I've got a problem I'm hoping you guys can help with. We've finally managed to convince management to can our external IT company. They're charging us $250 a month to "monitor" 11 computers (PCs and Macs), however their software doesn't work on all but three of them and one of the three has been powered off for several months now. I was able to update to Sierra last fall and when that update happened, the IT company's software stopped working. I had a hard drive fail before the Sierra update, and we were able to get them to swap out my 1TB SATA for a 500GB SSD but that is the last we have heard from him.

Since the Sierra update, his program is unable to actually update anything, I was reading about 3rd party applications being unable to do this in the new Sierra environment. When Sierra came out, his website even mentioned that they are dropping support for Apple computers, however he still charges us money every month to "monitor" the 11 computers he doesn't actually monitor.

Anyway, for whatever reason, we cannot get a hold of him to get our machines "clean" of his monitoring software *cough*malware*cough. I finally was able to get instructions to remove the monitoring client from his parent company, Watchman Monitoring. Their instructions are here: https://support.watchmanmonitoring.com/hc/en-us/articles/705065-Removing-the-Monitoring-Client

Now, I was able to get rid of his monitoring software. At first uninstalling via the client, a preference pane within system preferences, it would come back - reinstalling it self within 5 minutes of uninstalling it. After deleting the files in Library, a few times, they kept coming back for about half an hour, I've been free of them for about a week now. Unfortunately, I'm unable to do a software update because of the attached plist file, saved as a TXT document, the address string for the update server is not pointing to Apple. I can't get it to go back to point to apple. I delete it and it comes back, just as attached.

Do any of you know how I can get this to point to Apple? I've tried everything I can think of. Web searching isn't helping either because this company is local and practically non-existent at this point.

Easy fix....format HD and re-install OS X Sierra.

Easy fix....format HD and re-install OS X Sierra.

Also my Sierra Mac computer does not have a file named 'com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist'. Evidently their software is still on that Mac. If you open system preferences ===> User & Groups ===> Login Items what is listed there?

I think I might have to do that.

From the instructions above did you try the one for To remove the Monitoring Client manually? And after immediately doing that delete the 'com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist' file? And the immediately reboot?

Yep. Restarted right after and everything. I'm thinking a format and fresh install is the best option. I just wish it wasn't so. I have so much stuff to backup. 

Turns out there were a couple more plist files that were modified and had to be removed. I also found out that programs were coming back because the IT guy used a program called Munki to install his programs and update them before Sierra. I was able to remove Munki as well and now I'm able to update to 10.12.5.

IT really should never be involved in prepress. Isolate us in the network and just let the users admin our own machines. Most "IT guys" know fuck all about Macs and are only there to make things worse.

Quote from: AaronH on May 22, 2017, 02:36:07 PMTurns out there were a couple more plist files that were modified and had to be removed. I also found out that programs were coming back because the IT guy used a program called Munki to install his programs and update them before Sierra. I was able to remove Munki as well and now I'm able to update to 10.12.5.

Sounds like you got the Munki off of your back!

Sounds like that IT company has got the Adobe model down pat - just sit back and collect the money.

Man you guys are killing me!

Man, I wouldn't let an "IT' goon NEAR my fucking Sierra box! Or anything my side of my gigabit switch.

We have an external company to update and monitor, etc... the office computers, bookkeeping... I have showed the tech my network but I won't let them near it. You should do your own RIP maintenance as prepress. For most of us, IT is a side job.

My computer puts food on the table. It's the most important tool I use. I HAVE to know how it works. I can't rely on others when things go screwy. I have to be able to fix it myself.

I really don't understand how people don't even know computer basics. When control-V is magic and ctrl-X is voodoo to people it just amazes me. How can you use something every day to get paid and not know how to use it? These are the same people that are facebook masters yet don't know that tab changes fields. I can't post a friggin smiley on FB but I can build a server from scratch.

I still laugh at my wife every time I see her go up to the menu bar to Print, Save, Copy or Paste instead of using the GODDAMNED UNIVERSAL SHORTCUTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR DECADES! And she's a smart person who is relatively comfortable with computers.

Quote from: DCurry on May 24, 2017, 07:52:52 AMI still laugh at my wife every time I see her go up to the menu bar to Print, Save, Copy or Paste instead of using the GODDAMNED UNIVERSAL SHORTCUTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR DECADES! And she's a smart person who is relatively comfortable with computers.

She'll have the last laugh when Adobe replaces that UNIVERSAL SHORTCUTS THAT HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR DECADES and when you use it it will do something really stupid. (I'm looking at you SHIFT+CLICK!)