I wrote this article to help you remove Product Key Has Expired Virus. This Product Key Has Expired Virus removal guide works for all Windows versions.
Is your PC screen locked all of a sudden? Do you see the “Product Key Has Expired” alert messages all the time? If the answer to both questions is yes, you are in trouble. There is a cyber infection on your machine which has locked your screen and the sooner you find and remove it, the better. The parasite you are stuck with is classified as a potentially unwanted program. A PUP, for short, and it is unwanted indeed.
The good news, however, is that it is relatively easy to remove. The truth is that there are some much more dangerous pests you could have been infected with. You can even consider yourself kind of lucky. If you act promptly, you will be able to get rid of the nasty PUP in no time. But you must act immediately. No infection should be ignored. And this one has locked your screen which must cause some inconvenience, doesn’t it? We are pretty sure you will want to fix this problem as soon as possible. So, read this article in order to understand how this parasite operates, how to remove it, and how to protect yourself from future infections.
How does the scheme work? We call it a scheme simply because this is what it is. Since the PUP cannot cause you harm directly, it turns to trickery and deceit. First, it locks your PC screen. Second, it starts displaying the annoying “Product Key Has Expired” warning messages. In other words, the pest is trying to convince you that your system activation key is not valid anymore and you have to reactivate it. Of course, this is not true. The hackers want you to panic so you would do whatever they tell you. That’s why you get bombarded with the fake alert messages. Do not trust them even for a second.
As we said, it is all a deceptive scheme. However, unlike most infections of this kind which are trying to trick you into purchasing some fake key or another program, in other words, steal your money, this one is not offering such thing. It is not asking for money. At least, not directly. Instead, “Product Key Has Expired” turns to a different tactic. It wants you to take a survey instead. Surprising, isn’t it?
We all know that taking some kind of survey will not get you a new activation key. What it will do, though, is provide crooks with your personal details. Answering the questions in the survey is a very bad idea. It jeopardizes your privacy and gives crooks the chance to steal your personally identifiable and other valuable data. Do not complete that survey. If these cybercriminals get their hands on your private details, your situation will become way worse. What you should do is remove this lying parasite from your PC as soon as possible. Luckily, we can help you with that. Use our removal guide below. It will help you get rid of the pest in a few simple steps.
How did the PUP enter? Well, it tricked you. As we already stated, this is what it does. The pest probably arrived bundled in some other program. Do you often download free apps? And if you do, do you opt for the Advanced installation wizard or for the Standard one? If you opt for the latter, change your habits. The standard/recommended options are automatic. You don’t have a say.
If there are additionally attached apps in the bundle, they enter your machine alongside the original program. The Advanced settings, however, allow you to see and deselect these extras. This takes a little bit more time but it is definitely worth it. A little extra time and attention go a long way. They save you tons of troubles. Don’t forget that and from now on be more vigilant. Hackers pray for your negligence, remember? Do not grant it.
Product Key Has Expired Virus Removal
Run the Task Manager by right clicking on the Taskbar and choosing Start Task Manager.
Look carefully at the file names and descriptions of the running processes. If you find any suspicious one, search on Google for its name, or contact me directly to identify it. If you find a malware process, right-click on it and choose End task.
Open Control Panel by holding the Win Key and R together. Write appwiz.cpl in the field, then click OK.
Here, find any program you had no intention to install and uninstall it.
Open MS Config by holding the Win Key and R together. Type msconfig and hit Enter.
Go in the Startup tab and Uncheck entries that have “Unknown” as Manufacturer.
Still can not remove Product Key Has Expired Virus from your computer? Please, leave a comment below, describing what steps you performed. I will answer promptly.
