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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • System tools
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Apr 2021

How to remove 360 Total Security virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Julie Splinters · Anti-malware specialist

360 Total Security – a poor security software

360 Total Security alert

360 Total Security is a suspicious antivirus program created by the Chinese company called Qihu 360 Software Co Ltd. This program does not only offers poor protection from cyber threats but might get into the system unnoticed and aggressively urge to obtain the license key too.

Summary
Name 360 Total Security
Developer Qihu 360 Software Co Ltd
Type Potentially unwanted program
Danger level Medium. Can get installed unnoticed and bring other unwanted apps to the system
Symptoms Sudden system scans and virus alerts
Distribution methods Official website, third-party download sources, freeware and shareware downloads
To uninstall 360 Total Security, install FortectIntego and run a full system scan

So-called 360 Total Security virus is identified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP),[1] and has been actively distributed for a couple of years. Among the most affected users are located in the United States, India,[2] and Egypt. At the moment of writing, it's compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.

360 Total Security official website

From the first glimpse, 360 Total Security may seem as a genuine anti-spyware.[3] It claims to be able to detect viruses, Trojans, and other emerging threats. According to the test results, the program does not detect major cyber threats and might provide fake system scan results.

Hence, 360 Total Security might inform about non-existent cyber threats on your computer. This sneaky technique is used to convince you to buy a license key of this questionable program. However, even the paid version of the program does not help to clean computer.

360 Total Security program has an official download website. However, it often sneaks into the system bundled with various free programs. What is worse, it does not arrive on the system alone. It might also bring Bitdefender and Avira engines or other PUPs.

360 Total Security program interface

If 360 Total Security manages to infiltrate a computer, it adds a scheduled task to Windows Task Scheduler and launches at certain scheduled times. Besides, it connects to the Internet and adds a Windows Firewall[4] so that a genuine anti-spyware would not block it.

In addition to that, it installs a shortcut on the Internet and continuously runs the executable qhsafemain.exe in Task Manager. It seems that it is responsible for continuously displaying misleading 360 Total Security alerts.

Of course, you can stop these annoying activities. First of all, you have to uninstall 360 Total Security from Windows. However, we have told that it might bring other unwanted apps to the system, so you should find and get rid of all these entries.

360 Total Security virus examples

If you want to remove 360 Total Security together with its related components manually, you can follow our prepared guide at the end of this article. Keep in mind that attentiveness is needed. Otherwise, you might overlook some of the PUP-related components.

However, if you have problems with 360 Total Security removal or want to speed up the procedure, you should opt for automatic elimination method. You have to obtain a professional anti-malware software, such as FortectIntego, and run a full system scan.

360 Total Security virus illustration

Advertising and distribution methods of the rough antivirus

Despite the fact that this suspicious security tool has an official download website; this tool might sneak into the system using other techniques. Authors of the program might use the following methods to promote and install a program on as many computers as possible:

  • fake update alerts,[5]
  • fake online scanners,
  • malicious links
  • freeware or shareware downloads.

Users are most likely to experience 360 Total Security hijack when they download free programs carelessly. If you rely on Standard/Recommended installation settings, you should ditch this habit right now! It’s the main way how PUPs enter the machine.

These settings do not openly disclose what additional apps might be included in the same package as a free program. Hence, all of the entries get into the system silently without asking user’s permission. Fortunately, you can switch to Advanced/Custom setup and avoid this unpleasant situation.

Additionally, it is recommended to stay away from security alerts popping up on the screen while browsing the web or trying free online scanners to check if your device is not infected. Such ads are typically malicious.

Uninstall 360 Total Security antivirus entirely

We have briefly mentioned two possible ways to remove 360 Total Security from Windows OS. If you are willing to get rid of the program and its related components manually, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start and select Control Panel.
  2. Click Uninstall a Program under Programs.
  3. Choose 360 Total Security and select the Uninstall/Change option.
  4. Click Yes and OK to save the changes.

Additionally, you should check your web browsers from unknown extensions or search engines. This tool is known for installing Bitdefender and Avira engines. We highly suggest terminating these tools because they might have features of the browser hijackers. You can find more information on how to fix your browsers below. Additionally, you can opt for automatic 360 Total Security removal.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. 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.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. 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:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

Did this guide help?

2 comments

  1. Hatterasman

    This is a waste of time. You cannot remove 360 Total Security using Uninstall a Program under Programs. It gives you "ACCESS DENIED" every time.

  2. Anonymous

    This is total crap. I have been running 360 total security for over a year. It is the best antivirus program i have ever used.

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