{"id":15487,"date":"2013-12-10T18:29:49","date_gmt":"2013-12-10T18:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=15487"},"modified":"2013-12-17T15:59:16","modified_gmt":"2013-12-17T15:59:16","slug":"smart-guard-protection-removal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/smart-guard-protection-removal\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Easy Ways to Remove &#8220;Smart Guard Protection&#8221; virus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Smart Guard Protection<\/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-15491\" title=\"Smart Guard Protection virus\" alt=\"[Image: Smart Guard Protection virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-virus.jpg\" width=\"802\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-virus.jpg 802w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-virus-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px\" \/><\/p><div id=\"mwtad1530690387\" 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=\"mwtad2787973867\" 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 Smart Guard Protection?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Smart Guard Protection is a rogue anti-virus program from the Rogue.WinWebSec 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 Smart Guard Protection going to disrupt your system, it&#8217;s going to try and trick you into making a purchase using your credit card.<br \/>\nSmart Guard Protection 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 Smart Guard Protection. 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<div id=\"mwtad3328402860\" 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 Smart Guard Protection got on my computer?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Smart Guard Protection 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 Smart Guard Protection 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 Smart Guard Protection 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 Smart Guard Protection infection is also prevalent on peer-to-peer file sharing websites and is often packaged with pirated or illegally acquired software.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2548255544\" 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<div id=\"mwtad4265201582\" 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 Smart Guard Protection virus?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some examples of the interface, fake alerts, fake scanning results, and pop-ups displayed by Smart Guard Protection are shown below:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15488\" title=\"Smart Guard Protection Malware Security Suite\" alt=\"[Image: Smart Guard Protection Malware Security Suite]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection.jpg\" width=\"802\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection.jpg 802w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15489\" title=\"Smart Guard Protection Firewall Alert\" alt=\"[Image: Smart Guard Protection Firewall Alert]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-Firewall-alert.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-Firewall-alert.jpg 450w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-Firewall-alert-300x233.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad2993161297\" 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;\">Activation codes for Smart Guard Protection<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As an optional step,you can use any of the following license keys to register Smart Guard Protection and stop the fake alerts.<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: green; font-size: 20px;\">Smart Guard Protection Activation code:\u00a0<strong>AA39754E-715219CE<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\nPlease keep in mind that entering the above registration code will <strong>NOT<\/strong> remove Smart Guard Protection from your computer , instead it will just stop the fake alerts so that you&#8217;ll be able to complete our removal guide more easily.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div id=\"mwtad1037001851\" 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><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Activation codes for Smart Guard Protection<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As an optional step,you can use any of the following license keys to register Smart Guard Protection and stop the fake alerts.<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: green; font-size: 20px;\">Smart Guard Protection Activation code:\u00a0<strong>AA39754E-715219CE<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\nPlease keep in mind that entering the above registration code will <strong>NOT<\/strong> remove Smart Guard Protection from your computer , instead it will just stop the fake alerts so that you&#8217;ll be able to complete our removal guide more easily.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad3892533402\" 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<div id=\"mwtad1667608691\" 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><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">How to remove Smart Guard Protection virus (Removal Guide)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This page is a comprehensive guide, which will remove the Smart Guard Protection 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. To remove the Smart Guard Protection infection, we can use any of the below methods:<br \/>\n<a href=\"#scans\"><strong>OPTION 1<\/strong>: Remove Smart Guard Protection virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Mawlare Free and HitmanPro<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#manual\"><strong>OPTION 2<\/strong>: Manually remove Smart Guard Protection virus from your computer<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#system-restore\"><strong>OPTION 3<\/strong>: Remove Smart Guard Protection virus with Windows System Restore<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"scans\">OPTION 1: Remove Smart Guard Protection virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Mawlare Free and HitmanPro<\/h2>\n<h3>STEP 1: Remove Smart Guard Protection virus with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FREE<\/h3>\n<p>The Malwarebytes Chameleon utility will allow us to install and run a scan with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free without being blocked by Smart Guard Protection virus.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Right click on the Internet Explorer icon<\/strong>, and select <strong>Run As<\/strong> or <strong>Run as Administrator<\/strong>. This should allow your browser to open so that we can then download Malwarebytes Chameleon.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7578\" title=\"Right click on your Web Browser icon and click on Run As Administrator\" alt=\"[Image: Starting web browse on infected computer]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/open-web-browser.jpg\" width=\"264\" height=\"172\" \/><br \/>\nIf you&#8217;ll see a &#8220;<em>Warning! The site you are trying visit may harm your computer!<\/em>&#8221; message in your web browser window, you can safely click on the <strong><em>Ignore warnings and visit that site in the current state (not recommended)<\/em><\/strong> link, because this a bogus alert from Smart Guard Protection.