BackupGenie virus (Free Instructions)
BackupGenie virus Removal Guide
What is BackupGenie virus?
What secrets does BackupGenie hide from you?
Though BackupGenie virus is not an actual cyber threat you should worry about, the program creators have been receiving a lot of negative criticism [1] online for supposedly running a deceptive business. Some security blogs deem this program as a nagware [2], because it actively and, sometimes, intrusively pushes its customers into purchasing its weekly, monthly or yearly subscriptions. Nevertheless, the creators promise that the paid service will ensure more advanced backup abilities and increase program’s operation speed. Some of BackupGenie reviews [3] on the web confirm such claims, but there are also other users, who question the program and suggest there might be something off about it. Led by such controversial opinions, 2-spyware team has decided to conduct an analysis and test this program out themselves. Before we get into the analysis, we should emphasize that if you ever feel that the program you have installed works against you, you should scan your device with FortectIntego or similar sophisticated virus detection tool. Even if the program is not malicious and the anti-malware does not detect it, but you still feel dissatisfied with it, you have all the rights to eliminate it. Same goes in case of BackupGenie removal.
So, what we have found during the supposed “BackupGenie malware” investigation. The free version of the program, as well as its premium version, can be downloaded from the official website BackupGenie.com or its partners’ sites. Nevertheless, this program is also distributed with the help of an online marketing strategy called bundling [4] which means that the user who claim it to have “hijacked” their computers against their will have probably installed it together with other freeware or shareware applications. When it comes to program’s setup on the computer, we should note that before the program can be put to use, you have to sign up on BackupGenie website and bind your device with your online account. The software developers ensure that the program is supported by a wide range of operating systems and devices, including Windows, iOS, OS X, Android, Nokia and even Kindle. Once the program is installed, it allows the user to choose between the “Advanced” or “Custom” backup regimes: allowing the backup of the whole system in the first, and saving copies of manually selected files in the latter. The backup process itself takes some time, but after it is done, you can review the files on BackupGenie cloud online. The program is fully customizable, allows scheduling system backup and a variety of other options. What concerns us the most is the site’s Terms of Use and Privacy settings. After closely investigating these two documents under the Content Review Policy and Procedure section, we have found claims that the BackupGenie staff can review and delete your stored data without previously informing the user about such actions:
Prohibited content
BackupGenie strictly forbids the backing up, storing, and sharing of any prohibited content. […] BackupGenie enforces content recognition and filtering and a manual review of files backed up and stored. [5]
Of course, the cause of such actions is noble, but who can guarantee that your other documents will not be manually reviewed as well? It is a major setback for the privacy-oriented users, so if you are one of those people — we suggest you look for some other backup solution instead.
There are some other features of this program that we have found suspicious, such as user exploitation for the product’s advertising, etc., but as long as this application is not detected by antivirus utilities, we can also regard as a potentially unwanted program, encourage people to be careful using it and remove BackupGenie if needed.
How come I see this program on my PC?
As we have already pointed out, apart from being available to download on its official website, BackupGenie is distributed with the help of shareware and freeware bundles, so it may have entered your PC after you inattentively installed some new video recorder, photo editor, or PDF converter on your computer. When rushing through the software installation, it is difficult to spot additional components that might be added by the bundle creators. Thus, programs like BackupGenie install inadvertently. “Custom” or “Advanced” installation settings, on the other hand, allow going through the installation step-by-step, so we recommend always opting for them when you have that option.
What we suggest for BackupGenie removal?
Luckily, if you want to get rid of this program, you don’t have to remove BackupGenie virus, but simply uninstall a regular application from your PC. You should do that following the typical application elimination procedure which steps depend on the type of your device. Just to be sure your computer is completely safe, we suggest scanning your system with anti-malware after the BackupGenie removal. To wrap this up, we encourage you to be careful and alway do a research before you trust your personal information to some app or program.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of BackupGenie virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
Remove any BackupGenie-related components from your browser to make sure the program is exterminated from the computer entirely.
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
If BackupGenie has created some new unfamiliar extensions on your browser, you should remove them without hesitation.
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of BackupGenie registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting system tools
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices. Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using Private Internet Access VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings. Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact – you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use Data Recovery Pro for the data restoration process.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Geoff Akerlund. The Shocking Truth about MyPCBackup, JustCloud, and ZipCloud. Backupreview backups software reviews.
- ^ Remove BackupGenie (Nagware). Solucionavirus virus updates.
- ^ Backup Genie review. Alphr.com IT news.
- ^ Product Bundling is a Smart Strategy -- But There's a Catch. Forbes.com.
- ^ BackupGenie Terms and Conditions. (This link leads to the website of the suspicious program described in the post, use it for informational purposes at your own risk).