The Winarcher Pup Removal Guide

A potentially unwanted program is a piece of software that does not offer useful services, and Winarcher is the perfect example. It is unlikely that you will know when this PUP starts running on your computer because it is silent, and its activity does not affect your operating system. Also, it does not have an interface. Most important, it does not serve you. This program is just an assistant to a different program, and, according to our researchers, it is most likely to serve browser hijackers that belong to the Elex family. Since legitimate programs download files and other components without the user’s knowledge, you might not think much of Archer.dll, which is the file that represents the PUP. Well, if this file is unfamiliar to you, and if you do not understand its purpose, you should inspect it without any hesitation. Based on the information we gathered when analyzing this PUP in our internal lab, it is best to delete Winarcher.

Although other kinds of malware could employ Winarcher, in most cases, this potentially unwanted program is used by Elex browser hijackers, which include Myhomepage123.com, Funnysite123.com, Amisites.com, Trotux.com, and many others. These threats do not have official installers, and so users usually acquire them via software bundles that include other suspicious programs. Since there is a possibility that your PC is infected with malware that requires your attention, you should install a trusted malware scanner and initiate a full system scan using it. Hopefully, other threats are not found. When it comes to Elex hijackers, they usually corrupt homepages on the most popular browsers, and exploit the Google search engine to introduce their victims to modified search results. If you have faced a browser hijacker from this family, we suggest finding a report that discusses its removal on our website. If you cannot find it, please post a comment below, and we will provide you with information that you need to delete the hijacker from your PC.

The purpose of Archer.dll is yet to be fully understood, but it appears that this dynamic library link file could be used to record and transfer data. The file could monitor your activity, and disclose such information as your IP address, the browser you use, your geographical location, etc. The information uncovered by this file could even be shared with unknown parties that the hijackers’ creators work with. We also do not dismiss the possibility that Winarcher could be used when updating the software. Considering that the file might be used by unreliable and malicious software, you probably do not want any files that could download other suspicious components around, do you? Although Archer.dll itself is not considered malicious, it could be employed by unreliable parties, and that is a big enough risk to remove this file, as well as all other files that are involved. If you are not sure which files you need to eliminate, use a trustworthy malware scanner.

The guide below does not show how to remove Winarcher-related malware because we cannot know for sure which threats active on your operating system might have employed Archer.dll. Once a scanner identifies malware, you can use the search box at the top of the page to find appropriate guides that discuss the removal of different threats individually. The guide below, of course, shows how to delete Winarcher, and the process is easy enough for inexperienced users to succeed as well. Of course, if you are having issues, you can post a comment below to seek further assistance from us. Anti-malware software can also help you eliminate the PUP along with all other detected threats. The best part is that it serves as full-time security software as well, which means that it can keep malware away in the future. Remember that if you do not guard your virtual security, other unreliable programs might be able to slither into your PC again and again.

How to delete Winarcher

1. Tap Win+E to launch Explorer.
2. Enter %PROGRAMFILES(x86)% or %PROGRAMFILES% into the bar at the top.
3. Delete the folder called WinArcher.
4. Tap Win+R to launch RUN.
5. Enter regedit.exe and click OK.
6. In Registry Editor go to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ or HKLM\SOFTWARE\.
7. Delete the key called WinArcher.
8. Immediately scan your operating system to check for potential leftovers.