# changing google's messages into English



## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Folks. How do I change Google's messages into English? They keep coming in a language I don't understand and because of this I've lost my Utube account. Does anyone know how to change their language, and get back my utube account?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

When you log into your Google account, there should be a settings option and within that there is language option.
Is that set correctly?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hello Headrush. I'm very glad to hear from you. This is quite a problem and involves several issues. Let me be as brief as possible. On Oct 9th my outgoing IMAPgmail was offline. I had tried to get support here but got no responses for several days prior to this. I then phoned Apple Canada on the 9th, and their tech had me delete both gmail, and IMAPmail accounts that were shaded in blue. While trying to restore my gmail account, we bumped into me not remembering my password - as I had never used it. He couldn't figure out how to get around that, so he phoned someone, couldn't get a hold of them, and ended up giving me the number which he said was "a direct line into Google". I phoned them in an effort to get the rest of my account restored (we were about half way through), and they after much ado, 'restored' my account. Things began to go fishy with my computer, pop-ups coming up every time I tried to send an email, language was changing in Firefox and YouTube, etc. Only after trying to get them to give me an address where I could send payment for their services ($200), did I become highly suspicious of their dealings, as they wanted me to send it to a person in India. At that point, after doing some searching on the computer, I found out that they were actually Google Chrome - at least that's the phone number I had been given. I want out from this 'dealer', and I want my gmail account with Canada restored. Is there anything - ANYTHING you can advise me on and help me with to get this mess straightened around?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Oh, and by the way, yes, it does say 'English' in my gmail account.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

I must say that story sounds really suspicious and you might have been scammed and malicious software was added to your computer?

Are you sure the telephone numbers you used were legitimate?

When you signed up for Gmail, did you not have another email from your ISP that you used as a backup?
They would send an email reset option to that email address only.

By chance, did you give this "support person" access to your computer to sort things out or did you do all the things they asked?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush
The 'tech' at Apple Canada gave me the number - which I wrote down. When I phoned it, these people are the ones I got, and assumed they were who the 'tech' said they were. I have spoken mainly with 'Sam', and 'Daniel' his supervisor, and they immediately got me into 'Team Viewer' - which they did by directing me, and then they took over doing various things to 'restore' my account. Since I don't deal in credit cards, to pay them, they asked that I go down and get a prepaid credit card. I did. But the card's number didn't work, and as it turned out, was a defective card - which I dealt with, with Visa and the local Safeway, and got my money returned. It gave me time to think, and when I asked Sam for a mailing address - he hummed and hahhed around, sent me to Daniel, who sent me to his billing manager, who eventually asked me to send the money specifically to a person, whose address is in India. It was then I just backed up and stalled, and have been trying to get help from Google Canada, but haven't been able to get a hold of them - it being the weekend.

While I had the card in my possession, I had phoned 'Sam' at least 4 times, to correct issues occurring in my computer - popups necessary before I could send emails out, language changing into something I don't know, etc. Each time, after
he had 'worked' via team viewer in my computer, things were just not right. I didn't like how the stuff looked either - like they were copies of the original. After I got my money back, and was waiting to send the money, I searched out Google's offices, observing their phone numbers, none of which matched the number the tech at Apple gave me. Only by plugging it into the web, did I come up with a match - Google Chrome - the exact number. 1 866 441 4509. I haven't sent the money yet, and don't intend to unless I have a receipt in my hand that reads 'to Google Chrome, for installing my Google account', and 'paid in full'. If they won't to that, I won't pay. They haven't phoned me yet, though I said I would get back to them yesterday. I'm trying my best to get help first, and phone Google on Monday, hopefully getting someone who can do something to restore my account.

Is there anything you can direct me on? Do you guys have a malware removal person who knows his stuff?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

And by the way Headrush, thank you so much for replying. Anything you can do to help will be greatly appreciated.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush,

Since I left you the message last night, I have contacted MacKeeper, as it had been installed in my computer 2 years ago. When I tried to use it last night, it failed - obviously had been tampered with when they were in my computer. I have phoned MacKeeper, gotten them to give me a new password, and restarted the antivirus software, which seems to be working. But my actual gmail account is still weird, and I would like some help to get it back on track, as well as any advice you can give me on more precautions I can take to ensure there's no more malware in my computer. Can you assist?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hello again Headrush,

