Secure PC Cleaner – a fake system optimizer you should not trust
Secure PC Cleaner is a system optimizer that is not the right application for speeding up your Windows PC, thus if you are planning to install it, you should not do it. It is regarded as a deceptive app that will try to convince you into purchasing its full version.
Even if you purchase the license, the application might still show the full list of PC issues that need to be solved. The wisest thing to do is run Secure PC Cleaner removal if the program managed to break into your computer already.
This seemingly useful PC optimizer is just one example of similar deceptive tools. So why is it considered to be useless? Secure PC Cleaner, like other programs of this kind, has a prevalent tendency to terrify you with notifications of a poorly-running computer.
Thus, every scan delivers a list of PC issues that need to be solved. They state that there is no enough free space on the computer or that your device is overfilled with unnecessary temporary files.
However, if you think that Secure PC Cleaner will solve you these issues, you might soon get disillusioned. As soon as the scan is finished, you will see hundreds of alleged issues, with a single button next to them:
Fix
Once you click this button, a message emerges suggesting to purchase the full version. Later on, when you do it, you realize that it was a waste of money. After acquiring the full edition, you still see occasional alerts.
After getting irritated by such a hoax, you might call the number provided on the profile of the Secure PC Cleaner virus. The supposed tech support specialist might offer to buy or try beta versions of other programs. Note that the latter applications might become more troublesome than you expect.
They might be supplemented or filled with malignant files, which either cause fake system error messages or stuff your computer with potentially dangerous files. Besides, such conversation might be charged with a highly expensive tariff. To sum up, it would be better to remove Secure PC Cleaner before it causes more troublesome outcomes.
If you need a reliable cleaner for your Windows OS, we highly recommend you try FortectIntego. Along with reliable anti-malware software, you should rarely, if ever, experience any issues while using your device on a regular basis.
PUP distribution heavily relies on software bundles
If you were looking for a trustworthy PC optimizer, it is not surprising that you ran into this program. Thus, it is easy to download it right from the official website. Alternatively, the program might have slithered into the computer along with legitimate PC cleaners or other OS management tools. In other words, there are two main options how you installed the app:
- Installed it deliberately
- It got on your system within a software bundle without asking for a direct permission.
If you downloaded a new security program from a secondary source, it might have brought Secure PC Cleaner along. Thus, when you chose the “Recommended” installation mode, the attachment containing the program gets installed as well. In order to prevent such infiltration, choose “Custom” mode and then watch out for any unwanted programs hiding in the add-ons.
Get rid of Secure PC Cleaner fast
It is easy to remove Secure PC Cleaner manually. You can find it in the list of Programs and Features or System Apps. However, keep in mind that due to the time when the program resided on your computer, it might have invited other programs.
Thus, it is necessary to eliminate them as well. If you are not used to uninstalling the program daily, and you seem this activity somewhat difficult, use the services of an anti-spyware program to do Secure PC Cleaner removal for you. The latter option is less time-consuming, and the software also deletes all programs which pose a threat to the operating system.
Uninstall from Windows
Uninstall from Windows 10/8:
- Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
Remove the unwanted program:
- In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
- If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.
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 Remove.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- 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.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.
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.
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.
- This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
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 the unwanted extension and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Settings.
- Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.
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 and Temporary cached files and pages, then click 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 suspicious extensions 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
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
- Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.
Clear history and website data:
- Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
- Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari:
- Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
- Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.
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