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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Adware
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · Jan 2018

How to remove PC Speed Care

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

Olivia Morelli · Ransomware analyst

PC Speed Care – a PUP that lurks for your money

The GUI of PC Speed Care virus

PC Speed Care is a fake utility tool which infiltrates users’ machines without their permission asked and then pretends to be a useful utility capable to clean and optimize their PCs. In fact, there are hundreds of similar fake system optimizers, including SlimCleaner, SlimCleaner Plus, Bytefence, Malware Protection Live and many others. All of them have been offering a supposed “cleaner, faster, better” computer performance. However, none of them are beneficial to a regular user. 

As soon as one of these potentially unwanted programs infiltrates your machine, it offers to perform a “much needed” full system scan. It is not surprising that PC Speed Care PUP detects multiple issues on user's device and claims that the only way to fix them is to purchase its licensed version.

In reality, these issues, threats and similar problems are usually just outdated registry entries that cannot have any impact on your computer's speed. These entries are not harmful to you or your PC system and do not interfere with its normal performance. Therefore, the PC Speed Care removal with legitimate security software is advised to prevent these fake notifications while browsing the Internet.

After being informed out of nowhere, the user might get tricked into thinking that there is something wrong with his/hers machine, as the PC Speed Care warns them that multiple threats have been detected. However, as soon as you click the “Clean” button, the fake utility tool informs you that you are required to download a full version of the program and buy its license.

If you are an inexperienced user, you can get tricked into buying the full version of this useless program. However, this is the easiest way to lose your money and even reveal your personal information to hackers. Unfortunately, victims do not even know that they have been scammed. PC Speed Care virus stops alerting them about “threats,” making them believe that the machine is cleaned.

As it is typical of PUPs, PC Speed Care does not only seek your money. Beware that it can also undertake suspicious activities on your PC, such as:

  • Displaying various intrusive ads;
  • Redirecting you to sponsors’ websites;
  • Slowing down your PC and ruin your browsing experience;
  • Recording non-personally identifiable information;
  • Installing multiple browser helper objects;
  • Making modifications to your browser settings, etc.

As evident, this PUP[1] can not only steal your money and financial data, including your credit card number. It can also expose you to high-risk malware and compromise your virtual safety. If you want to prevent such risks, make sure you remove PC Speed Care and similar pests to optimize your machine. For that, you can use FortectIntego.

PC Speed Care adware

Preventing fake PC optimization tools

Developers of these potentially unwanted programs have been using several methods to spread their programs without users' approval. The most popular one is setting up the perfectly-looking website that presents the program as a professional tool to improve computer's speed. However, you should always read other users' reviews before downloading such programs to your computer.

Next, you can let this PUP to your system after becoming a victim of bundling. Beware that developers of free programs tend to fail to disclose the fact that you will get two programs instead of one. You should be especially careful when downloading download managers, PDF creators, and similar freeware.[2]

To avoid bundling, keep in mind that these additional components are hidden in Advanced or Custom installation settings. Therefore, do not be careless when it comes to the installation of free software and refrain yourself from using Recommended settings. After opting for Advanced settings, uncheck all pre-checked check marks that allow installation of optimizers, browser extensions, and search engines.

Delete PC Speed Care virus and enjoy ads-free browsing

It is not surprising that inexperienced PC users are convinced that PC Speed Care is a useful utility that is capable of improving their computers' performance. However, instead of being helpful, this tool seeks the only thing – swindle people's money by pushing them into purchasing its fake “full” version. However, PC Speed Care removal is vital for a carefree function of your PC because this program is useless. Please, do NOT pay for its useless services!

You can remove PC Speed Care by installing reputable security software and running a full computer scan. This elimination method does not require having the advanced computer-related knowledge and can be implemented with the help of a few easy steps. However, to find every malicious component on your computer, make sure you update the software before running a scan.

Additionally, you can also delete the intruder without employing additional software. We have written a full removal guide which you can find below. Please make sure to follow every step precisely as incorrect use of the given steps might lead you to the permanent computer damage. If you find this method too complicated, feel free to use one of the programs listed 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.

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

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