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WinPC Defender

ParetoLogic's XoftSpySE is our best recommendation for a safe and reliable method to remove WinPC Defender. ParetoLogic is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Software & Information Association, so you can be sure of their ethicacy and ability to resolve your WinPC Defender problem:

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WinPC Defender Is Not the Defense Mechanism For You

One of many rogue antispyware applications, WinPC Defender hopes you'll purchase the full version of the program. Unfortunately, however, it's better to remove WinPC Defender as soon as you know it has been installed.

Understanding the Program

Like most rogue antispyware applications, WinPC Defender wants you to purchase the full version of the program. However, some of the tactics it uses in its attempt can be a bit frightening. Moreover, though, this program does have the ability to compromise your system's overall security level, and it can change the way your computer was designed to work, making it less than reliable at times.

WinPC Defender, like so many other rogue antispyware applications, is installed with the help of a Trojan pretending to be a video codec. You may encounter this problem with a variety of websites and video streams. A simple message pops up that you don't have the right software to play the video, and you can click to download it right away. Once you have it on your system, you're likely to notice a number of things right away.

One of the first things you'll see is what purports to be a system scan of your machine. The program itself is designed to look a bit like the Windows Defender application that comes with most Windows Operating Systems these days. It goes so far as to use a shield with the Windows colors as its logo. That logo is displayed at the top left corner as soon as the applications opens. Down the left side of the application window, you'll see what looks to be a menu bar with tabs for Home page, Full PC scan, Privacy keeper, Firewall, Update settings, and Global settings. In the bottom left corner, you'll see a worrisome warning notice that suggests your PC is at risk unless you activate the software. Clicking the button to get the full protection leads you to the WinPC Defender home page where you'll be prompted to purchase the full version. The main part of the application window will always look to be running or completing a full PC scan. It has a progress bar in the middle so you can track the scan, and you'll also see the box of menacing-looking detected threats. In some cases, these detected threats are things you may have heard about on the news. Usually, however, WinPC Defender hasn't actually found any of these threats on your computer. The scan window will pop up at random times during any given computing session, and your computer does not have to be online for you to notice the scan window.

In addition to the system scan, you may also notice system alert messages occurring on a regular basis. These alerts come in three forms.

One of them will look like a pop up you might get while you're surfing online. It will usually suggest that the application has detected a Trojan. The most typical text of this warning says "A piece of malicious code was found in your system which can replicate itself if no action is taken. Click here to have your system cleaned by WinPC Defender." The other fairly common warning with this program is a Firewall Warning. It suggests a hidden file transfer has occurred, and the only way to block future problems is to install the full version of the program.

The second type of warning you may notice is one that looks like a Windows Notification Balloon. It may suggest that your PC has been infected or that your security system has been compromised. Clicking on the alert itself will send you directly to WinPC Defender's home page so you can purchase the full version of the program.

The final type of warning that you might see with this program is one that appears only when you're online. You might be directed to a page that says something like Insecure Internet Activity or Threat of Virus Attack. The program has the ability to redirect you to pages like that instead of the screen you requested.

Similar Programs

While there are a number of similar rogue antispyware applications, this one seems to be a direct clone of two applications. Both XP Police Antivirus and IE Security look to be directly related to this application.

Removing WinPC Defender

If you do discover you have this program on your computer, your best bet is to remove WinPC Defender. It does have the ability to open some security holes in your system, and if nothing else, eliminating the program will help ensure you don't have to deal with pop ups or other problem symptoms any longer.

Many choose to manually remove WinPC Defender, and while this is a good way to get rid of it, it can be a bit complicated for the average computer user. It does involve deleting program files and registry entries, and if you're unfamiliar with the way your computer works, it's best to leave this method to more experienced users. A list of affected files and registry keys appears after this article.

Perhaps the safest way to remove WinPC Defender is to choose a reputable antispyware program and install it on your machine. It is important to note that even if you currently have antivirus protection on your computer, WinPC Defender could still get installed, and your antivirus software won't be able to remove it for you. Because this program isn't technically a virus, your antivirus solution is almost useless in this particular case. As a result, choosing a program like ParetoLogic's XoftSpySE to automatically remove WinPC Defender is one of the best solutions to this computer problem.

Affected Registry Keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERsoftwaremicrosoftwindowscurrentversionextstats{96ad72e4-2e2b-4ffc-a5bb-279c2714af12}
HKEY_CURRENT_USERsoftwarewinpc defender
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEsoftwareclassesclsid{96ad72e4-2e2b-4ffc-a5bb-279c2714af12}programmable
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEsoftwareclassestypelib{a54dc52d-7aad-4d40-a126-337211631edc}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEsoftwareclassestypelib{a54dc52d-7aad-4d40-a126-337211631edc}1.0
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEsoftwaremicrosoftwindowscurrentversionexplorerbrowser helper objects{96ad72e4-2e2b-4ffc-a5bb-279c2714af12}

Affected Files:

%UserProfile%Application Datapcdefender.exe
%UserProfile%DesktopWinPC Defender.LNK
%UserProfile%Start MenuWinPC Defender.LNK
C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersTa1HnnaIasEcfgF.exe
c:WINDOWSieocx.dll

Occasionally new variants are released to thwart antispyware programs. If you require personal assistance removing WinPC Defender please email your log file for analysis by using the Backup List button in XoftSpySE. Otherwise use the Help button in XoftSpySE to contact ParetoLogic support directly.

This webpage was setup to provide information on WinPC Defender removal. We do not own or endorse WinPC Defender.

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