How to Remove Alpha Antivirus from Your Computer

How to Remove Alpha Antivirus from Your Computer
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An Introduction to Alpha Antivirus

It is a common assumption that all antivirus applications exist to eradicate viruses and other malware. They are associated with security and safety of a computer and certainly never suspect of being the root cause of an infection, which makes rogue anti-malware applications so much more dangerous.

Alpha Antivirus is a particularly virulent rogue anti-malware application. It is usually acquired when a user visits a website with malicious content. The user may view a pop-up offering a free computer scan, which when accepted, downloads the rogue onto the computer. Alpha Antivirus is accompanied by a Trojan horse program which is specifically coded to protect the rogue antivirus from removal.

Once installed on the machine, Alpha will generate a number of false positives for various viruses and malware programs on the computer. It will also proclaim that it is the only application to remove said malware programs effectively and encourage the user to buy the full version, making it an elaborate scam.

In addition to the above, the application may also download actual malware to the infected computer, thereby making a bad situation much worse. Here, you’ll find the answer on how to remove Alpha Anti Virus from my computer.

Removal Instructions

The key to removing Alpha Antivirus is to disable the Trojan first and then rid the computer of all the associated registry entries and files. The program will not show up in the Programs List and, therefore, cannot be uninstalled in the traditional manner.

The simplest method is to use a proper malware removal application like Malwarebyte’s Anti-malware. After the setup file is downloaded, the installation contains an option to update the antivirus database. It is important to let this update take place, and then scan the computer for infection. The antivirus will detect Alpha as ‘Rogue.AlphaAV’ entry. Remove all entries, including registry values and system files to rid the computer of the infection.

Alpha Antivirus can also be removed manually, if the registry entries are tackled first. However, it is dangerous to disrupt the registry without proper knowledge. As it is an advanced malware program, chances are that if it is not removed completely, it will repair itself. Therefore, it is best to use the automated method.

Dangers of Rogue Antispyware Applications

Most rogues are not designed to actively destroy a system; mainly they are used to create false positives and in general harass the user mentally. However, the indirect ramifications of having a rogue installed on the system are that it does not provide any protection. The potential of having other malware infest the computer are inordinately high.

However, rogues have become more sophisticated. The newer versions not only harass the user, but also download malware surreptitiously. Sometimes the rogue itself is a front for insidious malware, which will then proceed to render the computer system practically useless.

Identifying Rogues

Unfortunately for an individual, Alpha Antivirus is not the only rogue antispyware program. There are many others as well.

Most rogues try to mimic the names of established anti-malware applications to confuse an unwary individual. For example, TheSpyBot is a parody on the legitimate Spybot Search and Destroy and Win Defender is a knockoff of Windows Defender.

It is of paramount importance to investigate any programs thoroughly before installing them on a computer system. Thankfully, if you stay aware of what’s out there on the Internet, you never need to answer the question how to remove Alpha Anti Virus from my computer.