How to deal with following message: “AphroditeResults” will damage your computer

Minerva2025 wrote:

The message keeps popping up on my MacBook Pro. I have taken screenshots of files that may be responsible for this. What should I do next?

Uninstall all third party apps that are Cleaners/Optimizers/VPN/Anti-Virus

all known to cause issues on the macOS

ref: Block pop-up ads and windows in Safari

Please see the articles below.

Typically unwanted browser redirects are most always the result of something you installed (popups)

ref: Removing "Search Marquis" / "Search Baron" / etc on your own — John Galt

Removing "Search Marquis" / "Search Baron… - Apple Community

Effective defenses against malware and … - Apple Community

Effective defenses against malware and ot… - Apple Community

MrHoffman—docs/Doc: Scam Pop-ups, Scam Viruses, Scam Receipts, Scam Purchase

Scam Pop-ups, Scam Viruses, Scam Receipts… - Apple Community

Avoid phishing emails, fake 'virus' alerts, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support

Recognize and avoid social engineering schemes including phishing messages, phony support calls, and other scams - Apple Support

First Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support.

While in that mode, drag all the files in those three screenshots to the Trash except those with the following in their names:

Apple

Cisco

Dropbox

Google

Microsoft

Zoom

Those are ok so leave them in place. Files with "Aphro..." in their names are probably the ones responsible for the "will damage your computer" dialog. Those, as well as those nothing but a bunch of incomprehensible numbers in their names need to be deleted.

Other files may also be responsible but About those "<app> will damage your computer" messages - Apple Community recommends capturing screenshots that show entire file names, not truncated ones as shown in your screenshots:

"Now, in each of those three windows, select View > as List or other selection that shows that folder's complete contents, including complete file names. Modify the column widths if necessary. Expanding the window's overall width so as to encompass the file's modification dates will help also, so please endeavor to do that."

Lacking them we will be working with less than complete information which is less than ideal. If something doesn't work correctly you can always select the items in the Trash and use "Put Back".

When you are finished dragging those items to the Trash, restart your Mac normally (not "Safe Mode").

Please re-post the three screenshots with full-width listings for the three directories involved.

I see a various problems, but can’t be sure that’s all of them given the name truncations.

The entire contents of the three circled-green directory listings are necessary for this, while the red-scribbled listings are not:

Boot into Safe Mode, and delete the red:

The third screenshot doesn’t have any issues.