System Mechanic – a fake system optimization tool that users might be tricked to install
System Mechanic is a fake system optimizer[1] which has its official website. However, users often get tricked by advanced advertising techniques of the app, and some of them install it on their devices. Once established, My System Mechanic imitates a full system scan and bombards the computer screen with misleading alerts that announce about “numerous virus-related infections and vulnerabilities found.” However, all this activity is done to convince gullible users to purchase the key for the licensed version of this program.
| Name | System Mechanic |
|---|---|
| Category | System tool |
| Sub-category | PUP |
| Purpose | To trick gullible users into buying the licensed version of the tool |
| Symptoms | Pop-ups related to System Mechanic are showing up frequently, you are seeing numerous alerts about questionable computer vulnerabilities |
| Distribution | Such tool can spread through the original site or be bundled with other software |
| Prevention | Avoid using third-party installers, install antivirus protection, be careful while browsing the web |
| Elimination | Delete the System Mechanic automatically using security software or check our manual instructions below |
| Recovery | Use FortectIntego to reverse all the changes made by the PUP |
System Mechanic presence is visible from the following:
- Randomly initiated scans display numerous “computer issues” that are deemed to be serious and need fixing;
- Pop-ups and other ads on Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, etc. promote My System Mechanic fake optimizer.
Moreover, System Mechanic virus marks various outdated registry entries and suggests that these tiny configuration files are somehow harmful to the PC. Some gullible users are threatened by such warnings and pay for the full program version which will “fix” all the issues. If you purchase the licensed variant, the program will initiate another fake scan, but this time will imply that all hazardous items were removed.
However, this is just another trick used on people. Actually, it does not bring any true value and does not fix any system problems or gets rid of viruses. You can check your computer system by installing reliable security software and performing a full system scan with it. After that, compare the results with ones that were provided by System Mechanic tool, if you are curious enough.
You will see that there are almost no similarities to the fake alerts that you have faced due to the false system optimization program. Now you can be sure that there is nothing to be afraid of and you should perform the removal using our instructions below. To bring your computer back to its previous state, scan it with FortectIntego.
You need to remove System Mechanic virus as it brings nothing but annoying pop-ups and fake alerts. There is no need of wasting your money for a useless program like this one. Be aware of bogus system optimizers next time, look through our given PUP avoiding methods and make sure that you do not fall for such sites like epcbooster.com which advertise fake fixing tools.
PUP avoiding techniques
According to IT experts from Virusai.lt[2], various potentially unwanted programs such as fake system optimizers can be spread through their original web pages. Developers create websites that look attractive and convincing in order to make users install the unwanted application. However, be careful if you have entered such site, you will only face money losses while purchasing the fake system tool and it will bring no actual value for your computer, do not pay attention to what developers want you to believe.
Moreover, unwanted programs can also be bundled with regular freeware or shareware[3]. So, if you have found some rogue applications in your computer system, they might have silently sneaked in when you were downloading an app from the Internet. You should choose the Custom or Advanced installation mode to avoid such unwanted installations. Moreover, in this section, you will be able to track your downloads and opt-out the questionable-looking ones.
Get rid Of System Mechanic tool and its fake alerts
You need to remove My System Mechanic virus as soon as you spot its fake alerts as it can not only swindle your money away but might even damage computer operation. For such purpose, you can use reliable anti-malware tools. This type of elimination will be much faster and effective as the antivirus tool will detect and delete all suspicious components at the same time.
However, if you prefer performing the System Mechanic removal manually, you can take a look at our provided instructions that can be found below this text. After you get rid of the cyber threat, make sure you remember to take all precautionary measures to avoid annoying PUP installation in the future and keep your PC and its components safe.
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.
Reset Internet Explorer
Remove dangerous add-ons:
- Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
- Pick Manage Add-ons.
- You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.
Change your homepage if it was altered:
- Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
- Select Internet Options.
- In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
- Click Apply and then select OK.
Delete temporary files:
- Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
- Under Browsing history, click Delete...
- Select relevant fields and press Delete.
Reset Internet Explorer:
- Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
- Select Reset.
- In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.
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.
Did this guide help?
Be the first to comment