Remove PCenter (Removal Guide)

PCenter is a rogue anti-malware program that acts like malware

PCenter

PCenter is a malicious program that imitates Windows Defender; it is a copy of its previous version known as Privacy Center. The application tries to convince users that their systems were infected with dangerous malware and the only way to resolve this situation is by purchasing an alleged one-year or lifetime license for the software.

During this time, users might be locked out of their computers and main features, such as the Task Manager, disabled. If not taken care of, victims would not be able to operate their Windows machines properly. Do not purchase the license for this scamware, as you may disclose personal data to cybercriminals and lose your money. If you are looking for a removal guide, you came to the right place.

Name	PCenter
Type	Malware, rogue anti-spyware
Distribution	Trojan droppers, fake scanners on malicious websites, software bundlers
Dangers	Windows file damage, financial losses, installation of other malware, personal data disclosure to cybercriminals
Elimination	If you are unable launch any programs, access Safe Mode as explained below and launch SpyHunter Combo Cleaner to remove malware
System fix	Malware modifies Windows OS in order to perform its malicious tasks. In order to fix damage done to the system files, you can either start a Windows reinstall or employ Fortect Intego to do it for you automatically

There could be multiple ways how you could have installed the program on Windows, as it is spread in several ways. Some of them include (the program can also be downloaded and installed manually from its homepage, but this is a less common situation):

Trojans such as Zlob
Software cracks
Fake codec packs
Software bundles
Fake virus infection notifications/scans.

Once installed, PCenter behaves very aggressively on Windows, as it prevents users from operating their devices properly in many ways. From this point, victims would see how it takes over their devices within just a few minutes.

The rogue will perform a fake system scan and state that you should purchase the program to remove all found infections. But none of the reported threats are actually real. All those infections are fake and are being shown only to scare you into purchasing the full license.

Without a doubt, the goal of this malware is to make users pay for its license and spend money on it. Those who are not familiar with Windows operating systems and ways to remove malware might give in to this scam, as they would be thinking that some type of infection is causing all this erratic behavior.

However, you should not pay. If you do, not only will you lose money that you are unlikely to get back, but you might also disclose sensitive credit card information to malicious actors. As a result, you may suffer further monetary losses, phishing attacks, or even identity theft.

To remove PCenter correctly, you would have access Safe Mode with Networking and perform a full system scan with SpyHunter Combo Cleaner or another reputable security software. To remediate the Windows system and clean your browsers automatically, use Fortect Intego.

Protect yourself from dangerous threats easily

It is not a secret that cybercriminals often use social engineering to make users download malicious files. For example, codec packs were extremely prevalent years ago (they were developed in order to allow users to launch various video formats), so hackers would create fake codec versions and distribute them on various websites. In this case, victims would think they are installing a codec pack, all while installing malware themselves.

Therefore, it is imperative to install a robust security application and never ignore warnings that it produces. Most of the infection of malware occur under circumstances where users simply believe that the detection is a false positive and proceed with executing the file.

It is also important to patch your Windows with the latest updates, avoid pirated programs, and never believe claims that the system is infected with a virus, promoting some type of program to remediate the situation.

Remove malware safely and never pay for its full version

It is by now should be evident that PCenter is a scam and should be removed upon detection. However, many users might not be able to do that easily, as malware disables several Windows elements in order to prevent its easy removal. For example, you might not be able to launch the Task Manager or use Registry Editor.

To bypass this, you should access Safe Mode with networking – a Windows mode that starts only with minimal resources and the most necessary drivers, temporarily disabling the functions of most computer parasites. Once there, do not try to look for malicious files yourself but rather perform a full system scan with SpyHunter Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes Malwarebytes, and then fix virus damage and clean web browsers automatically with a repair tool Fortect Intego.

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.

How to remove PCenter

PCenter is a rogue anti-malware program that acts like malware

Protect yourself from dangerous threats easily