Remove Win 7 Defender 2013 (Removal Instructions)

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:

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.

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)
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.

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.
Follow the onscreen instructions to press a key to continue and Chameleon will proceed to download and install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for you.
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 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.
Next, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically open and perform a Quick scan for Win 7 Defender 2013 malicious files as shown below.
Upon completion of the scan, click on Show Result
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.
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.

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)
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 will start scanning your computer for Win 7 Defender 2013 malicious files as seen in the image below.
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.
Click Activate free license to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.

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

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)
Open the Emsisoft Emergency Kit folder and double click EmergencyKitScanner.bat, then allow this program to update itself.
After the Emsisoft Emergency Kit has update has completed,click on the Menu tab,then select Scan PC.
Select Smart scan and click on the SCAN button to search for Win 7 Defender 2013 malicious files.
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.

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.

10 Rules to Avoid Online Scams

Here are 10 practical safety rules to help you avoid malware, online shopping scams, crypto scams, and other online fraud. Each tip includes a quick “if you already got hit” action.

Stop and verify before you click, log in, download, or pay.

Most scams win by creating urgency. Verify using a trusted method: type the website address yourself, use the official app, or call a known number (not the one in the message).

If you already clicked: close the page, do not enter passwords, and run a malware scan.
Keep your operating system, browser, and apps updated.

Updates patch security holes used by malware and malicious ads. Turn on automatic updates where possible.

If you saw a scary “update now” pop-up: close it and update only through your device settings or the official app store.
Use layered protection: antivirus plus an ad blocker.

Antivirus helps block malware. An ad blocker reduces scam redirects, phishing pages, and malvertising.

If your browser is acting weird: remove unknown extensions, reset the browser, then run a full scan.
Install apps, software, and extensions only from official sources.

Avoid cracked software, “keygens,” and random downloads. During installs, choose Custom/Advanced and decline bundled offers you do not recognize.

If you already installed something suspicious: uninstall it, restart, and scan again.
Treat links and attachments as untrusted by default.

Phishing often impersonates delivery services, banks, and popular brands. If it is unexpected, do not open attachments or log in through the message.

If you entered credentials: change the password immediately and enable 2FA.
Shop safely: research the store, then pay with protection.

Be cautious with brand-new stores, “closing sale” stories, and prices that make no sense. Prefer credit cards or PayPal for dispute options. Avoid wire transfers, gift cards, and crypto payments.

If you already paid: contact your card issuer or PayPal quickly to dispute the transaction.
Crypto rule: never pay a “fee” to withdraw or recover money.

Common patterns include fake profits, then “tax,” “gas,” or “verification” fees. Another is a “recovery agent” who demands upfront crypto.

If you already sent crypto: stop paying, save evidence (wallet addresses, TXIDs, chats), and report the scam to the platform used.
Secure your accounts with unique passwords and 2FA (start with email).

Use a password manager and unique passwords for every account. Enable 2FA using an authenticator app when possible.

If you suspect an account takeover: change passwords, sign out of all devices, and review recent logins and recovery settings.
Back up important files and keep one backup offline.

Backups protect you from ransomware and device failure. Keep at least one backup on an external drive that is not always connected.

If you suspect infection: do not connect backup drives until the system is clean.
If you think you are a victim: stop losses, document evidence, and escalate fast.

Move quickly. Speed matters for disputes, account recovery, and limiting damage.
- Stop payments and contact: do not send more money or respond to the scammer.
- Call your bank or card issuer: block transactions, replace the card if needed, and start a dispute or chargeback.
- Secure your email first: change the email password, enable 2FA, and remove unfamiliar recovery options.
- Secure other accounts: change passwords, enable 2FA, and log out of all sessions.
- Scan your device: remove suspicious apps or extensions, then run a full malware scan.
- Save evidence: screenshots, emails, order pages, tracking pages, wallet addresses, TXIDs, and chat logs.
- Report it: to the payment provider, marketplace, social platform, exchange, or wallet service involved.

These rules are intentionally simple. Most online losses happen when decisions are rushed. Slow down, verify independently, and use payment methods and account controls that give you recourse.

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

Stelian Pilici

January 7, 2013 at 18:27

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

January 6, 2013 at 23:26

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.
Adam

January 6, 2013 at 05:59

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.
Jeff

January 3, 2013 at 02:45

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.
Jennifer

December 27, 2012 at 13:33

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
Rich

December 26, 2012 at 19:32

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’
- Stelian Pilici
  
  December 26, 2012 at 19:35
  
  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.