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Rogue/Fake

Venture into the deceptive world of rogue and fake software in our dedicated “Rogue/Fake” category at BugsFighter.com. This section focuses on identifying and combatting counterfeit applications that masquerade as legitimate software to deceive users. From rogue security programs that mimic antivirus software to fake system optimizers that claim to enhance your computer but only cause harm, we provide detailed insights and removal guides. Learn how to spot these impostors with our expert advice and protect your devices from their malicious impacts. Arm yourself with the knowledge to navigate safely and maintain the integrity of your digital environment.

How to remove Web Resource Viewer

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Web Resource Viewer is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). PUAs commonly have harmful capabilities, such as running intrusive advertisement campaigns, tracking user data, and potentially installing other malicious software. PUAs can slow down your computer, display unexpected ads, or at worst, install other software that might be unexpected or unwanted. They can also increase the risk of your network being infected with actual malware, make malware infections harder to identify, or cost your IT and security teams time and effort to clean them up. It is designed to perform various malicious actions on an infected computer, such as downloading and installing other malware, recording keystrokes and visited sites, sending information about your PC to a remote hacker, and using your computer resources for mining cryptocurrencies. Web Resource Viewer is a potentially harmful file that can perform various malicious actions on an infected computer. It's crucial to maintain good cybersecurity practices to prevent such infections and to use reliable antivirus software to detect and remove any threats.

How to remove PDFsharp

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PDFsharp is a .NET library used for creating and processing PDF documents. It is a powerful tool that allows developers to create documents based on an object model with paragraphs, tables, styles, etc., and render them into PDF or RTF. It supports common raster image formats and is compatible with .NET 6 or higher. Developers can use PDFsharp to perform tasks such as editing, converting PDF documents, and even creating PDF annotations. However, it's important to note that there is a malicious program that impersonates the legitimate PDFsharp program. This malware is often installed by users, knowingly or unknowingly, through advertisements, cracks for games, or bundled with other software. Once installed, the fake PDFsharp program waits until an Internet connection becomes available to connect to a remote server or website. This Trojan may install adware, Trojans, rootkits, and other types of malware.

How to remove AVbytes Win 8 Antivirus 2015

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AVbytes Win 8 Antivirus 2015 is a rogue anti-virus program from the Rogue.FakeRean-Braviax family of computer infections. It is designed to scare users into believing that their computers are infected with high-risk malware and viruses. This program is classified as a rogue because it pretends to be an anti-virus program, but instead displays bogus scan results, and does not allow you to run your normal applications. Once installed, AVbytes Win 8 Antivirus 2015 will be automatically launched every time you start your computer. The rogue application will then perform a full system scan just like legitimate AV scanners do. The security alerts displayed by AVbytes Win 8 Antivirus 2015 state that dangerous infections have been found on your computer. However, these presented scan results have, in fact, no real value. The main idea behind such unwanted apps is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device. The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit certain websites. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your operating system.

How to remove Windows Prime Shield

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Windows Prime Shield is a fake antivirus program that presents itself as a legitimate security solution. It uses scare tactics, such as displaying fake security alerts and pretending to scan your computer for threats, to convince users that their systems are infected. The program then prompts users to purchase a license to remove the supposed infections. However, all the scan results it presents are false, and purchasing the license only results in financial loss. Windows Prime Shield is considered an unwanted application due to its deceptive practices and the potential harm it can cause to a computer system. It uses scare tactics to convince users that their computers are infected and then prompts them to purchase a license to remove the supposed infections. However, all the scan results it presents are false, and purchasing the license only results in financial loss. Furthermore, Windows Prime Shield can block you from running legitimate applications on your computer, potentially disrupting your work or other activities. It can also cause other issues, such as slowing down your computer or causing it to crash.

How to remove 24/7 PC Guard Support

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24/7 PC Guard Support is a fraudulent virus removal support service that uses deceptive tactics to trick unsuspecting computer users. The rogue company behind this scam uses a fake antivirus program called PC Guard to present users with a false online security warning message, stating that their computer is infected with viruses. The program reports fake security infections and indicates non-existent registry entries supposedly related to virus infections. It's important to note that these online security threats are false and are used to scare users into purchasing unnecessary services or software. 24/7 PC Guard Support is considered an unwanted application because it provides no real value to the user and instead uses deceptive tactics to trick users into purchasing unnecessary services or software. The program harasses the victim with numerous fake error messages and a bogus system scan, all claiming that the victim's computer is severely infected with worms, trojans, keyloggers, and other types of malware. If you suspect that your computer is infected with 24/7 PC Guard Support or any other unwanted application, it's recommended to use a trustworthy malware removal tool to remove it. These tools can efficiently check for and remove many common infections. It's also recommended to keep your software updated, enable two-factor authentication, and review your financial statements closely for any suspicious activity.

How to remove Artificius

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Artificius is a rogue browser based on the Chromium open-source project, which is primarily developed and maintained by Google. Chromium's codebase is widely used and forms the foundation for many popular browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi. However, unlike these legitimate browsers, Artificius is associated with harmful activities and is classified as a potentially unwanted application (PUA). Artificius Browser is a rogue browser that exhibits functionalities associated with browser-hijacking software. When using this browser, opening a new tab or window, or entering a search query into the URL bar, results in redirects to the artificius.com website, a fake search engine. It's important to note that Artificius can infiltrate systems alongside additional harmful content, making it a potential threat to your device's security. Rogue browsers like Artificius may appear legitimate and harmless, often offering a range of "useful" and "advantageous" functionalities. However, these features seldom work as advertised, and in most cases, they do not work at all. Even if a piece of software operates as indicated by its promotional material, that is not definitive proof of either legitimacy or safety.

How to remove Smart Security

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Smart Security, in this malicious context, is an example of a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA). PUAs refer to applications installed in a device that may pose a high risk or have an untoward impact on user security and/or privacy. They may also contribute to consuming computing resources. PUAs can include applications that bundle other unwanted software, display excessive advertisements, collect information without users' consent, or exhibit other unwanted behavior. If your computer is infected with the Smart Security rogue scanner, it's important to remove it. This can be a complex process, as the program often disables the operating system's Task Manager and disallows execution of Internet browsers. A detailed removal guide is available below in the article.

How to remove Windows Internet Watchdog

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Windows Internet Watchdog is a rogue antivirus program that masquerades as a legitimate security software. It is part of the FakeVimes family of fake antivirus programs, which also includes variants like Windows Web Watchdog, Windows Antibreach Patrol, and Windows Pro Defence Kit. This software is designed to scare users into believing their systems are infected with high-risk malware by reporting non-existent security infections. Once installed, Windows Internet Watchdog modifies the registry entries of the affected operating system, blocking the execution of installed programs, including internet browsers, and disabling the Task Manager. It configures itself to start automatically on each system startup, similar to ransomware infections. It then performs fake scans, reporting numerous non-existent infections. The software then prompts the user to purchase a 'license key' for $99.90 to remove the supposed infections.