Remove PCPrivacy Defender

Posted by Grinler on May 1, 2009 @ 01:32 PM · Views: 1,465

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What this programs does:

PCPrivacy Defender, otherwise known as PCPrivacyDefender, is a rogue privacy program that deliberately displays exaggerated scan results to make you think you have privacy risks on your computer. This program is typically promoted through the use of fake online anti-malware scanners, that when finished, state your computer is infected and that you should download and install PCPrivacy Defender in order to protect yourself. When PCPrivacyDefender is installed it will be configured to start automatically and then scan your computer when you login to Windows. When the scan is finished it will list hundreds of exaggerated privacy issues on your computer and then state that you should purchase the program in order to repair these problems.

Main screen of PCPrivacy Defender
For more screen shots of this infection click on the image above.
There are a total of 4 images you can view.

PCPrivacy Defender is a scam and should be avoided at all costs. Any issues it finds with your computer are either false or greatly exaggerated and are only being shown to scare you into purchasing the program. If you are infected with this program, please use the free removal guide below to remove PCPrivacy Defender from your computer.

Threat Classification:

• Information on Rogue Programs & Scareware

Advanced information:

View PCPrivacy Defender files.
View PCPrivacy Defender Registry Information.

Entries for this program found in the Add or Remove Programs control panel:

PCPrivacyDefender Freeware 1.0.18.0

Tools Needed for this fix:

• Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Symptoms that may be in a HijackThis Log:

O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [PCPrivacyDefender Freeware] "C:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\UPSPDAP.exe" /min

Guide Updates:

05/01/09 - Initial guide creation.

Automated Removal Instructions for PCPrivacy Defender using Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware:

1. Print out these instructions as we will need to close every window that is open later in the fix.
   
   
2. Download Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, or MBAM, from the following location and save it to your desktop:
   
   Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware Download Link
   
   


3. Once downloaded, close all programs and Windows on your computer, including this one.
   
   
4. Double-click on the icon on your desktop named mbam-setup.exe. This will start the installation of MBAM onto your computer.
   
   
5. When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the installation process. Do not make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the Update Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware checked. Then click on the Finish button.
   
   
6. MBAM will now automatically start and you will see a message stating that you should update the program before performing a scan. As MBAM will automatically update itself after the install, you can press the OK button to close that box and you will now be at the main program as shown below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. On the Scanner tab, make sure the the Perform quick scan option is selected and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer for PCPrivacy Defender related files.
   
   
8. MBAM will now start scanning your computer for malware. This process can take quite a while, so we suggest you go and do something else and periodically check on the status of the scan. When MBAM is scanning it will look like the image below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. When the scan is finished a message box will appear as shown in the image below.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   You should click on the OK button to close the message box and continue with the PCPrivacy Defender removal process.
   
   
10. You will now be back at the main Scanner screen. At this point you should click on the Show Results button.
    
    
11. A screen displaying all the malware that the program found will be shown as seen in the image below. Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    You should now click on the Remove Selected button to remove all the listed malware. MBAM will now delete all of the files and registry keys and add them to the programs quarantine. When removing the files, MBAM may require a reboot in order to remove some of them. If it displays a message stating that it needs to reboot, please allow it to do so. Once your computer has rebooted, and you are logged in, please continue with the rest of the steps.
    
    
12. When MBAM has finished removing the malware, it will open the scan log and display it in Notepad. Review the log as desired, and then close the Notepad window.
    
    
13. You can now exit the MBAM program.
    

Your computer should now be free of the PCPrivacy Defender program. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing the PRO version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware to protect against these types of threats in the future.

If you are still having problems with your computer after completing these instructions, then please follow the steps outlined in the topic linked below:

Preparation Guide For Use Before Posting A Hijackthis Log

Associated PCPrivacy Defender Files:

c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\activate.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\ATL80.dll
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\AV.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\bnlink.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\lapv.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\license.rtf
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\mfc80.dll
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Microsoft.VC80.ATL.manifest
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Microsoft.VC80.CRT.manifest
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Microsoft.VC80.MFC.manifest
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\msvcp80.dll
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\msvcr80.dll
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\PP.exe
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\pv.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\readme.rtf
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\remnag.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\ScanReport.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Schedule.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\softwaredetect.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\unins000.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\unins000.exe
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\uninstall.ico
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\up.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\updater.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\UPSPDAP.exe
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\UPSPDAP.url
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\UPSPDAP.xml
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\UserAgent.dll
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\vbpv.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\AE_CD_Cr.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\AReadr4.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\AReadr5.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\ASDSEEpv.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\ASPack.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\Babylon.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\BDelphi5.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\CatchUp.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\CBuildr5.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\CCGA.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\CManager.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\CuteFTP4.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\CuteHTML.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\DAcceler.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\DiscJug.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\ECDCreat4.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\Far.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\FFTsks.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\FlashFXP.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\FrntPage.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\FrontPEx.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\FtpEXP.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\FtpVoya.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\GetRight.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\GoZilla.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\GravMRU.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\H_TxtPad.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\HomeSite.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\HotDogPr.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\IconExtr.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\iMesh.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\ImgReady3.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\InsShExp.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\JASC_P_P.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\KaZaA.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\LView.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MacDir.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MacDrWea.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MicAng.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MicDes.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MM_CON.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MMUnDisk.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\Morpheus.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MPaint.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MPicPub.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MPImaGal.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MSExplorer.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MSoffice.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MSRegEdit.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MSWMP.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\MSWordPad.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\Nero.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\NetShow.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\NTBackup.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\pfilelst.xda
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\PhotShel.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\PHPCoder.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\PowerZIP.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\RapidBr.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\RealAuPl.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\RealDown.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\SecurCRT.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\SL_BlWin.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\SmartClr.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\Sonique.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\StuffIt.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\TelepPro.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\UGifAnim.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\UltraEd.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\UMedStud.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\UPhImpV.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\UPhotoEx.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\UVidStud.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\VNC.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\WebFeret.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\WebReap.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\WinACE.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\WinGate.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\WinRAR.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\WinZIP.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\WiseInst.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\wordslst.xda
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\YahooPl.dat
c:\Program Files\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Appbase\ZipMagic.dat
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Data
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Data\ActivationCode
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\PCPrivacyDefender HomePage.url
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware\Uninstall PCPrivacyDefender.lnk
%UserProfile%\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware.lnk
%UserProfile%\Desktop\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware.lnk

Associated PCPrivacy Defender Windows Registry Information:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Cleaner2009 Freeware
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\UPSPDAP_install_is1
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PCPrivacyDefender Freeware
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent\Post Platform "UPSPDAP 1.0.18.0"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "PCPrivacyDefender Freeware"