PC Tech Hotline is very persistent

Hello, new to the forums, in fact I've created this account just to post this issue due to the fact that all of the solutions I've previously read on this site haven't helped me.
I'm using my dad's computer, Windows 7 eMachine, he has his daughters and their children living with him and most of the kids like the computer. Everyone stopped using it because of popups, lag, and more. Thankfully, I removed all of that myself. What I can't remove is PC Tech Hotline. I've used Malwarebytes, ADWCleaner, JRT (I can't recall what this is abbreviation stands for), and I've even tried looking for the file containing it. I've gone to the Uninstall A Program menu and there's nothing suspicious installed at all. I can't figure out how to get rid of it, it's on the top of every window I have open and it's very, very irritating. Any help would be appreciated as I'm desperate at this point. Thanks in advance, guys.

Edit: Moved topic from Windows 7 to the more appropriate forum.~ Animal

Welcome!! Let's try

Click the Start button, then open the Control Panel.
Click on the Uninstall a program.
Scroll through the list of installed programs and uninstall PC Tech Hotline,PC FixSpeed and any thing unknown.

Run these again...Update Malwarebytes, rerun ADWCleaner, JRT (Junkware Removal Tool)

Post your NBAM log and these.

Please download MiniToolBox, save it to your desktop and run it.
Checkmark the following checkboxes:
[list]

• Flush DNS
• Report IE Proxy Settings
• Reset IE Proxy Settings
• Report FF Proxy Settings
• Reset FF Proxy Settings
• List content of Hosts
• List IP configuration
• List Winsock Entries
• List last 10 Event Viewer log
• List Installed Programs
• List Users, Partitions and Memory size.
• Click Go and post the result (Result.txt). A copy of Result.txt will be saved in the same directory the tool is run.
  Note: When using "Reset FF Proxy Settings" option Firefox should be closed.
  
  
  
  Download TDSSKiller and save it to your desktop.
• Extract (unzip) its contents to your desktop.
• Open the TDSSKiller folder and doubleclick on TDSSKiller.exe to run the application, then on Start Scan.
• If an infected file is detected, the default action will be Cure, click on Continue.
• If a suspicious file is detected, the default action will be Skip, click on Continue.
• It may ask you to reboot the computer to complete the process. Click on Reboot Now.
• If no reboot is require, click on Report. A log file should appear. Please copy and paste the contents of that file here.
• If a reboot is required, the report can also be found in your root directory (usually C:\ folder) in the form of TDSSKiller_xxxx_log.txt. Please copy and paste the contents of that file here.
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  .
  ADW Cleaner
  
  Please download AdwCleaner by Xplode and save to your Desktop.
• Double-click on AdwCleaner.exe to run the tool.
  Vista/Windows 7/8 users right-click and select Run As Administrator.
• Click on the Scan button.
• AdwCleaner will begin...be patient as the scan may take some time to complete.
• After the scan has finished, click on the Report button...a logfile (AdwCleaner[R0].txt) will open in Notepad for review.
• After reviewing the log, click on the Clean button.
• Press OK when asked to close all programs and follow the onscreen prompts.
• Press OK again to allow AdwCleaner to restart the computer and complete the removal process.
• After rebooting, a logfile report (AdwCleaner[S0].txt) will open automatically.
• Copy and paste the contents of that logfile in your next reply.
• A copy of all logfiles are saved in the C:\AdwCleaner folder which was created when running the tool.
• -- Note: The contents of the AdwCleaner log file may be confusing. Unless you see a program name that you recognize and know should not be removed, don't worry about it. If you see an entry you want to keep, return to AdwCleaner before cleaning...all detected items will be listed (and checked) in each tab. Click on each one and uncheck any items you want to keep (except you cannot uncheck Chrome and Firefox preferences lines).
  
  
  .
  
