XP Protection 2014: what it is and how to remove it
XP Protection 2014 is a fake anti-virus that seeks the only thing – make people believe that their computers are dangerously infected and that they have to buy its license for their removal. Of course, you should never pay for it because this is a straight way to loosing the money, credit card details and other personally identifiable information.
Facts checked October 7, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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XP Protection 2014: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | XP Protection 2014 |
| Type | Rogue antivirus |
| Symptoms | An unknown process in Task Manager |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 4 more facts
| Files and processes | hunter.exe |
|---|---|
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
| First seen | 26 April 2021 |
| Facts checked | 7 October 2026 |
Is XP Protection 2014 a real security program?
- File:
hunter.exe
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
What is XP Protection 2014?
XP Protection 2014 is a fake anti-virus that seeks the only thing – make people believe that their computers are dangerously infected and that they have to buy its license for their removal. Of course, you should never pay for it because this is a straight way to loosing the money, credit card details and other personally identifiable information.
When having XP Protection 2014 virus installed on your computer, you should be prepared for constant system scanners that show how they are scanning the system and then detecting such viruses as trojans, adwares and rogues.
They are typically displayed every time when victim reboots his/hers computer and starts working on it. In addition, you can also expect hundreds of alerts offering you to purchase XP Protection 2014's 'full', 'licensed' or similar version presenting it as a seriously powerful anti-spyware.
If you have already noticed such notifications, it's a sign that your computer was infected. In this case, you should check your machine with reputable security application. It will help you to remove all dangerous files, including the ones that belong to XP Protection 2014.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How can XP Protection 2014 hijack my computer?
XP Protection 2014 belongs to a huge group of viruses, which is known as Braviax.
This group is known for multi-name rogues that change their name according to the OS that is used on computer. So, if you are using Windows XP, XP Protection 2014 can easily show up on your computer. The way how this and other rogues infiltrate them relies on security vulnerabilities.
If your PC is vulnerable, you can easily discover this rogue hiding on it. That's why you should always make sure that you have an updated anti-spyware installed on your computer that will keep it protected from all kinds of threats. In addition, you should also be very careful with misleading pop-up ads that show up during your browsing.
If you see an alert saying that you should check your PC for free, ignore it because it might be used for spreading such rogues like XP Protection 2014. As soon as it infiltrates computer, it modifies the system and starts displaying such alerts:
If you think that your PC may be infected by XP Protection 2014, you shouldn't wait any longer. You should scan it with reputable and updated anti-spyware for eliminating this virus from the system. Keeping it on computer can easily initiate such issues as infiltration of other threats, identity theft and similar problems.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on XP Protection 2014
- System security threat was detected.
- Viruses and/or spyware may be damaging your system now.
- Prevent infection and data loss or stealing by running a free security scan.
How to remove XP Protection 2014
Nothing it reports is real.
These steps remove it and undo a payment if you made one.
Step 1: Do not pay, and undo a payment if you made one
XP Protection 2014 reports problems to sell a licence: the "threats" or "errors" it lists are invented or harmless leftovers. If you already paid, ask your card issuer to dispute the charge and cancel the subscription both in the seller's account and through your bank.
If you called a phone number it showed and let someone connect, treat the PC as remotely accessed and remove the remote tool. Uninstalling it from Windows 11 or Windows 10 does not cancel a subscription by itself.
Full procedure with screenshots: What to do after paying a scammer
Step 2: Uninstall programs you did not mean to install
Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps in Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features in Windows 10, and sort the list by install date. Look at what appeared around the day the problem started and uninstall every program you do not recognise or did not choose.
Free converters, PDF and video tools, "system optimizers" and unknown browsers are the usual carriers of XP Protection 2014. If a name is unclear, search for it before you remove it, so you do not uninstall a driver or a Windows component.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 3: Remove it from startup
Whatever XP Protection 2014 installed usually starts with Windows.
Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc, go to Startup apps in Windows 11 or the Startup tab in Windows 10, and disable what you do not know, starting with entries that have an empty Publisher column.
Open file location on the right-click menu shows the file, which helps you decide and tells you what to delete later. Disabling is safe: if something you need stops working, switch it back on.
Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 4: Delete the folders left behind
What the uninstaller leaves behind is usually in the user folders. Open File Explorer, switch on View > Show > Hidden items (in Windows 10 View > Hidden items), and go through
%LocalAppData%,%AppData%, %ProgramData% and the two Program Files folders.Sort by Date modified and delete folders that appeared together with the problem and belong to no program you use. Folders with random names that hold
.exe,.dll, .js or .ps1 files are the strongest sign.Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
Open Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, run a Full scan and remove everything it finds. Then select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now: the PC restarts and scans before Windows loads, which finds files that hide while Windows runs.
Save your work first, because the offline scan takes about 15 minutes. Both scans are built into Windows 11 and Windows 10, and a second scanner from another vendor is a useful extra opinion.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
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 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 for the data restoration process.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
How to remove XP Protection 2014?
We don't recommend removing XP Protection 2014 from your computer manually because you may damage your PC system by eliminating the wrong files.
Fortunately, you can select AUTOMATIC REMOVAL OPTION that requires just downloading a reputable anti-spyware, updating it and running a full system scan. If you need a detailed guide explaining how to do that, read this guide.
