How to uninstall the PCMate Free Driver Backup PUA
Written by Tomas Meskauskas on (updated)
What is the PCMate Free Driver Backup unwanted application?
PCMate Free Driver Backup is an untrusted application, endorsed as a tool for creating backups for various device drivers. This app is supposedly capable of creating backups for audio, video, network, keyboard, mouse and other drivers. The purpose of these backups is to secure the drivers in case of operating system crashes, re-installation and upgrading.
This product also claims to be able to store browser cookie backups, Internet Explorer favorites and registry data, etc. In fact, due to the dubious techniques used to proliferate PCMate Free Driver Backup, it is classified as a Potentially Unwanted Application (PUA).
Software within this classification may seem legitimate and offer a wide variety of functionality, which is rarely operational. Furthermore, PUAs can have undisclosed and harmful capabilities.
As mentioned, PUAs may seem genuine and useful products. They offer functions ranging from system optimization and cleaning to easy access tools to online content. Despite how good the features may sound, they rarely work as advertised and, in most cases, do not work at all.
Some PUAs (including fake anti-virus products) require activation (i.e. purchase) to perform the promised functionality. Following activation, however, they remain nonoperational. Furthermore, PUAs can have undisclosed/hidden capabilities that pose a threat to device and user safety.
Adware-types run intrusive advertisement campaigns. I.e. deliver pop-ups, banners, coupons and other ads. The delivered ads overlay web page content and reduce browsing speed. Once clicked, intrusive advertisements can redirect to dubious/malicious sites and some can even stealthily download/install software.
Browser hijacking PUAs modify browser settings to promote fake search engines. With this software installed, each new browser tab/window opened and search query typed into the URL bar redirects to the promoted address.
Rogue search engines are seldom capable of providing search results, and so they redirect to (or cause redirection chains ending with) Google, Bing, Yahoo and other legitimate sites. Browser hijackers can also restrict/deny access to the browser settings and/or undo any permitted changes made.
Most PUAs (regardless of type) can track data. They can monitor browsing activity (URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries typed, etc.) and gather sensitive information extracted from it (IP addresses, geolocations and other details). The collected data often contains personally identifiable information.
PUA developers monetize this information by sharing it with and/or selling it to third parties (potentially, cyber criminals). In summary, the presence of unwanted apps on devices can lead to system infections, financial loss, serious privacy issues and even identity theft.
Therefore, to ensure device integrity and user privacy, all suspicious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins must be eliminated immediately upon detection.
| Name | PCMate Free Driver Backup potentially unwanted application |
| Threat Type | PUP (potentially unwanted program), PUA (potentially unwanted application). |
| Supposed Functionality | Creation of device driver backups. |
| Detection Names | Avast (Win32:Adware-gen [Adw]), Fortinet (Riskware/BundleLoader), ESET-NOD32 (Win32/FusionCore.BL Potentially Unwanted), McAfee (Artemis!08275774E3EC), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal). |
| Symptoms | A program that you do not recall installing suddenly appeared on your computer. A new application is performing computer scans and displays warning messages about 'found issues'. Asks for payment to eliminate the supposedly found errors. |
| Distribution Methods | Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake Flash Player installers. |
| Damage | Monetary loss (unnecessary purchase of fake software), unwanted warning pop-ups, slow computer performance. |
| Malware Removal (Windows) | To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. |
DriverMax, Driver Tuneup, Carambis Driver Updater, DriverFixer and Advanced Driver Booster are some examples of other PUAs similar to PCMate Free Driver Backup. This unwanted software may seem legitimate, and yet its features are nonfunctional.
Common PUA types include fake anti-viruses (e.g. Total Antivirus 2020, Live Protection Suite, PC Analyzer Tool, etc.), adware (e.g. Shop Together, MessengerNow, CraniumCapacity Ads, etc.) and browser hijackers (e.g. MyConverterSearch, Link Default, EveryGameSearch, etc.).
