TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A: what it is and how to remove it
TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A is a detection of a Trojan Horse by Microsoft Windows Defender. Programs with Trojan-like features are capable of multiple malicious activities.
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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TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A: summary
| Detection names | No Microsoft detection name is known |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Not recorded in the old report |
| Damage | Not recorded in the old report |
| Name | TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A |
| Type | Loader |
| Symptoms | A Windows Security "Threats found" notification |
| 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 4 more facts
| Evidence | 4 write-ups by security sites; details still limited |
|---|---|
| First seen | 23 January 2018 |
| Microsoft Defender name | TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A |
| Facts checked | 6 October 2026 |
What TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A does on an infected PC
From our report of Jan 2018 · not reviewed since
Trojan program can be sent to you via malicious email
Similarly to ransomware distribution, Trojan Horses spread inside the attachments of spam emails as well.
Criminals use deceptive techniques to trick people into believing that the letter is legitimate and important. It can appear as an invoice from a well-known company or even a security alert from Apple or Microsoft .
Despite the fact, that such spam emails look incredibly convincing, you should never open or click on them. Remember that the message urges you to click on the attachment for further details and this is indicates that the letter might be malicious. Therefore, closely monitor your online activity to protect your system.
Additionally, people who tend to download software cracks or programs illegally risk to infect their computers with Trojan Horses as well. It is because criminals take advantage of unprotected peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing sites to trick people into downloading malicious programs manually.
From our report of Jan 2018 · not reviewed since
TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A is designed to download malware on your computer
TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A is a detection of a Trojan Horse by Microsoft Windows Defender.
Programs with Trojan-like features are capable of multiple malicious activities. Likewise, there is no accurate information to confirm which one of them this computer hazard performs.
PowerShell/Falsip.A virus appears in the form of PowerShell scripts which are designed to download numerous malicious programs on your system. Typically, these codes hide their presence or mimic legitimate PC processes to confuse the user and protect themselves against elimination.
Although, you should be cautious that PowerShell/Falsip.A might also perform the following activity:
Usually, PowerShell/Falsip.A Trojan Downloader can enter your system via the attachments of spam emails or be infiltrated by another malware which is present on your computer. Note that people who are not experienced enough in the IT field should not try to uninstall the Trojan by themselves.
TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A removal is not only complicated for a regular computer user, but also highly dangerous. You might be tricked to disrupt or terminate legitimate system processes which can look similar to the obfuscate Trojan Horse.
Thus, remove TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A only with the help of a robust security software. NoVirus.uk team says that using multiple security tools can help you to protect your system in this case.
- Track your keystrokes and steal sensitive information;
- Send private data to remote servers which are controlled by hackers;
- Allow the criminal to access your computer remotely;
- Deliver intrusive pop-ups promoting fake software updates;
- Increasing the amount of malware-laden ads;
- Redirect the users to shady websites and increase the risk of getting infected with malware.
How to check the PC for TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A
If Windows Security shows TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A, it has found TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A or a file that belongs to it.
Write the name down before you click Remove: it is the most useful search term later, and you will need it if you report the incident.
A family name in the label is more informative than a heuristic one. Our page on why one threat has many antivirus names lists the common formats and what each part means.
How to remove TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A
A loader's job is to install other malware, so treat the PC as infected with more than one program until the scans are clean.
Step 1: Delete scheduled tasks that bring it back
Programs like TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A add a scheduled task so they return after an uninstall or reopen a page at every sign-in. Start Task Scheduler, open Task Scheduler Library and sort by Last Run Time to see what ran recently.
On the Actions tab, a program in a user folder, a script or a web address is a warning sign; right-click such a task and choose Delete.
Tasks with names copying Google, Edge or Windows updaters but pointing to an odd folder are typical. The tool looks the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Windows 11: Task Scheduler Library, the task selected, the Actions tab shows the file it runs. Full procedure with screenshots: Remove what malware leaves behind in Windows
Step 2: 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 3: 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 TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A, its publisher or created on the day the problem started. Delete those folders, and check C:\Program Files and C:\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 4: Scan the PC, then run the offline scan
A scan finds the parts of TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A 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
Step 5: Change passwords from another device and sign out other sessions
TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A can copy saved passwords, cookies and session tokens and send them out in seconds, so cleaning the PC does not undo the theft.
Change your passwords on a device that was never infected, starting with the e-mail account, since every other reset goes through it. On each account, end all other sessions and check the recovery e-mail, phone number and forwarding rules.
Then turn on two-step verification. Sign in on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC again only after the offline scan is clean.
Full procedure with screenshots: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account
Instructions for each browser and system
The detailed steps for every browser and system this guide covers. Open the one you use.
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.
From our report of Jan 2018 · not reviewed since
TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A removal explained
TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A virus is a dangerous computer infection which should be uninstalled carefully.
Sadly, but most of the computer users are unable to locate all trojan-related elements to complete the elimination. Thus, the only way to get rid of this PC threat is to use a professional malware removal software.
If you have encountered with such detection of infection, you should get another security tool and perform additional scans to remove TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A. Our recommendations would be , , and . However, feel free to use another powerful antivirus program as well.
