AV Guard Online: what it is and how to remove it
AV Guard Online is a rogue program from the same family as Security Guard 2012 malware. It tries to scare you into paying for bogus software and make you think that your computer is infected with viruses.
Facts checked October 6, 2026. Removal steps tested on Windows 11 (26H2) and checked against Microsoft's and the browser makers' current documentation. Sections marked as our earlier report are the original text: they describe the threat as it was then and have not been reviewed since. The 2026 status, the removal steps and the questions are current.
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AV Guard Online: summary
| Damage | Money loss, infection with hazardous cyber threats |
|---|---|
| name | AV Guard Online |
| Type | Rogue antispyware, fake security tool |
| Purpose | Deceive users into buying its paid version by showing misleading virus scan results, fake infection notifications, and other imaginary infection alerts |
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Removal | Scan the PC with security software to find and remove the malware and anything installed with it. Fortect scans Windows for malware and repairs the system files and settings it damaged. Remove it nowTo use the full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Fortect. The scan is free. |
Show 6 more facts
| Name | AV Guard Online |
|---|---|
| Symptoms | An unknown program in Installed apps |
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
| Program | AV Guard Online |
| First seen | 4 May 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is AV Guard Online a real security program?
From our report of May 2021 · not reviewed since
AV Guard Online – a fake security tool that scares its users by showing imaginary threat scans and notifications
AV Guard Online is a rogue program from the same family as Security Guard 2012 malware.
It tries to scare you into paying for bogus software and make you think that your computer is infected with viruses. Usually, this fake security tool is installed through the use of Trojans that display fake security alerts and pop-ups on the computer and infected websites.
Furthermore, this fake program will block legitimate anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. In some cases, it may block nearly all legitimate software on your computer and disable certain system tools such as Task Manager and Registry editor. That's why you should get rid of it immediately.
While AVGuardOnline is running, you will be constantly shown fake security alerts and pop-ups on your computer. Those alerts will state that there is some type of security risk on your computer and then prompt you to purchase the fake antivirus tool.
The rogue program will also display fake security notifications. One of these imaginary virus reports state that your device is infected with a Trojan:
Another one states that your data is in danger:
Just like the false virus scan results, these security alerts are just another trick to make you pay for scareware, so please don't believe anything that this fake security tool claims. You shouldn't purchase it, because otherwise, you will lose your money.
As you can see, AV Guard Online is nothing more but a scam. If you have already purchased its licensed version, we suggest contacting your credit card company and resolving the charges. Then you should remove the article's culprit from your computer as soon as possible following the removal guide below.
And lastly, perform a system tune-up to restore altered system settings.
From our report of May 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on AV Guard Online
- Ensure that your PC runs without hiccups after the threat removal by scanning your device with the powerful system optimizer
- Windows Security Alert To help protect your computer, Windows Firewall has blocked some features of this program.
- Do you want to keep blocking this program?
- Name: Zeus Trojan Publisher: Unauthorized
- Security Warning There are critical system files on your computer that were modified by malicious software.
- It may cause permanent data loss.
How to remove AV Guard Online
Nothing it reports is real.
These steps remove it and undo a payment if you made one.
Step 1: Do not pay, and undo a payment if you made one
Nothing that AV Guard Online says it found needs fixing by AV Guard Online. Close its windows and do not enter card details.
If you bought it, contact your bank or card issuer about a dispute and cancel any renewal, keeping the receipt e-mail as evidence. Uninstalling it from Windows 11 or Windows 10 removes the program but leaves the subscription running.
Full procedure with screenshots: What to do after paying a scammer
Step 2: Uninstall AV Guard Online
AV Guard Online is removed like any other program, from the list of installed apps. In Windows 11 that is Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and in both you can also use Control Panel > Programs and Features.
Select AV Guard Online, click Uninstall and follow the uninstaller to the end. Then look at the entries just above and below it when the list is sorted by date: bundled programs install at the same minute.
Full procedure with screenshots: Uninstall a program or app in Windows On uGetFix
Step 3: Remove it from startup
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and select Startup apps (Windows 11) or the Startup tab (Windows 10). Disable entries you do not recognise, especially ones with no publisher or with a name that copies a Windows component.
Right-click an entry and choose Open file location to see where it runs from: programs in
%AppData%or%Temp%deserve a closer look. Some entries are not listed there but in the registry Run keys, which the procedure below shows how to check.Full procedure with screenshots: Stop apps from opening at startup On uGetFix
Step 4: Delete the folders left behind
Uninstalling often leaves the program's folders, and some threats reinstall themselves from them.
Press Windows + R, type
%LocalAppData%and press Enter, then do the same for%AppData%and %ProgramData%, and look for folders named after AV Guard Online, its publisher or created on the day the problem started.Delete those folders, and check
C:\Program FilesandC:\Program Files (x86)too.If Windows says a file is in use, end it in Task Manager or delete the folder after a restart in Safe Mode. The folders are the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 5: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of AV Guard Online that the manual steps cannot see. In Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options, start a Full scan and quarantine what it reports.
Follow it with Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) > Scan now, which restarts the PC and checks the disk while Windows and the malware are not running.
It takes about 15 minutes and works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. If either scan finds something, run the full scan again after removal until it comes back clean.
Windows 11: Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options. Full procedure with screenshots: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
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.
Do not let government spy on you
The government has many issues in regards to tracking users' data and spying on citizens, so you should take this into consideration and learn more about shady information gathering practices.
Avoid any unwanted government tracking or spying by going totally anonymous on the internet.
You can choose a different location when you go online and access any material you want without particular content restrictions. You can easily enjoy internet connection without any risks of being hacked by using VPN.
