Driver Tonic is promoted as a driver update tool that once installed, scans your PC for outdated drivers that need to be replaced. Once it finds a device driver that needs to be updated, it will convince you to buy the full version to be able to do so.
Now, do you think it’s malicious software? We think so, too.
What Does Driver Tonic Do?
So, what else can Driver Tonic do?
Contradictory to it being advertised as a quality system optimizer program, Driver Tonic is said to bring malware entities into an infected PC. This means if you have the Driver Tonic program installed on your PC, then it is not safe. Your personal information, account passwords, and banking credentials may be compromised as they could be sent anytime to hackers, especially if there is a strong and active internet connection.
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Upon installation, it starts to gather information and harvest data that can be sorted under these two categories:
- Private User Data – It extracts information associated with a user’s identity, such as name, phone number, address, and other saved account credentials. This info may be used for fraud and identity theft.
- Computer Data – It retrieves information about all the installed hardware components, user settings, and other crucial operating system values.
After collecting information, this PUP enters into stealth mode, which allows it to hide from security services and software.
How Did Your Computer Get Infected?
There are many ways that Driver Tonic is being distributed. One of the most popular tactics includes phishing scams and email attachments. The malicious files are hidden on email attachments or in links in the email content.
The Driver Tonic program may also be distributed via hacker-controlled websites, where it is advertised as an official program or shown as an ad pop-up.
How to Disable Driver Tonic?
Do you want to disable Driver Tonic? Below, we’ll teach you ways on how to remove Driver Tonic on your Windows PC.
Method #1: Use Control Panel
You can identify and remove any malicious entities like Driver Tonic on your PC. Simply use Control Panel. Follow the instructions below:
- Click the Start menu.
- Into the search field, input Control Panel. Hit Enter.
- Click on the first result of your search.
- Once the Control Panel window opens, go to Programs and click Uninstall a Program.
- Next, scroll through the list of installed programs and find Driver Tonic.
- Click on it and hit Uninstall.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to remove it.
- Confirm the uninstallation by clicking Yes.
Method #2: Clean any registry entries created by Driver Tonic
Make sure there are no components associated with Driver Tonic left on your PC. Do this by following these steps:
- Press Windows + R to launch the Run utility.
- Into the text field, input regedit and hit OK.
- Navigate to the Run and RunOnce sections.
- Right-click on the following entries and remove them:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Method #3: Use an anti-malware tool
If you are not that confident with your technical skills, you can automate the entire process of removing Driver Tonic. All you need is a trusted anti-malware tool. Make sure you download from the official developer website to avoid downloading a fake one.
To guarantee better results, use the anti-malware tool with a PC repair program that removes unnecessary files on your PC.
After running scans using the two programs, restart your PC.
Summary
With the ease and convenience that programs like Driver Tonic offer, it’s easy for us to be enticed to download them right away. Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. But just make sure that you think before you click and research about the program ahead.
Did you also install Driver Tonic on your PC? What effects did it bring? Share your experience in the comments!