{"id":2640,"date":"2012-03-12T17:04:33","date_gmt":"2012-03-12T17:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/?p=2640"},"modified":"2012-03-12T17:04:33","modified_gmt":"2012-03-12T17:04:33","slug":"remove-shield-protector-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/remove-shield-protector-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Remove Shield Protector 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Shield Protector 2012<\/strong> is a rogue security software that will display fake alerts, claiming malware has been detected on your computer.This security alerts are professional looking pop-ups and when you click on them, you&#8217;re advised to buy Shield Protector 2012 in order to remove the reported threats.<br \/>\nIn reality, none of the issues are real, and are only used to scare you into buying Shield Protector 2012 and stealing your personal financial information.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2642833515\" 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>We strongly advise you to follow our Shield Protector 2012 removal guide and ignore any alerts that this malicious software might generate.Under no circumstance should you buy this rogue security software as this could lead to identity theft.<\/p>\n<h1>Removal guide for Shield Protector 2012<\/h1>\n<div id=\"mwtad1361565588\" 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>STEP 1 : Start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking<\/h2>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then <strong>restart your computer<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts<\/strong>.You need to press F8 before the Windows logo appears. If the Windows logo appears, you will need to try again by waiting until the Windows logon prompt appears, and then shutting down and restarting your computer.<\/li>\n<li>On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to <strong>highlight Safe Mode with Networking<\/strong> , and then <strong>press ENTER<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/safemode.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: Safemode.jpg]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li><strong>Log on to your computer<\/strong> with a user account that has administrator rights.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div id=\"mwtad3746751643\" 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>STEP 2 : Download our registry fix to repair your Windows Registry from Shield Protector 2012 malicious changes.<\/h2>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>Download\u00a0the <em>registryfix.reg<\/em>file to fix the malicious registry changes from Shield Protector 2012.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/attachtypes\/html.gif\" alt=\".reg\" border=\"0\" title=\"\">\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/attachment.php?aid=1000\" target=\"_blank\">registryfix.reg<\/a>\u00a0(Size: 1.18 KB)<\/li>\n<li>Double-click\u00a0on\u00a0registryfix.reg\u00a0file to run it. <strong>Click\u00a0&#8220;Yes&#8221;<\/strong>\u00a0for Registry Editor prompt window,then <strong>click\u00a0OK<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/registry.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 -registry.png]\" border=\"0\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div id=\"mwtad145615520\" 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>STEP 3: Remove Shield Protector 2012 malicious proxy server<\/h2>\n<p>Shield Protector 2012 may add a proxy server which prevents the user from accessing the internet,follow the below instructions to remove the proxy.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad2393739182\" 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<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>Start Internet Explorer.\n<ul>\n<li>For Internet Explorer 9 : Click on the <strong>gear icon<\/strong> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/icongear.jpg\" alt=\"[Image: icongear.png]\" title=\"\"> at the top (far right) and click again on <strong>Internet Options<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>For Internet Explorer 8 : Click on <strong>Tools<\/strong>, select <strong>Internet Options<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/ie1.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 -ie1]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>Go to the tab <strong>Connections<\/strong>.At the bottom, click on <strong>LAN settings<\/strong>.<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/ie2.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 -ie2]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>Uncheck the option <strong>Use a proxy server for your LAN<\/strong>. This should remove the malicious proxy server and allow you to use the internet again.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/ie3.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 -ie3]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you are a Firefox users, go to <em>Firefox(upper left corner) \u2192 Options \u2192 Advanced tab \u2192 Network \u2192 Settings<\/em> \u2192 Select <em>No Proxy<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad3948495728\" 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>STEP 4: Run <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/download\/anti-virus\/rkill\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">RKill<\/a> to terminate known malware processes associated with Shield Protector 2012.<\/h2>\n<p>RKill is a program that attempts to terminate any malicious processes associated with Shield Protector 2012 ,so that your normal security software can then run and clean your computer of infections.<\/p>\n<p>As RKill only terminates a program&#8217;s running process, and does not delete any files, after running it you should not reboot your computer as any malware processes that are configured to start automatically will just be started again.<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>While your computer is in <em>Safe Mode with Networking<\/em> ,please <strong>download the latest official version of RKill.<\/strong><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/download.bleepingcomputer.com\/grinler\/iExplore.exe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/downloadnow.gif\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Double-click on the RKill icon<\/strong>in order to automatically attempt to stop any processes associated with Shield Protector 2012 2012.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/rkill1.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012rkill1.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>RKill will now start working in the background, please be patient while the program looks for various malware programs and tries to terminate them.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/rkill2.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 rkill2]\" title=\"\"><\/p><div id=\"mwtad643465102\" 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<ul>\n<li>If you receive a message that RKill is an infection, that is a fake warning given by the rogue. As a possible solution we advise you to leave the warning on the screen and then try to run RKill again.Run RKill until the fake program is not visible but not more than ten times.<\/li>\n<li>If you continue having problems running RKill, you can download the other renamed versions of RKill from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bleepingcomputer.com\/download\/anti-virus\/rkill\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>When Rkill has completed its task, it will <strong>generate a log<\/strong>. You can then <strong>proceed with the rest of the guide<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/rkill3.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 rkill3.jpg]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>WARNING: Do not reboot your computer after running RKill as the malware process will start again , preventing you from properly performing the next step.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"mwtad3049788438\" 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>STEP 5: Remove Shield Protector 2012 malicious files with <a href=\"https:\/\/store.malwarebytes.org\/342\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http%3a%2f%2fwww.malwarebytes.org%2fproducts%2fmalwarebytes_free\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FREE<\/a><\/h2>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>Please <strong>download the latest official version of <a href=\"https:\/\/store.malwarebytes.org\/342\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http%3a%2f%2fwww.malwarebytes.org%2fproducts%2fmalwarebytes_free\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FREE<\/a><\/strong>.