{"id":15103,"date":"2013-11-27T11:16:35","date_gmt":"2013-11-27T11:16:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=15103"},"modified":"2013-11-27T11:21:27","modified_gmt":"2013-11-27T11:21:27","slug":"windows-cleaning-toolkit-removal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/windows-cleaning-toolkit-removal\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus (Removal Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Windows Cleaning Toolkit&#8221;<\/strong> is a computer virus, which masquerades as genuine security software, while actually reporting non-existent malware threats in order to scare the user into paying for this rogue security software.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15104\" title=\"Windows Cleaning Toolkit\" alt=\"[Image: Windows Cleaning Toolkit]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit.jpg\" width=\"966\" height=\"708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit.jpg 966w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-300x219.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 966px) 100vw, 966px\" \/><\/p><div id=\"mwtad975236714\" 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<div id=\"mwtad1645185210\" 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;\">What is Windows Cleaning Toolkit?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Windows Cleaning Toolkit is a rogue anti-virus program from the Rogue.FakeVimes family of computer infections. This program is classified as a rogue because it pretends to be an anti-virus program, but will instead displays bogus scan results, report non-existing computer infections, and does not allow you to run your normal applications.<br \/>\nIn this case, not only is Windows Cleaning Toolkit going to disrupt your system, it&#8217;s going to try and trick you into making a purchase using your credit card.<br \/>\nWindows Cleaning Toolkit appears in the form of a fake Windows warning on your computer system that reads you have a specific number of viruses on your computer (usually in the hundreds) and that this software has detected those viruses. To get rid of them you must purchase the full-version of Windows Cleaning Toolkit. It&#8217;s important to remember that by purchasing the &#8220;claimed full version to remove the viruses&#8221; 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.<\/p>\n<p>To protect itself from being removed, Windows Cleaning Toolkit will also terminate any application you try to run on your computer. It does this to protect itself from being removed by legitimate security programs and to scare you into thinking your programs are infected. When this infection terminates a program it will display a message similar to the following:<\/p><div id=\"mwtad566173546\" 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>Firewall has blocked a program from accessing the Internet<br \/>\nc:\\windows\\system32\\taskmanger.exe<br \/>\nis suspected to have infected your PC.<br \/>\nThis type of virus intercepts entered data and transmits them<br \/>\nto a remote server.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div id=\"mwtad3047569221\" 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><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">How did Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus got on my computer?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Windows Cleaning Toolkit is distributed through several means. Malicious websites, or legitimate websites that have been hacked, can infect your machine through exploit kits that use vulnerabilities on your computer to install this rogue antivirus without your permission.<br \/>\nAnother method used to propagate Windows Cleaning Toolkit is spam email containing infected attachments or links to malicious websites. Cyber-criminals spam out an email, with forged header information, tricking you into believing that it is from a shipping company like DHL or FedEx. The email tells you that they tried to deliver a package to you, but failed for some reason. Sometimes the emails claim to be notifications of a shipment you have made. Either way, you can\u2019t resist being curious as to what the email is referring to \u2013 and open the attached file (or click on a link embedded inside the email). And with that, your computer is infected with the Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus.<br \/>\nThe threat may also be downloaded manually by tricking the user into thinking they are installing a useful piece of software, for instance a bogus update for Adobe Flash Player or another piece of software.<br \/>\nThe Windows Cleaning Toolkit infection is also prevalent on peer-to-peer file sharing websites and is often packaged with pirated or illegally acquired software.<\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad2653218846\" 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><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Am I infected with Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some examples of the interface, fake alerts, fake scanning results, and pop-ups displayed by Windows Cleaning Toolkit are shown below:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15107\" title=\"Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus\" alt=\"[Image: Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-virus.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-virus.jpg 608w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-virus-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 608px) 100vw, 608px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15105\" title=\"Windows Cleaning Toolkit malware\" alt=\"[Image: Windows Cleaning Toolkit malware]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-malware.jpg\" width=\"957\" height=\"705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-malware.jpg 957w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-malware-300x221.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 957px) 100vw, 957px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15106\" title=\"Windows Cleaning Toolkit rogue antivirus\" alt=\"[Image: Windows Cleaning Toolkit rogue antivirus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-rogue.jpg\" width=\"841\" height=\"648\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-rogue.jpg 841w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Windows-Cleaning-Toolkit-rogue-300x231.