The only purpose of these applications is to generate profit for the developers. Rather than delivering any real value, PUAs can run intrusive ad campaigns, modify browsers, cause redirects, collect sensitive and personally identifiable information.
How did potentially unwanted applications install on my computer?
Some PUAs (including PCMate Free Driver Backup) have "official" promotional web pages, from which they can be downloaded. These applications are also distributed via the download/installation set-ups of other programs. This deceptive marketing method of packing normal software with unwanted or malicious additions is termed "bundling".
Rushing download/installation processes (e.g. ignoring terms, skipping steps and sections, used "Easy/Express" settings, etc.) increase the risk of unintentionally allowing dubious and/or bundled content into the system. Intrusive advertisements proliferate PUAs as well. When clicked, they can execute scripts to download/install bogus software without users' permission.
How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications
You are advised to research all software before download/installation. Use only official and verified download channels. Unofficial and free file-hosting websites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks (BitTorrent, Gnutella, eMule), and other third party downloaders commonly offer harmful and bundled content, and are therefore untrusted and should be avoided.
When downloading/installing, read the terms, study all possible options, use the "Custom/Advanced" settings and opt-out of additional apps, tools, features, and so on. Intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, however, they can redirect to dubious and malicious sites (e.g. gambling, pornography, adult-dating, and many others).
If you encounter ads or redirects of this kind, inspect the system and remove all dubious applications and browser extensions/plug-ins immediately. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.
Appearance of PCMate Free Driver Backup application (GIF):
Installation setup of PCMate Free Driver Backup application:
Website promoting PCMate Free Driver Backup application:
Instant automatic malware removal:
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Quick menu:
- What is PCMate Free Driver Backup?
- STEP 1. Uninstall deceptive applications using Control Panel.
- STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Google Chrome.
- STEP 3. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
- STEP 4. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
- STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.
- STEP 6. Remove malicious plug-ins from Internet Explorer.
Removal of potentially unwanted applications:
Windows 11 users:
Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.
Windows 10 users:
Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.
Windows 7 users:
Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.
macOS (OSX) users:
Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.
In the uninstall programs window, look for "PCMate Free Driver Backup" and other suspicious/recently-installed applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".
After uninstalling the potentially unwanted application, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.
Remove rogue extensions from Internet browsers:
At time of research, PCMate Free Driver Backup did not install any unwanted browser extensions, however, some unwanted applications can be installed together with adware and browser hijackers. If you experience unwanted ads or redirects when browsing the internet, continue with the removal guide below.
Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:
Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
Click the Chrome menu icon 
(at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and remove them.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the pcmate free driver backup potentially unwanted application, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.
After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Remove malicious plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox:
Click the Firefox menu 
(at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.
Optional method:
Computer users who have problems with pcmate free driver backup potentially unwanted application removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.
Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.
Select Troubleshooting Information.
In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.
In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.
Remove malicious extensions from Safari:
Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....
In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.
Optional method:
Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...
In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.
Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:
Click the Edge menu icon 
(at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the pcmate free driver backup potentially unwanted application, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.
In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.
Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
- If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.
Remove malicious add-ons from Internet Explorer:
Click the "gear" icon 
(at the top right corner of Internet Explorer), select "Manage Add-ons". Look for any recently-installed suspicious browser extensions, select these entries and click "Remove".
Optional method:
If you continue to have problems with removal of the pcmate free driver backup potentially unwanted application, reset your Internet Explorer settings to default.
Windows XP users: Click Start, click Run, in the opened window type inetcpl.cpl In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows Vista and Windows 7 users: Click the Windows logo, in the start search box type inetcpl.cpl and click enter. In the opened window click the Advanced tab, then click Reset.
Windows 8 users: Open Internet Explorer and click the gear icon. Select Internet Options.
In the opened window, select the Advanced tab.
Click the Reset button.
Confirm that you wish to reset Internet Explorer settings to default by clicking the Reset button.
Summary:
Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.
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