Windows PC Aid (Free Guide) - 2021 update
Windows PC Aid Removal Guide
What is Windows PC Aid?
Windows PC Aid is fake security software that will cause unwanted pop-ups and notifications
Windows PC Aid is a rogue anti-spyware program that is being distributed via spam and infected websites. Infected websites usually redirect users to fake virus scanners and prompt them to install antivirus software to remove found malware infections.
If you were redirected to a fake online virus scanner, simply close the web page and not download anything. At this point, you are not infected with a rogue anti-spyware program. However, sometimes, scammers use drive-by downloads to install malware without users' knowledge.
In such a case, the rogue program pop-ups on the computer screen after ten minutes or so. Users usually do not understand where it came from. It probably was an infected website or malicious advertisement placed on one of your favorite websites.
Name | Windows PC Aid |
Type | Malware, rogue antivirus, scam |
Distribution | Fake online scanners, software bundles, mispleading ads |
Risks | Monetary loss, personal information leak |
Removal | You can try to delete the app via the Control Panel. If that does not work, use powerful anti-malware software instead |
System fix | If you have found your system in a non-working condition after it was affected by this program, you should fix the damaged system files and the the registry. You can do that manually or employ FortectIntego repair |
Windows PC Aid operation techniques
Once installed, the program will scan your computer for viruses. By saying 'scan,' I mean that it just pretends to scan your PC, and it can be even compared to the real antivirus scan since the rogue program simply displays the same infections on infected computes, the list of infections is coded into the program itself, so obviously it will report the same infections even on different PCs.
Very often, it reports about 20 infections and more. In some cases, it pretends to remove one or more supposedly found infections for free and then prompts you to pay for a full version of the program to remove the rest of the reported malware. Do not buy it! It's a scam that wants to steal money from you.
While running, Windows PC Aid will display numerous fake security alerts and various notifications from the Windows taskbar saying that your computer is infected by malware, mostly trojans, and spyware. The rogue program has a limited number of well-made but fake security alerts to scare users into believing they are infected. Some people may actually trust them since they look realistic.
Another very annoying thing about this malware is the fact that it blocks legitimate programs. Just like any other fake antivirus virus program, it blocks task manager, registry editor, and some other system tools to protect itself from being removed. You may not even use your web browser since Windows PC Aid blocks web browsers too.
You might be able to open it, but it either will block certain websites or redirect you to infected or misleading websites full of advertisements and bogus software. If your web browser redirects you to survey sites and asks you to fill in certain forms given your full name, email address, and phone number, close such websites immediately.
Getting rid of Windows PC Aid
You should uninstall this scamware as soon as you notice its symptoms on one's PC. If you can't use your web browser properly and download malware removal software, please reboot your PC in safe mode with networking and try downloading the anti-malware program. If you can't connect to the Internet, check your LAN settings and ensure that you are not using a proxy server to access the net.
If you have already purchased the rogue program, contact your credit card company and dispute the charges. If you are lucky enough, you should be able to get your money back. Just tell them that you bought malicious software that pretended to be a Microsoft product. The most important part – removal of all malicious programs. The best way to remove Windows PC Aid from your computer is by using legitimate anti-malware software. Also, don't forget to clean your browsers thoroughly.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Windows PC Aid. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
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 on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (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 Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
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.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
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.
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 unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
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, as well as Cached Web Content and press 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 the suspicious plugins that might be 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 unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Windows PC Aid registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting rogue antispyware
Stream videos without limitations, no matter where you are
There are multiple parties that could find out almost anything about you by checking your online activity. While this is highly unlikely, advertisers and tech companies are constantly tracking you online. The first step to privacy should be a secure browser that focuses on tracker reduction to a minimum.
Even if you employ a secure browser, you will not be able to access websites that are restricted due to local government laws or other reasons. In other words, you may not be able to stream Disney+ or US-based Netflix in some countries. To bypass these restrictions, you can employ a powerful Private Internet Access VPN, which provides dedicated servers for torrenting and streaming, not slowing you down in the process.
Data backups are important – recover your lost files
Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to personal data. Once it is executed on a machine, it launches a sophisticated encryption algorithm that locks all your files, although it does not destroy them. The most common misconception is that anti-malware software can return files to their previous states. This is not true, however, and data remains locked after the malicious payload is deleted.
While regular data backups are the only secure method to recover your files after a ransomware attack, tools such as Data Recovery Pro can also be effective and restore at least some of your lost data.