XP Total Security 2023 (XPTotalSecurity 2023) Virus Removal Guide

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

XP Total Security 2023, also known as XPTotalSecurity 2023, is a new fake antivirus / antispyware application. The fake antivirus program will change its name when the operating system is changed; however, it will act the same. XP Total Security 2023 generally infects systems running Windows XP. The virus will change into Vista Total Security 2023 if it infects a computer running Vista; the virus will change into Win7 Total Security 2023 if it infects a computer running Windows 7. XP Total Security 2023 is a clone of a variety of fake antivirus programs and has a similar look to Total XP Security. XP Total Security 2023 main executable is a series of random letters; this executable is similar to AV.exe and AVE.exe, which are the main executable of previous clones of this virus. XP Total Security 2023 will modify the registry; therefore, the registry must be fixed before removing the main executable. The comments here and comments here may provide insight. The main executable is generally a hidden file. The user will need to turn on hidden files in order to see the hidden main executable file.

Below is our recommended removal tool for XP Total Security 2023. 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 XP Total Security 2023 with task manager. If task manager has been blocked by XP Total Security 2023, try using Process Explorer.

XP Total Security 2023 will create a varieties of warnings and pop ups in order to scare the user into purchasing the fake program. Some of these warnings can be found below.

“Privacy Threat!
Spyware intrusion detected. Your system is infected. System integrity is at risk. Private data can be stolen by third parties, including credit card details and passwords. Click here to perform a security repair.”

“Firewall Alert!
Internet Explorer is infected with Trojan-BNK.Win32.Keylogger.gen. Private data can be stolen by third parties, including credit card details and passwords.”

It is recommended to use safe mode when removing the virus because XP Total Security 2023 will generally not be able to load in safe mode. To enter safe mode, restart the computer and press F8 multiple times before the Windows screen to bring up the boot options.

Boot Menu

The safe mode with networking option will allow the user to be able to use the internet in safe mode. XP Total Security 2023 can be removed by using the

or by manually removing the virus.

View XP Total Security 2023 Files
View XP Total Security 2023 Keys

Common symptoms and characteristics of XP Total Security 2023 and other rogue security programs include:
1. XP Total Security 2023 is generally installed without user permission.
2. XP Total Security 2023 uses pop ups and fake virus scans to scare the user.
3. Various antivirus and system programs on the user’s computer will stop functioning.

Manual XP Total Security 2023 Removal – In order to manually remove XP Total Security 2023, the processes associated with XP Total Security 2023 must be stopped, the files associated with the processes must be removed, and the registry entries must be corrected to the previous state before XP Total Security 2023 entered the computer.

Important: Before attempting to manually remove XP Total Security 2023, we recommend that the user read through comments posted by other users on how they removed specific fake antivirus programs since many fake antivirus programs are similar. These comments can be found by clicking here. These comments may provide additional information which may be useful in removing XP Total Security 2023. However, please use discretion since these specific comments pertain to other fake antivirus programs.

Stop XP Total Security 2023 Processes (Learn How To Do This)
[random letters].exe

Remove XP Total Security 2023 Files (Learn How To Do This)
C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\[random letters].exe

Remove XP Total Security 2023 Registry Keys (Learn How To Do This)
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\XP Total Security 2023
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\XP Total Security 2023
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\XP Total Security 2023

Remove XP Total Security 2023 Startup Entry (Learn How To Do This)
[random letters].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.

Your feedback is very highly valued by others so please feel free to comment below. Please feel free to share a solution that you may have used to remove Vista Antispyware 2023.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 7th, 2024 at 9:09 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.

15 Responses to “XP Total Security 2023 (XPTotalSecurity 2023) Virus Removal Guide”

Some Dude April 2nd, 2023 at 11:10 pm

Reboot to last known safe configuration worked for me too! Had to start in safe mode then take that option. Simple but effective. It’s not often Microsoft comes through.

malicious software April 4th, 2023 at 1:51 am

Unfortunately, they no longer write to “local settings” And they block access to Control Panel. But you can run the internet while infected, with Windows “no add ons.” Without access to Start Up programs (run; msconfig), you can find their application through Task Master; click “explorer” and their program will open. You can delete it temporarily.

Windows Firewall is supposed to block this type of program. It doesn’t. And their anti-malware program is blocked. Amateur hour.

