DetectX Swift is now available!

Faster and better than the original, with Achievements to help you learn.

More information here

DetectX

Go to DetectX Support Page

Note: your DetectX update and these release notes are secured using encrypted https protocols.

Version 2.91 (16 Apr 2019)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Bug fix: The About menu item now does its job.

Version 2.90 (1 Jan 2019)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.89 (10 Nov 2018)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.88 (10 Oct 2018)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.87 (1 Aug 2018)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.86 (27 May 2018)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.85 (18 April 2018)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.84 (21 February 2018)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: Code-signing requirements are now checked on every launch to harden the app against the possibility of post-Gatekeeper hijacking.

Version 2.83 (08 January 2018)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.82 (18 December 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.81 (29 November 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
New: Root User status (enabled/disabled) is now shown in the Log Drawer.

Version 2.80 (14 November 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.79 (23 October 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.78 (12 September 2017)

Bug fix: Fixed a problem which prevented DetectX from launching on some macs not using the Western Christian era dateformat.

Version 2.77 (09 September 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: Added macOS software update preferences to Log Drawer.
Improved: The self-diagnostic reporting function now reports Time Machine status.

Version 2.76 (22 August 2017)

Improved: Added a new heuristic in the Search detector to better identify adware with common patterns.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: Added a check for a security vulnerability on launch. If the vulnerability is found, a message appears in the Log Drawer.

Version 2.75 (06 August 2017)

Improved: The 'Trash All...' function now correctly removes a persistent Chrome adware extension that previously required a trip to the command line to fully deal with.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.74 (23 July 2017)

Bug fix: Removed a problem which prevented the Detector search from completing if Spotlight Indexing was disabled on the startup disk.
Bug fix: Fixed a bug in the reportGatherer that stopped the version info being collected.
Changed: Removed the focus ring from the green/yellow indicator button.
Improved: Added a user alert during the Detector search in case Spotlight Indexing is disabled on the startup disk.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.73 (01 July 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.72 (25 Jun 2017)

Experimental: Detector search now scans for active osascript browser hijacks. If found, the 'Trash All...' function will attempt to kill the relevant processes and remove the parent executable from the file system. This may result in one or more requests for an Admin password.

This function is 'on' by default, but it can be turned off via the command line. To do so, execute the following in Terminal:

defaults write com.sqwarq.DetectX disableAWIDSearch -bool true

Please contact Sqwarq Support if you experience any problems with this experimental feature.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Bug fix: Removed a problem which prevented the Detector search from functioning on macOS 10.13.

Version 2.71 (16 Jun 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: The self-diagnostic reporting function has been updated.
Changed: Sparkle check now must be manually enabled after launch from the Preferences window. This preference is reset to disabled on quit.
Bug fix: Removed a problem which could cause the Detector to list an item name and path name as 'error'.

Version 2.70 (11 Jun 2017)

Improved: Trashing routine now does not require multiple authentications.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.69 (05 Jun 2017)

Improved: Better UI feedback while the search is running.
Improved: Better UI feedback while the In-App Store is loading.
Bug fixes: Removed some bottlenecks in code that could cause spins while searching, stopping a search or loading the store.

Version 2.68 (03 Jun 2017)

Improved: Some under-the-hood code optimisation.
Improved: The self-diagnostic reporting function has been updated.

Version 2.67 (31 May 2017)

New: Search definitions are now updated in real-time from Sqwarq's servers on launch. After checking for definition updates, the new status light in the Detector view will be green, indicating DetectX is ready to search your mac immediately when you click the 'Search' button. If the status light is amber, clicking the 'Search' button causes DetectX to first re-check Sqwarq's servers for the latest definitions before scanning your mac.
New: In-app registration is now available, removing the need to copy and paste order details from an email or to deal with an external website to make payment.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Changed: Removed the popup button that selected different kinds of search.

Version 2.66 (28 May 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.65 (28 May 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: The self-diagnostic reporting function has been updated.

Version 2.64 (25 May 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.63 (21 May 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: The self-diagnostic reporting function has been updated.
New: Inspector view now warns when installed OS is not the latest available build.

Version 2.62 (17 May 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.61 (12 May 2017)

New: Inspector now reports on the existence of, and any changes to, the Library Containers folder in the local domain.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.60 (7 May 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.59 (2 May 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.58 (29 Apr 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.57 (28 Apr 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.56 (26 Apr 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.55 (12 Apr 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.54 (02 Apr 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.53 (29 Mar 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
New: DetectX can now gather self-diagnostic files including a crash report via the 'Help > Report a Problem to Sqwarq Support' menu item. Invoking this will cause macOS to request an Administrator password.

