How to remove malware from your Windows PC
I spend much of my time removing Bad Stuff (put on your computer by The Bad Guys - TBGs) from Windows PCs. I'm going to tell you all my secrets (or most of them) here and now.
If you think your computer has become infected with something, know this: your Internet security product (you aren't still running only anti-virus software, are you?) is suspect. When a computer becomes infected, the first thing the infection does is mask itself from the security product. Don't bother running a scan with any software that was installed on your machine prior to its getting infected.
The first step in this process is to clean out all temporary folders and unnecessary files. The best tool for the job is CCleaner, and you can download it here. Once it's installed, run it. Let it delete everything it finds. (If you can't access the Internet from your PC, you'll have to use another one and put the installer on a memory stick/USB drive.)
The second step is to run an online security scanner on your PC. The best ones I know of are ESET Online Scanner, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro's Housecall. All of these are free and they will remove whatever they find and provide you with a log so you can see what was on your PC. Run at least one of them. You can run more than that if you wish, just not at the same time.
Once your PC is clean, remove your Internet security product (the one that was on your PC when it got infected) using the Add/Remove Programs control panel in XP or the Programs control panel in Windows 7, and then reinstall it.
NOTE:
If your security product is anti-virus only, don't bother with reinstalling it. There are at least nine different kinds of malware out there, and viruses are only one of those. You must be protected from more than just viruses. You want (NEED) an Internet security product. I recommend ESET Smartsecurity 5.0, Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 (most of you don't need the more expensive products), and Trend Micro's Titanium Maximum Security. Avoid McAfee and Norton/Symantec at all costs. They are hard on your system resources and really don't rank as highly in independent lab tests as the three I mentioned. Don't be fooled. McAfee, and Norton are the most popular because they are hyped by system vendors and big box stores. That doesn't make them best-in-class.
Once the security product has been installed, run a comprehensive scan on your C:\ drive. There may be some lingering malware, plus this initializes the software and it won't bug you to scan right away.
If these steps don't resolve your problem, I strongly recommend taking your PC to a professional to clean it properly. There are a number of other products out there that can scan PCs more thoroughly, but they are somewhat complicated and potentially dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.
Good luck!
Like Plait Solutions on Facebook and check out my website for more information on who I serve and what all I do. Also, subscribe to this blog by scrolling down to the subscribe box on the left side of this page. You won't regret it!
If you think your computer has become infected with something, know this: your Internet security product (you aren't still running only anti-virus software, are you?) is suspect. When a computer becomes infected, the first thing the infection does is mask itself from the security product. Don't bother running a scan with any software that was installed on your machine prior to its getting infected.
The first step in this process is to clean out all temporary folders and unnecessary files. The best tool for the job is CCleaner, and you can download it here. Once it's installed, run it. Let it delete everything it finds. (If you can't access the Internet from your PC, you'll have to use another one and put the installer on a memory stick/USB drive.)
The second step is to run an online security scanner on your PC. The best ones I know of are ESET Online Scanner, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro's Housecall. All of these are free and they will remove whatever they find and provide you with a log so you can see what was on your PC. Run at least one of them. You can run more than that if you wish, just not at the same time.
Once your PC is clean, remove your Internet security product (the one that was on your PC when it got infected) using the Add/Remove Programs control panel in XP or the Programs control panel in Windows 7, and then reinstall it.
NOTE:
If your security product is anti-virus only, don't bother with reinstalling it. There are at least nine different kinds of malware out there, and viruses are only one of those. You must be protected from more than just viruses. You want (NEED) an Internet security product. I recommend ESET Smartsecurity 5.0, Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 (most of you don't need the more expensive products), and Trend Micro's Titanium Maximum Security. Avoid McAfee and Norton/Symantec at all costs. They are hard on your system resources and really don't rank as highly in independent lab tests as the three I mentioned. Don't be fooled. McAfee, and Norton are the most popular because they are hyped by system vendors and big box stores. That doesn't make them best-in-class.
Once the security product has been installed, run a comprehensive scan on your C:\ drive. There may be some lingering malware, plus this initializes the software and it won't bug you to scan right away.
If these steps don't resolve your problem, I strongly recommend taking your PC to a professional to clean it properly. There are a number of other products out there that can scan PCs more thoroughly, but they are somewhat complicated and potentially dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.
Good luck!
Like Plait Solutions on Facebook and check out my website for more information on who I serve and what all I do. Also, subscribe to this blog by scrolling down to the subscribe box on the left side of this page. You won't regret it!
Posted by Sid Plait at 2/29/2012 10:22 PM 
Categories: Windows 7, Cybercriminals, Malware, Windows Vista, All, Computers, Internet, PC Security, TBGs - The Bad Guys, Identity Theft, Windows XP
Tags: malware CCleaner ESET Trend Micro Kaspersky Labs cybercriminals cyber crime Security Internet security Online Security Trojan Horse infection security breach virus anti-virus Personal Security small business computer protection Symantec McAfee identity theft prevention online protection Theft wireless security SpyEye Trojan Horse Zeus virus
Categories: Windows 7, Cybercriminals, Malware, Windows Vista, All, Computers, Internet, PC Security, TBGs - The Bad Guys, Identity Theft, Windows XP
Tags: malware CCleaner ESET Trend Micro Kaspersky Labs cybercriminals cyber crime Security Internet security Online Security Trojan Horse infection security breach virus anti-virus Personal Security small business computer protection Symantec McAfee identity theft prevention online protection Theft wireless security SpyEye Trojan Horse Zeus virus
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