Each day, the internet gets tricky and risky – a new scam arises here or a new malware entity gets discovered on another site. All you need to do is be extra cautious with your internet activities.
One of the trickiest scams and malware on the internet today is Max Utilities – a “Systems Optimizer” software.
Read on to know what Max Utilities is, what it does, and how to remove it if it manages to infiltrate your device.
What is Max Utilities?
Max Utilities is a program that security researchers have classified as a potentially unwanted program (PUP). It is often associated with intrusive behavior typical of unwanted software.
The scammers behind Max Utilities promote it as a reliable all-in-one ‘System Optimize’ tool for Windows optimization and maintenance. They promote it as a powerful application that can fix a user’s Windows problems. It also claims to do the following:
- Protecting privacy files
- Fixing registry errors
- Eliminating Windows junk and history
- Defragmenting registry
- Boosting startup speed
- Freeing up disk space, and more
However, some cybersecurity experts have concerns that Max Utilities might overstate system issues, encouraging users to purchase the software for problem resolution.
What Does Max Utilities Do?
Once installed, Max Utilities starts an immediate system scan, purporting to optimize your system’s performance. These features have led to Max Utilities being classified as potentially unwanted software (PUP) due to characteristics including:
- it spreads bundled with freeware,
- uses false claim that the app is free,
- most users install it unintentionally or unknowingly,
- upon installation, it begins an automatic system scan,
- he scan results may appear unclear and potentially overstated, providing a list of detected issues to encourage purchasing its license,
- it alters some Windows system settings,
- it has no direct download, and
- users have problems with the removal of Max U
What are the Symptoms of a Max Utilities Infection?
In most cases, users don’t recall installing the Max Utilities application. Once installed, it automatically launches the scanner. You will also experience the following:
- You will see an application (you know nothing about) scanning your system.
- During the scan, Windows performance diminishes.
- CPU consumption gets high.
- The software becomes unresponsive, etc.
- The scan results report multiplicity of system errors, including malware infections.
- It asks for payment for a premium version to eliminate the supposedly found errors.
Given these factors, Max Utilities might be viewed as a potentially unwanted program (PUP) or potentially unwanted application (PUA).
How is Max Utilities Distributed?
Max Utilities is distributed through
- deceptive pop-up ads,
- fake Flash Player installers, and
- free software installers (bundling).
You may also download Max Utilities from its official website.
How to Remove Max Utilities?
You can remove Max Utilities by:
- Using an anti-malware software tool, and
- Doing it manually.
Automatic Malware Removal
Use a professional automated malware removal tool such as Auslogics Anti-Malware. This is the method we recommend to users. Many antivirus programs might be able to detect Max Utilities, as it is often included in PUP databases.
To use an anti-malware tool, do the following:
- If you don’t have it already, download the anti-malware from a reputable, trusted company site.
- Install it as guided by the manufacturer.
- Conduct a deep scan of your computer to remove the components of Max Utilities and other unwanted malware.
Manual Max Utilities Removal Instructions
Here is the Max Utilities removal guide. Follow the instructions carefully to remove the malware manually and get rid of it completely:
- Remove/Uninstall Max Utilities from Programs and Features.
Go to Programs and Features and investigate the list of installed programs. Locate unwanted, intrusive, or recently installed programs and uninstall them.
- Stop all Max Utilities processes on the Task Manager.
Open the Task Manager and stop or close all processes related to Max Utilities in their description. You’ll need to discover the directories where these processes start by searching for strange or random file names.
- Inspect the Windows services for Max Utilities and remove it.
Press Win+R and type in: services.msc, then press OK. Locate and disable services that have random names or contain Max Utilities in their description or name.
- Disable Max Utilities on Task Scheduler.
Press the Win+R keys, then type in ‘taskschd.msc’ and press enter to open Windows Task Scheduler. Delete any task that you notice or think, is related to Max Utilities. Then disable other unknown tasks that have random names.
- Clear your Windows registry from Max Utilities.
Press in Win+R, then type in ‘regedit.exe’ and enter. Locate and delete all values and keys containing Max Utilities registries.
After all, is done, restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
Wrapping Up
Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP) exploit freeware bundles to infiltrate PCs unnoticed. Therefore, avoid free apps, but if you have to install them, take extreme caution. Keep in mind to tweak the installation process and avoid recommended installations because the basic installation setup of freeware often permits the installation of additional apps like Max Utilities.
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