Windows Police PRO (Virus Removal Guide) - Mar 2021 update
Windows Police PRO Removal Guide
What is Windows Police PRO?
Windows Police Pro – a misleading security application that seeks to make profits from scam alerts
Windows Police Pro is a fake anti-virus tool that shows fake scan results to make users purchase its licensed version
Windows Police Pro is a rogue anti-malware[1] application that belongs to the same family of malicious programs like Windows Antivirus Pro – to be exact, it is a clone of the latter. In most of the cases, these apps access users' computers during the installation of freeware (software bundling) or after they get tricked by a scam message, as well as a fake update. In rare cases, some might believe that this app is indeed a good solution for their computer security – they could not be more wrong than that.
As soon as the Windows Police Pro virus is installed, it performs an alleged system scan that returns hundreds of false-positives.[2] Some of these “detections” are named after real malware samples, while others are completely bogus. Once users try to get rid of the issues, they will be asked to purchase a full version of the program. In other words, this is a scam and is actually malicious, as it will also block users from running a real security program.
Name | Windows Police Pro |
Type | Rogue anti-spyware, malware |
Infection means | Users might install the app deliberately (unlikely) or get tricked by freeware bundles, deceptive ads, scam sites, or fake updates |
Symptoms |
|
Termination | Access Safe Mode and attempt to remove the app manually; if not successful, run a full system scan with anti-malware software (in Safe Mode) |
Recovery | Windows Police Pro sets several new registries and tampers with other Windows settings. In some cases, this intrusion can lead to errors, system crashes, slowdowns on the computer, even after malware is eliminated. To remediate your Windows computer after the infections, we recommend scanning it with FortectIntego |
Besides showing fake scan results that claim that your computer is infected with spyware, adware, Trojans, or other malware, Windows Police Pro will continuously try to show false pop-up warnings. These messages work the same way: they will spam you with fake alerts about virus infections and ask you to purchase full versions of the app. Buying it would be the worst possible solution, as you will not only pay for a malicious program but will also disclose your credit card details to unknown parties (likely, cybercriminals).
The obtained information can be sold on the underground forums for profit,[3] resulting in money loss, targeted phishing attacks, or even identity fraud/theft. Therefore, please never purchase such tools, as you will be paying for malware that compromises your security and leaks your personal information to malicious actors. Instead, make sure you remove Windows Police Pro as soon as possible.
Here are some of quite ridiculously-sounding alerts from the scammers:
Windows Police Pro Alert
Infiltration Alert
Your computer is being attacked by an Internet Virus. It could be password-stealing attack, a trojan-dropper or similar.
Your computer continues to be infected with harmful viruses. In order to prevent permanent loss of your information and credit card data theft please activate your anti-virus software.
Another reason this program can be called Windows Police Pro malware is because it acts like it. It runs several background processes, including:
- svchast.exe;
- svchasts.exe;
- svohost.exe;
- minix32.exe;
- pump.exe, etc.
Some of these processes are placed into Windows and System32 directories. Also, note how the names of these processes try to mimic legitimate ones, such as svchost.exe – this a typical malware behavior. With the help of these background tasks, Windows Police Pro spams users with malicious messages in order to make them purchase the license.
Windows Police Pro is a virus that disables legitimate anti-malware software
Another reason for Windows Police Pro removal is the fact that it compromises your online security, as well as computer safety. As long as the malicious app is installed, it will not allow for a reputable and a working security tool to be installed on the system or will shut down the existing anti-malware apps, claiming that they are infected and need to be removed. This rogue software cannot protect you – it will only damage your operating system and leave security holes that might lead to further malware infections.
To uninstall Windows Police Pro, you might have to access Safe Mode, as these types of apps are known to be persistent and hard to remove – follow our guide below. After that, we also recommend a scan with a reputable security application, as well as a PC repair tool FortectIntego for a clean and error-free computer.
Select a correct anti-malware and avoid rogue programs
There are numerous anti-malware products available on the market, and sometimes it becomes difficult to determine which apps are the better ones and which are straight out useless. Due to the rising online threats, the demand increases, and so does the supply. Unfortunately, the supply is filled with software that is actually malicious itself and would not protect users from malware whatsoever. Therefore, how do you pick a decent security tool for your computer?
Well, there are several factors to look for, for example, a company's reputation, online user reviews, as well as independent lab tests. We can guarantee that any application picked from AV-test or AV-comparatives[4] will be sufficient and not a scam.
Please disregard any pop-ups or other messages coming from your browser that claim your machine is infected with malware, as these are all fake. Additionally, watch out for fake Flash and Java updates – if you use this software, download the updates from official sites only. Finally, during the installation of freeware acquired from third-party websites, always pick Advanced/Custom settings instead of Recommended/Quick one and remove all the optional components before they enter your machine.
Windows Police Pro shows numerous fake alerts about the computer being under attack - these are all a scam
Get rid of Windows Police Pro virus as soon as possible
As previously mentioned, Windows Police Pro removal might be hindered by its persistence techniques, such as background tasks or lack of entries within the Programs & Features section. Besides, the malware also stops reputable security programs from working, so its intrusion level is very high.
To bypass this, you should access Safe Mode with Networking and perform a full system scan with security solutions like SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes. You can find the instructions on how to reach Safe Mode below.
Besides running a system scan, you should also reset your Internet Explorer if you have it installed after you remove Windows Police Pro, as inserts browser helper objects (BHO) into it in order to display fake notifications. In the meantime, keep your machine secure with comprehensive security software that does not spam you with fake alerts and actually stops malware from entering. You can also clear issues with the performance using FortectIntego.
Getting rid of Windows Police PRO. Follow these steps
Manual removal using Safe Mode
If Windows Police Pro is difficult to uninstall, you should go to Safe Mode with Networking and delete the virus from there:
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.
Finally, you should always think about the protection of crypto-ransomwares. In order to protect your computer from Windows Police PRO and other ransomwares, use a reputable anti-spyware, such as FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes
How to prevent from getting malware
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.
- ^ Rogue security software. Wikipedia. The free encyclopedia.
- ^ False Positive. Techopedia. Where IT and Business Meet.
- ^ What do Cybercriminals do with the data they steal?. Sysnet. Global security solutions.
- ^ Anti-malware test results. AV-comparatives. Independent security software testing body.