Remove Win 7 Defender 2013 (Removal Instructions)

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Written by: Stelian Pilici

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Win 7 Defender 2013 is a computer virus which will display fake security alerts,reporting that malware has been detected on your computer.This alerts are professional looking pop-ups and when you click on them, you are advised to buy Win 7 Defender 2013 in order to remove the detected threats.
In reality, none of the reported issues are real, and are only used to scare you into buying Win 7 Defender 2013 and stealing your personal financial information.

Apart from the bogus alerts,as part of its self-defense mechanism,Win 7 Defender 2013 has disabled the Windows system utilities, including the Windows  Task Manager and Registry Editor,and will block you from running certain programs that could lead to its removal.Further more,this rogue antivirus has modified your Windows files associations and now,whenever you are trying to any programs that have a .exe extension ,Win 7 Defender 2013 it will display a bogus notification in which will report that the file is infected,in an attempt to scare you.

If your computer is infected with Win 7 Defender 2013,then you are seeing this screens:
Win 7 Defender 2013 virus

Win 7 Defender 2013 Warning

Win 7 Defender 2013 License Key

We strongly advise you to follow our Win 7 Defender 2013 removal guide and ignore any alerts that this malicious software might generate.
Under no circumstance should you buy this rogue security software as this could lead to identity theft,and if you have, you should contact your credit card company and dispute the charge stating that the program is a scam and a computer virus.

Registration codes for Win 7 Defender 2013
As an optional step,you can use the following license key to register Win 7 Defender 2013 and stop the fake alerts.
Win 7 Defender 2013 License Key: 3425-814615-3990
Please keep in mind that entering the above registration code will NOT remove Win 7 Defender 2013 from your computer , instead it will just stop the fake alerts so that you’ll be able to complete our removal guide more easily.

Win 7 Defender 2013 Removal Guide

STEP 1: Remove Win 7 Defender 2013 malicious files with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Malwarebytes Chameleon technologies will allow us to install and run a Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan without being blocked by Win 7 Defender 2013.

  1. Download Malwarebytes Chameleon  from the below link, and extract it to a folder in a convenient location.
    MALWAREBYTES CHAMELEON DOWNLOAD LINK  (This link will open a new web page from where you can download Malwarebytes Chameleon)
    [Image: Extract Malwarebytes Chameleon utility]
  2. Make certain that your infected computer is connected to the internet and then open the Malwarebytes Chameleon folder, and double-click on the svchost.exe file.
    [Image: Double click on svchost.exe]
    IF Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will not start, double-click on the other renamed files until you find one will work, which will be indicated by a black DOS/command prompt window.
  3. Follow the onscreen instructions to press a key to continue and Chameleon will proceed to download and install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for you.
    Malwarebytes Chameleon press key
  4. Once it has done this, it will update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, and you’ll need to click OK when it says that the database was updated successfully.
    Malwarebytes Chameleon updating its database
  5. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now attempt to kill all the malicious process associated with Win 7 Defender 2013.Please keep in mind that this process can take up to 10 minutes, so please be patient.
    Malwarebytes Chameleon killing malware
  6. Next, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically open and perform a Quick scan for Win 7 Defender 2013 malicious files as shown below.
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for Win 7 Defender 2013]
  7. Upon completion of the scan, click on Show Result
    [Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan results]
  8. You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected.
    Make sure that everything is Checked (ticked),then click on the Remove Selected button.
    [Image:Malwarebytes removing virus]
  9. After your computer restarts, open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform a Full System scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

STEP 2: Remove Win 7 Defender 2013 rootkit with HitmanPro

In some cases,Win 7 Defender 2013 will also install a rootkit on victims computer.To remove this rootkit we will use HitmanPro.

