How to fix “”HPDeviceMonitoring.framework” will damage your computer” error on Mac

In late October 2020, Mac users discovered an issue with HP printers. On computers with Catalina and Mojave OS, the errors “HPDeviceMonitoring.framework” will damage your computer or “HPDM.framework” will damage your computer appear. Macs running High Sierra and earlier do not have this problem. Regardless of what users clicked after the error (“Show in Finder” or “OK”), this pop-up appears over and over again, making it difficult for some users to use the PC. Also, due to an error, it is impossible to print to printers.

“”HPDeviceMonitoring.framework” will damage your computer” error

“”HPDM.framework” will damage your computer” error

There is no reason to worry, HPDeviceMonitoring.framework is not malware, but a piece of software for HP printers. The error pop-up is displayed by Apple’s XProtect software, which is part of the Apple Gatekeeper security system. Gatekeeper acts as an antivirus, it detects and blocks malware. However, according to our research in this case there is just a problem with the revoked certificate of HP printing software. Among other possible reasons: HP drivers malfunction, HP software corruption. Here are screenshots of the explanation of the problem and detailed information about the error:

HPDeviceMonitoring.framework error details

HPDeviceMonitoring.framework error explanation

HP and Apple have worked to remedy the situation and have released an update. However, some users still experience this or similar problems. In this tutorial, we will explain all necessary steps needed to get rid of the “”HPDeviceMonitoring.framework” will damage your computer” error in MacOS and restore your printer functionality.

Remove HP printer and HP software

A common remedy for this error is the complete removal of HP printers and HP printing software such as: HP Utility.app, HP Smart.app, HP Easy Start.app. Parts of these programs, if damaged, may cause all kinds of errors in Mac.

Remove HP Printer

1. Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen and choose System Preferences.
2. Go to Printers & Scanners.
3. Find HP printer/printers in the list and click “-“ (minus) button under it.
4. In opened dialog window click Delete Printer button and confirm action by entering your password.

Remove HP software from Login Items

Note: HP software may set up to start on Mac OS startup. Therefore, before starting the removal, perform these steps:

1. Open System Preferences, choose Users & Groups.
2. Choose your account (set up as Current User).
3. Click Login Items tab.
4. Find HP Utility.app, HP Smart.app, HP Easy Start.app or other HP related entries. Select them, and click the “-“ (minus) button to remove it.

Note: HP software won’t quit just by closing it, therefor use Force Quit to end the process.

1. Press 3 buttons at the same time: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape). This is similar to Control-Alt-Delete on a Windows PC.
2. Choose HP Utility.app, HP Smart.app, HP Easy Start.app or other HP related entries in the list.
3. Click Force Quit button.

Uninstall HP software from Mac completely

Before performing the steps in the instruction below, we recommend you download CleanMyMac app. It will help you not only uninstall HP-related software but also remove all leftover files and folders, which, if not removed properly, can cause various errors.

Download CleanMyMac



1. Open CleanMyMac and on the left side click Uninstaller.
2. Find HP Utility.app, HP Smart.app, HP Easy Start.app or other HP related entries in the list, choose them all and click Uninstall button at the bottom.
3. Wait until program finishes and cleans up residual data and restart your Mac

Install HP Printer driver and install latest HP software (optional)

MacOS has full support for the majority of HP printers, and in most cases, there is no need in HP software to print and scan documents, all you need to do is to connect your printer to your machine, power it up and follow on-screen instructions to install the default printer driver from Apple. There is a high probability this driver won’t cause any problems. However, if you are a corporate user and need an HP account for maintaining your device and some additional functionality, you may consider downloading the latest version of HP software. To do this, you need to search for your printer driver page on HP Customer Support – Software and Driver Downloads and download software available for your model and version of the operating system.

List of errors related to HP printers in MacOS

“framework” will damage your computer
“hpPostProcessing.bundle” will damage your computer
“HPDM.framework” will damage your computer
“Matterhorn.framework” will damage your computer
“Productimprovementstudy.hptask” will damage your computer
“HP Scanner 3” will damage your computer
“inkjet1.driver” will damage your computer
“HP Utility” will damage your computer
“PDE.plugin” will damage your computer
“ScanEventHandler.app” will damage your computer
“FaxArchive.task” will damage your computer
“inkjet3.driver” will damage your computer
“commandtohp.filter” will damage your computer