Sysinternals Antivirus: what it is and how to remove it
Sysinternals Antivirus is a rogue program from the same family as Your PC Protector scareware. It tries to trick you into purchasing the program by making you think that your PC is infected with malware.
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.
Automatic
Get a free scan and check if your PC is infected.
Fortect finds malware, unwanted programs and the Windows damage they leave behind, and repairs it in one pass.
Unsure whether svchost.exe is safe? A free scan checks the file and what starts it.
Do it yourself · free Remove Sysinternals Antivirus yourself 5 steps, about 15 minutes, no software needed.
Start the steps
Sysinternals Antivirus: summary
| Damage | Financial losses, infections with real cyber threats, privacy issues |
|---|---|
| name | Sysinternals Antivirus |
| Type | PUP, rogue antispyware, fake security software |
| Main goal | To scare users into buying the licensed program version to remove imaginary malware infections |
| 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 | Sysinternals Antivirus |
|---|---|
| Symptoms | An unknown process in Task Manager |
| Files and processes | svchost.exe |
| Evidence | One write-up by a security site; details still limited |
| First seen | 29 April 2021 |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
Is Sysinternals Antivirus a real security program?
- File:
svchost.exe
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
Sysinternals Antivirus – a fake security tool imitating legitimate ones
Sysinternals Antivirus is a rogue program from the same family as Your PC Protector scareware.
It tries to trick you into purchasing the program by making you think that your PC is infected with malware. Malware poses to be a program from the Sysinternals troubleshooting utility suite.
Usually, this fake security software is installed through the use of Trojans that display fake security alerts and pop-ups on the computer.
What is more, this fake program will block legitimate anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, or 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. Thus you need to remove it immediately, and we're going to help you with that.
While Sysinternals Antivirus is functional, it will constantly show you 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 program.
The rogue software will also display a window that impersonates the legitimate Windows Security Center. Here's an example of constantly appearing notification:
Here's another one stating:
And one more:
Just like the false scan results, these security alerts are just another trick being used to make you pay for the bogus software. Please don't believe anything that this fake security tool shows you, and don't purchase its paid version, as you will spend your money on a worthless tool and make threat actors behind it richer.
Sysinternals Antivirus is nothing more but a scam. If you have already purchased SysinternalsAntivirus, we suggest contacting your bank and resolving the charges. Then you should remove Sysinternals Antivirus from your computer as soon as possible.
For automatic (recommended) removal, use legitimate anti-malware tools as they will eliminate all files associated with the rogue software. If you decide to remove it manually, please use our free instructions provided below. You will also find a manual to reboot and delete the cyber threat in Safe Mode with Networking if the rogue tool prevents you from opening your AV software.
From our report of Apr 2021 · not reviewed since
More from our earlier report on Sysinternals Antivirus
- Remove the rogue tool with legitimate anti-malware software to ensure that all of its pieces are deleted
- Since this program alters system settings, you have to revert those changes to avoid strange device behavior.
How to remove Sysinternals Antivirus
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 Sysinternals Antivirus says it found needs fixing by it. 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 programs you did not mean to install
Sysinternals Antivirus rarely comes alone: it is usually installed by, or together with, a free program. In Windows 11 open Settings > Apps > Installed apps, in Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features, and sort by install date.
Uninstall every entry from the day the trouble began that you did not install on purpose, for example a download manager, a converter or a browser you never chose.
Keep drivers and entries from Microsoft, Intel, AMD, NVIDIA or your PC's maker unless you are sure.
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 Sysinternals Antivirus, 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 Sysinternals Antivirus 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.
Manual removal using Safe Mode
Important! →
Manual removal guide might be too complicated for regular computer users. It requires advanced IT knowledge to be performed correctly (if vital system files are removed or damaged, it might result in full Windows compromise), and it also might take hours to complete. Therefore, we highly advise using the automatic method provided above instead.
Step 1. Access Safe Mode with Networking
Manual malware removal should be best performed in the Safe Mode environment.
Windows 7 / Vista / XP
- Click Start > Shutdown > Restart > OK.
- When your computer becomes active, start pressing F8 button (if that does not work, try F2, F12, Del, etc. - it all depends on your motherboard model) multiple times until you see the Advanced Boot Options window.
- Select Safe Mode with Networking from the list.