  1. Download HitmanPro from the below link,then double-click on it to start this program.
    HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)
    IF you are experiencing problems while trying to start HitmanPro, you can use the Force Breach mode.To start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode, hold down the left CTRL key when you start HitmanPro and all non-essential processes are terminated, including the malware process. (How to start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode – Video)
  2. HitmanPro will start and you’ll need to follow the prompts (by clicking on the Next button) to start a system scan with this program.
    HitmanPro scanner
    HitmanPro installation
  3. HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for Win 7 Defender 2013 malicious files as seen in the image below.
    HitmanPro scan after
  4. Once the scan is complete,you’ll see a screen which will display all the infected files that this utility has detected, and you’ll need to click on Next to remove this malicious files.
    HitmanPro scan results
  5. Click Activate free license to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
    HitmanPro 30 days activation button

STEP 3: Double check for any left over infections with Emsisoft Emergency Kit

  1. You can download Emsisoft Emergency Kit from the below link,then extract it to a folder in a convenient location.
    EMSISOFT EMERGENCY KIT DOWNLOAD LINK ((This link will open a new web page from where you can download Emsisoft Emergency Kit)
  2. Open the Emsisoft Emergency Kit folder and double click EmergencyKitScanner.bat, then allow this program to update itself.
    EmergencyKitScanner.bat file
  3. After the Emsisoft Emergency Kit has update has completed,click on the Menu tab,then select Scan PC.
    Emsisoft Emergency Kit scan tab
  4. Select Smart scan and click on the SCAN button to search for Win 7 Defender 2013 malicious files.
    Emsisoft Emergency Kit smart scan
  5. When the scan will be completed,you will be presented with a screen reporting which malicious files has Emsisoft detected on your computer, and you’ll need to click on Quarantine selected objects to remove them.
    Emsisoft Emergency Kit removing malware

If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Win 7 Defender 2013 from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.

How to Stay Safe Online

Here are 10 basic security tips to help you avoid malware and protect your device:

  1. Use a good antivirus and keep it up-to-date.

    Shield Guide

    It's essential to use a good quality antivirus and keep it up-to-date to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats. We are huge fans of Malwarebytes Premium and use it on all of our devices, including Windows and Mac computers as well as our mobile devices. Malwarebytes sits beside your traditional antivirus, filling in any gaps in its defenses, and providing extra protection against sneakier security threats.

  2. Keep software and operating systems up-to-date.

    updates-guide

    Keep your operating system and apps up to date. Whenever an update is released for your device, download and install it right away. These updates often include security fixes, vulnerability patches, and other necessary maintenance.

  3. Be careful when installing programs and apps.

    install guide

    Pay close attention to installation screens and license agreements when installing software. Custom or advanced installation options will often disclose any third-party software that is also being installed. Take great care in every stage of the process and make sure you know what it is you're agreeing to before you click "Next."

  4. Install an ad blocker.

    Ad Blocker

    Use a browser-based content blocker, like AdGuard. Content blockers help stop malicious ads, Trojans, phishing, and other undesirable content that an antivirus product alone may not stop.

  5. Be careful what you download.

    Trojan Horse

    A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.

  6. Be alert for people trying to trick you.

    warning sign

    Whether it's your email, phone, messenger, or other applications, always be alert and on guard for someone trying to trick you into clicking on links or replying to messages. Remember that it's easy to spoof phone numbers, so a familiar name or number doesn't make messages more trustworthy.

  7. Back up your data.

    backup sign

    Back up your data frequently and check that your backup data can be restored. You can do this manually on an external HDD/USB stick, or automatically using backup software. This is also the best way to counter ransomware. Never connect the backup drive to a computer if you suspect that the computer is infected with malware.

  8. Choose strong passwords.

    lock sign

    Use strong and unique passwords for each of your accounts. Avoid using personal information or easily guessable words in your passwords. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts whenever possible.

  9. Be careful where you click.

    cursor sign

    Be cautious when clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. These could potentially contain malware or phishing scams.

