When browsing the web on a Mac, you may come across adverts for MacKeeper, a 'free security tool'. But we'd recommend avoiding this program, and uninstalling it if you've already placed it on your computer.

The free version of MacKeeper tells you about system problems or virus infections, but somewhat dishonestly. It's mainly a ruse to get you to pay up for the full software, which you may not need at all.

We've had complaints from readers who've ended up with a MacKeeper Safari extension, which bombards you with messages encouraging you to pay up for further protection.

Don't be tempted - you don't need to install the free or the premium version.

Uninstall MacKeeper

If you've already installed MacKeeper, it's best to uninstall it. Open a Finder window, then click Applications. 

Scroll through the list to find the MacKeeper icon, then click and drag this into the Trash bin on your desktop. Alternatively, Ctrl + Click the icon and select Move to Trash.

Remove MacKeeper Safari extension

If MacKeeper has installed its Safari extension (plugin), it's worth removing this also.

Open up Safari. In the Safari Preferences window, click the Extensions tab. Scroll down the list of any extensions you have installed to find the MacKeeper plugin, then click on the Uninstall button.

This may also be a good opportunity to remove any other  unknown extensions from Safari.

Return your search engine and home page

Some readers have told us that after installing MacKeeper, their preferred search engine for Safari has been changed. Sometimes, this process can change your home page, too. Here's how to fix things:

In Safari, select Preferences, go to the General tab and change the Default Search Engine to Google. Then, in the General tab, find the Home Page and change it to google.co.uk, or any other page.