{"id":10832,"date":"2013-08-12T05:59:40","date_gmt":"2013-08-12T05:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=10832"},"modified":"2013-08-22T16:22:54","modified_gmt":"2013-08-22T16:22:54","slug":"pc-defender-360-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/pc-defender-360-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"How to remove PC Defender 360 (Removal Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>PC Defender 360<\/strong>\u00a0is a computer virus, which pretends to be a legitimate security program and claims that malware has been detected on your computer. If you try to remove these infections, PC Defender 360 will state that you need to buy its <em>full version<\/em> before being able to do so.<br \/>\nIt\u2019s important to remember that by purchasing PC Defender 360 you will be submitting your personal information to unscrupulous persons and may also end up being a victim of credit card or identity fraud or theft.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10838\" title=\"PC Defender 360 virus\" alt=\"[Image: PC Defender 360 virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-virus.jpg\" width=\"856\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-virus.jpg 856w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-virus-300x216.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/p><div id=\"mwtad1560405412\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309684--placement_360520\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3957935887\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>PC Defender 360 targets users browsing Internet websites, and rely on social engineering to deliver its payload. This infection is promoted through web sites that have been hacked with scripts that try to install the software by exploiting vulnerabilities on your computer. It is also promoted through Trojans that pretend to be legitimate programs that are required to view an online video, but instead it will install the PC Defender 360 infection.<\/p>\n<p>Once installed, PC Defender 360 will display fake security alerts that are designed to think that your data is at risk or that your computer is severely infected.These messages may include:<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2203302573\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381396-ad_309691-placement_360566\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1471373341\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Security Alert<\/strong><br \/>\nVulnerabilities Found<br \/>\nBackground scan for security breaches has been finished. Serious problems have been detected. Safeguard your system against exploits, malware and viruses right now by activating Proactive Defence.<br \/>\nUpgrade to full version of PC Defender 360 software package now! Clean your system and ward off new attacks against your system integrity and sensitive data. FREE daily updates and online protection from web-based intrusions are already in the bundle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Security Alert<\/strong><br \/>\nUnknown program is scanning your system registry right now! Identity theft detected!<br \/>\nThreat: Hoax.HTML.OdKlas.a<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>In reality, <strong>none of the reported issues are real<\/strong>, and are only used to scare you into buying PC Defender 360 and stealing your personal financial information.<\/p>\n<p>As part of its self-defense mechanism, PC Defender 360 has disabled the Windows system utilities, including the Windows\u00a0Task Manager and Registry Editor, and will block you from running certain programs that could lead to its removal.<br \/>\nThis rogue antivirus has also modified your Windows files associations, and now whenever you are trying to open a program, PC Defender 360 will block this operation and display a bogus notification in which will report that the file is infected.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>PC Defender 360 Firewall Alert<\/strong><br \/>\niexplore.exe is infected with Trojan-Downloader.JS.Agent.ftu. Private data can be stolen by third parties, including credit card details and passwords.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If your computer is infected with <strong>PC Defender 360<\/strong> virus, then you are seeing the following screens:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10836\" title=\"PC Defender 360 malware\" alt=\"[Image: PC Defender 360 malware]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-malware.jpg\" width=\"856\" height=\"618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-malware.jpg 856w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-malware-300x216.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/p><div id=\"mwtad1004571884\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309686-ad_309691-placement_360569\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6935453015\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10837\" title=\"PC Defender 360 Security Alert\" alt=\"[Image: PC Defender 360 Security Alert]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Security-Alert.jpg\" width=\"330\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Security-Alert.jpg 330w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Security-Alert-290x290.jpg 290w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Security-Alert-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 330px) 100vw, 330px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10834\" title=\"PC Defender 360 Firewall Alert\" alt=\"[Image: PC Defender 360 Firewall Alert]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Firewall-Alert.jpg\" width=\"576\" height=\"371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Firewall-Alert.jpg 576w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Firewall-Alert-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><br \/>\n<strong>PC Defender 360 is a scam,<\/strong> and you should ignore any alerts that this malicious software might generate.<br \/>\nUnder no circumstance should you buy PC Defender 360 as this could lead to identity theft, and if you have, you should contact your bank and dispute the charge stating that the program is a scam and a computer virus.<\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad1989303583\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309746-ad_309691-placement_360521\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"4456629336\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">How to remove PC Defender 360 virus (Removal Guide)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the PC Defender 360 infection from your your computer. Please perform all the steps in the correct order. If you have any questions or doubt at any point,\u00a0<strong>STOP<\/strong>\u00a0and ask for our assistance.