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MacScan Support

Support on MacScan

1. About MacScan

1.1. What is MacScan?

Malware authors are targeting OS X with increasing frequency, and although there is more Mac malware activity now than ever before, many users still go unprotected against these threats.

MacScan will seek and destroy malware threatening your Mac, including trojan horses, keystroke loggers, spyware, adware, and more. Additionally, MacScan eliminates privacy threats including tracking cookies and other clutter left behind by web browsers.

A complete overview of MacScan, including detailed instructions on how to use the various program features, is available in the MacScan User Guide.

1.2. What are the system requirements for MacScan?

MacScan will run on Mac OS X 10.9 or later, and requires a 64-bit processor. You can determine the processor type of your Mac by referring to the chart available here.

Please note that MacScan is not an app for iPhones or iPads, and will only run on computers running Mac OS X.

1.3. How do I get MacScan?

MacScan is available for purchase from within the MacScan demo app as well as directly from our website.

If you would like to try MacScan before making a purchase, a free 30-day demo of MacScan is available for download.

2. Purchasing MacScan

2.1. Purchasing MacScan from SecureMac

MacScan is available for purchase from within the MacScan demo app as well as directly from our website.

3. Installing MacScan

3.1. Installing MacScan from SecureMac

If you purchased MacScan from our website, you will be provided with a download link at the time of purchase. After downloading the MacScan disk image (dmg), double-click the MacScan.dmg file and then simply drag the MacScan app icon from the disk image to the Applications folder to install MacScan on your system.

3.2. Reinstalling MacScan from SecureMac

If you purchased MacScan from our website and need to reinstall it on your system, you can download the MacScan disk image (dmg) directly from our website. After downloading the MacScan disk image (dmg), double-click the MacScan.dmg file and then drag the MacScan app icon from the disk image to the Applications folder to reinstall MacScan on your system.

4. Registering MacScan

4.1. Registering MacScan from SecureMac

If you purchased MacScan from our website, you will be provided with a license key (also known as an activation number) at the time of purchase. After installing MacScan on your system, open the MacScan app and enter your license key/activation number when prompted.


If you encounter problems registering MacScan, make sure to disable any firewalls or security programs that may be running on your system when attempting to register MacScan. After successful registration they can be re-enabled.

5. Updating MacScan

5.1. Updating MacScan from SecureMac

MacScan will automatically check for app updates every time it is launched. You will be notified if an update is available, and given the opportunity to install the update.

You can manually check for updates by clicking the MacScan menu and clicking "Check for Updates..."

5.2. Updating Malware Definitions and Tracking Cookie Blocklist

MacScan automatically checks for malware definition and tracking cookie blocklist updates before each scan, so you can easily stay up-to-date with protection against the latest Mac malware threats targeting OS X. If an update is found, MacScan will automatically download and install it, and will optionally show a notification that an update was installed. You can check the version of the currently installed malware definitions and tracking cookie blocklist by clicking the MacScan menu and then clicking About MacScan. The version numbers will be listed on the about screen that appears.

6. MacScan Frequently Asked Questions

6.1. What's new in MacScan 3?

MacScan 3 continues to provide the effective functionality you've come to expect from earlier versions of MacScan including seeking out and destroying blocklisted tracking cookies and removing unnecessary files left behind by web browsers, freeing up valuable hard drive space. But it does much more than that. It addresses the need to protect against a whole new generation of malware.

 

MacScan 3 has been completely re-architected and rewritten, designed specifically for OS X 10.8 and higher, including OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) and macOS Sierra 10.12. It provides you with the most advanced capabilities for rapid detection and removal of security and privacy threats:

 

- Finding threats more effectively with a new, faster scan engine.

- Protecting you with always up-to-date malware definitions – automatically, with no action required by you.

- Saving time and computer resources by employing smart scanning functionality.

- Giving you more complete scheduling control over scans and the ability to configure different scans at different times.

 

With a new, streamlined interface featuring drag-and-drop scanning, a customizable cookie blocklist and allowlist, logs of previous scan results and more, MacScan 3 is easier than ever to use, and is extraordinarily effective.

6.2. What are the system requirements for MacScan 3?

MacScan 3 is designed specifically for OS X 10.9 and higher, including OS X 10.13 (High Sierra) and macOS Mojave 10.14, a Macintosh computer with a 64-bit processor, Internet connection for malware definition updates and at least 500 MB of available disk space.

