Is PC Cleaner Pro a virus?

Birdy12

I only ask because it's just popped up on my son's laptop. It's telling me the laptop has various viruses etc and to click on a link. I don't want to and don't even want to click on the 'x' to close it in case I start something.

The laptop does have security software installed on it. I just wonder where the thing's come from.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers, Birdy

tyllwyd

I'm not an expert in any shape or form, but I'd immediately assume that if you click on any of the links that you will be downloading a virus so DON'T!!! I would avoid even clicking the box to close it down.

Hopefully someone more expert than me will come along and answer, but if it was me I'd run up task manager and use that to shut it down (but please wait for a more qualified opinion, don't rely on me!) And then run a scan of your machine with your anti-virus software.

(We've had a couple of fake security alerts that sound a lot like this, which didn't get picked up by anti virus software).

Ainsley1

Beware anything that just pops up. Might be safe but unless you know!

Suggest run http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner if you wish to clean up registry etc if and when you think you might have a problem with the PC, it was recommended to me and seems fine and did a good job on my PC.

That's not to say PC cleaner might be respectable and good but unless you know the software or can get honest confirmation then perhaps avoid?

tweeter

click

click



HTH.

dogmaryxx

Read this Malwarebytes forum post by

Ron Lewis
Manager, Online Support




Should you have any problem removing it ,he has
created a small batch file converted to an executable that should remove the program automatically.( at bottom of post)

nigeldf

Dont click or download anything. No legitimate antivirus software company will use these sort of tactics. AVG is a good antivirus software. There is a free version which is all you need (no need to upgrade to pro). Been using it for years without any problems.

thenudeone

Anything which pops up even though I've never installed it is very suspect indeed.

The best free anti-virus is AVG Free (according to Computer Shopper Magazine.

Make sure you download it from the AVG site http://free.avg.com/gb-en/homepage (otherwise it could be a fake/virus)

Install, update then scan your PC, and leave it on all the time.

Birdy12

Thanks guys. I'm actually typing on the laptop that has the icon on it but it doesn't seem to be affecting the laptop (i.e., not running slowly or anything). The icon just sits there on the right hand side of the screen regardless of what I'm looking at.

The laptop does have anti-virus software installed but it obviously hasn't picked this one up.

I won't touch the icon. I'm not very good at installing and trying to get rid of things but, luckily, I know a man who can. I'll wing it over to him at the weekend and ask him to get rid of it for me. Hopefully, as it hasn't been clicked on, it won't have yet done any damage!

Thanks again. Just wish I knew what it had been attached to. It wasn't there last night but just started this morning. Oh well.


Birdy

tyllwyd

It has probably sneakily arrived from a website, and one that didn't look in the slightest bit dodgy at the time. It's when you click on it that you give it permission to try to install itself and it takes over your pc and makes itself very difficult to get rid of. Does your user account have admin permissions? It's better if the account you use for the internet does not, because that gives an extra bit of protection against these kind of programs.