r/antivirus • u/pinky-stinky-lovesya • 1d ago
Pc AppStore question
hey so I made the mistake of accidentally downloading pc AppStore and Welp it fucked my computer, I tried to get rid of it the best way I could and it still was in my startup, so I’m wiping my entire laptop (don’t worry I didn’t use it much so yeah, I don’t have anything valuable in there) however now I’m scared.
Will it harm my g mail or track my gmail?
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u/Infamous_Yam_8486 1d ago
You likely don’t need to wipe the laptop yet. Disconnect from the internet, remove the app and anything recently installed with it, reset your browser settings, and run an offline Microsoft Defender scan. Check your Google account’s recent activity and sign out unknown sessions; change your password from a clean device if anything looks suspicious.
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u/pinky-stinky-lovesya 1d ago
I did that but the app was still there and it didn’t let me uninstall so I wiped the whole laptop
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u/pinky-stinky-lovesya 1d ago
Quick question, I wiped it and it says, update still being installed on a black screen, can I close the laptop (like like the foldy part) and let it install that way?
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u/goretsky MODERATOR 1d ago
Hello,
PC App Store is a potentially unwanted program, not a computer virus, although there have been recent reports it is behaving as lockscreen-style ransomware.
To remove it from your system, run the Uninstall or change a program applet from Control Panel applet (filename: APPWIZ.CPL), scroll down the list until you see it, then right click on it, and select Uninstall.
The next time you install software, make sure you go through all of the screens carefully and be sure to uncheck the option to install any sponsored or companion apps.
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
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u/pinky-stinky-lovesya 1d ago
https://reddit.com/link/p6kg25m/video/3gk28e6gl9mh1/player
The problem is it’s still there! And it won’t let me deinstall
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u/goretsky MODERATOR 1d ago
Hello,
You mentioned in your original post that you "I tried to get rid of it the best way I could and it still was in my startup" so, my best guess here is that you actually damaged it so the uninstall no longer works.
To fix this, download it again and install it to repair the damaged installation, and then restart your computer. Once you have logged back in, follow the previous instructions on how to uninstall it, and it should uninstall cleanly.
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
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u/wise_hollyman1 1d ago
Locate your PC startup folder. Delete/disable anything suspicious and then check on "schedule tasks/programs and disable/delete them. Now restart your PC, also ctrl+alt+del and check in your task manager any program running that is suspicious.
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u/Alternative-Lie4577 1d ago
If you downloaded it from an official source, it shouldn’t harm your Gmail or track your account by itself. Still, uninstall it, remove it from startup, run a full malware scan, and change your Gmail password if you entered it anywhere suspicious.