  Please download Junkware Removal Tool to your desktop.
• Shut down your protection software now to avoid potential conflicts.
• Run the tool by double-clicking it. If you are using Windows Vista, 7, or 8; instead of double-clicking, right-mouse click JRT.exe and select "Run as Administrator".
• The tool will open and start scanning your system.
• Please be patient as this can take a while to complete depending on your system's specifications.
• On completion, a log (JRT.txt) is saved to your desktop and will automatically open.
• Post the contents of JRT.txt into your next message.
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  .
  .
  .
• Last run ESET.
• Hold down Control and click on this link to open ESET OnlineScan in a new window.
• Click the button.
• For alternate browsers only: (Microsoft Internet Explorer users can skip these steps)
• Click on esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe to download the ESET Smart Installer. Save it to your desktop.
• Double click on the icon on your desktop.
• Check "YES, I accept the Terms of Use."
• Click the Start button.
• Accept any security warnings from your browser.
• Under scan settings, check "Scan Archives" and "Remove found threats"
• Click Advanced settings and select the following:
• Scan potentially unwanted applications
• Scan for potentially unsafe applications
• Enable Anti-Stealth technology
• ESET will then download updates for itself, install itself, and begin scanning your computer. Please be patient as this can take some time.
• When the scan completes, click List Threats
• Click Export, and save the file to your desktop using a unique name, such as ESETScan. Include the contents of this report in your next reply.
• Click the Back button.
• Click the Finish button.
• NOTE:Sometimes if ESET finds no infections it will not create a log.

I ran all the usual stuff (adwcleaner, jrt, malwarebytes, tdss killer, malwarebyte anti-rootkit, superantispyware) and nothing got rid of it.  Im guessing it might be a somewhat legitimate program since none of the programs recognized it.  The way I removed it was by going into windows services (start-->run-->services.msc), stopping and disabling the service (there is a pctech service) and then went to C:\Program files (x86)\pctech hotline and running the uninstall exe.  PC tech was not showing in add/remove programs so that is where I had to go to run the uninstall exe.

Edited by Viking Ship, 07 April 2014 - 04:03 PM.

I was facing the same difficulty and decided to call the number they provided and was able to scare the first person I spoke to to transfer me to a second person who finally transferred me to the tech support department where this guy kept asking me for my first and last name.I told him that my first name would be sufficient because I was not calling to do business with his company.I asked the first guy I spoke to where the company was located. He told me that he could not provide me with that information which raised the first red flag for me.When I told him that I was calling to do business with the company and it was only fair that I knew where the company was located, he gave me this address....696 first ave north at St Petersburg,Fl. but, while I was waiting for the tech support guy to come on,(866-231-7627) the recorded voice of a woman with an Indian accent kept coming on and I found that to be a bit disturbing.Why would a company doing business in the United States hire a voice actress with a thick Indian accent to speak to it's American clients? The way I asked the joker I had on the phone where he was located, he had no choice but to tell me the truth and, he told me that he was located in India.So, these unwanted intruders are located in India and they attach themselves to our machines like a bad cold you can't get rid of.........These are the steps the last idiot I spoke to talked me through after i demanded that he tells me how to rid myself of his group of intruders.He told me to push the flag button next to the alt button together with the letter R .A box popped up and he told me to clear the box and add appwiz.cpl.This took me back to the uninstall page in control panel.I clicked on the unwanted program and clicked on uninstall.For the first time, I got a message telling me to wait a couple of minutes while the program was being uninstalled.The guy on the phone told me to wait a couple more minutes while the program was being removed.That was over two hours ago and the program is still there and I am writing this letter in answer to your question . As soon as I finish here, I have to run out.Why not everyone experiencing the same problem call that phone number and demand that they stop.Do not give them your full name and do not give them access to your computer.One of them did ask me to do that.They are not nice people.They also have another number which is 888 304-1321....Good luck to everyone.....One helps all...All help one.

Edited by ricotsuave, 31 May 2014 - 06:19 PM.