Total Protect is a malware program that acts as an anti-virus software so that it can display fake scanning processes and alert messages regarding the security of your computer. Once Total Protect infects a computer it will immediately configure itself to run at Windows startup after which it will prevent the user from executing any programs, stating that they are infected by numerous threats.
However, these so called “threats” are actually legit system files so do NOT attempt to remove these “infections” manually as you will only manage to cause damage to your operating system.
How To: Remove Total Protect Virus / Malware ( Removal Guide )
Total Protect will try to convince you that the only way to get rid of these threats and bring your computer back to normal is by purchasing the full version of Total Protect. Do NOT let yourself scared into purchasing this so called “full version” as it is nothing more than a forgery in order to get a hold on your money.
Total Protect Removal Guide
In order to get rid of this infection you will need to work with two programs: RKill and Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware (MBAM). In case you’re having trouble downloading these files on the infected machine you will need to download them on a working computer and transfer them to the infected one via CD/DVD or any other portable means, like USB flash drive.
- Reboot your computer and before the Windows logo and loading screen appears press F8 on your keyboard in order to access the Windows Advanced Options Menu. From there, use the arrow keys in order to navigate the menu and select the “Safe Mode With Networking” option by highlighting it and pressing Enter.
- In order to be able to remove Total Protect from your computer you will first need to kill any process related to this infection, and here is where RKill comes in handy. Please keep in mind that the RKill scanning process might take a while so be patient. In case Total Protect will give you a hard time running RKill then you should use a renamed version of RKill such as iExplore.exe. Last but not least, do NOT reboot your computer after completing this step or you will need to start the disinfection process all over again.
- Install MBAM by making sure that both the Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware buttons are checked during the installation process. Once MBAM is successfully installed on your machine, perform a reboot if you’re prompted to do so.
- After the reboot you will be presented with the main MBAM window, where you will need to navigate to the Scanner tab, check the Perform full scan option and press on the Scan button below. The scanning process might take a while so please be patient.
- Once the scanning is complete MBAM will show you the full list of threats found on your machine. Make sure that all of these threats are checked and then press on the Remove Selected button below. After MBAM finishes removing these infections, reboot your computer if prompted to do so.
If you have followed these steps accordingly your computer should now be free of Total Protect. However it is strongly recommended that you follow this Secunia PSI guide in order to determine whether or not your system is safe from future threats such as Total Protect.
