OneSafe PC Cleaner is promoted as a cleaner and optimizer for Windows computers that provides you with a simple and practical way to clean your computer. In reality, OneSafe PC Cleaner is recognized as malware and a potentially unwanted program (PUP) by multiple Antivirus engines including Comodo, DrWeb, ESET, Cyren, Emsisoft, and Malwarebytes.
The executable file used to install the program named OneSafe_PC_Cleaner_z.exe (or other) has a low community score and is detected as Malware@#3911jxsys58t by Comodo, Program.Unwanted.2450 by DrWeb, a variant of Win32/Avanquest.A potentially unwanted by ESET-NOD32, W32/GenPua.EB8FD567!Olympus by Cyren, Application.OptInstall (A) by Emsisoft, and PUP.Optional.OneSafePCCleaner by Malwarebytes. The VirusTotal report can be viewed here.
When OneSafe PC Cleaner is installed and a scan is performed it will analyze your computer for registry junk, internet junk, chat files, system junk, invalid shortcuts, and more. The program will even check if your computer has an active Antivirus program installed and firewall protection. The scan will always return with results that say a large number of items are available for cleaning and that you can free a certain amount of space. However, in order to clean and optimize your computer, you need to register OneSafe PC Cleaner for a price.
To make matters worse, before they tell you the price of the program, they ask you for your full name and email address. If you provide your name and email address you can expect to receive a large amount of spam email messages and have your contact information added to several marketing lists or shared with third parties.
There are several reasons why OneSafe PC Cleaner is recognized as malware or a potentially malicious program, here are a few:
Unethical or deceptive marketing practices
OneSafe PC Cleaner utilizes unethical or deceptive marketing practices to obtain users and customers. For example, the program is promoted as a free tool that can help you boost your PC even though the program is not actually free to use.
The program also employs the use of malicious advertising networks that promote malware and show advertisements on websites that may host malware.\
Misleading scans
OneSafe PC Cleaner performs misleading scans to persuade users to register the program. The scan results will indicate that a large number of items are found that can help boost your computer once removed. But, the files detailed by the OneSafe PC Cleaner scan do not actually affect the performance of your computer.
Another issue I found with the scan is that it does not properly detect if your computer has an active Antivirus program or firewall. OneSafe PC Cleaner was unable to detect if we had turned our Antivirus program and firewall off and on.
How to remove OneSafe PC Cleaner
1. Right-click the Start Menu and go to Apps and Features.
2. Find OneSafe PC Cleaner in the list of installed programs, click it with your mouse, and click the Uninstall button. This will uninstall the program, but it won’t actually be removed from your computer.
3. Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware software to scan your computer and remove malicious files and potentially unwanted programs.
4. To install the program, locate and double-click the executable file you just downloaded. The file can usually be found in the Download folder.
5. Choose if this is for home or work use and click Agree and Install to begin installing Malwarebytes. Once the installation is complete, click Finish.
6. Once Malwarebytes is installed, open the program and click the Scan Now button on the dashboard – or go to the Scan tab and click the Start Scan button.
7. When the scan is complete click the Quarantine Selected button.
8. If Malwarebytes says “All selected items have been removed successfully. A log file has been saved to the logs folder. Your computer needs to be restarted to complete the removal process. Would you like to restart now?” click the Yes button to restart your computer.
9. Download HitmanPro to perform a second-opinion scan and remove any remaining malicious trace files. A second-opinion scan is important when removing malware and malicious files from your computer.
10. To install the program, locate and double-click the executable file you just downloaded. The file can usually be found in the Download folder.
11. Once HitmanPro is installed, open the program and click Next to start scanning your computer. *If you are using the free version you may choose to create a copy or perform a one-time scan.
12. When the HitmanPro scan is complete, click the Next button.
13. To activate the free version of HitmanPro: enter your email address twice and click the Activate button.
14. Click the Reboot button.
How to protect your computer
Once you have uninstalled OneSafe PC Cleaner and scanned your computer for malware with Malwarebytes and HitmanPro, consider these best practices to ensure that your computer is protected from future threats.
Use Antivirus with real-time protection
Antivirus program with real-time protection can stop emerging threats and hackers from gaining access to your computer or mobile device. Antivirus programs can remove malicious files that are already on your computer, prevent your programs from being used against you, protect you from malicious websites, and stop known and unknown ransomware attacks.
Recommendations:
- Malwarebytes (Malwarebytes is an Antimalware program that can be used alongside Antivirus programs)
- Norton Security Deluxe
- AVG Internet Security Unlimited
Use a VPN
A VPN creates a private tunnel to keep the eyes of eavesdroppers and hackers away from your private data while you browse the web. With a VPN, you become anonymous and no one can determine who you are. Your data is encrypted and your web activity cannot be tracked.
Recommendations:
Ignore email messages from people you don’t recognize
Ignore email messages from people you do not recognize or are not expecting a message from to avoid malware from spreading onto your computer or mobile device. Email messages often contain malicious links and attachments that can be harmful to your computer. In fact, email spam is one of the most common ways that malware is spread.
We hope you found this guide to remove OneSafe PC Cleaner and other threats from your computer useful. If you liked this post, make sure to share it! If you still need help feel free to leave a comment or create a topic in our Cybersecurity forum.
Leave a Comment