PDFast Malware – Removal Instructions

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If your computer has recently become sluggish, plagued by flickering windows, or interrupted by unexpected pop-ups, the culprit may be a Trojan known as PDFast.exe. This threat has drawn attention from users reporting strange activity tied to the suspicious PDFast process. After analyzing its behavior, it has been classified as Trojan Horse malware – a deceptive type of malicious software that appears legitimate while secretly performing harmful tasks. Once on a system, PDFast can consume significant resources, alter system settings, and compromise sensitive information such as credit card data through phishing and keylogging. It commonly enters machines via bundled software downloads, then reinforces its presence by modifying the Windows Registry, creating additional files, and scheduling tasks that make removal difficult. While manual removal is possible, the process is complex and time-intensive for most users. This guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions to help you detect and fully remove the PDFast Trojan.

What Is the PDFast Virus?

Trojans are malicious programs disguised as legitimate software to trick users into installing them, often resulting in serious security breaches. Their primary purpose is to create unauthorized access to a system, enabling attackers to steal data, monitor activity, or deploy additional malware.

Once installed, a trojans like PDFast and Kepavll typically exhibits traits such as hiding within common files, running silently in the background, and avoiding detection by security tools. A particularly dangerous aspect of PDFast is its ability to gain administrative privileges, allowing it to override system settings, disable antivirus programs, and open the door to full system control.

PDFast also runs unauthorized processes, some of which appear to be legitimate system services, making them difficult to identify.

Additionally, certain variants of PDFast hijack CPU and memory resources to mine cryptocurrency, causing significant performance issues and higher energy consumption. These hidden operations can go unnoticed for long periods, increasing potential damage.

How to Remove the PDFast Virus

Based on our in-depth research and extensive experience with similar threats, weโ€™ve developed a detailed guide to help you completely remove the PDFast Trojan. If youโ€™re confident in your troubleshooting or virus removal skills, feel free to skip directly to the summary section, where we outline all the necessary steps.

PDFast Manual Removal Steps Overview

    PDFast Manual Removal Steps Overview1

  1. 1
    1Preparatory Steps: Easy – Preparatory Steps: Start by making hidden files visible on your system and installing LockHunter.

    Preparatory Steps: Easy – Preparatory Steps: Start by making hidden files visible on your system and installing LockHunter.

  2. 2
    1Task Manager Cleanup: Moderate – Task Manager Cleanup: Identify suspicious processes in the Task Manager, terminate them, and delete their source files.

    Task Manager Cleanup: Moderate – Task Manager Cleanup: Identify suspicious processes in the Task Manager, terminate them, and delete their source files.

  3. 3
    1Delete Remaining PDFast Files: Moderate – Delete Remaining PDFast Files: Search directories like AppData, Roaming, and Temp for leftover malware data.

    Delete Remaining PDFast Files: Moderate – Delete Remaining PDFast Files: Search directories like AppData, Roaming, and Temp for leftover malware data.

  4. 4
    1Delete Startup Items: Easy – Delete Startup Items: Review your Startup tab and disable items that seem out of place.

    Delete Startup Items: Easy – Delete Startup Items: Review your Startup tab and disable items that seem out of place.

  5. 5
    1Delete Scheduled Tasks: Moderate – Delete Scheduled Tasks: Look in Task Scheduler for tasks related to the malware and remove them.

    Delete Scheduled Tasks: Moderate – Delete Scheduled Tasks: Look in Task Scheduler for tasks related to the malware and remove them.

  6. 6
    1Registry Cleanup: Hard – Registry Cleanup: Locate and erase malicious Registry entries associated with XXX.

    Registry Cleanup: Hard – Registry Cleanup: Locate and erase malicious Registry entries associated with XXX.

If this summary feels too brief or you’re not confident proceeding, refer to the complete set of instructions below for a detailed breakdown.

Threat Name PDFast
Threat Type Trojan Horse/Malware
Threat Level High (Trojans exploit system resources, run harmful processes, collect sensitive data, distribute other malware, etc.)
Removal Methods:
โžฃ Manual Method – Advanced Steps 40-60 minutes – high success rate
โžฃ Automatic Method – SpyHunter 5 5-10 minutes – very high success rate

How to Get Rid of PDFast – Full Guide

Below is the step-by-step tutorial to walk you through the manual removal of PDFast. If you’re ready to handle this manually but need guidance, this section is for you.