ATTENTION! If you can't download or launch any them, try these options:
1. USING SYSTEM RESTORE TO DISABLE VIRUS:
2. REBOOTING TO SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING:
3. CREATING GUEST ACCOUNT FOR SCANNING COMPUTER:
If you have another user (guest) account, you can try to run a full system scan from it. You just need to log into it and download for a full system scan. You can activate your guest account with a help of these steps:
4. USING ANOTHER PC FOR DOWNLOADING ANTI-SPYWARE:
- Click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore.
- Select Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next.
- Choose the date and the specific restore point that you want and click Next.
- Wait until your PC reboots and click OK on the Restoration Complete window.
- Now download and run a full system scan after updating it.
- Restart your computer
- As soon as your computer becomes active, start pressing the F8 key continuously until you see Advanced Boot Options screen.
- Here, select Safe Mode with Networking (for that, use the arrow keys) and then hit Enter.
- Login as the same user as you were in normal Windows mode
- Now right click on IE or other browser's icon and select Run As or Run As administrator. Enter your Administrator account password (if needed).
- Enter this link to your address bar: https://www.2-spyware.com/download/hunter.exe and download a program on your desktop. Launch it to remove malicious files.
- Click Start -> Settings -> Control Panel and select User Accounts.
- After a new window shows up, click on Guest -> Turn On Guest Account.
- Now wait until computer reboots and you see Windows log on screen
- Take another computer that is not infected by this virus and download or on it.
- After completing the procedure, transfer this anti-malware to the CD/DVD, external drive, or USB flash drive.
- In the meanwhile, kill malicious processes on your infected computer. For that you can use this tutorial.
- Stick the device you used for transferring anti-spyware program to your infected PC and launch it.
Questions about XP Protection 2014
What is hunter.exe and why is it running?
Every process is started by something:
- a program you installed
- a Windows service
- a scheduled task
- a startup entry
To learn why hunter.exe runs, find its file with Open file location in Task Manager, then look for an entry pointing to that file in Settings > Apps > Startup and in Task Scheduler.
Sort Installed apps by date to see what arrived when the process first appeared. Once you know the owner, you can decide whether to keep it, switch it off at startup or uninstall it completely.
hunter.exe keeps coming back. What should I do?
A process that returns after you end it has a restart mechanism, and that is a reason to treat hunter.exe as unwanted. Check Settings > Apps > Startup, Task Scheduler and the Services list for entries pointing to its folder, and disable them.
Look in Installed apps for anything added the same day and uninstall it. Then delete the folder and run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan, which works before Windows starts and can remove files that are locked or hidden while the system is running.
I let a technician connect to my PC because of XP Protection 2014. Is it safe now?
Not until you check. While connected, the caller could install other programs, create a user account or look at saved passwords. Disconnect from the internet, uninstall the remote access program and anything else installed during the call, and run a full scan and the Microsoft Defender offline scan.
From another device, change your e-mail and banking passwords and turn on two-step verification. If the caller opened your online banking, call the bank today. A reset of Windows is the safest option if you cannot tell what was done.
Is XP Protection 2014 a real Windows warning?
No. Real Windows Security notifications appear in the notification area and in the Windows Security app, use Microsoft's design and never ask you to call a phone number or pay to fix anything. What people report is an unfamiliar process called hunter.exe in Task Manager, drawn by a program that copies the look of a system message.
Open Windows Security from the Start menu to see the real status of your PC. If it shows no threats while the window keeps appearing, the window itself is the problem, and the plan in this guide removes the program that shows it.
Do I need to buy antivirus after removing XP Protection 2014?
No. Windows 11 and Windows 10 include Microsoft Defender in Windows Security, which provides real-time protection, scheduled scans, the offline scan and protection against unwanted apps at no cost. Keep it switched on and updated, and turn on Reputation-based protection under App & browser control.
If you prefer a third-party product, buy it from the vendor's own site after reading independent test results, never from a pop-up or a phone call. The lesson of XP Protection 2014 is that security offers which arrive unasked are the ones to avoid.
What if I paid XP Protection 2014?
Contact your bank or card issuer the same day, explain that the payment went to a fake security program and ask for a chargeback. Keep screenshots of an unfamiliar process called hunter.exe in Task Manager, the payment receipt and any e-mails.
If you gave card details in the program, ask the bank to block and replace the card. Then uninstall the program and run a full scan in Windows Security. If you also called a number and let someone connect to your PC, uninstall the remote-access tool they used and change your passwords from another device.
Should I reset my PC because of XP Protection 2014?
Only if the signs point to deeper access. Reset when you see an unfamiliar process called hunter.exe in Task Manager again after removal, when Windows Security cannot start or update, when remote access tools you did not install keep appearing, or when you simply cannot trust the PC any more.
Otherwise, the plan in this guide plus an offline scan is enough. If you do reset, choose Remove everything and Cloud download for a fresh copy of Windows, restore only documents and photos, and reinstall programs from their official sites. Change important passwords from the clean system afterwards.
What should I do if I already clicked or replied to XP Protection 2014?
Stop all contact, do not click anything else and secure your accounts right away. If you typed a password, change it at once from a clean device, then turn on two-factor authentication.
If you gave card or bank details, call the bank on the number printed on your card and ask to block or replace it. If you installed something or allowed remote access, disconnect from the internet and follow the removal plan. Keep screenshots and the message, because they help when you report it.
Will Fortect remove XP Protection 2014?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For XP Protection 2014, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 7, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 7, 2026)