Microsoft Security Adviser is a malicious program that promote itself being a part of a Microsoft Windows security program and will display warning and alert message on computer. Users who believed that it is legitimate will officially download and install the program without the knowledge that it is the threat that is being installed on computer. A successful installation of Microsoft Security Adviser does not remove the threat, instead it is the start of a more pop-up alerts and warning messages until users purchase the full version of the program.
What Microsoft Security Adviser Does?
It will create the following Windows Registry entries:
- HKLM\..\Run: [Microsoft security adviser] C:\MICROSOFT SECURITY ADVISER\MSSADV.EXE
- HKLM\..\Run: [msctrl.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msctrl.exe
- HKLM\..\Run: [msavsc.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msavsc.exe
- HKLM\..\Run: [msscan.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msscan.exe
- HKLM\..\Run: [msiemon.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msiemon.exe
- HKLM\..\Run: [msfw.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msfw.exe
- HKCU\..\Run: [msiemon.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msiemon.exe
- HKCU\..\Run: [msctrl.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msctrl.exe
- HKCU\..\Run: [msavsc.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msavsc.exe
- HKCU\..\Run: [msscan.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msscan.exe
- HKCU\..\Run: [msfw.exe] \Microsoft Security Adviser\msfw.exe
The threat will drop the following malicious files:
- C:\Microsoft Security Adviser\mssadv.exe
- C:\Microsoft Security Adviser\msctrl.exe
- C:\Microsoft Security Adviser\msavsc.exe
- C:\Microsoft Security Adviser\msscan.exe
- C:\Microsoft Security Adviser\msiemon.exe
- C:\Microsoft Security Adviser\msfw.exe
How to Remove Microsoft Security Adviser Manually
1. Restart your computer in SafeMode
– After Power-On the computer, just before Windows start, press F8
– From the selections, Select SafeMode
2. Remove Registry entry/entries that the threat added. You MUST BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY FIRST.
– Click Start > Run
– Type in the field, regedit
– Navigate and look for the registry entries mentioned above and delete if necessary
3. Delete malicious files that the threat added:
– Base on the given location above, browse and delete the file
– If no location is given, click Start>Search> and search for the file.
– If cannot be deleted, press Ctrl+Alt+Del to access Task Manager, see if the file is running in the process. If it is, select the file and click End Process. Perform file delete again.
How to Easily Remove Microsoft Security Adviser
1. Print this procedure as we need to close all programs running later.
2. Download AntiMalware Application here and save it to your Desktop.
3. Close all open applications.
4. Double-Click on the downloaded mbam-setup.exe to start the installation. If unable to execute, infections on computer is preventing it from running, rename the file mbam-setup.exe to anything (like myfile.exe)
5. Run the installation on the default settings. No changes are necessary.
6. Just before completing the installation, make sure that the following are marked check.
– Update the program
– Launch the program
7. The tool will run and update itself after installation. Close it after the update.
8. Restart your computer in SafeMode
– After Power-On the computer, just before Windows start, press F8
– From the selections, Select SafeMode
9. Click on the icon and start to Perform Full Scan to begin scanning your computer for Microsoft Security Adviser related files.
10. After scanning, a message will appear stating that the scan is completed successfully. Click OK.
11. Click Show Results and detected threats will be displayed.
12. Make sure that all threats are marked check, then click Remove Selected to begin removal of the malicious files.
13. Exit MBAM and restart your computer.
14. Microsoft Security Adviser and all its files are now removed from your computer. To guard your computer from this threat and avoid future infections, you may want real-time protection from a full version of anti-malware program..