After trying to get my MacKeeper to operate properly this morning, I have come to believe these people who are calling themselves Google Chrome, have also done something that affects it. It would not scan my computer, but stopped after I clicked on scan, asked for my password - which it normally doesn't do, and when I typed it in, it would not work. I phone MacKeeper, he tried from his end to get it to operate but couldn't, and advised me to phone Apple Canada. I will do that, but I'm still wanting to hear from you regarding getting rid of Google Chrome, and restoring my Google Canada account. The guy from MacKeeper did however, assist me in getting rid of 'Team Viewer' icon from my computer. One step in the right direction. Anything you'd like to offer would be appreciated.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hello again Headrush. Things change here as fast as I can explain them. After doing more research and talking with MacKeeper on the phone, I now understand that the tech at Apple Canada actually did hook me up with Google Chrome, and that this kind of Google isn't going down well with my computer - hence the weird goings-on. I have to finish a transaction with these people at Chrome tomorrow, which I will do with a prepaid card, and then I will proceed to get reconnected to Google Canada - which is what I wanted in the first place. I will still leave this post open, as I will need some help in getting everything to settle down and act normally. I'll keep in touch.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

I wouldn't just take what some one at MacKeeper said as fact.

The whole things still sounds very suspicious.
An Apple employee knowing someone at their competitor Google, then charging you for services they offer for free to fix too.

I can't make any certain statements since I haven't seen the issues you are having.
Pictures of the types of pop-ups might help, but installing Chrome shouldn't be causing system wide issues.

Do you maintain a backup of your user files?

P.S. I google the telephone number you provide for Google and web pages showed that number for Hotmail, Belkin and other companies also. Sure sounds fake.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Headrush, Okay. Yes, the Apple employee who was to fix the issue with my gmail for free, literally directed me to cancel both my gmail and IMAPmail - which were both shaded in blue. He then said that rebuilding a gmail account was easy, and began walking me through it, until he and I bumped into the fact that I didn't know my gmail password. I had never used it so didn't have a clue. He tried phoning someone (at the time I didn't know who), couldn't get them, and was 'told' to end his session with me by his boss, so he gave me the number he was trying to phone, and I phoned it, thinking I would naturally be in Google Canada. 

This got me hooked up with these guys who have not been very forth coming about where or who they are, and who certainly didn't want me to pay them via Postal Money Order or Bank Draft. They wanted money via credit card, or Western Union, period. I don't like either of these things, but since I've not gotten any specific help, I just can't tell what to do next. I do not have anything backed up to my knowledge, though I have 3 usb pens on which I've recorded things that are important to me. How do I get rid of what's in my computer? How do I know if it's malware?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Are you 100% sure it was Apple you phoned and not another fake company?
These places claim to be many different companies.

If you know for sure it was Apple, I would contact them and provide them as much info as possible including the person you talked to that provided that "google" number. They could have someone working for them and using that to direct people to their other partners.

When you delete your gmail account on the computer, all your email is still on google's servers. When you re-add the gmail account on your computer, all those messages should re-sync.

I'm not exactly sure what you are talking about when you say IMAPmail. 
Gmail uses a mail system called IMAP which is what keeps messages on Google's servers.

If you don't remember the password for your Gmail account, and you don't have a backup email address that they can send a password hint to, there isn't anything I could do. You could try contacting Google directly, but I'd be surprised if they told you. (Security reasons)

At this point, there is no way to know what they have done to your system and what they might have installed.
If it was me, I would do a clean install, it's the only way to be 100% sure.

You should also start implement some safe computer strategies like backing up important files and keeping safe records of passwords. Any passwords on your computer could have been compromised and you'd be best to change any once you restore your system. (including all web logins)


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush. The Apple company I phoned was called Free Apple Tech Support and was a 1 800 number. I have phoned it before and gotten safe and good help. I did phone them back and told them what happened, though I did not know at the time all the trouble that would follow - weird happenings. By IMAPmail I meant IMAP - and that is gone now because the 'tech' at this Apple company canceled it. I have already saved a number of things on my usp pen, but I don't know anything else about how to 'back up' stuff. My passwords I did not keep online - not in full. I just put the first and last letters - the rest is written down elsewhere. How do you do a 'clean install'? I only know the old gmail account password - which they told me as they were 'working' on my computer, and then I changed it after they had done their thing. I have the new one. Let me know how to do a clean reinstall - I will.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

I'm pretty sure that wasn't Apple you called. 
These companies use many titles that sound like they are official but they are all the same and may give some advice that might be helpful, but there goal is just to get your money.

