Thursday, 3 November 2011

Tips to remove Personal Antivirus Program

A personal antivirus is a clone of antivirus program which is made to look like a general antivirus. It is actually a rogue anti-spyware application which is often advertised as a reliable security tool. The reason why it is done so is to trick the user into buying this program. This is a scam that is promoted through Trojans, fake online anti-malware scanners and bogus advertisements.
Once the system is infected with a Trojan that promotes this rogue program, the windows taskbar will be flooded with fake security alerts and pop-ups. This is the first sign that will determine that the system is infected. At this point it is essential to seek computer support.
What does a personal antivirus do?

Once the personal antivirus is active on the system it will perform fake system scan and report various bogus infections. However, the thing to notice is that the scan is fabricated to trick the user. These infections are fake and do not actually exist. In fact this program acts totally opposite to the actual antivirus program. In simple words this program is not able to detect or delete any infections from the system.
The most irritating aspect that the user has to face is that of constant display of pop-ups and security warnings. These are quite similar to Windows Security Center. These so called alerts will trick the user into believing that the system is infected with Trojans, spyware or adware. Additionally this program will show fake security threats and notifications about malicious activities.

What adds to the misery of the user whose system is infected is that this rogue application will hijack your Internet Explorer browser and redirect you to malicious websites. These malicious websites aim to promote Personal Antivirus or other scareware. It can further modify the Windows HOST file and block certain websites. It is evident enough that this application is harmful and must be uninstalled or deleted as soon as possible.
Following are the signs that show when the system is infected:
  • Changed browser settings
  • Unnecessary pop ups and adds
  • Connects itself to the internet for spreading infection
  • Stays resident in background
  • Redirects the user to malicious websites
How to remove Personal Antivirus?

Following are few of the steps that the user can undertake to remove personal antivirus:
  1. The first step is to recognize the threat and remove the contaminated files that have to be deleted
  2. This list can be used to determine the processes to kill the unwanted software via the Windows Task Manager route
  3. Next step is to delete the infected registry keys with the help of a registry entry eraser or editor
  4. After removing these infected files run a scan on the PC
  5. Now reboot your system and check if the infection still persists
Often it happens that inspite of the steps taken, the infection still remains or the virus reappears. At this juncture seeking a premium computer support is essential to get rid of this rogue software and prevent further damage to your system.

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