Antivirus 7 is a notorious rogue antivirus software application that tries to scare users into paying for a software license. It reaches the user’s system via Trojans that get downloaded from malicious websites or along with fake video codec packs. Once established on the system, Antivirus 7 proceeds to disable important Windows services such as Task Manager and Registry Editor. It also performs an endless stream of fake virus scans on the computer and generates false reports which state that the system is badly infected with malicious programs. Antivirus 7 generates a large amount of fake warning pop-ups from the Windows taskbar as well. It installs a Browser Helper Object which hijacks the user’s web browser and displays fake security alerts within the browser. Finally Antivirus 7 requests the user to purchase a license to the ‘full’ version of the software, claiming that the currently installed ‘trial’ version is insufficient to remove all the detected ‘threats’. However, no user should allow to be tricked into making this purchase as the so-called ‘full’ version of Antivirus 7 is just as incapable of scanning or cleaning any computer as the ‘trial’ version is.
The following sections outline how to remove Antivirus 7. Due to the fact that Antivirus 7 removal is a process which involves the stopping of processes, the unregistering of DLLs, deletion of files and folders and the removal of registry entries it is recommended to either consult a specialized technical support company or to scan the entire system using genuine antivirus software such as Spyware Doctor with Antivirus.
File Removal Procedures
The first step you need to take in order to remove Antivirus 7 is to stop the following process:
- antivirus7.exe
The next step in Antivirus 7 removal is to unregister the following DLL file:
- UpdateExplorer.dll
As the final step in file removal, delete the following files and folders:
- c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\AV7
- c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\AV7\Antivirus7.lnk
- c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\AV7\Uninstall.lnk
- c:\Program Files\AV7
- c:\Program Files\AV7\antivirus7.exe
- c:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore\Logs\tmp.edb
- c:\WINDOWS\system32\UpdateExplorer.dll
- %UserProfile%\Desktop\Antivirus7.lnk
Once these steps have been completed, Antivirus 7 has been removed from your file system. In order to make sure of this fact a complete system scan using genuine antivirus software such as Spyware Doctor with Antivirus is highly recommended.
Registry Removal Procedures
Removing files and folders alone is not sufficient to completely remove Antivirus 7. The following keys and settings should also be removed from the Windows registry to complete Antivirus 7 removal:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\EVA246
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{E2BFE352-A303-4EA8-88FE-CE35361D7E8B}
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{E2BFE352-A303-4EA8-88FE-CE35361D7E8B}
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “AV7″
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent\Post Platform “WinNT-EVI 12.03.2010″
After the above step is completed, your computer is completely safe from Antivirus 7.
Conclusion
Although they may have a good knowledge on how to remove Antivirus 7, it is not recommended for inexperienced users to attempt to delete Antivirus 7 manually, as any mistake made during removal could result in your system getting damaged. Therefore, inexperienced users are advised to use a web-based repair service such as www.onlinecomputerrepair.org or legitimate antivirus software to completely and safely remove Antivirus 7.