In the future, I would never give remote access to my computer to anyone you weren't 100% sure was official or legit.

What model Mac do you have?
Do you have any OS X DVDs?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush,

I have an IMac - MacOS X 2009, Desktop computer. When the guy from MacKeeper wanted to see what was wrong with my MacKeeper that has been operating fine up until October 10, he started directing me to go here do that. When I realized he was going to take me to 'TeamViewer', I told him I wasn't having him use that icon, and as a matter of fact I wanted it removed from my computer. He seems to have done that - though I don't know if it's really 'all' gone or not. And yes, I have absolutely no intention of ever having such a hook-up again.

Yes, I can use DVDs, but I've rarely done so. I'm not sure if I could load something on to them or not. I have never had such a thing in my computer until these 'Google chrome' guys put it there. No Apple or so-called Apple rep. has ever asked for such a thing. The icon for it is gone and I am removing all downloaded equipment from them into the trash. However, I wanted to mention to you that when I turn my computer on, instead of it just turning light and showing the little spinning circle for a few seconds, it now stays black with a bar appearing on the screen to show the progress of '[email protected]' coming on. This should not be the case if I was indeed hooked up to my normal gmail. It's like an override, or another 'gmail' account that has taken the forefront of my actual Skyword account. 

Do you know how to make a clean reinstall as you stated? Please let me know as soon as you can. I haven't given these guys any money, and don't intend to, but they are now phoning me and threatening to take their stuff out of my computer. I would like them cut off before they do the same to me. Anything you can offer would be helpful.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Disconnect your computer from the Internet.

Put in one of the OS X DVDs you have and then restart the computer while holding the option key.
Eventually once the DVD is read, you should see an icon for that DVD, which you can choose and allow it to load. (It can take a while sometimes, it will get there)

Once it loads, the first thing you want to do is look in the menu bar and you will see an option for Disk Utility, Choose that.
When it loads, you should see your hard drive. Select it and on the right side of window, you should see an option to erase.

Once that is complete, just quit disk utility and it will return to the OS X installer.
Just follow the on screen instructions to install a clean OS X.

**** the erase step above will delete all the info on your hard drive *****

If you want to try to save your user account so you might be able to recover some of your files later, skip loading disk utility and go straight to the install.

The installer will see you have a system installed already and give you some options. Choose Archive and Install and this will give you a clean system but you will still have your old user account which you can selectively search for files later.
At the end of the install process, you will have to make a new user account. It will have to be a different name than your old account if you used the archive method.

I would suggest using a different password also.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush. Questions - by 'disconnect your computer from the Internet - do you mean just unplug the whole thing from the wall? I have the original OS X dvds that came with this computer - would that work? Yes I do want to try to save my account with google, though I guess I will have to change my name. I hope I can follow these steps because once I'm off, I have no idea how to get back on, and the person who originally sold us the computer to begin with - Apple Dealer, has moved out of town. I just want every piece of info I can get so I don't push something wrong. Is there a phone number for TechGuy so I can get in touch with someone in case something goes wrong?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Yes your original DVDs will work.

By disconnect, I mean the ethernet cable from the wall.
(I assume you connect to the internet via a cable and not through WiFi?
If so, your Internet connection should be automatically set up after you install the new system.

Installing a new system does affect your account with google. BUT, did you not say that you forgot the password to your google account? If that is the case, there is nothing I can do to recover that.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush,

Yes, I am plugged into the wall. My computer works through Telus. Are you saying that if I did not have my original password with Google, they would not set up another account with me? When I happened to get these guys into my computer, they inadvertently told me my old password - which, had I been savvy enough at that moment, would have solved the problem, but by then they were already changing things and I didn't stop to think about it. Let me know about that Google password thing. I'll be staring this procedure in the next couple of days.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

When you say original and old password, I'm not sure exactly what you are saying.

What ever was the last password that worked to access your Gmail account is all that matters. If you don't have that, nothing I can do to help there.

