How to Get Rid Of and Remove System Defender

Last Friday morning, I tried to get an early jump on my daily Entrecard and Adgitize droppings. While I was visiting Adgitize sites, new browser windows popped up, alerting me to a potential virus danger. I closed the pop-up and tried to continue my droppings. But I found that many of my browser links had been redirected. Either weird pages appeared, or the System Defender's Window Advanced Security Center! I could close that window, and search, but many of my other links didn't work. Randomly, little pop-up alert windows would pop-up automatically.  If I clicked on them, the System Defender's Window Advanced Security Center would appear. A sample of the main screen is shown below.

So what is System Defender? Basically, the intention of this program's authors is to trick you into paying them to remove the badware they just placed on your system. It's a hi-tech blackmail scam. Things keep popping up, links are redirected, and your computer runs slowly.

I knew that this was a major problem and it needed to be removed. I did some searching and found a site called:

bleepingcomputer.com

While it has as strange name, I knew that it is a reputable website that offers removal software products for free (because I had used it before on someone else's machine). Also, it has complete step-by-step instructions for how to use the Malwarebyte program below. So, I won't repeat that information again.

Once you arrive on bleepingcomputer.com, scroll down to the Automated Removal Instructions and download the Free Version from their site or from cnet:

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Once you download it, close all your programs, including all browser windows. Then, double-click on the Malwarebyte Icon and perform a full scan of your computer. If you have System Defender or another bad virus or more, this program will find the evil ones. (If you don't close everything, the virus will still be alive in your open programs)

Depending on your computer, the full scan can take 2-3 hours (mine took almost 2 hours). When the scan is complete, it lists the malware found on you computer. Press the Remove Selected button, and it will do its work.

After a reboot, your computer should be working properly once again! (If not, repeat the scan. Sometimes you have to do that twice)

Prevention Advice

Even if your computer is not infected with anything and you think your Anti-Virus software will protect you, I recommend that you download the Malwarebyte Anti-Malware program ahead of time. This way, if for some unknown reason your computer is infected (like I was), you'll already have the removal program on your machine, and will know what to do.