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

How to remove Advanced Identity Protector

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

Alice Woods · Likes to teach users about virus prevention

Advanced Identity Protector – fake tool that seeks to mislead its victims and swindle their money

Advanced Identity Protector program

Advanced Identity Protector is a highly questionable application that has been marked as “potentially unwanted.” No matter that its developer Systweak Software claims that this tool can greatly improve users' privacy and protect their identity while browsing on the web, we should warn you that it has already been categorized as scareware[1] because it causes fake alerts and then promotes its licensed version. Instead of that, we highly recommend you get rid of the application.

Name Advanced Identity Protector
Developer Systweak Software
Price €24.95 
Category Potentially unwanted program
Main problems The loss of money and personal information
Elimination To uninstall identity protector quickly, use SpyHunterCombo Cleaner. Make sure you update it to its full version before a scan 

The app promises these features that might seem useful to netizens who take their cyber privacy[2] seriously:

  • scanning web browsers, files, emails and Windows registry;
  • data encryption and deletion;
  • cleans traces of personal information;
  • protects from identity theft.

Advanced Identity Protector is available to download on the official websites. It has free and paid versions. However, developers were noticed using a quite aggressive strategy to promote the program’s license. Once installed, this program delivers annoying pop-ups and ads that offer to obtain to upgrade this software.

If you install a free version of Advanced Identity Protection after the first system scan, you will realize that it works only as a scanner. Additionally, it might show exaggerated system scan results that warn about dozens of “identity traces.” However, the free program cannot fix these issues. Users are asked to buy the license.

This shady identity protector also has a support line that is supposed to help you solve various problems. However, tech support staff will try to convince you to pay for the full version of the program no matter what. Thus, calling them is not recommended.

Security specialists note that it might work as scareware to increase sales of the program. However, we recommend checking your computer with reputable security software, installing all available updates, and uninstall questionable applications to ensure that your identity and system are protected.

Therefore, instead of buying the license, you should remove the program from the computer. You can uninstall it using Control Panel. However, you should also check if it did not bring any other related components to the system. The majority of PUPs are capable of installing additional applications.

However, we highly recommend scanning the system with FortectIntego if you are unsure how this program came into your PC. The program may spread in software bundles.[3] Thus, it may have arrived in the system with the help of other questionable applications. For this reason, it’s better to go for automatic removal to get rid of all applications that may have been installed without your knowledge too.

Advanced Identity Protector scan

Direct downloads are not the main infiltration method

The program is available on the official website advancedidentityprotector.com. However, direct downloads do not seem the main way how this PUP infiltrates the system. Developers use bundling to install free scanners unnoticed and, in this way, trick users into buying a full program’s license.

It might be attached to freeware or shareware packages. Thus, you should be careful and attentive when downloading free programs from the Internet to avoid the installation of unneeded apps. If you rely on Quick/Standard installation, you may have installed the so-called Advanced Identity Protector virus without realizing it.

To avoid unneeded apps or even malware, you have to use reliable download sources and use Advanced/Custom installation settings. If the installation wizard shows some pre-selected third-party entries, unmark them all.

Specialists No Virus[4] note that correct freeware installation takes less time than PUP removal. Remember that when you install new software. However, if you made a mistake, proceed to the virus removal guide.

How to remove Advanced Identity Protector

You can remove this application manually by following these steps:

  1. Click on Start and access Add/Remove programs (or Uninstall a Program).
  2. Find the program in the list of installed applications. Click on it and click Uninstall button.

However, the program may have created some registry entries that should be removed as well. Making modifications in Windows Registry might be dangerous, especially if you have never done it. Thus, it’s better to opt for automatic PUP removal and eliminate all program-related files with anti-malware.

Originally, this malicious program aims at Windows OS. However, if you caught some Advanced Identity Protector for Mac,[5] you can find detailed program elimination instructions below.

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.

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

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