Windows Health Center

Windows Health Center Description

Windows Health Center is far from the independent, helpful software it tries to pass itself off as. Rather, it’s just one head of a multifaceted delivery system for fake Windows utilities. You might see it like a hydra – as soon as users recognize one infection and delete it, criminals create a new one with a fresh name, while keeping the delivery method the same. As long as it’s present, Windows Health Center will chew on your system processes until you find it difficult to use your computer, all while constantly demanding money from you. You should treat this rogue infection as the threat it is, ignore all its bullying behavior, and scrub your system clean of it.

The Trojan Horse Delivers Its Payload

Just like many other fake scanners that are distributed in the same way, Windows Health Center was created just in 2011 and hails from the Russian Federation. Once there, it will engage in the usual rogue malware hostilities – creating false error messages and interfering with system processes while trying to look like a solution to all these made up woes.
 
However, Windows Health Center can’t get on your system by itself, and needs some sneaky assistance to do its damage. The infection’s mode of transport is a fake Microsoft Security Essentials Alert Trojan. It begins with the following alert:
 
“Unknown Win32/Trojan was detected on your computer”
 
After that, it will prompt you to begin a (faked) scan, after which it will announce that the Trojan.Horse.Win32.PAV.64.a infection was found. If you see these signs, then you should disregard the error messages and take appropriate steps to root out and destroy the true infection. If you go along with the Trojan’s little plan, you will find yourself installing another malware infection. This secondary malware installation will usually be a rogue fake scanner, and it might just be Windows Health Center.

After the Fateful Click

If you clicked ‘OK’ reflexively or by pure accident, Windows Health Center will rear its head up quite blatantly, greatly in contrast to the stealth Trojan delivery. The first thing it will request of you after installation is that you reboot your computer. From that point on, Windows Health Center will load itself automatically, and barrage you with warnings before even allowing you to enter your desktop. Some of these messages may be:

• Warning! Database update failed!
  Database update failed!
  Outdated viruses databases are not effective and can’t
  guarantee adequate protection and security for your PC!
  Click here to get the full version of the product and update
  the database!
• System Security Warning
  Attempt to modify register key entries is detected. Register entries analysis is recommended.
• Warning!
  Name: taskmgr.exe
  Name: C:WINDOWStaskmgr.exe
  Application that seems to be a key-logger is detected. System information security is at risk. It is recommended to enable the security mode and run total System scanning

.

• Warning! Running trial version!
  The security of your computer has been compromised!
  Now running trial version of the software!
  Click here to purchase the full version of the software
  and get full protection for your PC!
• System component corrupted!
  System reboot error has occurred due to lsass.exe system process failure.
  This may be caused by severe malware infections.
  Automatic restore of lsass.exe backup copy completed.
  The correct system performance can not be resumed without eliminating the cause of lsass.exe corruption.
• Microsoft Security Essentials Alert
  Microsoft Security Essentials detected potential threats that might compromise your privacy or damage your computer. Your access to these items may be suspended until you take an action.

As you can see from the taskmgr.exe warning, these errors can be context-sensitive depending on the actions of the user. If you’re lulled into trusting Windows Health Center, it will waste your time with a scan that’s just as full of lies as the Trojan one was. Windows Health Center will then state that it cleansed most infections, in an attempt to present itself as competent and useful. However, Windows Health Center will very carefully announce that some infections, particularly those related to crucial files like browser executables, can only be cleansed by the full version.

Don’t Give Rogue-Designing Criminals a Payoff

For all its outer innocence, Windows Health Center is no better than any other more blatantly destructive infection that would eat your files without mercy. The supposed full version contains no useful utilities for detecting or removing system threats! Removing Windows Health Center and any attendant infections should be the only thing on your mind.
 
To delete Windows Health Center, it’s often best to use a true anti-malware scanner for this purpose, provided you have one available with an up to date database. If that’s not a weapon in your arsenal, there are more down to earth methods. You will ultimately need to go to Safe Mode to find and delete all the relevant files, no matter how you choose to do it. Show Windows Health Center no mercy! After all, it’s certainly not showing mercy to your computer or your bank account.

Aliases

More aliases (55)

Windows Health Center Automatic Detection Tool (Recommended)

Technical Details

Visual & GUI Characteristics

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