<br \/>\n<a href=\"#code\"><strong>OPTION 1<\/strong>: Remove PC Defender 360 virus using its activation code<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#manual\"><strong>OPTION 2<\/strong>: Manually remove PC Defender 360 virus from your computer<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#hitmanpro\"><strong>OPTION 3<\/strong>: Remove PC Defender 360 virus with HitmanPro Kickstart USB stick<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad2472377924\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309747-ad_309691-placement_360587\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"9589536513\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"code\">OPTION 1: Remove PC Defender 360 virus using its activation code<\/h2>\n<h3>STEP 1: Activate PC Defender 360 to stop its malicious behavior<\/h3>\n<p>PC Defender 360 has hijacked the .EXE extension in your Windows Registry. This allows PC Defender 360 to launch before any application you start and to block it from running. To prevent this from happening, we can use the below code to register PC Defender 360.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad518242049\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381401-ad_309691-placement_360573\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"5315249587\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>Open PC Defender 360 interface, click on the <strong>Registration<\/strong> button in the right top corner, then enter the below registration code.<br \/>\n<strong>PC Defender 360 Activation Code: <span style=\"color: #008000;\">?O?Z?L?W?I?T?F?Q?C?N?Y?K?V?H?S?E<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10833\" title=\"PC Defender 360 Activation Code\" alt=\"[Image: PC Defender 360 Activation Code]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Activation-Code.jpg\" width=\"569\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Activation-Code.jpg 569w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-Activation-Code-300x184.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 569px) 100vw, 569px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>PC Defender 360 should now allow you to open your web browser and other programs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Please keep in mind that entering the above registration code will <strong>NOT<\/strong> remove PC Defender 360 from your computer, instead it will just stop the fake alerts so that you&#8217;ll be able to complete this removal guide without being interrupted by this infection.<\/p>\n<h3>STEP 2: Repair your Windows Registry from PC Defender 360 malicious changes<\/h3>\n<p>PC Defender 360 has changed your Windows registry settings so that when you try to run a executable file, it will instead launch the infection rather than the desired program.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download\u00a0the <em>registryfix.reg<\/em> utility from the below link.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/attachment.php?aid=1000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>REGISTRYFIX.REG DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will automatically download registryfix.reg on your computer)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Double-click on the <strong>registryfix.reg<\/strong>, then click on <strong>Yes<\/strong> on the Registry Editor prompt window, then click on the <strong>OK<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10060\" title=\"Fix Windows registry after \" alt=\"Fix Windows registry after PC Defender 360 Windows registry fix\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/registry-fix.png\" width=\"429\" height=\"138\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/registry-fix.png 429w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/registry-fix-300x96.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 429px) 100vw, 429px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>STEP 3: Remove PC Defender 360 virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/h3>\n<p>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is a powerful on-demand scanner which will remove PC Defender 360 malicious files from your computer.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad1387722167\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381404-ad_309691-placement_381406\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8735619847\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>You can <strong>download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/strong> from the below link, then double-click on the icon named <strong>mbam-setup.exe<\/strong> to install this program.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-malwarebytes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a><em>(This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>When the installation begins, <strong>keep following the prompts<\/strong> in order to continue with the setup process, then at the last screen click on the <strong>Finish<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6075\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware installation screen\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware final installation screen]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation.jpg\" width=\"402\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation.jpg 402w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-installation-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>On the <strong>Scanner<\/strong> tab, select <strong>Perform quick scan<\/strong>,\u00a0and then click on the <strong>Scan<\/strong> button to start searching for the PC Defender 360 malicious files.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6076\" title=\"Run a Quick Scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Quick Scan]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-quick-scan-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for PC Defender 360 virus as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6077\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for PC Defender 360\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for PC Defender 360\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan has finished, click on\u00a0the <strong>Show Results<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6078\" title=\"Malwarebytes when the system scan has completed\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scan results]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-scan-results-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>You will now be presented with a screen showing you the computer infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected. Make sure that everything is <strong>Checked (ticked)<\/strong>, then click on the <strong>Remove Selected<\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6079\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malwar removing \" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malwar removing \" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal.jpg\" width=\"521\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal.jpg 521w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/malwarebytes-virus-removal-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Once your computer will restart, open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform a <strong>Full System<\/strong> scan to verify that there are no remaining threats.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>STEP 4: Remove PC Defender 360 infection with HitmanPro<\/h3>\n<p>HitmanPro is a cloud on-demand scanner, which will scan your computer with 5 antivirus engines \u00a0for the PC Defender 360 infection.