SoftCop Adware Removal Instructions
The Emsi Software malware research team has discoverd a new outbreak of the SoftCop adware. a-squared Anti-Malware detects this malware as Adware.Win32.SoftCop.
SoftCop is a rogue scanner program, it show fake security center, show misleading scan results and fake security alerts, to convince the user that their computer infected with malware. The author of SoftCop also made TheDefend, GuardPcs, IGuardPc, SiteAdware, AntiTroy, AntiKeep, AntiAdd, RESpyWare, REAnti, KeepCop, SecureKeeper, LinkSafeness, AntiAid, SystemFighter, SystemVeteran, BlockProtector, BlockKeeper, BlockScanner, BlockWatcher, SoftStronghold, ShieldSafeness, SoftVeteran, SoftSoldier, TrustFighter, TrustSoldier, SafeFighter, SecureVeteran, etc. To more convince users, SoftCop will also create numerous junk files with random names on your computer that will be detected as malware when the program scans your computer, but will not allow you to remove them until you purchase it.
The fake security center:
The file name is not constant, so can be different, and it also use fake version information. The file located at:
- %SystemRoot%\System32\
It also add the following registry entry, so it can run automatically whenever Windows starts:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, “setup.exe”.
The fake security center will shows like these:
This downloader try to contacts soft-cop.com, to download the latest update of this rogue:
SoftCop will look like these:
Create new files:
- %AllUsersProfile%\Desktop\SoftCop.lnk
- %AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\SoftCop\1 SoftCop.lnk
- %AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\SoftCop\2 Homepage.lnk
- %AllUsersProfile%\Start Menu\Programs\SoftCop\3 Uninstall.lnk
- %UserProfile%\Local Settings\Temp\nsz24.tmp\nsProcess.dll
- %ProgramFiles%\SoftCop Software\SoftCop\SoftCop.exe
- %ProgramFiles%\SoftCop Software\SoftCop\uninstall.exe
Create new registry entries:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\SoftCop
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\SoftCop
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\SoftCop
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run, “SoftCop”
How to remove the infection of Adware.Win32.SoftCop?
To delete this malware infection, please download and install a-squared Anti-Malware. Run a full scan on all drives and move all detected items to the quarantine.