Virus Removal Guru

Privacy Center / Privacy Components Virus Removal Guide

Privacy Center, also known as Privacy Components, is a rogue security application, also known as a fake antivirus program.

Privacy Center hopes to trick the user into thinking that it is a real program by using various tactics. Privacy Center hopes to scare the user into purchasing the program by displaying fake virus scan results. Privacy Center is fake and doesn’t work.

Privacy Center will tell the user that their computer is infected and will use tactics to convince the user to purchase it. It will also use other tactics, such as the use of pop ups to warn the user. However, the program itself doesn’t work to remove viruses. It has a website which it uses to advertise the fake program.

Common symptoms and characteristics of Privacy Center and other rogue security programs include:
1. Privacy Center is generally installed without user permission through a trojan horse.
2. Privacy Center uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user.
3. Privacy Center website is unprofessional, with fake testimonials and fake awards.
4. The payment website for Privacy Center looks suspicious.
5. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop functioning.

Virus Type: Rogue Security Application
Threat Level: 8 / 10

Below is our recommended removal tool for Privacy Center. The removal tool has been rated 5 cows out of 5 by Tucows and was previously CNET’s Editor’s Choice. Feel free to download it below.

If you are unable to run the removal tool, or are unable to run any programs in general, you may need to stop the processes associated with Privacy Center with task manager. If task manager has been blocked by Privacy Center, try using Process Explorer.

Manual Privacy Center Removal – In order to manually remove Privacy Center, the processes associated with Privacy Center must be stopped, the files associated with the processes must be removed, and the registry entries must be corrected to the previous state before Privacy Center entered the computer.

Stop Privacy Center Processes (Learn How To Do This)
pc.exe
agent.exe

Remove Privacy Center Files (Learn How To Do This)
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\PC\
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\PC\pc.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\PC\agent.exe
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\PC\uninstall.exe

With Vista, Privacy Center Files are located – C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\PC\

Remove Privacy Center Registry Keys (Learn How To Do This)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Privacy Center
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Privacy Center
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Privacy Center

Remove Privacy Center Startup Entry (Learn How To Do This)
pc.exe
agent.exe

Common Questions -
1. What is a computer virus? (Click Here To View)
2. How did I get this computer virus? (Click Here To View)
3. What common symptoms show that my computer may be infected? (Click Here To View)
4. What is a rogue security application? (Click Here To View)
5. What are some antivirus and antispyware programs which I can use to remove viruses and spyware? (Click Here To View)

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to comment below. If you need any help with any of the steps, please don’t hesitate to comment below. We recommend that you follow our safety tips so that you can keep your computer clean Please Click Here to View Our Safety Tips.

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Posted in: Malware Removal

This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2023 at 6:35 pm and is filed under Malware Removal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.