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can <strong>download HitmanPro<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-hitmanpro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will open a web page from where you can download HitmanPro)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Double-click on the file named <strong>HitmanPro.exe<\/strong> (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or <strong>HitmanPro_x64.exe<\/strong> (for 64-bit versions of Windows). When the program starts you will be presented with the start screen as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5176\" title=\"HitmanPro startup screen (Click Next)\" alt=\"HitmanPro scanner\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-install.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-install.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-install-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><br \/>\nClick on the <strong>Next<\/strong> button, to install HitmanPro on your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5179\" title=\"HitmanPro installation options (Click Next)\" alt=\"HitmanPro installation\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmapro-start-scan-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for PC Defender 360 trojan.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5177\" title=\"HitmanPro scanning for PC Defender 360\" alt=\"HitmanPro detecting for PC Defender 360\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When it has finished it will display a list of all the malware that the program found as shown in the image below. Click on the <strong>Next<\/strong> button, to remove PC Defender 360 virus.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5178\" title=\"HitmanPro reporting scan results\" alt=\"HitmanPro scan results\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-scan-results-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click on the <strong>Activate free license<\/strong> button to begin the <strong>free 30 days trial<\/strong>, and remove all the malicious files from your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5175\" title=\"HitmanPro free 30 days trial\" alt=\"[Image: HitmanPro 30 days activation button]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg\" width=\"497\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation.jpg 497w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/hitmanpro-activation-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad5814196\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_309748-ad_309691-placement_360588\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3906789406\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"code\">OPTION 2: Manually remove PC Defender 360 virus from your computer<\/h2>\n<p>When PC Defender 360 has infected a computer, it will drop it&#8217;s malicious files in the C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\ifdstore (Windows XP) or C:\\ProgramData\\ifdstore (Windows Vista, 7 or 8) folder, and add on your desktop a PC Defender 360.lnk shortcut. In the following steps, we will rename this malicious folder thus disabling this infection.<\/p>\n<h3>STEP 1: Display the hidden files and folders on your computer<\/h3>\n<p>Because the C:\\ProgramData\\ path is hidden by default, we will need to enable the <strong>Show hidden files and folders<\/strong> option.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad781394439\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_360582-ad_309691-placement_360581\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"9971336976\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ol>\n<li>Click on the Start button, and click on <strong>Computer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Organize<\/strong> and choose <strong>Folder and Search Options<\/strong>. (Tools &gt; Folder Options for Windows XP Users).<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10128\" title=\"Select Folder and Search Option\" alt=\"Folder and Search Option\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/folder-and-search-option-windows-7.jpg\" width=\"597\" height=\"434\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/folder-and-search-option-windows-7.jpg 597w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/folder-and-search-option-windows-7-300x218.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Click the <strong>View<\/strong> tab, select <strong>Show hidden files, folders and drives<\/strong>, then click on <strong>Apply<\/strong> and then <strong>OK<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10129\" title=\"Show hidden files, folders and drives in Windows 7\" alt=\"Show hidden files, folders and drives\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/show-hidden-files.jpg\" width=\"396\" height=\"481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/show-hidden-files.jpg 396w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/show-hidden-files-246x300.jpg 246w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>STEP 2: Rename the ifdstore folder to disable PC Defender 360 virus<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Browse to <strong>C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\<\/strong> (For Windows XP) or <strong>C:\\ProgramData\\<\/strong> (For Windows Vista, 7 or 8), and find the <strong>ifdstore<\/strong> folder.<\/li>\n<li>Right click on the <strong>ifdstore<\/strong> folder, and select <strong>Rename<\/strong> from the context menu.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10835\" title=\"Rename the ifdstore folder\" alt=\"[Image: PC Defender 360 malicious folder]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-malicious-folder.jpg\" width=\"554\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-malicious-folder.jpg 554w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Defender-360-malicious-folder-300x276.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Add a unique variation to the filename, such as _old (for example, <strong>ifdstore_old<\/strong>) or something random.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10839\" title=\"ifdstore folder renamed\" alt=\"[Image: PC Defender 360 malicious folder renamed]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Denfer-360-disabled.jpg\" width=\"395\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Denfer-360-disabled.jpg 395w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/PC-Denfer-360-disabled-300x121.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 395px) 100vw, 395px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Restart your computer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>STEP 3: Fix your .Exe registry association to revert the PC Defender 360 hijack<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>After a restart, copy the below text and paste into Notepad.<br \/>\n<em>Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\.exe]\n@=&#8221;exefile&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;Content Type&#8221;=&#8221;application\/x-msdownload&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n<li>In the <em>Save as type<\/em> filed, select <strong>All files<\/strong> , then save the file as <strong>fix.reg<\/strong> to your Desktop.