Not Keeping Anymore: The Uninstall Guide to MacKeeper

Therefore it is not surprising you may want to get rid of it.

Following MacKeeper’s advice

Like all Mac optimizers, MacKeeper provides each user with the option to uninstall this software from your Mac without the need to use a third party solution. According to the developers, just quit the tool, drag MacKeeper.app to Trash and after providing some feedback with the reason behind your decision MacKeeper will be gone.

But not all of its traces are gone just like that: MacKeeper backups will remain on your computer even after uninstallation, while encrypted files must be decrypted with the software in order to be able to find and open them.

Axing the remnants

A huge problem with following MacKeeper’s uninstall guide is that it’s sloppy, because following those uninstall steps won’t completely remove everything – and not just the sorts of files we mentioned above.

In fact, once MacKeeper is deleted you should head over to the folder location ~/Library/Application Support and delete the remaining MacKeeper Helper folder or, for that matter, anything related to MacKeeper and Zeobit and then restart your device.

There’s another huge concern to consider, too, if you downloaded MacKeeper via a third party clearing house. In this case there is a huge chance that you also downloaded harassing pop-up ads that push you into installing MacKeeper. To exterminate these vermin, first (force) quit any browser you are using, go to the browser’s preferences, search for extensions, then delete anything that you deem unwanted. Once you are done, don’t forget to clear your cookies, caches and any browsing data.

Alternative solutions

If you want a full-on, thorough uninstall of MacKeeper, there are some clever alternative solutions. One option that can be done without software-based assistance is if you search for MacKeeper files via Finder: once these are found, click on the “Kind” drop down menu and select “Others”, then type in “System Files” and choose “are included” to see everything related to MacKeeper. What you should do with these found items shouldn’t need any further explanation.

Another alternative is to use an automated removal script written by Mac IT professional, John Kitzmiller, which should be saved as a simple text file. From here, launch Terminal, type in chmod +x deleteMacKeeper.sh followed by sudo ./deleteMacKeeper.sh and after hitting return, your job is done. Note: sudo will not be needed if you are the administrator.

However, the best solution is by putting out fire with fire, namely using another Mac optimizer (i.e. CleanMyMac), since they can not only get rid of unwanted apps, but can also take care of hidden files and folders, unwanted extensions, and empty your cache with just a flick of a virtual button.