If none of the methods above worked, the only way to clear the malware infection is to factory reset your operating system. To do this, hold down Command+R to enter Recovery Mode, wipe the hard drive with Disk Utility, and reinstall macOS.

Does reinstalling macOS remove malware?

While instructions are available to remove the latest malware threats for OS X, some may choose to simply reinstall OS X and start from a clean slate.

Does Mac automatically remove malware?

Apple released a free software update (Security Update 2011-003) that will automatically find and remove Mac Defender malware and its known variants. The Resolution section below also provides step-by-step instructions on how to avoid or manually remove this malware.