Application Support/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperAgentLibrary/LaunchAgents/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperAgent.plistLibrary/Caches/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperLibrary/Caches/com.mackeeper.MacKeeperAgent

If none of these directories are found, you can be certain that MacKeeper is gone.

To correct this problem, remove any Safari extensions that may have been installed.

  • Launch Safari while holding down the Shift key. This opens Safari to your home page.
  • Select Preferences from the Safari menu.
  • Select the Extensions icon.
  • Remove any extensions that you’re not familiar with. If you’re not sure, remove the check mark from the extension to keep it from loading.
  • When you’re done, quit Safari and launch the app normally. Safari should open without displaying any unwanted MacKeeper pop-ups.

Clear Your Keychain

If you activated MacKeeper or created a user account at MacKeeper, you likely have a keychain entry that stores your account password. Leaving this keychain entry behind won’t cause any issues, but if you want to rid your Mac of any MacKeeper references completely, do the following:

Launch Safari while holding down the Shift key. This opens Safari to your home page.

Select Preferences from the Safari menu.

Select the Extensions icon.

Remove any extensions that you’re not familiar with. If you’re not sure, remove the check mark from the extension to keep it from loading.

When you’re done, quit Safari and launch the app normally. Safari should open without displaying any unwanted MacKeeper pop-ups.

  • From Finder, select Go > Utilities.
  • Double-click Keychain Access to open it.
  • Enter MacKeeper in the Search field.
  • Delete any password matches that are found.

From Finder, select Go > Utilities.

Double-click Keychain Access to open it.

Enter MacKeeper in the Search field.

Delete any password matches that are found.

MacKeeper’s reputation has improved in recent years, adding more functionality to its software, offering a 14-day money-back guarantee, and backing off the aggressive marketing tactics.

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