Windows Defender 2010 is a malicious anti-spyware application that closely resembles Windows Defender in an attempt to trick users into purchasing a license to its full version. This malicious application reaches the user’s computer via Trojans that get downloaded from malicious websites. Once established on the user’s system, Windows Defender 2010 loads itself as a startup service at boot time. Windows Defender 2010 proceeds to perform a large number of fake security scans on the system, returning results that state that the computer is dangerously infected with a number of non-existent viruses. It also generates fake warning pop-ups from the Windows taskbar. Finally Windows Defender 2010 urges the user to purchase a license to the ‘full’ version of the software, claiming that the currently installed ‘trial’ version is incapable of cleaning the detected false ‘threats’. However, all users should be aware that this is a trick aimed at swindling their money, as no version of Windows Defender 2010 can scan or clean any computer.
The following sections outline how to remove Windows Defender 2010. Windows Defender 2010 removal involves the deletion of files and folders and the removal of registry entries.
File Removal Procedures
The first step in Windows Defender 2010 removal is to delete the following files:
Windows XP:
- %Documents and Settings%\All Users\Desktop\Windows Defender 2010.lnk
- %Documents and Settings%\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Defender 2010
Windows 7/Windows Vista:
- Users\%User%\Desktop\Windows Defender 2010.lnk
- Users\%User%\\Start Menu\Programs\Windows Defender 2010
Once the above files and folders have been removed, Windows Defender 2010 no longer resides on your hard disk. Due to the fact that in most cases Windows Defender 2010 is installed with the help of additional malware it is recommended to scan your entire PC using genuine antivirus software such as Spyware Doctor with Antivirus.
Registry Removal Procedures
After file removal has been completed, it is required to delete the following keys and settings from the registry to complete Windows Defender 2010 removal:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Windows Defender 2010
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Windows Defender 2010
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run “Windows Defender 2010?
Once these steps have been completed, you have successfully completed Windows Defender 2010 removal. This completes the tutorial on how to remove Windows Defender 2010.
Conclusion
Even though an inexperienced computer user may have full knowledge on how to remove Windows Defender 2010, it is not recommended that they attempt it as any mistake made during removal could cause damage to the system. Therefore inexperienced users are advised to make use of a web-based malware scanning/cleaning service such as www.onlinecomputerrepair.org or legitimate antivirus software such as Spyware Doctor with Antivirus to remove Windows Defender 2010.