Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR — PCAppStore Adware Removal Guide

If you spectate the alert of Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR detection, it appears that your computer has a problem. All malicious programs are dangerous, with no exceptions. PCAppStore floods your system with a variety of banners, opens your web browser without your intent and makes the system unprotected to other malware infiltration.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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Any malware exists with the only target – make money on you¹. And the programmers of these things are not thinking about ethicality – they use all possible tactics. Taking your private data, receiving the comission for the promotions you watch for them, utilizing your CPU and GPU to mine cryptocurrencies – that is not the full list of what they do. Do you like to be a riding steed? That is a rhetorical question.

What does the pop-up with Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR detection mean?

The Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR detection you can see in the lower right side is demonstrated to you by Microsoft Defender. That anti-malware application is good at scanning, however, prone to be basically unreliable. It is unprotected to malware invasions, it has a glitchy interface and problematic malware removal capabilities. For this reason, the pop-up which states about the PCAppStore is simply a notification that Defender has actually spotted it. To remove it, you will likely need to use a separate anti-malware program.

Microsoft Defender: “Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR”

The exact Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR virus is a very nasty thing. This malware demonstrates you a marvelous quantity of ads. Have you ever visited the doorway sites? They are packed just with banners – blinking, badly designed and with strange information. Adware does the identical thing to all websites you explore. That virus brings money to its creators in a really sly manner. You see the banners – they receive money. In addition, these banners oftentimes offer deceitful and explicit content. Penis enlargement, pornography websites ads, Microsoft virus alerts – all these things are usual for adware.

Adware Summary:

Is Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR dangerous?

Adware such as this one is not something contrasty, compared to other advertising malware. But as it was pointed out, the banners it demonstrates to you are quite frequently full of phony information. Even if you can distinguish scams from adware – do you really like watching ads for free? Especially ones that cover your web browser window and also distract you from your working process? It looks that we already know the reply.

How did I get this virus?

It is not easy to trace the sources of malware on your PC. Nowadays, things are mixed up, and distribution methods utilized by adware 5 years ago may be utilized by spyware these days. However, if we abstract from the exact distribution method and will think about why it has success, the answer will be very basic – low level of cybersecurity awareness. People click on advertisements on weird sites, click the pop-ups they get in their web browsers, call the “Microsoft tech support” assuming that the weird banner that states about malware is true. It is essential to understand what is legitimate – to avoid misconceptions when trying to figure out a virus.

Microsoft Tech Support Scam

Nowadays, there are two of the most widespread methods of malware spreading – lure e-mails and injection into a hacked program. While the first one is not so easy to stay away from – you should know a lot to understand a counterfeit – the second one is very easy to address: just don’t utilize hacked applications. Torrent-trackers and various other providers of “free” applications (which are, exactly, paid, but with a disabled license checking) are just a giveaway point of malware. And Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR is just among them.

How to remove the Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR from my PC?

Adware like PCAppStore is pretty easy to clear away manually. Nevertheless, it is not so easy to return the system changes it did in the process of the activity. Because a great deal of various system parts are touched, it is really easy to forget about something. That’s why I would certainly recommend you to use anti-malware software. My choice for adware removal is GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

Why GridinSoft Anti-Malware? It is very lightweight and has its detection databases updated just about every hour. Additionally, it does not have such bugs and weakness as Microsoft Defender does. The combination of these facts makes GridinSoft Anti-Malware suitable for removing malware of any kind.

Remove the viruses with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

• Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware. After the installation, you will be offered to perform the Standard Scan. Approve this action.

• Standard scan checks the logical disk where the system files are stored, together with the files of programs you have already installed. The scan lasts up to 6 minutes.

• When the scan is over, you may choose the action for each detected virus. For all files of PCAppStore the default option is “Delete”. Press “Apply” to finish the malware removal.

Reset Browser settings after the adware attack

Adware makes a lot to keep annoying you even after being removed from your computer. It distorts the browser configurations, so it will not work correctly. Until you reset it, of course. Each browser has its own way to restore the default settings. Here are the guides for the most popular ones:

To reset Edge, do the following steps :

1. Open “Settings and more” tab in upper right corner, then find here “Settings” button. In the appeared menu, choose “Reset settings” option :

2. After picking the Reset Settings option, you will see the following menu, stating about the settings which will be reverted to original :

For Mozilla Firefox, do the next actions :

1. Open Menu tab (three strips in upper right corner) and click the “Help” button. In the appeared menu choose “troubleshooting information” :

2. In the next screen, find the “Refresh Firefox” option :

After choosing this option, you will see the next message :

If you use Google Chrome

1. Open Settings tab, find the “Advanced” button. In the extended tab choose the “Reset and clean up” button :

2. In the appeared list, click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” :

3. Finally, you will see the window, where you can see all the settings which will be reset to default :

Opera can be reset in the next way

1. Open Settings menu by pressing the gear icon in the toolbar (left side of the browser window), then click “Advanced” option, and choose “Browser” button in the drop-down list. Scroll down, to the bottom of the settings menu. Find there “Restore settings to their original defaults” option :


2. After clicking the “Restore settings…” button, you will see the window, where all settings, which will be reset, are shown :

When the browsers are reset, you need to make sure that your browser will be connected the proper DNS while connecting to the web page you need. Make a text file named “hosts” on your desktop, after that open it and fill it with the following content²:


# Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host
# localhost name resolution is handle within DNS itself.
# 127.0.0.1 localhost
# ::1 localhost


Find the hosts.txt file in C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc directory. Rename this file to “hosts.old.txt” (to distinguish it from the new one), and then move the file you created on the desktop to this folder. Remove the hosts.old from this folder. Now you have your hosts file as good as new.

Reset Browser settings with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

GridinSoft Anti-Malware offers its own way to reset the browsers. With the help of this program, you can reset all your browsers in just several clicks. It also resets the HOSTS file automatically, so you don’t need to make any excessive actions. To reset your browser with GridinSoft Anti-Malware, open the Tools tab, and click the “Reset browser settings” button.

You can see the list of the options for each browser. By default, they are set up in the manner which fits the majority of users. Press the “Reset” button (lower right corner). In a minute your browser will be as good as new.

How to Remove Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR Malware

Name: Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR

Description: If you have seen a message showing the “Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR found”, it seems that your system is in trouble. The PCAppStore virus was detected, but to remove it, you need to use a security tool. Windows Defender, which has shown you this message, has detected the malware. However, Defender is not a reliable thing - it is prone to malfunction when it comes to malware removal. Getting the Adware:Win32/PCAppStore!MSR malware on your PC is an unpleasant thing, and removing it as soon as possible must be your primary task.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Adware

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1. Read about malware types on GridinSoft Threat encyclopedia.
2. Official Microsoft guide for hosts file reset.