Additionally, you might not be able to start TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A removal at first. Likewise, you should reboot your computer to Safe Mode.
[GI=method-1]High-risk computer viruses are able to block users from downloading a professional malware removal software. You should boot your computer into Safe Mode with Networking to circumvent Trojan's system.
[GI=method-2]In case the Trojan horse is still active, you can try to reboot your PC into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
After removal: passwords, accounts and prevention
Secure your accounts after the clean-up
Assume that whatever was saved in the browsers on this PC while the PC showed the Windows Security detection TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A has been copied:
- passwords
- cookies
- autofill data
Work from a clean device, or from this PC once the offline scan finds nothing.
Start with your main e-mail account, because it can reset everything else, then banking and payment, then social and gaming accounts. Change each password, sign out of all sessions and turn on two-step verification: Turn on two-step verification / secure a hacked account.
The full order, including crypto wallets and card replacement, is in securing your accounts after malware.
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 TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A
Defender removed TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A. Am I safe now?
Often yes, but check two things. First, whether the detection was caught on arrival: a file in Downloads or in an archive that Defender quarantined before it ran is the best case.
Second, whether TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A comes back. If it returns, or if Protection history shows several different detections around the same date, something on the PC keeps producing the file and needs to be found.
Run a full scan and, if anything remains, an offline scan. If the category names a password stealer or a backdoor, change your passwords from another device even if the file is gone.
Can I ignore TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A if the PC works fine?
No. Many threats are built to leave the PC working normally while they steal passwords, use the processor or wait for instructions. A detection is Defender telling you it saw something malicious, and the absence of symptoms says nothing about its activity.
Check the action in Protection history: if it is anything other than Quarantined or Removed, remove it now. Then run a full scan. If the detection was a single file caught on download and does not return, you can move on; if TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A reappears, follow the removal steps in this guide.
Is Microsoft Defender enough to remove TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A?
For most home PCs it is a solid first step. Defender detects this threat as TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A, and a full scan followed by an offline scan covers the places where TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A usually hides. The offline scan runs before Windows starts, so malware that hides while Windows is running cannot interfere: Run a Microsoft Defender Offline scan.
Defender does not undo everything, though. It does not restore browser settings, decrypt files or change passwords that may have been copied, which is why this guide has separate steps for those. If Defender finds the same item again after removal, something else keeps reinstalling it.
Should I report TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A?
Report it if you lost money, if accounts were taken over, if you are a business, or if the trojan came through a scam call. A police or national cybercrime report gives you a reference number for your bank and insurer and helps link cases.
You do not need to report a trojan that antivirus blocked before it ran. Before reporting, write down the dates, the detection name, file names and any messages or transactions linked to the attack; screenshots of antivirus alerts are useful evidence. The country list is in the report section above.
I found AnyDesk or ScreenConnect that I did not install. Is that TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A?
Not necessarily TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A, but it is a warning sign. These are legitimate remote support tools, and criminals use them as ready-made backdoors, especially after tech support scams or fake invoice calls.
If you did not install it and no one you trust set it up, uninstall it, change passwords from a clean device and check your bank account. If someone connected to your PC through it, follow the steps for remote access trojans and consider a Windows reset. Installed apps sorted by date shows when it appeared.
Should I check my other computers too?
Yes, it takes little time and removes doubt. TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A itself usually stays on one PC, but the download that carried it may have been copied to other computers, shared drives may hold the same installer, and an attacker who had access could have tried saved passwords on other devices.
Run a full scan on every Windows PC in the home or office, check shared folders for the original download, and change Wi-Fi and router passwords if they were stored on the infected machine.
How do I know if my PC has TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A?
Often you do not, which is the point of a trojan. Possible signs are an antivirus alert naming TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A or a generic trojan detection, unknown programs or scheduled tasks, processes with random names in Task Manager, browser extensions you did not add, security settings turned off, slower performance, or account alerts about logins from unknown places.
The reliable check is a full scan followed by Microsoft Defender's offline scan. If you recently ran a crack, a fake installer or a command a website told you to paste, scan even without symptoms.
How dangerous is TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A?
Treat it as serious until proven otherwise. The visible sign is the Windows Security detection TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A, and programs that behave this way often have more abilities than they show:
- copying passwords
- downloading other malware
- giving remote access
Its family is not known yet, so nobody can say which of these it uses. The good news is that the response is the same in every case and takes about an hour:
- cut the network
- remove the startup entry
- run an offline scan
- change passwords from a clean device
If someone had remote control, a full reset is safer.
Why can't I find TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A in antivirus databases?
Because it is new or because it is listed under a different name. Antivirus companies name threats after the family they belong to, and a program that appears as TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A on your PC may carry a generic or unrelated label in their databases.
Many new samples are first detected only by behaviour, without a family name. What you saw, the Windows Security detection TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A, is enough to act on:
- end the program
- remove its startup entry
- run a Microsoft Defender offline scan
- secure your accounts
A detection name from a scan is worth noting for later.
Will Fortect remove TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A?
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 TrojanDownloader:PowerShell/Falsip.A, 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
- Web24: The Basics of a Trojan Virus (read October 6, 2026)
- 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)