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 841px) 100vw, 841px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad1601534860\" 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><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">How to remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus (Removal Guide)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the Windows Cleaning Toolkit 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. Please keep in mind that to perform this removal guide, you will need a clean (non-infected) computer and a CD or USB stick.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2638168973\" 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><a href=\"#safemode\"><strong>STEP 1<\/strong>: Start your computer in Safe Mode with Command Prompt<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#registry\"><strong>STEP 2<\/strong>: Fix your Windows Registry to remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#malwarebytes\"><strong>STEP 3<\/strong>: Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#roguekiller\"><strong>STEP 4<\/strong>: Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit rootkit with RogueKiller<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#hitmanpro\"><strong>STEP 5<\/strong>: \u00a0Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit infection with HitmanPro<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad2277485325\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381388-ad_309691-placement_381390\" 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=\"3191649120\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"safemode\">STEP 1 : Start your computer in Safe Mode with Command Prompt<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then <strong>restart your computer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>When the computer starts you will see your computer&#8217;s hardware being listed. When you see this information start to gently tap the <strong>F8 key<\/strong> repeatedly until you are presented with the Windows XP, Vista or 7 <strong>Advanced Boot Options<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9101\" title=\"Windows F8 key\" alt=\"[Image: F8 key]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/F8-key.jpg.png\" width=\"410\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/F8-key.jpg.png 410w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/F8-key.jpg-300x152.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><br \/>\nIf you are using Windows 8, press the <strong>Windows key + C<\/strong>, and then click <strong>Settings<\/strong>. Click <strong>Power<\/strong>, <strong>hold down Shift<\/strong> on your keyboard and click <strong>Restart<\/strong>, then click on <strong>Troubleshoot<\/strong> and select <strong>Advanced options<\/strong>. In the <strong>Advanced Options<\/strong> screen, select <strong>Startup Settings<\/strong>, then click on <strong>Restart<\/strong>. Alternatively, you can read this guide to <a title=\"Start Windows 8 in Safe Mode with Networking\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/windows-8-safe-mode-with-networking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">start Windows 8 in Safe Mode with Networking<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>If you are using Windows XP, Vista or 7 in the <em>Advanced Boot Options<\/em> screen, use the arrow keys to highlight <strong>Safe Mode with Command Prompt<\/strong> , and then <strong>press ENTER<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9086\" title=\"Advanced Boot Options screen\" alt=\"[Image: Starting computer in Safe Mode with Command Prompt]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Safe-Mode-with-Command-Prompt.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Safe-Mode-with-Command-Prompt.jpg 600w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Safe-Mode-with-Command-Prompt-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><br \/>\nIf you are using <strong>Windows 8<\/strong>, <strong>press 6<\/strong> on your keyboard to <strong>Enable Safe Mode with Command Prompt<\/strong>.<br \/>\nWindows will start in Safe Mode with Networking.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad3459470505\" class=\"gas_fallback-ad_381392-ad_309691-placement_381395\" 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=\"2944237110\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 id=\"registry\">STEP 2: Fix your Windows Registry to remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit<\/h2>\n<p>Windows Cleaning Toolkit has hijacked your Windows Registry to start automatically before your Windows desktop is shown, which makes your computer unusable until the infection is removed.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Using a clean (non-infected) computer download onto a CD or USB stick the below program to fix your Windows Registry:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/attachment.php?aid=6377\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>REGFIX DOWNLOAD LINK<\/strong><\/a><em>(This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download the registry fix for the Windows Cleaning Toolkit infection)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>While your computer is in Safe Mode with Command Prompt, the Command Prompt allows you to type commands and then press Enter on your keyboard to execute them.<br \/>\nIn this Command Prompt window, please type <strong>explorer.exe<\/strong> and then press <strong>Enter<\/strong> on your keyboard.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15108\" title=\"Type explorer.exe in Command Prompt\" alt=\"[Image: Type explorer.exe in Command Prompt]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/explorer-exe-safe-mode-command-prompt.jpg\" width=\"830\" height=\"632\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/explorer-exe-safe-mode-command-prompt.jpg 830w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/explorer-exe-safe-mode-command-prompt-300x228.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>The Windows desktop will now appear. When the desktop appears you can then close the Command Prompt window by clicking on the X.