Windows 10 / Windows 8
- Right-click on Start button and select Settings.
- Scroll down to pick Update & Security.
- On the left side of the window, pick Recovery.
- Now scroll down to find Advanced Startup section.
- Click Restart now.
- Select Troubleshoot.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Select Startup Settings.
- Press Restart.
- Now press 5 or click 5) Enable Safe Mode with Networking.
Step 2. Shut down suspicious processes
Windows Task Manager is a useful tool that shows all the processes running in the background. If malware is running a process, you need to shut it down:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Click on More details.
- Scroll down to Background processes section, and look for anything suspicious.
- Right-click and select Open file location.
- Go back to the process, right-click and pick End Task.
- Delete the contents of the malicious folder.
Step 3. Check program Startup
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open Windows Task Manager.
- Go to Startup tab.
- Right-click on the suspicious program and pick Disable.
Step 4. Delete virus files
Malware-related files can be found in various places within your computer. Here are instructions that could help you find them:
- Type in Disk Cleanup in Windows search and press Enter.
- Select the drive you want to clean (C: is your main drive by default and is likely to be the one that has malicious files in).
- Scroll through the Files to delete list and select the following:
Temporary Internet Files
Downloads
Recycle Bin
Temporary files - Pick Clean up system files.
- You can also look for other malicious files hidden in the following folders (type these entries in Windows Search and press Enter):
%AppData%
%LocalAppData%
%ProgramData%
%WinDir%
After you are finished, reboot the PC in normal mode.
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files.
More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
Questions about Sysinternals Antivirus
What is svchost.exe and why is it running?
Every process is started by something:
- a program you installed
- a Windows service
- a scheduled task
- a startup entry
To learn why svchost.exe runs, find its file with Open file location in Task Manager, then look for an entry pointing to that file in Settings > Apps > Startup and in Task Scheduler.
Sort Installed apps by date to see what arrived when the process first appeared. Once you know the owner, you can decide whether to keep it, switch it off at startup or uninstall it completely.
Can I delete the svchost.exe file?
Only after you know what it belongs to. If svchost.exe is part of a program, uninstall that program through Settings instead, so its services and tasks go too. If it belongs to nothing and is unsigned, end the process, disable whatever starts it and then delete its folder.
Do not delete files from the Windows folder or files signed by Microsoft: those are part of the system, and removing them can stop Windows from starting. When in doubt, run a Microsoft Defender scan first and let it decide.
Is Sysinternals Antivirus 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 an unfamiliar process called svchost.exe in Task Manager, 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.
Is my card safe after buying Sysinternals Antivirus?
Treat it as exposed. The order page belongs to the seller of Sysinternals Antivirus, and you cannot know how the number is stored or shared. Ask your bank for a replacement card, which is usually free, and dispute the original charge as a misrepresented product.
Until the new card arrives, check your account daily for small or foreign transactions. If the bank offers alerts for every card payment, turn them on. Keep the receipt and screenshots, because they support the dispute.
Someone called offering a refund for Sysinternals Antivirus. Is it genuine?
Almost certainly not. Refund calls are a well-known second stage of scareware and tech support scams. The caller says you are owed money, asks you to install a remote access program to "process" it, then opens your online banking, makes it look as if too much was refunded and asks you to send the difference back.
Hang up. Real refunds go back to the card or PayPal account you paid with, through your bank or the payment provider, and never need remote access or a gift card.
Did Sysinternals Antivirus steal my information?
Not by itself, as far as reports show. Programs that display an unfamiliar process called svchost.exe in Task Manager are built to scare people into paying or calling; they rarely take data on their own.
The risk comes from what you did in response: typing card details into the program, or letting a caller connect to your PC. If you did neither, uninstalling the program is enough. If you did either, treat that information as exposed:
- block the card
- change passwords from another device
- remove any remote-access tool that was installed
Do I need to reinstall Windows to get rid of Sysinternals Antivirus?
Usually not. A thorough clean-up is enough when the offline scan finds nothing afterwards and you do not see an unfamiliar process called svchost.exe in Task Manager 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.
What could the caller do while connected to my PC?
Anything you could do. Callers working with fake alerts like Sysinternals Antivirus 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.
Will Fortect remove Sysinternals Antivirus?
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 Sysinternals Antivirus, 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)