How to remove PCCleaner 2006 (Removal instructions)


What this program does:

PC Cleaner2007 is a program that can either be manually downloaded or may be installed without your consent using a downloader. When run, PCCleaner 2007 displays exaggerated reports of security and privacy risks on your computer, but before you can fix these risks, the program requires you to purchase the commercial version of the software. Due to this Symantec labels this program a security risk. A screenshot of this program can be seen below.



PCCleaner 2007


PCCleaner 2007 is also a clone of another rogue program called DriveCleaner. So much so, that the developers forgot to remove a reference to DriveCleaner in the PC Cleaner scan summary screen. This reference can be seen in the image below.




DriveCleaner Reference


Symptoms in a HijackThis Log:

O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [PCCleaner] \SysCleaner.exe


Add or Remove Programs Entry

PCCleaner2007

Revision History

07/31/07 - Guide creation

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Removal Instructions:

In order to remove this infection we will need to use HijackThis to manually remove the infection:

1. Print out these instructions as later in the fix we will need to shutdown every window that is open.
   
   
2. Enter the Windows Control Panel and double-click on Add/Remove Programs.
   
   
3. When the installed programs list appears, double-click on the entry for PCCleaner2007 if it exists and allow the uninstall program to finish. Then exit the Add/Remove Programs screen and the Control Panel.
   
   
4. Download HijackThis from here and extract it to c:\hijackthis.
   
   
5. Close all windows, even this Internet Explorer window.
   
   
6. Navigate to the c:\hijackthis directory and double-click on HijackThis.exe
   
   
7. When the program starts, click on the Scan button.
   
   
   1. Put a checkmark next to the following entry (There may be more than one of each):
      
      O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [PCCleaner] \SysCleaner.exe
      
      
   2. Then click the Fix button
      
      
8. Exit HijackThis.
   
   
9. Reboot your computer into Safe Mode
   
   
10. Delete the following directories if they exist:
    
    C:\Program Files\PCCleaner2007\
    
    
11. Reboot your computer back to normal mode.

If you continue to receive popups on your computer advertising PCCleaner, then there is a good chance that you are infected with the Vundo malware. We suggest that you perform the steps in the following guide to make sure you are not infected with Vundo as well:

How to remove the Vundo infection

Your computer should now be free of PCCleaner 2007.

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BleepingComputer.com can not be held responsible for problems that may occur by using this information. If you would like help with any of these fixes, you can post a HijackThis log in our HijackThis Logs and Analysis forum.

If you have any questions about this self-help guide then please post those questions in our AntiVirus, Firewall and Privacy Products and Protection Methods forum and someone will help you.