Version 2.52 (16 Mar 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: Stop button added to Detector Search.
Bug fix: Fixed a bug which could cause the Detector Search to fail or appear to hang in some situations on macOS 10.10 and later.

Version 2.51 (09 Mar 2017)

New: Inspector View now shows contents of /Library/Extensions/ folder.

Version 2.50 (07 Mar 2017)

Bug fix: Fixed a regression which prevented the search from working in v2.49 on macOS 10.9 and earlier.
Bug fix: Minor display bugs in the Registration window fixed.

Version 2.49 (03 Mar 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Changed: Removed the 30-day trial period. DetectX is now time-unlimited shareware.

Version 2.48 (23 Feb 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: Under the hood performance enhancements.

Version 2.47 (19 Feb 2017)

Improved: Detector search algorithm now looks for all associated files sharing the same bundle identifier as the target (this feature is only enabled on machines running macOS 10.9 and higher).
Improved: Detector search algorithm ignores bootable external drives.

Version 2.46 (19 Feb 2017)

Improved: Detector search algorithm now looks for all associated files sharing the same bundle identifier as the target (this feature is only enabled on machines running macOS 10.9 and higher).

Version 2.45 (09 Feb 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.44 (08 Feb 2017)

Bug fix: Fixed a regression which prevented v2.43 from launching on 10.9 and earlier.

Version 2.43 (05 Feb 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.42 (28 Jan 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.41 (18 Jan 2017)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
Improved: Search definitions have been minimally encrypted to avoid false positives on macs running virus scanning software.

Version 2.40 (29 Dec 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.39 (28 Dec 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.38 (27 Dec 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.37 (20 Nov 2016)

Improved: Trashing algorithm is now more reliable.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.36 (30 Oct 2016)

New: Log Drawer now includes a summary of users, whether the Guest user is enabled, and whether any accounts are under Parental Controls.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.35 (15 Oct 2016)

New: Gatekeeper status is now shown in the Log Drawer both when DetectX launches and (since this can change while the app is running) each time a detector search is performed.
Improved: User guide has been updated.
Improved: Minor bug fixes (cosmetic).

Version 2.34 (02 Oct 2016)

New: Folder Actions status is now shown in the Log Drawer both when DetectX launches and (since this can change while the app is running) each time a detector search is performed.
Improved: The Safari Hard Reset function now removes all history, including that stored in the Metadata folder.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated to include some new threats and remove some caches previously ignored.

Version 2.33 (10 Sep 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.32 (08 Sep 2016)

Bug fix: Fixed a problem where some results could be displayed in the wrong Detector search.

Version 2.31 (04 Sep 2016)

New: DetectX now logs invisible & hidden files located at the root of the Home folder and warns when these are added or removed.
Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.30 (31 Aug 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.29 (29 Aug 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.28 (06 Jul 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.27 (11 Jun 2016)

Changed: DetectX is now offered with a 30-day evaluation period for those without a license key.

Version 2.26 (25 May 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.25 (28 Apr 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.24 (02 Apr 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.
New: URL commands make it possible to control DetectX from within a browser or via a script. See the User Guide in the Help Menu, under the section "Scheduling and Scripting".

Version 2.23 (19 Mar 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions have been updated.

Version 2.22 (16 Mar 2016)

Bug fix: Fixed the spinning 'beachball' that could occur when Sparkle Vulnerability search had a large number of apps to check.
Improved: Removed the launch delay in unregistered version.
Changed: DetectX is now offered with a generous 60-day trial period for those without a license key.
Changed: Updated the User Guide (see 'Help > User Guide').

Version 2.21 (07 Mar 2016)

Improved: User Library has been added to both Inspector and Record views. Changes will be shown in the History view.
Improved: Definitions have been updated.
Improved: Confirmation dialogue added to Safari Fixer to prevent accidental hard reset.

Version 2.19 (06 Mar 2016)

Improved: Detector definitions updated.
Improved: The red 'Close' button is back.

Version 2.18 (27 Feb 2016)

Bug fix: Fixed a bug that would stop DetectX from quitting in some situations.

Version 2.17 (27 Feb 2016)

New: Checks for vulnerable version of Microsoft Silverlight.
Improved: Detector definitions updated.

Version 2.16 (27 Feb 2016)

Improved: Licensing options have been made clearer.
Changed: Some user interface changes.