  10. Don't use pirated software.

    Shady Guide

    Avoid using Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs, keygens, cracks, and other pirated software that can often compromise your data, privacy, or both.

To avoid potential dangers on the internet, it's important to follow these 10 basic safety rules. By doing so, you can protect yourself from many of the unpleasant surprises that can arise when using the web.

37 thoughts on “Remove Win 7 Defender 2013 (Removal Instructions)”

  1. Hello Marie,
    Can you download all the software on a clean computer and transfer them to the infected PC?

  2. The steps just worked great for me. Followed all the steps from 1 to 6.

    But one problem, when i tried to use the activation key, Win 7 Defender 2013 License Key: 3425-814615-3990 it did not work and got Invalid Key error. Even in Safe Mode.
    I couldn’t get browser to run in Safe Mode.

    Work around: downloaded all the programs on a different machine. Copied them over to the infected machine while being in Safe Mode.
    Tip: If you couldn’t get Windows Explorer to run, try and use my documents or any folder option in Start Menu. It worked for me to browse the USB and copy over the files to desktop for easy access.

    Thanks for the great article.

  3. I performed all steps 1-7. I wan’t sure if I need to go through all of them, because right after step 4 everything seemed like it is back to normal, but I went ahead with step 5-7 just to be on the safe side. My computer works fine now, thank you very much for these detailed instructions.

  4. Thanks Thanks Thanks I followed your instructions step by step and got my computer up and running again. This is the most difficult virus that I have ever encountered , and now it is gone.

  5. Hello Michael,
    You most likely have a nasty rootkit installed on this machine.Can you please transfer onto the infected computer RogueKiller and run a scan with this product:

    1. Please download the latest official version of RogueKiller.
      RogueKiller Download Link (This link will automatically download RogueKiller on your computer)
    2. Double click on RogueKiller.exe to start this utility and then wait for the Prescan to complete.This should take only a few seconds and then you can click the Scan button to perform a system scan.
    3. After the scan has completed, press the Delete button to remove any malicious registry keys.

  6. Thank you Stelian for sharing your knowledge with us all out here on the www. Took me a long time and i did have to tweak a little but finally I have my computer free of the win7 defender virus. The first time I have ever had a virus on my computer….my first computer was in 1999, xo I guess that isn’t too bad really. I was running Nortons but it didn’t pick it up obviously. Thanks once again for your kindness sharing with us all. Jennifer

  7. Hello Rich,
    On the infected computer, right click on the Internet Explorer’s icon, or any other browser’s icon, and select Run As or Run as Administrator. If you are using Windows XP, you will be prompted to select a user and enter its password. It is suggested that you attempt to login as the Administrator user. For Windows 7 or Windows Vista, you will be prompted to enter your Administrator account password. This should allow your browser to open where you can then download Rkill from the above link and save it to a folder that your infected account can access.

  8. Hi, I am also having big problems with this virus. Have downloaded RKill onto a stick on a clean computer. Have then tried to open on infected computer and not able to connect to internet due to the Win7 Defender pop ups stating ‘Firewall Alert’

  9. Hello Roxanne,
    You can delete the reports and uninstall any tools that we’ve used in this guide!Stay safe!

  10. I havent got internet connection , but i have downloaded rkill , registryfix and anti malware on my usb and transfer it to my infected computer. When i do the virusscan it stops with downloading at around 80.000 objects. I have deleted 25 objects ,but the virus is stil coming. And when i start the normal modus i get a blue screen and the pictures become white. by started rkill it said :You should now be able to run your normal security programms so that you can scan for computer infections ………………. …………….. please help

  11. Thank you a lot Stelian. Your method worked wonders!! Saved my Christmas day. Very accurate, everything worked perfect.

    As for Rkill the name that worked for me was Rkill.com as iExplorer.exe ended with .exe and triggered again Windows Defender 2013 alert.

    Thank you a lot.