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15490\" title=\"mart Guard Protection Warning\" alt=\"[Image: mart Guard Protection Warning]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-hijack.jpg\" width=\"807\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-hijack.jpg 807w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/smart-guard-protection-hijack-300x187.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>You can download <strong>Malwarebytes Chameleon<\/strong>\u00a0from\u00a0the below link, and <strong>extract it<\/strong> to a folder in a convenient location.<br \/>\n<strong><a title=\"Download Malwarebytes Chameleon\" href=\"https:\/\/store.malwarebytes.org\/342\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http%3a%2f%2fwww.malwarebytes.org%2fproducts%2fchameleon%2f&amp;redirecthash=395481034C2C490CC5E8608F1732B639&amp;product=29945\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MALWAREBYTES CHAMELEON DOWNLOAD LINK<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 <em>(This link will open a new web page from where you can download Malwarebytes Chameleon)<\/em><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6601\" title=\"Extract Malwarebytes Chameleon utility\" alt=\"[Image: Extract Malwarebytes Chameleon utility]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/malwarebytes-chameleon-zip.jpg\" width=\"374\" height=\"152\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/malwarebytes-chameleon-zip.jpg 374w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/malwarebytes-chameleon-zip-300x121.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 374px) 100vw, 374px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Make certain that your infected computer is connected to the internet and then open the Malwarebytes Chameleon folder, and double-click on the <em>svchost.exe<\/em> file.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6600\" title=\"Double click  on svchost.exe\" alt=\"[Image: Double click  on svchost.exe]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/malwarebytes-chameleon-svchost.jpg\" width=\"662\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/malwarebytes-chameleon-svchost.jpg 662w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/malwarebytes-chameleon-svchost-300x122.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 662px) 100vw, 662px\" \/><br \/>\n<strong>IF<\/strong>\u00a0Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will not start, double-click on the other renamed files until you find one will work, which <em>will be indicated by a black DOS\/command prompt window<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Follow the onscreen instructions<\/strong> to press a key to continue and Chameleon will proceed to download and install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware for you.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4975\" title=\"Press any key to start Malwarebytes Chameleon \" alt=\"Malwarebytes Chameleon press key\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon.jpg\" width=\"452\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon.jpg 452w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon-300x139.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Once it has done this, it will update Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, and you&#8217;ll need to click\u00a0<strong>OK<\/strong>\u00a0when it says that the database was updated successfully.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4977\" title=\"Malwarebytes Chameleon updating database\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Chameleon updating its database\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon-update.jpg\" width=\"762\" height=\"401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon-update.jpg 762w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon-update-300x157.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 762px) 100vw, 762px\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now attempt to kill all the malicious process<\/strong> associated with Smart Guard Protection.Please keep in mind that this process can take up to 10 minutes, so please be patient.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-4976\" title=\"Malwarebytes Chameleon killing malicious processes\" alt=\"Malwarebytes Chameleon killing malware\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon-killing-malware.jpg\" width=\"474\" height=\"206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon-killing-malware.jpg 474w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/malwarebytes-chameleon-killing-malware-300x130.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Next, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will automatically open and <strong>perform a Quick scan<\/strong> for Smart Guard Protection malicious files as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6077\" title=\"Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for Smart Guard Protection\" alt=\"[Image: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware scanning for Smart Guard Protection]\" 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>Upon completion of the scan, click on\u00a0<strong>Show Result<\/strong><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 malware infections that Malwarebytes Anti-Malware has detected.<br \/>\nMake sure that everything is <strong>Checked (ticked)<\/strong>,then\u00a0click on the <strong>Remove Selected <\/strong> button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6079\" title=\"Click on Remove Selected to get rid of Smart Guard Protection\" alt=\"[Image:Malwarebytes removing 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>After your computer will start in Windows regular mode, open\u00a0<strong>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware<\/strong>\u00a0and <strong>perform a Full System scan<\/strong> to verify that there are no remaining threats<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>STEP 2: Remove Smart Guard Protection infection with HitmanPro<\/h3>\n<p>Some variants of the Smart Guard Protection virus will install on victims computers a ZeroAccess rootkit. To remove this nasty piece of malware, we will perform a system scan with HitmanPro.<br \/>\nHitmanPro 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><div id=\"mwtad860363227\" 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 HitmanPro<\/strong> from the below link:<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/download-hitman-pro\" 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 \/>\nWhen HitmanPro will start, click on the <strong>Next<\/strong> button, to install this program on your computer.<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\" \/><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will now begin to scan your computer for Smart Guard Protection trojan.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5177\" title=\"HitmanPro scanning for Smart Guard Protection virus\" alt=\"HitmanPro detecting for Smart Guard Protection 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 Smart Guard Protection 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<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"code\">OPTION 2: Manually remove Smart Guard Protection virus from your computer<\/h2>\n<p>When Smart Guard Protection has infected a computer, it will drop it&#8217;s malicious files in the C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\<strong>random folder<\/strong>\u00a0(Windows XP) or C:\\ProgramData\\<strong>random folder<\/strong> (Windows Vista, 7 or 8) folder, and add on your desktop a Smart Guard Protection.