Version 2.15 (19 Feb 2016)

Improved: Sparkle vulnerability check is now faster.
Improved: Updated the User Guide in the Help menu.
Improved: Provided further information in the Licensing Options window.

Version 2.14 (13 Feb 2016)

New: Preferences Pane available from the DetectX menu (Shortcut: Cmd-,).
Improved: Performance enhancements make searching faster.
Improved: Sparkle security check can now be turned on and off in the Preferences Pane; default is 'Off'.
Changed: Reset Hidden Files function is now in the new Preferences Pane.

Version 2.13 (12 Feb 2016)

Improved: Updated the Sparkle framework to v1.13.1.
New: Added a Sparkle security check for all apps and Pref Panes on the system -- the results appear in the log drawer after any Detector Search.

Version 2.12 (22 Jan 2016)

Improved: New definitions for adware & malware detectors.

Version 2.11 (07 Jan 2016)

New: Dedicated Safari Adware fixer function to recover from new and unknown adware and script hijacks.
New: A 'Reset Hidden Files' function can now be found in the DetectX menu. This is a workaround until Apple fixes the bug in El Capitan's Finder, which sometimes results in the Finder not reading the preference written in its own property list file and instead continuing to use the preference cached in memory.
Bug fix: Fixed a false positive in the Keylogger Detector (false positive: AvidApplicationManagerHelper)

Version 2.10 (14 Dec 2015)

Bug fix: Fixed a false positive in the Keylogger Detector (false positive: WebKitPluginStreamtZbQsE_AdobeTmp.app)

Version 2.09 (14 Dec 2015)

Bug fix: Fixed a false positive in the Keylogger Detector (false positive: WDSecurityHelper.app)

Version 2.08 (13 Dec 2015)

Bug fix: Fixed a bug that in some situations could cause DetectX to hang when running a detector search.

Version 2.07 (10 Dec 2015)

New: DetectX now searches for and automatically stops Elite Keylogger background processes whenever a detector search (cmd-1) is run, even if it's not specifically a detector searching for keyloggers.
New: DetectX now reveals the existence of some hidden keylogger records created by Elite Keylogger.
New: Log drawer now shows any 3rd party kexts running whenever a detector search is run.
New: The contents of the Log drawer can now be cleared from the View menu or with a keyboard shortcut (cmd-K).
New: DetectX reports on SIP status in the Log Drawer for machines running 10.11+.
Improved: Updated definitions for adware and keyloggers.
Improved: 'All Searches' is now selected as the default search on launch.
Bug fixes: Some miscellaneous bug fixes.

Version 2.06 (08 Nov 2015)

New: MacBooster added to list of commercial apps detected.
Improved: Updated definitions for adware.

Version 2.05 (26 Oct 2015)

Improved: Updated definitions for adware.

Version 2.04 (21 Oct 2015)

Bug fix: This a critical update addressing a bug that prevents DetectX from receiving updates when run on OS X 10.11. El Capitan users will need to download this update directly from http://sqwarq.com/detectx.

Version 2.03 (17 Oct 2015)

New: The number of changes is now indicated along with the changes alert.
New: The blue log drawer button now shows a badge when important information is added to the log.
New: The log drawer now lists 3rd party background processes running in the user domain whenever a search is performed.
New: Added 'beginning' and 'end' navigation buttons in the History 'Runs' view.
Improved: Clearer layout of the text in the History 'Changes' view.
Improved: Removal algorithm for MacKeeper now unloads all background processes first, preventing respawns.
Improved: More detailed information provided to the user during the trashing procedure.

Version 2.02 (13 Sep 2015)

Improved: Added further keylogger definitions.
Bug fix: This incremental update fixes a bug in the update mechanism that prevented DetectX from passing Gatekeeper verification on OS X 10.11 (El Capitan).

Version 2.01 (31 Aug 2015)

Bug fix: This incremental update fixes a bug that caused some false positives in the Adware Detector.

Version 2.0 (30 Aug 2015)

New: Full User Guide included.
New: Inspector tab added so you can easily look into the important places on your Mac where trouble might be hiding.
New: History tab added to quickly view all Inspector runs and changes.
Improved: Updated and New Definitions across all Detectors.
Improved: Log drawer display tidied up to make it more readable.
Improved: New functions added to the log drawer improving feedback and documentation.

See the User Guide for full documentation of all features.

Requires Lion 10.7 or higher.
For Snow Leopard, please download 'DetectX for SL' from Sqwarq.com.

For support, visit

DetectX Support

For more apps for your macs, visit us at Sqwarq.com