1. Preparatory Steps

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    Preparatory Steps1

  1. 1
    1.1
    Though the bulk of this removal process will be handled manually, thereโ€™s one handy tool youโ€™ll need to install first. The application is called LockHunter, and it plays an important role in removing files that the malware attempts to lock or protect from deletion.
  2. 2
    1.2
    folder options malwarecomplaints
    Before diving into the other steps, you must ensure that your system shows hidden files and folders. To do this, open any folder, click on View at the top menu, and check the Hidden items box. With this setting adjusted, youโ€™re now ready to proceed.

2. Get Rid of Rogue Processes in the Task Manager

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    Get Rid of Rogue Processes in the Task Manager1

  1. 1
    2.1
    To open Task Manager, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc simultaneously. If it opens in compact mode, click More Details to reveal all running processes.
  2. 2
    2.2
    task manager malwarecomplaints
    Sort the running tasks by either Memory or CPU usage to identify the most resource-hungry processes. Look out for anything unusual or unfamiliar. Even if the name “PDFast” doesnโ€™t appear directly, there could still be active malicious processes in disguise.
  3. 3
    2.3
    If you come across a suspicious process, right-click it and choose Open File Location. Minimize the folder that appears. Then, return to Task Manager, select the same process, and click End Task.
  4. 4
    2.4
    Go back to the minimized folder window and erase all files contained there.
  5. 5
    2.5
    lockhunter malwarecomplaints
    If certain files or folders refuse to be deleted, this is where LockHunter comes in. If it’s already set up on your machine, right-click on the item, select Whatโ€™s locking this file/folder?, and then click Delete in the window that appears.

3. Delete Remaining PDFast Files

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    Delete Remaining PDFast Files1

  1. 1
    3.1
    Youโ€™ll now need to comb through the following directories to look for files or subfolders with names that seem out of place or potentially harmful:
    – C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local
    – C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming
    – C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\Temp
    – C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\LocalLow
    – C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
    – C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
    – C:\Program Files
    – C:\Program Files (x86)
    – C:\ProgramData
  2. 2
    3.2
    Remove anything that seems dubious. These folders generally donโ€™t hold essential system files, so deleting something unintentionally safe will likely just affect a specific programโ€”which can easily be reinstalled. Once inside the Temp directory, feel free to delete every file.

4. Disable PDFast Startup Items

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    Disable PDFast Startup Items 1

  1. 1
    4.1
    Head back to Task Manager and open the Startup tab. Disable any entries that look unfamiliar or suspicious.
  2. 2
    4.2
    Keep enabled only the programs that you recognize and actually want to launch when the system starts up.

5. Eliminate PDFast Scheduled Tasks

5-6
    Eliminate PDFast Scheduled Tasks1

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    5.1
    task scheduler malwarecomplaints
    Type Task Scheduler in the Start Menu, click the first result, and then go to Task Scheduler Library in the upper-left pane.
  2. 2
    5.2
    Review all listed tasks carefully. Select each task one at a time, switch to the Actions tab, and examine what command or file the task is configured to run.
  3. 3
    5.3
    If any task appears to launch an odd-looking .exe or script file, go ahead and delete that task.

6. Remove PDFast Items From the Registry

5-6
    Remove PDFast Items From the Registry1

  1. 1
    6.1
    To launch the Registry Editor, open the Start Menu, type regedit, and run the top result as an administrator.
  2. 2
    6.2
    Once inside, press Ctrl + F, type PDFast, and begin searching. Delete any entries found on the left-hand panel and keep searching until no results remain.
  3. 3
    6.3
    If a certain key refuses to be removed, right-click it, choose Permissions, go to Advanced, then select Change. Type Everyone, confirm with OK, and try deleting it again.
  4. 4
    6.4
    adware registry cleanup
    Now, using the left pane, navigate manually through the following registry directories:
  5. 5
    6.5
    Within each of these directories, check the right-hand panel for entries with suspicious names. If you discover anything unusual that might be associated with PDFast, delete those values. Be sure not to delete the entire key (the folder in the left pane) where the value residesโ€”only remove the specific suspicious entries.

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