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 <em>C:\\ProgramData\\<\/em> path is hidden by default, we will need to enable the <strong>Show hidden files and folders<\/strong> option.<\/p>\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 malicious folder to disable Smart Guard Protection virus<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Right click on the Smart Guard Protection icon on your desktop, click <strong>Properties<\/strong> in the drop-down menu, then click the Shortcut tab. In the <strong>Target<\/strong> box there is a path to the Smart Guard Protection malicious file.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11391\" title=\"Smart Guard Protection malicious files path\" alt=\"[Image: Smart Guard Protection malicious files path]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/malicious-path-to-malware.jpg\" width=\"349\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/malicious-path-to-malware.jpg 349w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/malicious-path-to-malware-300x266.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 349px) 100vw, 349px\" \/><\/li>\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>Smart Guard Protection<\/strong> malicious folder. In our case it was named <strong>hVma7xi<\/strong>, however its name is randomly generated, so you might have a different name.<\/li>\n<li>Right click on the <strong>hvma7xi<\/strong>\u00a0folder, and select <strong>Rename<\/strong> from the context menu.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11392\" title=\"Rename the Smart Guard Protection malicious folder\" alt=\"[Image: Rename the Smart Guard Protection malicious folder]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/rename-malicious-folder.jpg\" width=\"450\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/rename-malicious-folder.jpg 450w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/rename-malicious-folder-300x275.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>Add a unique variation to the folder name, such as <em>_old<\/em> (for example, <strong>hvma7xi_old<\/strong>) or something random.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11390\" title=\"Smart Guard Protection malicious folder renamed\" alt=\"[Image: Rename the Smart Guard Protection disabled]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/folder-renamed1.jpg\" width=\"280\" height=\"43\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Restart your computer<\/strong>, then perform a system 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-hitman-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>HitmanPro<\/strong><\/a> to remove Smart Guard Protection malicious files from your computer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h2 id=\"system-restore\">OPTION 3: Remove Smart Guard Protection virus with System Restore<\/h2>\n<p>System Restore helps you restore your computer&#8217;s system files to an earlier point in time. It&#8217;s a way to undo system changes to your computer without affecting your personal files, such as e\u2011mail, documents, or photos.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2699653336\" 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>Reboot your computer into Safe Mode with Command Prompt. To do this, turn your computer off and then back on and immediately when you see anything on the screen, start tapping the <strong>F8 key<\/strong> on your keyboard.<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 <em>Windows 8<\/em>, the trick is to hold the <strong>Shift button<\/strong> and <strong>gently tap the F8 key repeatedly<\/strong>, this will sometimes boot you into the new advanced \u201crecovery mode\u201d, where you can choose to see advanced repair options. On the next screen, you will need to click on the <strong>Troubleshoot<\/strong> option, then select <strong>Advanced Options<\/strong> and select <strong>Windows\u00a0Start-up\u00a0Settings<\/strong>. Click on the Restart button, and you should now be able to see the <strong>Advanced Boot Options<\/strong> screen.<\/li>\n<li>Using the arrow keys on your keyboard, select <strong>Safe Mode with Command Prompt<\/strong> and press <strong>Enter<\/strong> on your keyboard.<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\" \/><\/li>\n<li>At the command prompt, type <strong>rstrui.exe<\/strong>, and then press <strong>ENTER<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9085\" title=\"rstrui.exe command in Safe Mode with Command Prompt\" alt=\"[Image: Start System Restore to remove Smart Guard Protection virus]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/system-restore-command.jpg\" width=\"668\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/system-restore-command.jpg 668w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/system-restore-command-300x148.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" \/><br \/>\nAlternatively, if you are using Windows Vista, 7 and 8, you can type: <em><strong>C:\\windows\\system32\\rstrui.exe<\/strong><\/em> , and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>. And if you are a Windows XP user, type <em>C:\\windows\\system32\\restore\\rstrui.exe<\/em>, then press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>System Restore should start, and you will display also a list of restore points. Try using a restore point created just before the date and time the Smart Guard Protection virus has infected your computer.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9084\" title=\"Restore your computer's system files to an earlier point in time\" alt=\"[Image: Restore settings to remove ransomware]\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/system-restore.jpg\" width=\"570\" height=\"452\" srcset=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/system-restore.jpg 570w, https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/system-restore-300x237.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>When System Restore has completed its task, start your computer in Windows regular mode, and perform a 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-hitman-pro\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>HitmanPro<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Your computer should now be free of the Smart Guard Protection 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 Smart Guard Protection 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>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Smart Guard Protection 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 Smart &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"3 Easy Ways to Remove &#8220;Smart Guard Protection&#8221; virus\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/smart-guard-protection-removal\/#more-15487\" aria-label=\"Read more about 3 Easy Ways to Remove &#8220;Smart Guard Protection&#8221; virus\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15491,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15487","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\/15487","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=15487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}