  12. Many thanks! Instructions were easy enough to follow, the pictures with the red arrows helped when I was unsure. Thanks again! But do I have to keep the reports from the software downloaded though?

  14. Stelian….THANKS man!!
    Awesomee !!!!! Arriba Barcelona que no ni no!!
    Merry Christmas and Happy new Year!!!!

  16. Hello Amirul,
    Yes, you can delete the registryfix.reg and uninstall any of the tools that we’ve used in this removal guide.
    Stay safe!

  17. Hello Anita,
    You’ll need to download Rkill on a clean computer and then transfer the program to the infected computer. You can transfer the files via a CD/DVD, external drive, or USB flash drive.
    Run it and then you’ll be able to download Malwarebytes to perform the removal guide.

  18. Hi there, merry xmas…i am trying to follow ur list to remove win 7 dfender but I am not able to open internet .it won.t allow me…so I am stuck…don.t know what to do now..can.t.use.my.laptop..Please help me ..need to ,now hoe download the links to get rid of this win 7….hopr to hear from you

  20. this actually helped. big time. i get rid of that stupid win7 defender virus. thanks a million. you are a lifesaver. i believe this article has helped a lot of people as well.
    one question though. is it safe to remove anything we installed during this process, like, for example the registryfix? especially the registryfix. just curious. thanks again! :)

  21. I had the win defender virus and used your excellent instructions to remove it.
    Although i consider myself not to have a lot of computing knowledge the instructions were easy to follow and extremely successful…Many Thanks

  22. Hello BBunsen,
    Did boot your computer in Safe Mode with Networking and run a scan with Malwarebytes??
    Please follow all the steps as they should work without any problems… :)
    Stay safe!

  23. Stelian, how can I download the latest official version of Roguekiller when Win 7 Defender won’t let me open up any of my browsers?

    I tried activating Win 7 Defender with the Reg Key listed above, but I got an “Invalid key” message.

  24. Stelian thanks so much. Followed your steps and took care of this virus. Had to use a “clean” computer and save the registry files on a flash drive to transfer them to the infected computer. Even with my limited computer abilites, was easy to do. Took a little while to run all the scans but it is fixed! Thank you!

  27. Thank you so much. It’s nice to know that while the world is full of so many losers with nothing better to do than develop viruses and malware to cause harm to others, there are also others who go out of their way to help. I followed the instructions (up to step 6 right now) and by step 4 I was already able to start up my computer normally and run IE without any obvious issues. Since I was unable to connect to the internet with my affected computer to download the registry fix and rkill files needed in steps 2 and 3, I just copied them to a flash drive from my unaffected computer and dragged them to the desktop of my infected computer to run them (in safe mode). After that I was able to run IE to install and run Malwarebytes program. That took about an hour to run and detected 13 infected files. Not sure if I needed to go any further but I did run HitmanPro which found 24 suspicious files in my cookies folder that were deleted and am running RogueKiller now. Thank you again!

  29. I am so very grateful for you efforts to assist those of us who are so vulnerable in this WWW.
    I appreciate you and your intstructions. I was so worried this would have taken over my computer. I followed your instructions and everything worked out well. I had to find a program which would open Internet Explorer without prompting the WIN7 error box, my persistence paid off. Thank you again for providing restoration to my laptop. I shall let all of my friends know.

    Merry Christmas and many blessings to you Stelian.

  30. Thanks for the guide, Although I was unable to run any applications in safe mode with networking either, the one modification I needed to do was to run in Safe Mode with Command Prompt. From there I was then able to execute the registry editor and preform a few of the registry operations manually. After this I could restart in Safe Mode with Networking and be smooth sailing the rest of the way.

    Thanks again, the comprehensive list of registry values in that .reg file was priceless.