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/store.malwarebytes.org\/342\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http%3a%2f%2fwww.malwarebytes.org%2fproducts%2fmalwarebytes_free\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/downloadnow.gif\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Install Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware by <strong>double clicking on mbam-setup<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam1.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 mbam1.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>When the installation begins, <strong>keep following the prompts<\/strong> in order to continue with the installation process. <strong>Do not make any changes to default settings<\/strong> and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the <strong>Update Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware<\/strong> and <strong>Launch Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware<\/strong> checked. Then click on the <strong>Finish<\/strong>button. If Malwarebytes&#8217; prompts you to reboot, please do not do so.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam2.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 mbam2.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes Anti-Malware will now start and you&#8217;ll be prompted to start a trial period , please select &#8216;<strong>Decline<\/strong>&#8216; as we just want to use the on-demand scanner.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam3.PNG\" alt=\"[Image: mbam3.PNG]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>On the <strong>Scanner<\/strong> tab,please select <strong>Perform full scan<\/strong> and then click on the <strong>Scan<\/strong>button to start scanning your computer for any possible infections.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam4.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 mbam4.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for Shield Protector 2012 malicious files as shown below.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam5.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 mbam5.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>When the scan is finished a message box will appear, click <strong>OK<\/strong>to continue.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam9.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 mbam9.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware has detected.Please note that the infections found may be different than what is shown in the image.Make sure that everything is <strong>Checked (ticked)<\/strong> and click on <strong>Remove Selected<\/strong>button.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam6.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 mbam6.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>Malwarebytes&#8217; Anti-Malware will now start removing the malicious files.If during the removal process Malwarebytes will display a message stating that it needs to reboot, please <strong>allow<\/strong>this request.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/mbam10.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 mbam10.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div id=\"mwtad1384016827\" 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>STEP 6: Double check your system for any left over infections with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverbridge.com\/747\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http:\/\/www.surfright.com\/downloads\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">HitmanPro<\/a><\/h2>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li>This step can be performed in Normal Mode ,so please <strong>download the latest official version of HitmanPro<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverbridge.com\/747\/cookie?affiliate=17877&amp;redirectto=http:\/\/www.surfright.com\/downloads\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/downloadnow.gif\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Start HitmanPro by <strong>double clicking on the previously downloaded file.<\/strong><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/hpro1.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 hitmanproscan1.png]\" title=\"\"><br \/>\nNOTE : If you have problems starting HitmanPro, use the &#8220;<em>Force Breach<\/em>&#8221; mode. Hold down the left CTRL-key when you start HitmanPro and all non-essential processes are terminated, including the malware process. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=m6eRWTv2STk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">How to start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode &#8211; video<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>Click on <strong>Next<\/strong>to start a scan for malicious software.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/hpro2.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 hitmanproscan2.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>The setup screen is displayed, from which you can decide whether you wish to install HitmanPro on your machine or just perform a one-time scan, select a option then click on <strong>Next<\/strong>to start a system scan.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/hpro3.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 hitmanproscan3.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will start scanning your system for malicious files. Depending on the size of your hard drive, and the performance of your computer, this step will take several minutes.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/hpro4.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 hitmanproscan4.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>Once the scan is complete,a screen displaying all the malicious files that the program found will be shown as seen in the image below.After reviewing each malicious object click <strong>Next<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/rsz_hpro5.png\" alt=\"[Image: hitmanproscan5.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Activate free license<\/strong>to start the free 30 days trial and remove the malicious files.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/hpro6.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 hitmanproscan6.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<li>HitmanPro will now start removing the infected objects, and in some instances, may suggest a reboot in order to completely remove the malware from your system. In this scenario, always confirm the reboot action to be on the safe side.<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/hpro7.png\" alt=\"[Image: Shield Protector 2012 hitmanproscan7.png]\" title=\"\"><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>STEP 7: Remove the residual damage from Shield Protector 2012<\/h2>\n<p>Shield Protector 2012 may also modify your HOSTS file default settings, which can cause browser redirects or errors while trying to access antivirus and security websites.<\/p>\n<p>To protect itself, Shield Protector 2012 has changed the permissions of the HOSTS file so you can&#8217;t edit or delete it.<\/p><div id=\"mwtad1099388244\" 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 type=\"1\">\n<li>Please <strong>download the following batch file<\/strong>to revert your HOSTS file permissions:<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/attachtypes\/html.gif\" alt=\".bat\" title=\"\"> <a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/hostfix.bat\" target=\"_blank\">hostfix.bat<\/a> (Size: 134 bytes)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Click on hostfix.bat<\/strong> and allow this file to run.Once it starts you will see a small black window that opens and then quickly goes away, then you should be able access your HOSTS file.<\/li>\n<li>Please <strong>download and run the below file from Microsoft<\/strong> to revert your host file to its original settings.Please note that if you have added custom entries to your HOSTS file then you will need to add them again after restoring the default HOSTS file.<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/go.microsoft.com\/?linkid=9668866\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/malwaretips.com\/images\/removalguide\/downloadnow.gif\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove Shield Protector 2012 from your machine, please start a new thread in our <a href=\"http:\/\/malwaretips.com\/Forum-Malware-Removal-Assistance-and-Help\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Malware Removal Assistance<\/a> forum.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Follow our Shield Protector 2012 removal guide and get rid of this PC infection.<br \/>\nRemove Shield Protector 2012 virus with our free help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-scam-reports","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640","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=2640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2640\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malwaretips.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}