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10130\" title=\"Fix .exe file association \" alt=\"[Image: Fix .exe file association ]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/fix-reg.jpg\" width=\"889\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/fix-reg.jpg 889w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/fix-reg-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 889px) 100vw, 889px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Double-click on fix.reg, and click Y<strong>es<\/strong> for Registry Editor prompt window. Then click OK.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>STEP 4: Remove PC Defender 360 virus from your computer, and fix your Windows registry<\/h3>\n<p>You should now be able to start your web browser, even if you have managed to disable PC Defender 360, its malicious files are still on your computer.<br \/>\nNow we will need to fix your Windows registry as seen in <strong>Option 1<\/strong> on <em>Step 2<\/em>, and run a computer scan with <a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-malwarebytes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-hitmanpro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>HitmanPro<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad2563471337\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_318930-ad_309691-placement_360589\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"3818335085\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"hitmanpro\">OPTION 3: Remove PC Defender 360 virus with with HitmanPro Kickstart<\/h2>\n<p>If you cannot remove PC Defender 360 virus using the previous options, we can use the <strong>HitmanPro Kickstart<\/strong> program to bypass PC Defender 360 infection.<br \/>\nAs the PC Defender 360 infection will prevent your from start your programs, you will need to create a bootable USB drive that contains the HitmanPro Kickstart program.<br \/>\nYou will need a USB drive, <strong>which will have all of its data erased and will then be formatted<\/strong>. Therefore, only use a USB drive that does not contain any important data.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Using a &#8220;clean&#8221; (non-infected) computer, please <strong>download HitmanPro Kickstart<\/strong> from the below link.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-hitmanpro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a> <em>(This link will open a download page in a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro Kickstart)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Once HitmanPro has been downloaded, please <strong>insert the USB flash drive<\/strong> that you would like to erase and use for the installation of HitmanPro Kickstart. Then <strong>double-click<\/strong> on the file named <strong>HitmanPro.exe<\/strong> (for 32-bit versions of Windows) or <strong>HitmanPro_x64.exe<\/strong> (for 64-bit versions of Windows).<br \/>\nTo create a bootable HitmanPro USB drive, please follow the instructions from this video:<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aBS902Qr0oc?rel=0\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/li>\n<li>Now, <strong>remove the HitmanPro Kickstart USB drive<\/strong> and <strong>insert it into the PC Defender 360 infected computer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Once you have inserted the HitmanPro Kickstart USB drive, turn off the infected computer and then turn it on. As soon as you power it on, look for text on the screen that tells you how to access the boot menu.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9089\" title=\"Windows Boot Menu screens\" alt=\"[Image: Windows Boot Menu screens]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/windows-boot-manager.jpg\" width=\"704\" height=\"160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/windows-boot-manager.jpg 704w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/windows-boot-manager-300x68.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><br \/>\nThe keys that are commonly associated with enabling the boot menu are <strong>F10<\/strong>, <strong>F11<\/strong> or <strong>F12<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Once you determine the proper key (usually the <strong>F11<\/strong> key) that you need to press to access the Boot Menu, restart your computer again and start immediately tapping that key. Next, please perform a scan with HitmanPro Kickstart as shown in the video below.<br \/>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lUNHidkYsDQ?rel=0\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will now reboot your computer and Windows should start normally. Then you will need to fix your Windows registry as seen in Option 1 on Step 2, and run a computer scan with <a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-malwarebytes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-hitmanpro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>HitmanPro<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Your computer should now be free of the PC Defender 360 infection. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing <strong><a title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/malwarebytes-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the PRO version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/a><\/strong> to protect against these types of threats in the future, and perform regular computer scans with <strong>HitmanPro<\/strong>.<br \/>\nIf you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove PC Defender 360 from your machine, please start a new thread in our <strong><a title=\"Free Malware Removal Support\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/Forum-Malware-Removal-Assistance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Malware Removal Assistance<\/a><\/strong> forum.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2234530085\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_360567-ad_309691-placement_360771\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-7750719144850257\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-7750719144850257\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"6224621518\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PC Defender 360\u00a0is a computer virus, which pretends to be a legitimate security program and claims that malware has been detected on your computer. If you try to remove these infections, PC Defender 360 will &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"How to remove PC Defender 360 (Removal Guide)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/pc-defender-360-virus\/#more-10832\" aria-label=\"Read more about How to remove PC Defender 360 (Removal Guide)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10838,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-scam-reports","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","resize-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10832"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10832\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}