Remove XP Security Cleaner Pro (Removal Guide)

“XP Security Cleaner Pro” is a computer virus, which pretends to be a legitimate antivirus program and claims that malware has been detected on your computer, then it will state that you need to pay money to register the software to remove these non-existent threats.

XP Security Cleaner Pro is distributed through hacked or infected websites, which will prompt you with a fake pop-up window indicate that your computer is infected or your computer requires a software update. Alternatively, your computer may be infected with “XP Security Cleaner Pro” from an infected email attachment or drive-by-downloads which will exploit a vulnerability in older versions of Java or Adobe software.
Once installed, “XP Security Cleaner Pro” will be drop a random file name in a random folder under C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\, in XP, or C:\ProgramData, in Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8. XP Security Cleaner Pro will then be configured to start automatically when you login to your computer.

XP Security Cleaner Pro will display fake security alerts that are designed to think that your data is at risk or that your computer is severely infected.These messages include:

System danger!
Your system security is in danger. Privacy threats detected. Spyware, keyloggers or Trojans may be working in the background right now. Perform an in-depth scan and removal now, click here.

System hijack!
System security threat was detected. Viruses and/or spyware may be damaging your system now. Prevent infection and data loss or stealing by running a free security scan.

Malware intrusion!
Sensitive areas of your system were found to be under attack. Spy software attack or virus infection possible. Prevent further damage or your private data will get stolen. Run an anit-spyware scan now. Click here to start.

As part of its self-defense mechanism, XP Security Cleaner Pro has disabled the Windows system utilities, including the Windows  Task Manager and Registry Editor, and will block you from running certain programs that could lead to its removal.
This rogue antivirus has modified your Windows files associations and now whenever you are trying to open or install a program, XP Security Cleaner Pro will block the program from starting, and instead will display a bogus notification in which it will report that the file is infected.

XP Security Cleaner Pro Firewall Alert
XP Security Cleaner Pro has blocked a program from accessing the internet
Internet Explorer is infected with Trojan-BNK.Win32.Keylogger.gen
Private data can be stolen by third parties, including credit card details and passwords.

If your computer is infected with XP Security Cleaner Pro virus, then you are seeing the following screens:

XP Security Cleaner Pro is a scam, and you should ignore any alerts that this malicious software might generate.
Under no circumstance should you buy XP Security Cleaner Pro as this could lead to identity theft, and if you have, you should contact your bank and dispute the charge stating that the program is a scam and a computer virus.
Registration codes for XP Security Cleaner Pro
As an optional step,you can use the following license key to register XP Security Cleaner Pro and stop the fake alerts.

XP Security Cleaner Pro REG Key:
9443-077673-5028
3425-814615-3990
2233-298080-3424
1147-175591-6550
Please keep in mind that entering the above registration code will NOT remove XP Security Cleaner Pro from your computer , instead it will just stop the fake alerts so that you’ll be able to complete our removal guide more easily.

XP Security Cleaner Pro – Virus Removal Guide

STEP 1 : Start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking

1. Remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from your computer, and then restart your computer.
2. Press and hold the F8 key as your computer restarts.Please keep in mind that you need to press the F8 key before the Windows start-up logo appears.
   Note: With some computers, if you press and hold a key as the computer is booting you will get a stuck key message. If this occurs, instead of pressing and holding the “F8 key”, tap the “F8 key” continuously until you get the Advanced Boot Options screen.
3. On the Advanced Boot Options screen, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Networking , and then press ENTER.
   

STEP 2: Run RKill to terminate the malicious processes associated with XP Security Cleaner Pro.

RKill is a program that will attempt to terminate all malicious processes associated with XP Security Cleaner Pro, so that we will be able to perform the next step without being interrupted by this malicious software.
Because this utility will only stop XP Security Cleaner Pro 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.

1. While your computer is in Safe Mode with Networking ,please download the latest official version of RKill.Please note that we will use a renamed version of RKILL so that XP Security Cleaner Pro won’t block this utility from running.
   RKILL DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will automatically download RKILL renamed as iExplore.exe)
2. Double click on iExplore.exe to start RKill and stop any processes associated with XP Security Cleaner Pro.
   
3. RKill will now start working in the background, please be patient while the program looks for various malware programs and tries to terminate them.
   
   IF you are having problems starting or running RKill, you can download any other renamed versions of RKill from here.
4. When Rkill has completed its task, it will generate a log. You can then proceed with the rest of the guide.
   

WARNING: Do not reboot your computer after running RKill as the malware process will start again , preventing you from properly performing the next step.

STEP 3: Remove XP Security Cleaner Pro malicious files with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FREE

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware is a powerful on-demand scanner which will remove XP Security Cleaner Pro malicious files from your computer.

1. You can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free from the below link,then double click on it to install this program.
   MALWAREBYTES ANTI-MALWARE DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a download page in a new window from where you can download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free)
2. When the installation begins, keep following the prompts in order to continue with the setup process.
   DO NOT make any changes to default settings and when the program has finished installing, make sure you leave both the Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware checked,then click on the Finish button.
   
3. On the Scanner tab,select Perform quick scan and then click on the Scan button to start scanning your computer.
   
4. Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware will now start scanning your computer for XP Security Cleaner Pro malicious files as shown below.
   
5. When the Malwarebytes scan will be completed,click on Show Result.
   
6. You will now be presented with a screen showing you the malware infections that Malwarebytes’ 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 Checked (ticked) and click on the Remove Selected button.
   
7. After your computer will restart in Normal mode, open Malwarebytes Anti-Malware and perform a Full System scan to verify that there are no remaining threats

STEP 4: Remove XP Security Cleaner Pro rootkit with HitmanPro

In some cases, XP Security Cleaner Pro will also install a rootkit on victims computer.To remove this rootkit we will use HitmanPro.

1. Download HitmanPro from the below link,then double click on it to start this program.
   HITMANPRO DOWNLOAD LINK (This link will open a new web page from where you can download HitmanPro)
   IF you are experiencing problems while trying to start HitmanPro, you can use the Force Breach mode.To start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode, hold down the left CTRL-key when you start HitmanPro and all non-essential processes are terminated, including the malware process. (How to start HitmanPro in Force Breach mode – Video)
2. HitmanPro will start and you’ll need to follow the prompts (by clicking on the Next button) to start a system scan with this program.
   
   
3. HitmanPro will start scanning your computer for XP Security Cleaner Pro malicious files as seen in the image below.
   
4. Once the scan is complete,you’ll see a screen which will display all the infected files that this utility has detected, and you’ll need to click on Next to remove this malicious files.
   
5. Click Activate free license to start the free 30 days trial and remove all the malicious files from your computer.
   

If you are still experiencing problems while trying to remove XP Security Cleaner Pro from your machine, please start a new thread in our Malware Removal Assistance forum.