What is a Win32.downloader.gen alert on Spybot, and Avast and Bitdefender Total security 2013 can’t detect it? Why does it keep popping up all the time? Spybot Search & Destroy and AVG detected it but cannot remove it successfully. What do I do to keep my PC safe and virus-free? Tried system restore but it didn’t work. Do I have to go through all the complicated steps to reinstall Windows? What could happen to my PC if I cannot get rid of this virus in time?

How to Remove Win32.downloader.gen Virus?

Win32.downloader.gen is categorized as a Trojan horse that many computer users have come across on their computers lately. There are certain generic-description Trojans that are classified as unknown Trojans by a lot of antivirus companies. This particular Trojan is capable of dropping malware infections on the infected computer once it gets connected to the internet. Basically, this Trojan can remain dormant if the PC is not connected to the net. However, once the connection is found, then this particular Trojan can cause a lot of troubles on your computer. Specially associated with malware and spyware, this Trojan virus can not only get malware to install on your computer without consent, but also help distant PC hackers collect and steal valuable personal information out of your computer to help cyber criminals. Hence, this Trojan should be removed as soon as possible. No one can promise that you won’t lose more data to the Trojan if it gets to reside on the system long enough.

Win32.downloader.gen Trojan is not a regular virus that can be removed completely by antivirus applications. However, that does not mean that your antivirus programs are totally useless. Nowadays, as unknown online third party can benefit from hacking into computers, more nasty viruses including Trojans, malware, browser redirect viruses and ransomware have been created every once in a while and released on the internet to attack users’ computers. They can upgrade as time goes by and become more difficult to be removed. Also, with the ability to spread over different networks, computers that are vulnerable will be the biggest targets of this Trojan infection. Viewing online pornographic content, installing malicious programs and receiving files from unknown resources could all be the reasons of your computer being attacked by this Trojan infection.

Once it’s successfully getting through, Win32.downloader.gen virus will start bringing chaos on the infected system. Consequences like PC running slower than ever, security alerts popping up more often and internet connection being cut off frequently will be experienced. Also, when a Trojan is associated with certain malicious programs, it can bring them gradually onto your computer to create more troubles. Malware like fake antivirus applications will be asking you to sign up and pay for their fake registered versions so that they can scam money. You may even be blocked out of your own computer by some scary but fake police warning messages.

Note: Since antivirus applications have mostly failed to remove this Win32.downloader.gen Trojan, manual removal is suggested here as it guarantees a complete fix. Advanced computer skills will be required during the manual removal process. Contact YooSecurity Online PC Expert now for further assistance if you are not familiar with manual removal concept. Any mistake happens during the removal could lead to more problems.

Win32.downloader.gen Screenshot

Win32.downloader.gen-virus

How Did You Get The Trojan Virus And What Will It Do On The Infected Computer?

Most of the times, this Win32.downloader.gen Trojan is detected by heuristic engine of any antivirus. The best way to handle it is to move it to quarantine and then remove it permanently. If you cannot accomplish these steps successfully, this Trojan can do the following:

It leads to other malware problems on the internet. Basically, this Trojan infection can work as a magnet for all malicious files on the internet that may enter your computer through any bugs on the computer. When that happens, you may not even know what is going on behind the curtain. But your computer will start acting weird. The overall performance will be affected in a way that PC becomes rather sluggish with constant freezes during your operations.

This Trojan can set backdoor on your computer that is used by hackers in order to access your computer remotely and then control it. Once this happens, your computer may be used for illegal activities as well as spamming other computers. This Trojan can also increase payload and bring in other malware to disrupt your computer’s functioning, making it slow and inefficient.

So, how does this Win32.downloader.gen Trojan enter your computer when there is antivirus protection on the system? Well, this particular Trojan can enter your computer through any of the following methods:

Sometimes, you may come across some legitimate websites that have been hacked and are being used to spread malware. You may think you are downloading files from a trusted source, but the unknown download may have been bundled with certain malware or spyware and junks and malicious codes can be dropped on your computer without your knowledge.

Unknown free programs are often used to bundle Trojans and malware. Bundling is a way used by free program developers as they can get their products to install on a computer automatically. When Win32.downloader.gen virus bundles with unknown freeware, it can sneak onto your computer without consent. While you may think it is a free gift, you may end up installing this Trojan on your own.

Other than that, spam mails can also lead to such infections. Click suspicious links provided in these e-mails or download any unknown attachment in these mails can get you the nasty Trojan virus.

What’s more, peer-to-peer websites can cause such Trojan infections as well. This includes torrents too. You may want to download something very genuine but you wouldn’t know if that particular file is packed with a malware. Mostly torrents are allowed to go undetected or surpass antivirus. If this happens, then any malware entering your computer through torrents will go undetected too.

By the time your antivirus scanner notifies you about an infection, a lot of damage may already be done. In such a case, even the antivirus software may not be able to remove this virus either. Eventually you will have to put extra efforts to get this Win32.downloader.gen virus removed from your computer system. Hence, try to avoid opting for freeware from unidentified resources online or downloading data from sources that are not trusted.

Steps on How to Remove This Trojan Infection Manually

Step 1: Open Windows Task Manager to end processes related to the Trojan virus. To do that, press Ctrl+Alt+Del keys at the same time or right click on bottom Task Bar and select Start Task Manager.
Windows Task Manager

Step 2: Open Control Panel from Start menu. Go to Folder Options and under View tab, select Show hidden files and folders and non-select Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) then click OK.
Folder Options

Step 3: Go to Registry Editor. First press Windows+R keys and then type regedit in Run box to search. Delete registry entries associated with this Win32.downloader.gen Trojan infection.

Video on How to Modify or Change Windows Registry

Conclusion

Win32.downloader.gen Trojan virus isn’t an easy one to get rid of as it can persistently reside on the system via doing lots of changes to the system default settings. Due to the fact that it is created by PC hackers and used to help them benefit, it can bypass many antivirus protection programs and sneak onto different computers without approval from PC owners to bring chaos. This Trojan virus can specially drop unknown programs that turn out to be some malware on its own. Soon you will experience other malicious programs on the same computer. Also, with the ability to change as time goes by, it may not be removed completely if one doesn’t have much experience in dealing with stubborn Trojan viruses. You will need to search under different locations on the computer to define and delete associating items with this Trojan virus to complete a clean removal. Any left files could bring this Trojan right back!

Note: If you are not able to get rid of this Win32.downloader.gen Trojan completely from the above steps, contact Online PC Expert now for further assistance to save your computer in time.

Published by Tony Shepherd & last updated on April 22, 2014 6:40 pm

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