One of the more dangerous rogue anti-malware programs that was initially developed for the Korean software market, SafetyPC has spread to all of the internet and threatens all computers today. This rogue application installs itself on user systems via Trojans that get downloaded from malicious websites all over the internet. Once installed, Safety PC initiates a large number of fake virus scans from which it will falsely report that the computer is dangerously infected with viruses that aren’t really there. It will also display pop-ups that claim that the computer is under threat from malware. SafetyPC is also known to install a browser helper object which redirects the user’s web browser to malicious websites promoting Safety PC whenever the user attempts to surf the internet. The aim of all this activity is to try and get the user to pay for a software license for the ‘full’ version of SafetyPC, which it claims is more capable of cleaning out the detected ‘threats’ than the currently installed ‘trial’ version. It is important to remember to never fall for this hoax as the so-called ‘full’ version of Safety PC is just as ineffective as the ‘trial’ version in removing potential threats.
As soon as you detect a copy of this rogue anti-malware on your computer, you should take steps to initiate SafetyPC removal. In order to remove Safety PC, it is necessary to stop processes, unregister DLLs, delete files and folders and remove registry entries.
File Removal Procedures
The first stop needed to be taken for SafetyPC removal is the stopping of the following processes:
- safetypcux.exe
- SafetyPC_Setup.exe
- safetypceye.exe
- safetypcup.exe
- uninstall.exe
The next step is to unregister the following DLL file:
- libmysql.dll
The final step in file removal related to SafetyPC removal is the deletion of the following files and folders:
Windows XP:
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\safetypcux.exe
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\libmysql.dll
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB
- C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop\SafetyPC_Setup.exe
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\safetypceye.exe
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\safetypcicon.ico
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\safetypcup.exe
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\uninstall.exe
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes000.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes001.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes002.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes003.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes004.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes005.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes006.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes007.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes008.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes009.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes010.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes011.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes012.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes013.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes014.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes015.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes016.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes017.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes018.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes019.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes020.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes021.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes022.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes023.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes024.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes025.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes026.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes027.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes028.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes029.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes030.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes031.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes032.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes033.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes034.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes035.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes036.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes037.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes038.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes039.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes040.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes041.cft
- C:\Program Files\SafetyPC\SafetyPCDB\SafetyRes042.cft
- C:\ Users\%USERNAME%\Desktop\SafetyPC.lnk
After the above steps have been completed, Safety PC no longer resides on your hard disk.
Registry Removal Procedures
File deletion alone is not sufficient to permanently remove SafetyPC from your computer. For complete Safety PC removal, it is necessary to remove the following keys and settings from the Windows Registry as well:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\safetypc
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SafetyPC
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\safetypc
After the registry cleaning process has been completed, it is safe to say that SafetyPC no longer exists on your system. In order to make sure of this fact it is recommended to scan the entire PC using genuine antivirus software such as Spyware Doctor with Antivirus.
Conclusion
Manual Safety PC removal is not a recommended path for inexperienced computer users as any mistake made during removal could damage the software installed on your computer. Therefore, unless you an experienced systems administrator, you are advised to use a web-based repair service such as www.onlinecomputerrepair.org or legitimate antivirus software such as Spyware Doctor with Antivirus to ensure that SafetyPC removal is completed safely and efficiently.