  31. Hello Toby,
    Can you please perform a scan with RogueKiller,then try to do again a scan with MBAM:
    1.Please download the latest official version of RogueKiller.
    RogueKiller Download Link (This link will automatically download RogueKiller on your computer)
    2.Double click on RogueKiller.exe to start this utility and then wait for the Prescan to complete.This should take only a few seconds and then you can click the Scan button to perform a system scan.
    3.After the scan has completed, press the Delete button to remove any malicious registry keys.

  32. Hello, one of my computers is infected with this virus. I followed your instructions and got to step 2, but after I downloaded the Registryfix.reg, the win defender 2013 is blocking me from opening it. I then tried downloading pctools and it blocked me from opening it as well. What can I do now?

  33. Hello,
    Lets try to fix your computer,please run the below tools while in Normal Mode;
    STEP 1: Run a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware in Chameleon Mode in Norman mode:

    1. Download Malwarebytes Chameleon from here and extract it to a folder in a convenient location
    2. Make certain that your PC is connected to the internet and then open the folder where you extracted Chameleon to and double-click on the Chameleon help file and then follow the onscreen instructions to use it.
    3. If the Chameleon help file itself will not open, then double-click each file one by one until you find one that works, which will be indicated by a black DOS/command prompt window Note: Do not attempt to open mbam-killer as that is not a Chameleon executable and serves a different purpose)
    4. Follow the onscreen instructions to press a key to continue and Chameleon will proceed to download and install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for you
    5. Once it has done this, it will attempt to update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, click OK when it says that the database was updated successful
    6. Next, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically open and perform a Quick scan
    7. Upon completion of the scan, if anything has been detected, click on Show Result
    8. Have Malwarebytes Anti-Malware remove any threats that are detected and click Yes if prompted to reboot your computer to allow the removal process to complete
    9. After your computer restarts, open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform a Full System scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

    STEP 2: Run a scan with RogueKiller

    1. Please download the latest official version of RogueKiller.
      RogueKiller Download Link (This link will automatically download RogueKiller on your computer)
    2. Double click on RogueKiller.exe to start this utility and then wait for the Prescan to complete.This should take only a few seconds and then you can click the Scan button to perform a system scan.
    3. After the scan has completed, press the Delete button to remove any malicious registry keys.
    4. Next we will need to restore your shortcuts, so click on the ShortcutsFix button and allow the program to run.

    STEP 3 Please perform a scan with HitmanPro as seen on the guide.
    If you are having problems starting this program please use the ForceBreach mode as described in the guide.

    STEP 4: Run a scan with ESET Online Scanner:

    1. Download ESET Online Scanner utility.
      ESET Online Scanner Download Link (This link will automatically download ESET Online Scanner on your computer.)
    2. Double click on the Eset installer program (esetsmartinstaller_enu.exe).
    3. Check Yes, I accept the Terms of Use
    4. Click the Start button.
    5. Check Scan archives
    6. Push the Start button.
    7. ESET will then download updates for itself, install itself, and begin scanning your computer. Please be patient as this can take some time.
    8. When the scan completes, push Finish

    Waiting for your reply to tell me how everything is running!
    Good luck…

  34. i am stressing.. my mom is seriously infected with this crap, and i found you and im not totally computer savvy, but i am usually confident when asked to help fix something on her computers, but everytime i restart in safe mode, my mouse completely stops working. so? im trying to navigate with the tab bar, but the only programs i can open wont show anything with the registryfix.reg download..cant find the rkill i cant navigate correctly without the mouse working. not sure why it stops when its in safe mode, but its making me crazy bc im not used to not being able to do it on my own! can you help me?!!?? please!

  35. thank you sooo much…..u saved me the trouble and time of taking my pc to the store……thanks a million….all your steps work and did fix my problem!!

  36. Stelian,

    Excellent, easy to follow instructions. Used them to fix my daughter’s computer this morning. I instructed her to install an AV, which she did not have.

  37. Just wanna say Thank you!.Go infected after opening an email attachment who looked like was from DHL…Anyway,your guide was perfect!

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