Manual Removal Guide for PU.ComputerUpdater

The following instructions have been created to help you to get rid of "PU.ComputerUpdater" manually.
Use this guide at your own risk; software should usually be better suited to remove malware, since it is able to look deeper.

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Threat Details:

Categories:

• pups

Description:

PU.ComputerUpdater scans the computer for outdated installations and offers the latest software updates. If the user wants to upgrade to the latest available software he has to activate the program and to purchase a semiannual license. The free version is only a trial. After closing the main window of the free version a new window opens and remembers the user to update and to get an activation key. A user has to buy a semiannual license of the product if he needs the functionality. This software license costs 49,95 USD semiannual (status: February 2015) for each SafeApp Software, LLC. product. The company offers a continuous service (automatically renewing the license subscription) during the activation process.

Privacy Statement:

http://www.safeappsoftware.com/privacy.asp?language=en
"Software Registration: When upgrading the Software to the full version, you will be asked to provide personally identifiable information, including e-mail address, your name, and additional contact information (ie, telephone number and home address) and billing information (such as a credit card number and expiration date). Your personal information provided during installation will be stored in our database, along with other information collected during the installation process and by our cookies (e.g., link to referring site, e-mail, or advertisement, IP address, browser capabilities, and total Invalid Entries, Junk Files, or Available Updates)."

Links (be careful!):

: ttp://www.safeappsoftware.com
: ttp://www.safeappsoftware.com/email.asp
: ttp://www.safeappsoftware.com/regunsub.asp

Removal Instructions:

Autorun:

Please use Spybot-S&D, RunAlyzer or msconfig.exe to remove the following autorun entries.

• Entries named "Computer Updater" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\ComputerUp-dater.Exe*".
• Entries named "Computer Updater" and pointing to "?<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\ComputerUp-dater.Exe? /boot".

Files:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these files.

• The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater\Computer Updater Log.txt".
• The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater\Service\Service Log.txt".
• The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater\Settings\ComputerUpdater.ini".
• The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater\Settings\Ignored.cus".
• The file at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater\Settings\Results.cus".
• The file at "<$COMMONDESKTOP>\Computer Updater.lnk".
• The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\Computer Updater\Computer Updater.lnk".
• The file at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\Computer Updater\Visit our Website.lnk".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\__removelinks.bat".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Advisor Letters\00_Advisor Letters Index.htm".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\AdvisorLetters.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\background.gif".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Computer Updater.url".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\ComputerUp-dater.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\ComputerUp-daterService.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\ComputerUp-daterUninstaller.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\cu.ico".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\ErrorFound.wav".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\logo.gif".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\progress.avi".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Starter.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\uninst.exe".
• The file at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\vbrun60sp5.exe".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\ComputerUpdaterLM.ocx".
• The file at "<$SYSDIR>\CUUpdateComponent.ocx".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.ComputerUpdater uses rootkit technologies, use the rootkit scanner integrated into Spybot-S&D 2.x or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify files!

Important: There are more files that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D to remove them.

Folders:

Please use Windows Explorer or another file manager of your choice to locate and delete these folders.

• The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater\Service".
• The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater\Settings".
• The directory at "<$COMMONAPPDATA>\Computer Updater".
• The directory at "<$COMMONPROGRAMS>\Computer Updater".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Advisor Letters\images".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Advisor Letters\include".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Advisor Letters".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Help\images".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Help\include".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater\Help".
• The directory at "<$PROGRAMFILES>\Computer Updater".

Make sure you set your file manager to display hidden and system files. If PU.ComputerUpdater uses rootkit technologies, use our RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.
You will have to use a global search for files without a name specified. Be extra careful, because just the name might not be enough to identify folders!

Registry:

You can use regedit.exe (included in Windows) to locate and delete these registry entries.

• A key in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ named "ComputerUpdaterLM.LicenseManager", plus associated values.
• Delete the registry key "{276B9A2D-91A9-4DFF-AAB9-8E522B519F63}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{895ADF70-F4F6-4532-A6C4-132CDCD279CD}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{8E6889CF-FC0B-4BFB-AD15-5AEFDCC032CE}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "{9DEFD45F-B8E4-4B89-83C4-F031F15B187D}" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\".
• Delete the registry key "{BEB4F9CC-E657-4EF2-9A75-BADC9B116298}" at "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\".
• Delete the registry key "Computer Updater" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\".
• Delete the registry key "ComputerUpdater Service" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\".
• Delete the registry key "ComputerUpdater Service" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet002\Services\".
• Delete the registry key "ComputerUpdater Service" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet003\Services\".
• Delete the registry key "ComputerUp-dater.exe" at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\".

If PU.ComputerUpdater uses rootkit technologies, use our RegAlyzer, RootAlyzer or our Total Commander anti-rootkit plugins.

There are more registry entries that cannot be safely described in simple words. Please use Spybot-S&D to remove them.

Final Words:

If neither Spybot-S&D nor self help did resolve the issue or you would prefer one on one help,

1. Please read these instructions before requesting assistance,
2. Then start your own thread in the Malware Removal Forum where a volunteer analyst will advise you as soon as available.