6.3. Can I submit a help ticket online?

Absolutely! You can submit a help ticket on our website and we'll respond within 48 hours.

6.4. Are you affiliated with Apple?

No, we are independent of Apple. Apple will occasionally reference and recommend our products but there is no official affiliation.

6.5. Is MacScan 3 compatible with all Apple products or just Macs?

MacScan 3 is designed specifically for OS X 10.9 and higher, including OS X 10.11 (El Capitan) and macOS Sierra 10.12. It is not intended for iPhone or iPad devices.

6.6. How much does MacScan 3 cost?

To protect a single computer for one year, MacScan 3 will be $49.99 or for two years, $79.99. For families and small businesses looking to protect three computers, the annual subscription is $79.99 for one year or $149.99 for two years.

6.7. Do you offer a pricing tier for small businesses and families that have more than three computers?

For multi-seat, large volume, or bulk-licensing pricing information, please contact our sales department at sales@securemac.com

6.8. Do you offer any sort of free trial?

Yes, we do.  You can sign up for a free 30-day trial by providing your email address here.

6.9. What versions of OS X are compatible with MacScan?

MacScan is compatible with the following versions of OS X:

MacScan does not run on versions of OS X earlier than OS X 10.9.

6.10. MacScan tells me I have to close applications, but I don't see them in the Dock!

In order for MacScan to work correctly, apps that are selected for cleaning cannot be running while MacScan is performing a scan or cleaning privacy threats. MacScan will alert you when you need to quit running apps. Click the magnifying glass icon in the Application Alert screen to switch to that application, and then quit the app from its application menu or by pressing Command-Q (⌘-Q). After quitting all running apps listed in the Application Alert screen, MacScan will be able to continue the scan/cleaning of privacy threats.

Note that some applications might still be running in the background even if their icon doesn't appear in the Dock; be sure to use the magnifying glass icon to locate and quit those apps as necessary.

6.11. Where can I learn more about MacScan?

If you'd like to learn more about MacScan or view detailed instructions on how to use the various program features, more information is available in the MacScan User Guide.

6.12. How do I uninstall my old copy of MacScan 2?

If you still have MacScan 2 installed on your system, you can follow these instructions to uninstall it:

1. If you have MacScan 2 set up to run Scheduled Scans, go ahead and open the MacScan Scheduler app (located in the "MacScan 2" folder in the Applications folder by default), click the "Off" button, and then click "Save." The scheduler should notify you that scheduled scans have been disabled.

2. Drag the "MacScan 2" folder (located in the Applications folder by default) to the Trash and empty the Trash.

3. If you have the MacScan 2 icon (the old rounded lock icon) in your Dock, drag it out of the Dock to remove it from the Dock.

6.13. Big Sur Scan Scheduler Bug

Apple made a change in the latest version of macOS that introduced a bug with scheduled scans — nothing changed in our code. The bug occurs when a scheduled scan is set to run — you should still be able to run the program manually with no problem. We have identified the cause of the issue and have a new version of MacScan available that fixes the bug.

You can download the new version of MacScan (v3.3.2) directly from our server at:

https://dl.securemac.com/files/MacScan.dmg

Follow the instructions listed on https://www.securemac.com/guide_ms#ms3install to install MacScan 3 on your system. Be sure to drag the MacScan app icon from the disk image (.dmg file) screen to your Applications folder, and then launch MacScan from your Applications folder. Do not launch MacScan directly from the disk image screen, or it will not be installed correctly.

Once you've installed the new version of MacScan, you will need to disable and then re-enable scheduled scans, at which time they will run correctly going forward.

Follow these steps to disable and re-enable scheduled scans once you have installed MacScan 3.3.2:

1. Open MacScan.
2. Click the Scheduler icon at the top of the MacScan window.
3. Click the "Enable Scheduled Scans" checkbox once to uncheck it. This will disable scheduled scans.
4. Click the "Enable Scheduled Scans" checkbox again to re-check it. This will enable scheduled scans.
5. Quit MacScan once you have disabled and re-enabled scheduled scans.

After following the steps listed above, your scheduled scans should once again run as normal.

If you run into any problems with the steps listed above, or if you continue to encounter problems running scheduled scans, let us know and we'd be happy to provide further assistance to get things up and running on your system.


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