<\/li>\n<li>Now insert your CD or USB drive and open up the drive letter associated with your inserted media. You can access this drive letter by opening the Computer icon on your desktop or from the Start Menu. Once the drive letter is open, double-click on the <strong>RegFix.reg<\/strong> and allow the data to be merged when you are prompted. Once the data has been merged, you can press the OK button and remove the removable media from your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15112\" title=\"Run RegFix.reg in Safe Mode with Networking\" alt=\"[Image: Run RegFix.reg in Safe Mode with Networking]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/registry-fix.jpg\" width=\"837\" height=\"622\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/registry-fix.jpg 837w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/registry-fix-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 837px) 100vw, 837px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Please reboot your computer into the normal Windows mode and login as the infected user. When you are back at your normal Windows desktop please continue with the next step.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"malwarebytes\">STEP 3: Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FREE<\/h2>\n<p>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free is a powerful on-demand scanner which will remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit malicious files from your computer.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad1974895280\" 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>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 Windows Cleaning Toolkit 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 Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6077\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for Windows Cleaning Toolkit\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for Windows Cleaning Toolkit\" 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 Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malwar removing Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus]\" 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 in Windows regular mode, open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform a <strong>Full System<\/strong> scan to verify that there are no remaining threats.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"roguekiller\">STEP 4: Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit rootkit with RogueKiller<\/h2>\n<p>RogueKiller is a utility that will scan for the Windows Cleaning Toolkit rootkit, registry keys and any other malicious files on your computer.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>You can download the latest official version of <strong>RogueKiller<\/strong> from the below link.<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sur-la-toile.com\/RogueKiller\/RogueKiller.exe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ROGUEKILLER DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong> <em>(This link will automatically download RogueKiller on your computer)<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Double click on RogueKiller.exe<\/strong> to start this utility and then <strong>wait for the Prescan to complete<\/strong>.This should take only a few seconds, \u00a0then click on the Scan button to perform a system scan.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6560\" title=\"Click on the Start button to perform a system scan\" alt=\"[Image: RogueKiller scaning for Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/roguekiller-scan.jpg\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/roguekiller-scan.jpg 520w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/roguekiller-scan-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>After the scan has completed, <strong>press the Delete button<\/strong> to remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit malicious registry keys or files.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6559\" title=\"Press Delete to remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit\" alt=\"[Image: RogueKiller Detele button]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/roguekiller-delete.jpg\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/roguekiller-delete.jpg 520w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/roguekiller-delete-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"hitmanpro\">STEP 5: Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit infection with HitmanPro<\/h2>\n<p>HitmanPro is a second opinion scanner, designed to rescue your computer from malware (viruses, trojans, rootkits, etc.) that have infected your computer despite all the security measures you have taken (such as anti virus software, firewalls, etc.).<\/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 Windows Cleaning Toolkit trojan.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5177\" title=\"HitmanPro scanning for Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus\" alt=\"HitmanPro detecting for Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus\" 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 Windows Cleaning Toolkit 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<p>Your computer should now be free of the Windows Cleaning Toolkit infection. If your current anti-virus solution let this infection through, you may want to consider purchasing <strong>the PRO version of <a title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro\" href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/malwarebytes-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">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 Windows Cleaning Toolkit 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=\"mwtad3445864934\" 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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Windows Cleaning Toolkit&#8221; is a computer virus, which masquerades as genuine security software, while actually reporting non-existent malware threats in order to scare the user into paying for this rogue security software. What is Windows &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus (Removal Guide)\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/windows-cleaning-toolkit-removal\/#more-15103\" aria-label=\"Read more about Remove Windows Cleaning Toolkit virus (Removal Guide)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15107,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15103","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\/15103","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=15103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}