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.
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.
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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