You can always set up a new account with Gmail, however, you will NOT be able to get the same email address you had. 
Once Gmail accounts are closed or left, they are never used again for anyone.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush,

The reason I seem ambiguous on the passwords, is because I'm not sure if the one I used to originally set up my gmail account is still valid, or if the one these guys asked me to put in, affects my gmail. I guess I'm unsure because they seem to have overridden my original gmail and therefore I don't know if I'm really on gmail, or some other system they installed. They have refused to give me any actual name of their company, nor could I pin them down on an exact mailing address, yet they refer to themselves as 'google'. This doesn't add up, so I just don't know if they've actually changed my original gmail or just 'added' something that has as I say, overridden it. I'm not that savvy, so please bear with me.

In any case, I know now what my original password was before they came in, and the one I changed it into in their system. There was something else I wanted to let you know. In my cleaning out of all files, I found the original gmails I got from Google when I first signed up 5 years ago. One of those is an open line to google, so I sent an email to them, telling them of the situation - as they had originally given me a link to report abuse. That link did not work, but the open email address to Google did. 

Yes, I do know I will be changing my email address, that's okay. Thank you very much for your help Headrush. I will do my best to figure things out. So let me get this straight - if I unplug the motum, and just leave the computer plugged in, I've unplugged myself from the internet - right?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Pearlite said:


> So let me get this straight - if I unplug the motum, and just leave the computer plugged in, I've unplugged myself from the internet - right?


Yes. Just check one thing for me. Go to Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Network -> click Ethernet on the left side of window.

You'll see Configure IPv4 on the left. If it says Using DHCP, once you install the new OS X and then re-attach your ethernet (Internet) cable, the Internet should start working automatically.

If it doesn't say Using DHCP, let me know. We'll have to save those settings to re-enter later.
(Not sure what system Telus uses, most Rogers/Bell/Cogeco in my area.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush,

Yes, went to Apple Menu, System Preferences, Network, Ethernet - It says using DHCP. What does that mean?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Pearlite said:


> Hi Headrush,
> 
> Yes, went to Apple Menu, System Preferences, Network, Ethernet - It says using DHCP. What does that mean?


It's just a very standard and automatic way of setting up your computer's setting to work on the Internet.

In simplest terms: after you install a clean system your Internet will just work. No configuration needed by you.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush. I believe I have just one more question. After unplugging it from the internet, and running the disk on the computer itself, do I then just replug it back into the internet?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush. Sorry, but I just have to go over this with you. 
I unplug my motem, but leave computer plugged in. Insert disk. Restart computer while holding down 'option'. 
Click on icon for dvd and allow time for it to load.
Next is look in Menu bar - where is that? On the dvd or will it show up on my computer? However, if I want to save my old user account so that I can save some files, do I just give time for the disk to load, and then go to 'install'?
If I go straight to install, the installer will see I have a system installed, and give options - choose Archive and Install. Go through process and then make a new user account. Does that sound about right?
Also, if I have an account with yahoo, will that still be there, or will all its files be deleted as well? I know I will have to make a new email address and password with them, but does all the stuff on that account disappear as well, even if I don't erase my HD?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi again Headrush.
I turned on my computer this afternoon and discovered whoever this company was, had unplugged themselves from my computer, and consequently, I had no internet or mail services. I phoned Apple Canada and got a guy who showed me how to get the mail up and running. In the process he walked me through unplugging myself from the internet, leaving everything for a moment, then plugging myself back in again. He found out that they had put another mail server in my computer, so that I had 2 conflicting mail servers. He got the one cancelled, and now everything seems to be operating as normal. 

When I told him about the former call to Apple Free Tech Support, he looked it up in his records and found Darren, but stated he had no idea why he would send me to the phone number he did, why he took me the root he did to 'fix' my problem, and stated that the whole thing sounded utterly 'bogus'. Would you suggest unplugging my computer again, and running the dvd's as we discussed, or do you think these guys are now out of my computer?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

I don't know anything about Yahoo's mail service. If it is IMAP, then you should be able to start it again after the clean install and your mail should be there.

I wouldn't wait to do this and continue using your computer. There is no way me or anyone from Apple can be 100% sure there is anything bad still running, installed or scheduled to run on your system from those scammers.

The sooner you get a clean install the better.
When that DVD boots, it will appear very similar to how OS X normally boots and the installer will start. It's really easy to go through it.

The archive option will not install anything into your new account you will create turning the install process. It will be saved on the disk so manually we can look for and possible extract any files you might need.

