I have a program on my computer called PersonalAV and it is saying that I am at a huge security risk and I need to buy a program to remove the risks from my computer.  I am getting nervous and scared to use my machine, but one of my friends told me that the messages that are being displayed could be the actual infection.  Is this true?  How do I remove it?

PersonalAV is derived from the Personal Antivirus brand.  Your friend is 100% correct in assuming that these messages are fraudulent and should not be trusted.  One way to determine its invalidity is the annoying amount of times the pop-up occurs forcing you to buy something to remove a risk.  No true antivirus pesters you as much to buy the software to remove one single risk.most just bug you to upgrade from the free version.

To remove PersonalAV, we’re going to use Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware.  It’s one of my favorite programs.  The problem is that PersonalAV might not allow the setup to run as it recognizes the name of the exe so we will rename the file.

Please download Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

  • Rename “mbam-setup.exe” to “helpthiscomputer.exe”
  • Double Click helpthiscomputer.exe to install the application.
  • Make sure a checkmark is placed next to Update Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware and Launch Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware, then click Finish.
  • If an update is found, it will download and install the latest version.
  • Once the program has loaded, select “Perform Quick Scan”, then click Scan.
  • The scan may take some time to finish, so please be patient.
  • When the scan is complete, click OK, then Show Results to view the results.
  • Make sure that everything is checked, and click Remove Selected. <- very important
  • When disinfection is completed, a log will open in Notepad and you may be prompted to Restart. (See Extra Note)
  • The log is automatically saved by MBAM and can be viewed by clicking the Logs tab in MBAM. (You may need this for a later post on the forums!)

Extra Note:If MBAM encounters a file that is difficult to remove, you will be presented with 1 of 2 prompts, click OK to either and let MBAM proceed with the disinfection process, if asked to restart the computer, please do so immediately

It’s important to notice how we had to rename the file for the system to allow the install.  In the future, anything that “pops-up” to prompt you to buy something or claims some urgent disaster is usually a scam.  Never enter your credit card information, click the links they display or continue to use your machine if you see another message similar to this one.

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