Security and antivirus information

This page explains what PC AutoPilot does (and doesn't do), how we keep your PC safe, and what to do if your antivirus product flags PC AutoPilot as suspicious. Bottom line: PC AutoPilot is a legitimate maintenance tool, not malware — but because it modifies temp folders and browser caches, some antivirus products may flag it as a "potentially unwanted program" until they recognize the digital signature.

What PC AutoPilot does on your PC

PC AutoPilot is a Windows maintenance app. It performs the following on your machine, with your explicit consent during the first-run setup:

• Cleans temporary files: Windows temp folders, browser caches (Chrome / Firefox / Edge), thumbnail caches, recent-files lists, and similar auto-regenerated content.
• Empties the Recycle Bin (only if you select that option).
• Organizes files in folders you choose (typically Downloads or Desktop) by file type.
• Records and replays keyboard / mouse macros you create yourself. PC AutoPilot does not include any pre-built macros that touch your data.
• Reads system performance metrics (CPU, RAM, disk usage) to display in the System Monitor.
• Frees RAM by asking Windows to trim the working sets of running processes (a documented Windows API).

What PC AutoPilot does NOT do

• Does not read, modify, or upload your personal files (documents, photos, videos, etc.).
• Does not read your browsing history. Cleaning browser cache only deletes the cache; it does not view or transmit URLs.
• Does not access your passwords, banking info, or saved logins.
• Does not install other software, drivers, or browser extensions.
• Does not modify the Windows Registry beyond standard installer entries (no "registry cleaning" — that feature is intentionally absent).
• Does not include advertising, telemetry beacons, or third-party analytics on your machine.
• Does not require an internet connection to function (only for license validation and optional auto-updates).

Code signing and verification

Starting with v1.0, the PC AutoPilot installer is digitally signed with an Extended Validation (EV) certificate issued to PC AUTOPILOT (Arron Smithson). You can verify the signature yourself:

1. Right-click PCAutoPilot_Setup_1.0.0.exe → Properties.
2. Open the Digital Signatures tab.
3. Select the signature line and click Details. You should see "PC AUTOPILOT" as the signer and SSL.com as the certificate authority.

If you don't see a Digital Signatures tab, you've downloaded an unofficial copy. Always download from pcautopilot.com.

My antivirus flagged PC AutoPilot — what should I do?

Some antivirus products (especially newer or smaller ones) may flag PC AutoPilot as suspicious because we modify temp folders and browser caches. This is called a false positive. It usually clears up automatically as our installer's reputation builds with major AV vendors over the first few months after each release.

If your AV is currently blocking PC AutoPilot, you have three options:

Option 1 — Submit the file to your AV vendor for review

Most AV vendors have a form you can submit a flagged file to for re-evaluation. They typically respond within 24-48 hours. Direct links:

Option 2 — Add an exclusion for PC AutoPilot

Most AV products let you add specific files or folders to an exclusion list. Add the install folder, typically:

• C:\Users\<your-name>\AppData\Local\Programs\PCAutoPilot\

Refer to your AV product's documentation for how to add exclusions. This option is fastest but should only be used if you trust the source you downloaded from.

Option 3 — Email us and we'll help

Email [email protected] with: the AV product flagging us, the exact warning message, and your Windows version. We'll submit to the AV vendor on your behalf and usually have it resolved within a few days.

What data PC AutoPilot collects from you

The full data policy is in our Privacy Policy. In short:

• Locally on your PC (never sent anywhere): activity history (cleanups run, files organized, macros recorded), settings preferences.
• Sent to our license server (Keygen): a one-way hardware fingerprint (16-character hash of your CPU + motherboard ID) used to enforce per-machine licensing. We cannot reverse-engineer your hardware from this hash.
• Sent to our crash reporter (Sentry, OPT-IN ONLY, default OFF): stack traces and Windows version when the app crashes. Never user files. You can disable in Settings at any time.
• Sent to your admin (Team plan only, v1.1+): machine status (last cleanup, MB freed, schedule health, app version, hostname). Never user files, browsing history, AI conversations, or macros. See team-privacy for full details.

Reporting a security vulnerability

If you've found a security vulnerability in PC AutoPilot, please email [email protected] with details. We aim to respond within 48 hours and to fix critical issues within 7 days. Please do not disclose publicly until we've had a chance to fix the issue.

We do not currently offer a paid bug bounty, but we're happy to credit you publicly (with your permission) in our release notes.

Software bill of materials (SBOM)

For business / IT customers vetting PC AutoPilot before deployment, a list of third-party dependencies is available in our GitHub releases page (NOTICES.md). A formal CycloneDX-format SBOM is on our roadmap for v1.1.