Hope that helps.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush. Okay, I will go through with this. I have been saving files on my usb pens, but will be ready to do this tomorrow. If all goes well, I hope I can communicate with you to see what to look for and remove, and well as finding old files. I don't know if I should erase though. Is that the best thing to do?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Skip the erase so you can look for old files if you need to.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush,

Well I seem to be on the other side, though I'm still finding my feathers. First, the disk didn't offer me 'Archive' - maybe because I didn't go into 'utility' - I don't know. Nevertheless, when it finished installing, everything I had before was still present - all of my old stuff. I called Apple Support, and they seemed to think I didn't need to create another account, as they said the new install would bypass anything foreign in the computer. However, that's why I'm checking with you. I will for sure be changing all my passwords, but I am receiving and sending emails on my old account. There is a problem though. I've tried getting into gmail.com, and I can't get into it. It comes up on Safari as normal, but will not open to my old account. Not sure why. Have you any ideas on this?


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

When you say "everything I had before was still present", are you talking about Applications you had installed or things in your user account?

Maybe you didn't give Apple the full details, but if your computer has been compromised, there can be things installed in your old user account that are the problem.

You aren't logging into to your old user account are you?
We wanted to create a new account because we have no way of know what that company did or installed into your account.

You have to explain more specifically about gmail not opening. 
You are at the login page, you enter your username and password, click login, then specifically what happens? Does it say anything? Remember that company had access to your account. They could have easily changed the password to try to force you to pay them.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush.

I'll try to explain a little more in detail. When the install had finished, all the personal stuff I had on the side of my computer screen was still present, no files had seemed to have been deleted or left out in the process. But upon further investigation today, the icons for those files are present on the face of the screen, but they won't open. The HD still has them, and that's how I can access them right now, but how do I get them to reload into their proper icons - or make new icons. It's been so long since I put them there I can't remember the process. 

Concerned about things still being present in my computer - as you have described, I phoned Apple, and the rep I got this time said that having gone through the install process, I should be able to use my original gmail. Mail began arriving as usual, and I could send out, so I thought maybe he was correct, though I wasn't sure. So I clicked on Safari, got the page of domains, clicked on 'gmail.com' and instead of it loading and coming up as one would expect, it showed the horizontal bar across the screen with my gmail account loading, as it did when these weird guys took over. However, it would not load completely, which kept me from getting into gmail.com in order to change my password etc. It therefore never got to the login stage, it just froze in the loading stage. 

I had also noticed when they took over my computer, that Safari had a heading at the top that said this was an outdated form of Safari that was no longer supported by my computer. This hadn't been there before they took over, and when I came through the installation process, it was still there. So I clicked on updating and got Safari Canada. Now the bar that talks about it being 'unsupported', isn't there.

I specifically asked Apple Canada about there being things still in my computer that shouldn't be there, and this rep said that if I still saw signs of trouble, they would help me root them out one-by-one, but that my old user account should be fine. Well, I can't say it's 'fine' because of the problem I just described with getting into 'gmail.com', though the incoming and outgoing gmail is okay. I am trying to change it, but as I say I can't get into 'gmail.com'. How does one go about setting up a new account with Google, and cancelling out this email address, if we can't get into gmail.com?


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi again - I just wanted to add that I know they loaded a different Firefox than I had in my computer before they took over, and now it is part English and part whatever. I want to get rid of that too, as it's still there. I've also noticed my Yahoo account is weird - it no longer loads with a full page. I sent a message to Yahoo telling them that someone had loaded a different account in my name, but haven't heard from them yet. I also want to go through Finder - as I know I saw something I recognized as from the Scam artists, but I don't know how to get something that's in there, out. It wouldn't trash. 

