How to remove the PC Health Kit virus – PC Health Kit malware removal (Uninstall rogue)
What is the PC Health Kit virus (rogue)?
The PC Health Kit virus also referred to as the PCHealthKit virus are terms for malware we discovered categorized as scareware or rogue software that performs fake registry and system scans in order to allegedly clean up and optimize computer systems (and registries). PC Health Kit is fake software like Internet Security 2013 that does not display realistic results, nor will add any benefit to the computer system. PC Health Kit does not clean up and speed up computer systems. PC Health Kit displays fake results in order to target and scare or scare monger unsuspecting victims into believing their computers have an abundance of unnecessary files, etc. so that the victims of PC Health Kit malware will register or pay, as well as sign up for the fraudulent product. Please note, giving information, as little as your email address to individuals involved with PC Health Kit is very dangerous.
Alike many other fraudulent system optimization tools, PC Health Kit displays a large amount fake of issues with computer systems, notably in the hundreds. In our test, PC Health Kit displayed 591 items on a computer that contains no additional files, software, or commands. Fake results displayed by PC Health Kit software may include registry entries to clean and optimize, temporary registry values to clean, temporary Internet files and folders to clean, visited Web pages and cookies available for removal, logs of conversations in AOL, Yahoo, MSN and more to clean, residual files to clean, invalid shortcuts to remove, performance and optimization settings, and programs loaded at startup.
PC Health Kit may also display a notification or pop-up alert window that says text similar to “There is no disk in the drive. Please insert a disk into drive \Device\Harddisk3\DR3” and when cancelled the pop-up window may re appear and make it impossible to close PC Health Kit. PCHealthKit may also prompt system notifications urging users to purchase, extended, or register the fake and unnecessary PC Health Kit Windows software.
To remove or uninstall PC Health Kit software and third-party remove, please follow the free PC Health Kit removal instructions further below. An alternative to using fake optimization software is to use legitimate and reputable system cleaner software such as CCleaner by Piriform.
How does PC Health Kit infect a computer?
PC Health Kit can infect a computer a variety of ways. PC Health Kit can be manually and voluntarily downloaded and installed via Safecart and third-party installations including freeware, shareware, codecs, and torrents, as well as browser add-ons, extensions, and toolbars. PC Health Kit may even be promoted on such as websites as download.com and eazel.
Though PC Health Kit can be voluntarily downloaded, PC Health Kit primarily infects computer systems without consent, often bundled with malware, software, and files previously mentioned such as fake Flash players and especially Internet Helper Toolbar and LessTabs adware. In fact, Internet Helper Toolbar may display results and notifications from PC Health Kit in the middle of the unethical toolbar’s interface pictured below as a blank area before the Amazon button.
Some victims have complained that PC Health Kit was contacted via email spam, social media content, and compromised websites.
How to remove PC Health Kit malware
- Automatically remove PC Health Kit virus – Scan for and automatically remove PC Health Kit malware
- Manually remove PC Health Kit virus – Remove/Uninstall PC Health Kit and third-party malware
1. Automatic PC Health Kit removal
Use the instructions below to automatically remove PC Health Kit and third-party malware, as well as automatically remove unwanted search engines such as Conduit or the Internet Helper Toolbar that may have hijacked your home page, default search engine, and browser shortcuts.
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
1. Install the free or paid version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware.
2. Once Malwarebytes is installed, run the program. If you are using the free version of Malwarebytes you will be prompted to update the database, make sure to do so.
3. On the first tab labeled “Scanner” select the Perform full scan option and click the Scan button to perform a full system scan. Malwarebytes will automatically detect malware infecting the computer system.
4. Once the malware scan is complete, Malwarebytes may prompt a notice stating malicious objects were detected. Select the malicious objects and click the Remove Selected button to completely remove the malicious files from your computer (the image below shows a file that is NOT selected) or click the Delete button to remove quarantined files.
CCleaner
CCleaner can be used to automatically repair internet browser settings startup up settings, and uninstall PC Health Kit software.
1. Install the free or paid version of CCleaner by Piriform.
2. Once installed, open the program and navigate to Cleaner > Windows/Applications and click the Analyze button. Afterwards, click the Run Cleaner button on the bottom right of the program interface.
3. Next, navigate to Tools > Startup and search through each tab starting from windows, internet explorer, etc., all the way to Content Menu, for additional suspicious entries and click Disable and Delete once anything is found.
4. To automatically uninstall PC Health Kit (PC Health Kit v3.2, etc.) and unwanted programs, navigate to the Uninstall tab and located PC Health Kit software in the list of installed programs. Uninstall the programs as selected.
2. Manual PC Health Kit removal
Use the instructions below to manually uninstall PC Health Kit using generic removal procedures, as well as third-party malware that may have installed alongside PC Health Kit such as Flash Player Pro, myCoups, or Internet Helper Toolbar.
How to uninstall PC Health Kit malware
The video and text instructions below detail how to manually remove or uninstall PC Health Kit scareware from Windows Operating Systems.
1. Access Windows Start Menu and navigate to the Control Panel.
2. Click Uninstall a program or Add and remove a program.
3. In the list of installed programs, search for PC Health Kit and other potentially unwanted software. Once located, double click the unwanted programs or highlight them in the list and click the Uninstall button.
How to remove the PC Health Kit add-on and extension
Use the instructions to remove third-party add-ons, extensions, plugins, and toolbars relating to PC Health Kit malware.
Google Chrome
1. Click on the Customize icon (wrench or 3 bar icon) next to the address bar and navigate to Tools > Extensions.
2. Search for the PC Health Kit extension and remove it by clicking the trashcan icon next to them.
Mozilla Firefox
1. Type Ctrl+Shift+A.
2. On the Extensions and Plugin search for the PC Health Kit add-on and remove it.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
1. Click Tools and select Manage add-ons.
2. On the Toolbars and Extensions tab search for the PC Health Kit add-on and remove it if located.
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