Windows Genuine Advantage Virus

The Windows Genuine Advantage virus is a warning notifying you if your Windows XP version is genuine. The Windows Genuine Advantage notification is displayed only when the computer fails WGA validation process. If you have a genuine copy of Windows XP, you will not receive this notification. Unfortunately, cyber criminals have already exploited Windows Genuine Advantage to deceive unsuspecting users into paying a ransom fee of either €50 or €100. The computer infection, categorized as ransomware and sometimes referred to as virus, locks the screen of the target computer and displays a bogus Windows Genuine Advantage warning, which informs the victim that the WGA validation process has failed; thus, he/she is forced to acquire either a license for Windows or upgrade to Windows 8.

It is crucial to ignore the warning of the Windows Genuine Advantage virus because it is a scam. If you have ever heard of ransomware, you probably know that the victims of this type of threats are usually made to use online payment systems. In the case of the Windows Genuine Advantage virus, the services of Ukash or Paysafecard are presented. Moreover, after paying the required sum of money, you would have to wait up to 12 hours to have the computer unlocked. There is no guarantee that the criminals behind the Windows Genuine Advantage infection will unlock the computer, which is why you should remove the infection instead of paying up.

The deceptive warning may be very convincing especially when it is written in your native language. It has been discovered that the Windows Genuine Advanced virus is capable of identifying your location and changing the language of the warning. Below you will find an excerpt from the warning in German:

Windows Genuine Advantage-Benachrichtigungen ist ein Bestandteil des Bemühens von Microsoft, Softwarepiraterie einzudämmen. Diese Software hilft dabei, zu bestimmen, ob es sich bei der auf Ihrem Computer installierten Windows Version um eine Originalversion oder Raubkopie handelt. Leider konnte diese Prüfung nicht erfolgreich abgeschlossen werden, daher wurde der Zugriff auf Ihren Computer temporär gesperrt. Als Gründe hierfür gelten eine abgelaufene oder mehrfach verwendete Windows-Lizenz, sowie eine illegal erworbene Windows-Lizenz (Raubkopie).

The fact that your computer is infected with a ransomware infection implies that the computer is not properly protected against various computer infections. Moreover, you should keep in mind that malicious programs such as the Windows Genuine Advantage virus can be installed on the computer in various ways, including insecure adult-oriented websites, P2P file exchange websites, and malicious email attachments. If you want to remove the Windows Genuine Advantage virus and browse the Internet safely, you should implement a reputable security programs; otherwise, you the computer remains susceptible to malware.

Below you will find our instructions on how to remove Windows Genuine Advantage, the malicious program, and, if have any questions concerning the removal, feel free to leave a comment below.

How to remove the Windows Genuine Advantage virus

1. Restart the computer.
2. Once the BIOS startup screen appears, start tapping the F8 key.
3. Select Safe Mode with Networking.
4. Open the Start menu and click Run.
5. Type in msconfig and open the Startup menu.
6. Click the Disable All button.
7. Launch an Internet browser and go to http://www.pcthreat.com/download-sph to download SpyHunter.
8. Install the program.
9. Restart the computer and launch a system scan.