How to remove XP Antivirus 2012

XP Antivirus 2012 – rogue software designed to corrupt your Windows operating system

XP Antivirus 2012 is a deceptive and quite sophisticated rogue anti-spyware program that applies the basic tricks of scams from this category. It meets all the criteria of malicious software known as scareware – though it declares to be a powerful virus remover, it is nothing but a virus itself that drops hundreds of malicious files and blocks access to certain internet sites, all while redirecting to malicious ones.

XP Antivirus 2012 firstly will create numerous harmless files that it will drop in the infected computer system. Then the program will pretend to scan your computer and immediately will report numerous viruses that, in reality, are nothing else but these earlier created files. With this pretext, the app will claim that you need to protect the system and that the only way to do so is by purchasing its “licensed version,” which is obviously fake. Do not waste your money!

Users with adequate security software would not be infected with this scareware, as it would block its installation. However, those who lack security tools on Windows operating systems might install the app in one of the two methods:

• Getting tricked by a fake Windows update that can be encountered on a random malicious website while browsing the web;
• Installed automatically after visiting a compromised website, all while having software vulnerabilities on the system.

In other words, this rogue anti-spyware mostly penetrates into a random computer system without the user’s knowledge and approval and opens the backdoor of the system to let more threats or allow the scammers to reach your personal information.

Once installed as a single executable, the malware would take over users' machines and all the programs installed on them. For example, if users would attempt to launch Google Chrome web browser, XP Antivirus 2012 would instead pop up and claim that the app is infected. Also, the same happens if any executables are being launched.

In the meantime, the infected users will be exposed to various pop-ups that show up within the taskbar or other places of desktops. Some of the produced alerts may state about Trojan-BNK.Win32.Keylogger.gen threat for making you scared and push into purchasing its license, which will be offered additionally:

XP Antivirus 2012 has blocked a program from accessing the internet
Internet Explorer is infected with Trojan-BNK.Win32.Keylogger.gen
Private data can be stolen by third parties, including credit card details and passwords.

System danger!
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Pay attention to the fact that this program is dangerous and has nothing to do with computer protection! It will not protect you from anything, as it is a virus itself and has been manipulating people into believing it is useful software.

The problem is that XP Antivirus 2012 removal might be difficult due to its system modifications, especially that of the Windows registry. Thus, download and install powerful anti-malware software, such as SpyHunterCombo Cleaner, and perform a full system scan (if malware prevents you from executing the launcher, access Safe Mode as explained below). Finally, to fix Windows system damage and clean your browsers, use FortectIntego.

Fake updates can be fabricated well: don't get tricked by cybercriminals

Software vulnerabilities and fake updates were common tactics used for rogue anti-spyware distribution. In fact, these techniques still prevail, so it is important to learn how to protect yourself from such attacks. 

First of all, you should never attempt to update anything (including Windows OS) on random websites, as these updates are likely to be fake/malicious. Instead, navigate to the official website of the software and download the latest patches from there. That being said, security patches are extremely important, as if they are not applied, a computer is vulnerable to cyberattacks.

This is also another technique used by criminals to distribute all sorts of malware. All they have to do is lure you to a malicious site, and the script will install malware automatically without you noticing anything. Thus, always protect your system with up-to-date security software and be very cautious while browsing the web.

Remove malware from your system and choose reliable security tools

As previously explained, users might be tricked into believing that they have just installed Windows update, while, in reality, they allowed XP Antivirus 2012 to enter their systems. Without a doubt, nobody should be dealing with such a malicious program on their machines, so you should remove it as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, this process can rather difficult due to malware using various persistence techniques. Thus, you should try doing the following:

1. Download reliable anti-malware, such as SpyHunterCombo Cleaner or MalwarebytesMalwarebytes, and try to launch it
2. If the launcher is terminated immediately, access Safe Mode with Networking as explained below
3. Launch anti-malware and perform a full system scan, which should delete all the malicious files and processes
4. Boot into normal mode and scan the PC with FortectIntego to fix damaged system files.

Most importantly, if you ever see this program on your computer, never pay for it as your credit card details might also be leaked. If that already happened, contact your bank and explain the situation.