I know it would be better to get all these things out at night when we can communicate a few times, but I'm so busy here I just can't get to the computer like I want to. I hope this makes more sense to you now, and maybe we can get some of these things solved.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

back again. Correction. The Firefox they uploaded seems to have changed now. I noticed yesterday that when the installation finished, some things remained as they had done before the reload - like Safari had that bar across it about being unsupported, and Firefox was still two languages, and at first, I couldn't send out emails, but as the day went on, the outgoing email system worked. I hadn't rechecked Firefox today, but I see now that it appears normal - no '2 languages'. I'm still searching out a few things, but I'll let you know what's going on.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Sorry to have to keep adding things here. I really didn't expect things to still be changing from what they were yesterday. I had noticed after these scammers had done their thing, that my facebook page loaded differently. You know the blue bar across the top of Facebook that shows you your 'search' options, and your personal info? Well, after they had 'fixed' my computer, it would not stay on. I had to bring it up manually to get it operating. Now, that appears to be normal. The blue bar is automatically loading.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm sorry again to have to keep adding things on, but I really didn't expect all the changes to have kept on occurring. Late last night when I went to gmail.com, I got exactly what I described above. Now this morning, I can't get such a thing as 'gmail.com' to even come on the list of domains, but I do get 'Get email from Google', and various other Google sites. When I click on the first domain - the one I just listed, I don't get a specific gmail settings page where you can change a number of things, but I do get a more generalized page with several options on a bar located at the top left of the page. One of the options on it is gmail, and when I click that, I get this horizontal bar across the center of my screen, loading my gmail email, but it still freezes before it finishes loading. It almost sounds like the installation is bypassing or weeding out things it didn't install, but I know next to nothing about these things. I think that's about all the info I can pass on right now. I hope you can figure a few things out. Talk later.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

It's probably not best for you to be following advice from Apple and me at the same time.

Although they think your old account may be fine, there is absolutely no way they can be sure within checking your user account. Various pieces of malware can be run from a user account or scheduled to run later. IMHO, just waiting to see if problems eventually occur after your computer was compromised is short sighted and dangerous.

The entire point of installing a clean OS was so you could create a new user login in OS X and know that it is 100% unaffected by any malware. If you are logging into the same old account you previous had, anything that was wrong or manipulated by them before is still there.

If you are running that old user account, it's not really just finding applications problems, it's possibly dealing with things they have changed, which could be much harder and really impractical trying to sort out using a forum chat thread.

If you see application in the /Applications folder that you don't want, or they added, you should look at a program like AppZapper http://www.appzapper.com to help remove them completely.
(just drag application icon onto this app when it is open)

P.S. Any web sites you access, gmail, yahoo, whatever, you need to try logging in, check that your email address is still set in the settings for each web site, and than change your password. You can't trust that they might have access which they could use in the future.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush.

I understand what you are saying completely, and please don't feel I've taken your advice lightly, but there were extenuating circumstances. I have always respected what you've advised and done my best to follow it, but allow me to explain a few things.

When this issue with my computer first started, it was just a matter of my outgoing gmail not working. Period. I posted a question on TechGuy, and waited for about 4 or more days but got no response. This would have been near Thanksgiving so I figured you might be on holidays. Not being able to send anything out, I phoned Apple Free Tech Support. This is a company I have had dealings with in the past 5 years, and found them reliable and knowledgable about how this computer works. No problem.

However, on this particular day I got someone named Darren, and the first thing he had me do is go to 'Mail' at the top left of my computer, Mail Preferences, Accounts, and when I told him that both my 'gmail' and 'mailIMAP' (outgoing) were shaded in blue at the top left of the window, and on the right, under the label 'outgoing mail', it stated IMAP mail was offline. Darren told me to click on the blue area and then click the '- 'sign. I questioned him about minusing both but he said gmail was easy to recover. I did, and everything disappeared from my computer. After being on the phone with him as he tried to 'recover' my account, we had both bumped into the fact that I had no knowledge of what my gmail password was - as since this computer first arrived and the guy installed the various items, I was completely in 'duhhhsville' and didn't write it down. Darren, not knowing exactly how to get a password back, tried to call someone, couldn't get them, told me his session was ending and thus I should call a certain number (1 866 441 4509), and give them my social insurance number. You know the story from there. 

Because I had been left hanging without any offer to call me back, or suggestion that I call him back to get the issue dealt with, and it resulted in the nightmare it has, I phoned Apple a few days later to tell them what had occurred with Darren, and what I thought of his handling of the problem. Eventually I heard from you and once we settled on reinstalling, I had planned to do so, and began saving files. On this past Thurs. however, when I went to use my computer, I turned it on and found my mail was not working at all, nor was I connected to the internet. I had been suspicious that such a thing might happen - that's why I had asked for your phone number, as how can I get in touch with you if my computer goes? The Apple outlet here in town has closed, I don't know anyone who knows computers, so I phoned Apple. This time I got Brian, he was clear, knew what he was doing - no humming or huhhhing, and he zeroed in on the 2 conflicting servers within the first 5 minutes. 

