No matter what you’ve heard, Macs get viruses too.
Apple silicon will be labeled as Chip, followed by an M-series processor (e.g.
M1 or M2 Pro), while Intel Macs will be labeled as Processor.
Then press and hold the power button untilLoading startup optionsappears.
Select a volume (likelyMacintosh HDfor most) then press and holdShiftand clickContinue in Safe Mode.
When your equipment restarts, you’ll see Safe Boot in the menu bar.
For an Intel-based Mac, reboot your machine and press and holdShiftuntil the login window appears.
Log into your machine, and you should see Safe Boot in the menu bar.
UnderSystem Software Overview, look forBoot Mode: Safe.
If it saysBoot Mode: Normal, you are not in safe mode.
Lifehacker sister sitePCMag recommendsBitDefender as the best antivirus software for Mac.
If you’re looking for free solutions, PCMag also recommends Avast and Malwarebytes for addressing malware infections.
This is a good way to identify suspicious programs or processes that may be malware.
To open, go toLaunchpadand search forActivity Monitor.
Look for any unusual names or processes that are hogging CPU or memory, then double-click and quit them.
You should also quit any applications that are currently running until you identify the source of the problem.
On Chrome, open options from the three dots in the upper-right corner.
TapReset Settingsin the left toolbar and selectRestore prefs to their original default.
Confirm with theReset settingsbutton.
On Firefox, go toMenu > Help > More Troubleshooting Informationand clickRefresh Firefox > Refresh Firefox > Finish.
You’ll find them inSettings > Extensions(Extensions & Themeson Firefox).
You’ll also want to empty the Trash to delete the files permanently from your equipment.
