PC Protector Plus deceives users with fake alerts

PC Protector Plus operates as a supposed tool which assists users supposedly improve system performance by guarding it against virtual threats. It offers customized scans and detailed log files. On the other hand, it does not provide explicit information what technologies it uses to ensure such protection. It merely briefly states that PC Protector Plus “protects your Windows PC from malware, spyware, adware and phishing scams.”
In fact, it is classified as a rogue anti-virus tool due to several reasons:
- shady distribution campaign
- collection and sharing of personal users’ data with third parties
- fake virus alerts
- failure to identify real threats
Therefore, it is recommended to remove PC Protector Plus from the system. You can do so with the assistance of FortectIntego or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes. You might want to eliminate the rogues software quickly as the tool may only make your Windows system more vulnerable to outside threats. Below you will also find additional advice on latter steps after completing PC Protector Plus removal.
Imitating well-known anti-virus software companies
Observing the official site of this tool – pcprotectorplus.com – you may notice that it highly resembles the official site of Avast company promoting their anti-virus utility. Thus, by using this covert marketing trick, the developer of this questionable program, Jawego Partners, aims to gain more reputation.
Besides PC Protector Plus, the company has also created PC Clean Plus and Secure PC Cleaner[1]. Note that neither of the mentioned apps has high positive rating. According to the information source, PC Protector Plus only managed to earn one star out of five stars.
It is not surprising, since the program behaves like an ordinary PC optimization tool which alarms users with fake virus alerts. In order to solve the issues, they are expected to purchase the full version of the program.
When it comes to rogue programs, while some are useless, others tend to flag legitimate system files as malicious. Likewise, Microsoft has issues a statement explaining that similar PC optimization tools and registry cleaners, in fact may inflict serious damage on a system[2]. Speaking of PC Protector Plus virus it also tends to share the collected personal users data with its business partners:
The aforementioned data may be shared with third party vendors and partners and it will be governed by their privacy policy, which will be provided to you when you accept any offer by them.
Therefore, there are more cons than pros. In short, make a rush to initiate PC Protector Plus removal.
Distribution peculiarities
The tool is found on the official domain of PC Protector Plus site. You can download the program from there. However, there is another way how this questionable program may sneak into an operating system.
The app has been detected pinned down as optional tool under “Custom installation (advanced)” settings. Note that typical PUPs are usually added under “Recommended” settings, since users tend to opt for them more and then dash way through the installation settings. This only suggests users to be more vigilant despite.
Thus, if you do not recall how “PC Protector Plus hijack” occurred, i.e. how you installed it, you might have forgotten to uncheck the checkbox under ‘custom” settings. In short despite what source and what program you download, inspect both installation settings. If you find unnecessary search toolbars and program offers unmark them and proceed further.
Uninstall PC Protector Plus
Fortunately, you can remove PC Protector Plus virus easily. Find its application in the list of system applications and uninstall it. After manual elimination, you may scan the device with malware elimination tool. It might also serve as the efficient way to remove PC Protector Plus virus faster.
Note though the program mainly targets English-speaking users, the tool has been spotted in German[3] and Russian sites.
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.

Delete from macOS
Remove the unwanted application:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).

Delete leftover files and folders:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
- Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.

- Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.
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.

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