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Tech Tip

Questions About Mac Security and Google Password Prompts

Q. I am getting a pop-up message claiming to be from Google and asking for my password. It says: “Google Password Required. Enter your password for [account name] in Internet Accounts.” It won’t go away, even if I restart my Mac. Is this malware?

A. If you get Gmail through the Mac’s Mail app and the program is having a problem, the Internet Accounts box from the System Preferences often pops up to ask for the password in order to reconnect the Mail program with the Gmail server. You may also see the Internet Accounts box if you have a Google Play, YouTube or other Google service linked to your Mac. Click the System Preferences icon in the Mac’s desktop dock and then click the Internet Accounts icon to go directly to the settings.

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You can link a Mac to online sites and services through the Internet Accounts box in the System Preferences area.Credit...The New York Times

Google recently confirmed that a technical issue had caused a number of users to get booted out of their Google accounts. Signing back in with your password should fix the problem.

If you are concerned about your Mac’s security, log into your Gmail account on another computer or device to make sure your password still works. (This would also be a good time to update and change your Google password: After you log into Gmail, go to https://myaccount.google.com for the password settings, and to configure two-step verification.)

If you have recently changed your Gmail password through a web browser and did not update the Mac’s Mail program, you may also see alert boxes asking for the password. If you previously set up application-specific passwords, you may have to update the Mail program with that app password.

Malicious software can be very good at impersonating legitimate messages from the operating system, browser, mail program and other applications — and despite some protections, Macs are not invulnerable. Free utilities like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for Mac or Avast Free Mac Security can scan your system, as can commercial security suites like those from Intego or Norton.

Personal Tech invites questions about computer-based technology to techtip@nytimes.com. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section B, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: Password Pop-Up: Is It Malware?. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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