The manufacturer of MacKeeper had told me how to remove 'TeamViewer', and now the weird server was gone, but things were still not normal. I could not get into my 'gmail.com' account - would not go, just froze, as I previously explained. So I called Apple yesterday and explained the whole scenario to the lady. She was not happy with Darren at all and wanted their Senior Advisor to hear the details and assist me with the various issues. So I have had reason to phone Apple - both to get them aware of what Darren did, and to give me assistance when I could not get a hold of you. If you and I had tried to work all these things out, I have no idea how many days it would take to go back and forth - more time for them to do whatever it is they could be doing, so I needed to talk to someone on the phone who could direct me and get things done asap.

The Senior advisor phoned me this morning, took all the details, checked various areas of my computer and found remnants of their work, cleaned it out - (Team Viewer and some other weird thing), and had me run various updates for my computer, as the scam artists had left me with an unsupported version of Safari, Firefox, YouTube, etc. He has updated all these things, as well as security in my computer, and will check back with me tomorrow to go through Finder and whatever other area he knows things hide in, and remove unrecognized items. When all is done and I can get into my gmail.com, I will change all my passwords, and if you're still willing, get your help in connecting my files with all their folders - which seem to be sitting like shells on the face of my computer. 

I hope this helps you to see why I've done what I did. If there is any other comments you want to add, please feel free. Talk later


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

I understood everything before and I understood why you did what you did.

I knew it would take a lot of work to find all those things and as you can see it did. 
Trying to walk someone through that online in a forum would have been tough and exhausting.

I never saw where you asked for a phone number, but that would be impractical for me anyways.
I'm so busy lately, I pop in a while on the computer and do what I can.

A couple things to learn:

1) Be very careful giving 3rd party access to your computer. 

2) You really should have a working backup solution.
There are several options but all it takes is an external hard drive and is quite easy to do.
Even when you can't get help, you can then easily restore your system to a working state on your own.

3) If you are going to use that compromised account, you still have to be careful. Apple support can help you find the obvious and more common problems but there is still a possibility that there is malware and as soon as you double click some app, it re-installs again. (Often malware is disguised as a different program you think you are installing)

Hope that helps.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush, Yes, believe me, I will never let Team Viewer or any such thing into my computer again. It has been an exhausting and nerve-racking 2 weeks of computer problems, phone calls, defective credit cards etc. I'm finishing up with the Senior Rep at Apple tomorrow, have to redo some things on MacKeeper to make sure it is connected and working properly, and learn how to change a page from some other language, to English, but other than that, everything seems to look brighter, work faster and cleaner, and be more normal than I've seen it for awhile. However, there is the matter of the folders and icons sitting on the computer that need their 'guts' hooked up to them again, so that when I click on them, they actually open up and reveal content. Is that something you can help me with? If you know the process to rehook up files to their folders, or make new folders, I'm going to write down the instructions so I know what to do. I'm much more computer alert - if not wise, so any process I hear, I'm getting on paper. If you can assist me with those files, that would be good. Thank you very much for your help.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Pearlite said:


> However, there is the matter of the folders and icons sitting on the computer that need their 'guts' hooked up to them again, so that when I click on them, they actually open up and reveal content. Is that something you can help me with?


Need much more specifics than that.

Were they applications or aliases to applications? (aliases have little rounder pointed arrow on icon)
A screenshot would probably help a lot.


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## Pearlite (Jan 11, 2011)

Hi Headrush.

The icons I was referring to that sit in my computer screen are both folders and miniature pages. The other day when I clicked on them, I got nothing coming up, though the items I wanted are in my HD. But today as I'm checking - everything seems to be coming up fine. I know when these scam artists did their thing in the computer, they used outdated material so everything looked 'fuzzier'. I described it as looking like copies of the original, and for all I know that's what they were. Now, after the Senior Rep at Apple went through my computer yesterday, things are all updated and are working much faster and better. So I think the problem doesn't exist now. Just for the record though, would you mind telling me the procedure to go through to make a folder or miniature page icon, as I have forgotten how and I want to write these things down? I think after that you should be free of seeing my replies for awhile. Thank you again for your help.


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