Malicous Software April 4th, 2023 at 8:37 pm

Yah, “firewalls.” Windows Defender and F-Secure didn’t even detect same. You can find the application by opening Task Manager (cntrl, alt. delete) and then closing the 3 digit – lqa.exe in my case – that they use for their application. However, try to open any Windows or AV system and it opens again. I can run Firefox (with Adblock) without problem, but only under a second “user.” But, when I download a removal tool, I get the no permissions notice (yes, they bypass the permission system). Naturally, they prohibit access to Start Up. But they also control “run” commands. I can open regedit.exe, but without indentity of the “keys,” dealing with this is beyond my reach. They block “system restore.” My only hope is to convince my AV to seek out the keys by remote. Frankly, they WILL do that when a malicious software end-runs their system. Microsoft also has a big-team operating their “Malicious Software Removal” tool management. Note-at no time was a permission given, nor was their any notice of a request for same. The AVs are the vulnerable parties here.

Malicous Software April 4th, 2023 at 8:39 pm

I should have mentioned that this malicious program also does the dirty in “safe mode.”

I would like to know how they devised to control the “administration” function. That should be unassailable.

Nick April 5th, 2023 at 10:55 pm

Tried what “some dude” mentioned above. System restore worked for me.

Alex April 6th, 2023 at 4:16 am

In my case, I can’t start ANY “.exe”, so no “cmd”, no “regedit”, etc. Even a fake “a.exe” launched “XP Total Security 2023″.

What I did:

create a file “a.bat” on the desktop.

edit this file like this:

cmd

(basically, only “cmd” in the file)

Then, run a.bat, a cmd should start.

From there, you can access your antispyware, or regedit, etc, or maybe install antispyware if you don’t have any? Anyway in my case I ran “SuperAntiSpyware” and CCleaner (that was both already installed).

After that, I did the part “Remove XP Anti-Spyware 2023 Software manually ” from this link:
https://www.net-studio.org/eng/patch/patch/296-how-to-remove-xp-anti-spyware-2011-vista-anti-spyware-2011-or-win7-anti-spyware-2011.html

@+

Alex

dmr April 9th, 2023 at 5:46 am

System restore worked for me too

Bruno April 10th, 2023 at 7:11 pm

Thank you very much! I was infected this morning (Sunday, April 10th). I was about to reinstall the OS. But after removing a suspicious file in C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\ called “sak.exe,” I was able to regain access to Firefox and do a quick search on “XP Total Security 2023″ and find this site. I then followed the advice of the first poster. But I first restored “sak.exe” temporarily back to C:\Documents and Settings\[username]\Local Settings\Application Data\ because I was experiencing some system-level problems without it (after removing it to stop virus action and have access to the browser)! I then went to Safe Mode and restored the System to Saturday, April 9th. After I restarted, I was pleasantly surprised to see my XP was fully recovered. So, System restore did work for me, too! Thank you for saving me a ton of headache going through another OS re-installation!!!

Bruno April 10th, 2023 at 7:44 pm

I should add “XP Total Security 2023″ WAS able to load in Safe Mode (after I restored “sak.exe” as detailed above… But it did not matter at that point, and System restore proceeded regardless and flawlessly!

Dodgers2112 April 19th, 2023 at 3:04 pm

XP Total Security is easy to get rid of! Download “Rkill” to desktop. Run it from desktop. That will stop the XP Total Security process. Download, update and run “Malwarebytes”. Restart the computer and you’re done.

Mars April 20th, 2023 at 10:00 pm

I tried resetting to another date. It didn’t change anything. Then I tried the online scanner referred to me from tech support. The pop ups stopped for a few hours. Technically I could go online but wasn’t a good idea because the fixes tech support gave me left me with new errors and a disabled fire wall that I could not turn on. Security essentials would not open, nor could I reinstall it because I was not able to delete it. still having the problem. Next computer I purchase will NOT BE PC/MICROSOFT!

paul April 25th, 2023 at 7:25 pm

I also restored the computer to 2 days ago, and that got rid of the virus. But some of my executables would not work, such as firefox or Internet Explorer. When I tried to open those programs, it asked me what program I wanted to use to open them. However, word files opened fine. At this point, I got ran a file [xp_exe_fix.reg] from a work collegue, and all is fine.

LEPOO7 May 12th, 2023 at 2:37 am

That “Rkill” was the only thing that worked!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kodiak May 21st, 2023 at 3:28 pm

rkill DID work but not alone. I used it in safe mode and as indicated, our little friend” made itself obnoxious in that mode too. Mine was “ahi.exe” and BM.exe. After I’d killed the processes, I rkilled the file and tried to open a browser– still there. So I killed the highjacked browser, killed the process (ahi.exe had reappeared), rkilled again (it found the ahi.exe at the same location again), then did a restore. Magic. seems to have worked so far. No antispyware or AV on the box ever discovered or stopped it. Lovely.

Not So Smart May 30th, 2023 at 9:56 pm

I deleted the account the virus downloaded itself on and I think that got rid of it…

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