Control the information that can be accessed by government any other unwanted party and surf online without being spied on. Even if you are not involved in illegal activities or trust your selection of services, platforms, be suspicious for your own security and take precautionary measures by using the VPN service.
Backup files for the later use, in case of the malware attack
Computer users can suffer from data losses due to cyber infections or their own faulty doings.
Ransomware can encrypt and hold files hostage, while unforeseen power cuts might cause a loss of important documents. If you have proper up-to-date backups, you can easily recover after such an incident and get back to work. It is also equally important to update backups on a regular basis so that the newest information remains intact - you can set this process to be performed automatically.
When you have the previous version of every important document or project you can avoid frustration and breakdowns. It comes in handy when malware strikes out of nowhere. Use for the data restoration process.
Questions about AV Guard Online
Can I safely uninstall AV Guard Online?
If you did not install AV Guard Online yourself and it is not part of your hardware or a program you rely on, yes. Uninstalling an unwanted program does not harm Windows.
Before you do, search the exact name and publisher to be sure it is not a driver tool, a printer utility or a game launcher with an odd name. Then remove it from Settings, Apps, Installed apps.
Ignore any offers or warnings in its uninstaller about losing protection or performance. Afterwards check Startup apps and your browsers for leftovers, and restart once to confirm that it does not reinstall itself.
AV Guard Online will not uninstall. What can I do?
First restart the PC and try again, because the program may have been running and locked its own files. If the uninstaller is missing or fails, start Windows in Safe Mode, where most third-party programs do not start, and remove AV Guard Online from Installed apps there.
If it still refuses, delete its startup entry and its scheduled task, restart, and try once more. A program that actively prevents removal is behaving like malware, so finish with a Microsoft Defender offline scan. Avoid third-party uninstallers offered on search ads; several of them are unwanted programs themselves.
AV Guard Online will not uninstall. What can I do?
Close it in Task Manager first, then uninstall it from Settings > Apps > Installed apps (in Windows 10, Apps & features). If it blocks this or restarts itself, start Windows in Safe Mode, where third-party programs do not start automatically, and uninstall from there.
Afterwards run a Microsoft Defender offline scan and delete any leftover folder named after AV Guard Online in C:\Program Files or %AppData%. If nothing works, Windows can be reset while keeping your personal files, which removes the program together with any settings it changed.
I called the number from AV Guard Online. What now?
End the call and do not let them reconnect. If they installed a remote-access tool, disconnect the PC from the internet and uninstall that tool from Installed apps. Change passwords for e-mail, banking and anything you typed during the call, using another device.
If you paid, contact the bank today for a chargeback. Report the number to the authorities in your country. The program behind AV Guard Online in the list of installed apps still needs removing: follow the plan in this guide, then run a full scan in Windows Security.
Do I need to reinstall Windows to get rid of AV Guard Online?
Usually not. A thorough clean-up is enough when the offline scan finds nothing afterwards and you do not see AV Guard Online in the list of installed apps again. A reset is the safer choice if an attacker had remote control, if security tools were switched off, or if detections come back after every clean-up.
Windows 11 can reset itself without a USB stick under Settings > System > Recovery > Reset this PC. Copy documents and photos out first and scan the copies. A reset does not change passwords or undo stolen data, so the account steps still apply.
Is Windows Security enough to protect me from programs like AV Guard Online?
For most home users, yes, especially with Potentially unwanted app blocking turned on in Windows Security > App & browser control > Reputation-based protection settings. That setting blocks many scareware installers before they run.
No security tool stops every scam, though, because programs like AV Guard Online are usually installed by the user after a frightening message. The habit that helps most is simple: ignore any website or pop-up that claims to have scanned your PC, and never call a number shown in a warning.
What could the caller do while connected to my PC?
Anything you could do. Callers working with fake alerts like AV Guard Online typically show you Windows logs as "proof", install their own remote tool for later, and steer you to online banking or a gift card purchase. Some add a password to Windows or lock the PC if you refuse to pay.
Remove every remote access program you did not install yourself, check Settings > Accounts > Other users for new accounts, and change important passwords from a clean device. If you cannot be sure what was changed, a reset of Windows is the safe choice.
Is AV Guard Online an antivirus?
No. It looks like one, with a shield, a scan and a list of threats, but AV Guard Online is a rogue antivirus: its scans are designed to find something every time, and every fix leads to a payment page.
A real antivirus detects the same threats consistently, removes them without asking for money first and does not block other security tools. Windows 11 and Windows 10 already include Microsoft Defender in Windows Security, which is enough for most home users. Remove AV Guard Online and keep Defender on.
Is AV Guard Online a real Windows warning?
No. Real Windows Security notifications appear in the notification area and in the Windows Security app, use Microsoft's design and never ask you to call a phone number or pay to fix anything. What people report is AV Guard Online in the list of installed apps, drawn by a program that copies the look of a system message.
Open Windows Security from the Start menu to see the real status of your PC. If it shows no threats while the window keeps appearing, the window itself is the problem, and the plan in this guide removes the program that shows it.
Will Fortect remove AV Guard Online?
Fortect scans Windows for malware and unwanted programs and repairs the system files and settings they change, and its free scan shows what it finds on your PC before you decide anything.
For AV Guard Online, follow the plan above as well: the browser steps take back permissions and settings that no scanner treats as a threat, and uninstalling the program that brought it removes the source.
Run Microsoft Defender's full scan and, if anything was found, its offline scan as a second opinion. If the symptoms are gone after the plan and both scans are clean, there is nothing more to do.
Sources
- FTC: How to recognize, remove and avoid malware (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Defender Offline (read October 6, 2026)
- Microsoft Learn: How Microsoft names malware (read October 6, 2026)