Win32/Packunwan:What Is It and How to Remove the Threat

Win32/Packunwan, as recently reported by users on the Microsoft forum, is a virus and a potential threat application. The Win32/Packunwan is detected and informed to users by Microsoft Defender. While a lot of people are simply unaware, a lot of reported potential attacks and hacks they have been experiencing lately. If you have recently seen this notification, quickly follow this guide to understand what it is and how you can remove this threat.

What is Win32/Packunwan in Microsoft Defender?

PUA: Win32/Packunwan is generally identified by Microsoft Defender as a potentially unwanted app, particularly targeting programs bundled with adware, lacking a publisher, or associated with cracked software, and it is important to address these warnings by either removing them or fixing the exact cause of the problem.

In general, if you regularly download and install apps that are cracked, you will encounter the Win32/Packunwan virus in your PC sooner or later. This application is potentially a malware and can install unwanted application without your need of interference. In case you have allowed Administrator privileges while installing, this Win32/Packunwan can wreak havoc on your system. Therefore, if you have recently got the notification that Threat Found PUA: Win32/Packunwan, follow the next section to quickly remove it.

How to Remove Win32/Packunwan?

Usually, it is not an easy task to remove Win32/Packunwan, but by using some methods, you can still get rid of this virus. While the starting methods will work if the virus doesn’t have admin privileges, if you have allowed it to work as an administrator, the last fixes will work for you better.

Method 1: Remove Win32/Packunwan Using Windows Security

The first method to remove Win32/Packunwan is by using Windows Security, or what we commonly refer to as Windows Defender. It is the first line of defence of your PC and it is indeed capable of getting rid of malware and virus. With that being said, here are the steps to do so:

1. Click on the Windows button.
2. Type Security and press Enter.
3. In the Windows Security window, click on Virus and Threat Protection.
4. Now, you will see a list of potential threats. In this, expand: PUA: Win32/Packunwan.
5. Select Remove from the list and click on Start Actions.
6. Wait for sometime and it should be removed.

While this is the easiest way to remove Win32/Packunwan, it doesn’t work most of the time if the virus is deeply embedded into the system. In that case, follow the next method.

Method 2: Full Scan Your PC To Remove Win32/Packunwan

In general, Windows Defender scans your PC every day to keep it safe. However, what is does is a quick scan. A quick scan is generally a scan of important partitions on your PC that is essential for the PC to turn on and start working.

However, when you perform a full scan, Windows Defender scans all the drives and partitions on your PC for any malware or virus and potential threats such as Win32/Packunwan. If you don’t know how to do it, here are the steps:

1. Click on the Windows button.
2. Type Security and press Enter.
3. In the Windows Security window, click on Virus and Threat Protection.
4. Click on Scan Options.
5. Select Full Scan and then click on Scan Now.

This is a long process and can take a lot of time, depending on your processor and available RAM. When the scan is complete, your PC may or may not prompt to restart. If it doesn’t, you can manually restart your PC to fix the problems. However, if the Win32/Packunwan is still not removed, follow up with the next method.

Method 3: Find the Program Causing Problem

If Win32/Packunwan is still not removed, it is possible that the problem is caused by a program installed. As said earlier, the Win32/Packunwan does not come on its own. Instead, it gets installed in a PC as an unwanted program or adware and later it becomes a malware.

If you have recently installed a cracked app or game, it is possible that Win32/Packunwan has come with it. Now, if that game or software requires you to give it Administrator Permission, it is clearly a red flag and your PC is already infected and you cannot do much in this case.

However, you can clearly identify the application, find the file location, and delete it completely. If you have any difficulty, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Windows button.
2. Type Settings and press Enter.
3. From the left side, click on Apps.
4. Now, on the right side, click on Installed Apps.
5. Find the apps you have recently installed.
6. If someone else also uses your PC and you don’t know about the recently installed Apps, click on Sort Now: Date Installed.
7. Click on the Three Dots on the right side.
8. From the drop-down menu, click on Uninstall.
9. Follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the program.

When the program is uninstalled, restart your PC and check whether Win32/Packunwan is gone or not. If not, you need to follow the last method directly.

Method 4: Clean Cache in Clean Boot Environment

Deleting the cache in a clean boot environment on a Windows PC means clearing temporary files and data stored by various applications and the operating system itself while the computer is in a clean boot state.

A clean boot is a troubleshooting method where the computer starts with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs, helping to separate and identify issues and viruses like Win32/Packunwan. Here are the steps to do it:

1. From the home screen, press Windows + R.
2. Type msconfig in the text area and press Enter.
3. In the Configuration window, switch to the Services tab and tick mark on Hide all Microsoft services.
4. Click on Disable All.
5. Next, switch to the Startup tab and click on Task Manager.
6. Find the programs under the Status column that are Enabled.
7. Click on Disable a the top-right corner. Do this one by one.
8. Once done, close it, and in the System Configuration Window, click on Apply All followed by OK.
9. Restart your PC.

That’s it. Now, your PC will start in kind of a safe mode which is now known as Clean Boot State. In this mode, your apps are not running, and all the apps are free from using resources. This will make the removal of Win32/Packunwan easy.

1. Press Windows + R.
2. Type %temp% and press Enter.
3. Click Ctrl + A and then press Shift + Del.
4. That’s it. Restart your PC again to start it in normal mode.

Now, your Win32/Packunwan should be removed. In case this doesn’t help, your last option will be to reset your PC.

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