To get 'completely' free of spyware, malware, ransomware, virus, trojans, and everything else, is nearly impossible, especially when using only 1 spyware or virus removal program.
On this webpage we will go over how to try and rid yourself of spyware / adware / virus / trojans / keyloggers / malware / ransomware etc., problems without having to fully restore your computer.
If you are running XP you should start by:
- Doing a System Restore. Restore your computer to a date before you believe the infection took place.If you were able to complete a system restore, great! If not, no big deal, just keep following along.
- Update your operating system. Keeping your system up to date with Microsoft Updates is crucial to keep your Windows operating system from being infected.
Now you will want to try a few of the tools below. Most of the downloadable software will contain some sort of Live protection to prevent further malware problems.
PREVENTION is key, even Microsoft says that recovery from malware infections is becoming impossible. AVG software is highly recommended.
The next steps can be tedious, time consuming, and frustrating for those of you that lack patience. It will be worth your trouble if you are trying to save your data and prevent having to completely wipe your hard drive and start over.
Before using any virus program it is imperative that you first try to "Uninstall" the program(s) you think might be causing the problem. If you use a virus removal program to delete a program that you installed, getting rid of the problem can be much more difficult. Simply point your mouse to Start, click "Start", click "Control Panel", then click "Add or Remove Programs". You should then be presented with a list of items available for uninstall. Finally, click "Change/Remove" on the program you want to delete and follow the directions.
The following steps will help to clean up any residual mess made by any programs you just uninstalled.
The next three links are online scanners you will want to try in order to find everything from trojans to keyloggers. Remember, you really need to leave some sort of Active protection to prevent further intrusions. (See downloadable tools below)
Note that full system scans can take a while, whether it be an online scan or a program listed below. You might consider letting these run when you go to bed, or plan to step away from the computer for a while.
Tools you download:
Please pay close attention to each install process for the following download programs, some software is not compatible with other antivirus or spyware software you may already have on your system, although this list should be trouble free.
- Download the following list of *TRUSTED Spyware and Trojan removal programs. All of these programs are either free, or have a free trial version. After you use these you should be able to determine which one(s) you want to leave on your system for protection from any further spyware / malware problems.(Again, prevention is very important, in case that hasn't been clarified enough)
I have had great luck with AVG Protection. Light on your system and extremely effective at preventing infection and cleaning up your system, and years of credibility and reliability. Which of course is one of the main reasons we choose to affiliate with them.
After you download a program you should install and run it right away, then move on to the next program. You might have to disable or uninstall some programs in order to run the next one as some of these will autostart their 'protection' services.(Look in your System Tray)
It is also a good idea to run these programs in Safemode whenever possible.
To boot into Safemode just tap your F8 button when your computer is starting up.
- AVG Virus Protection
- AVG Anti Rootkit
- CounterSpy
- SpyCatcher
- Microsoft Defender - Requires valid Microsoft license, if you don't have one, you deserve what you get ;)
- F-Secure Virus Protection
- A-Squared Trojans / Dialers / Worms / Spyware etc.
- NOD32 by Eset - Virus / Malware etc.
- AVG Free Edition
- Spybot
- Vundofix -- If you have a persistent infection, this is a must use.
*Trusted programs are programs I trust and use personally. Please note that not all Antivirus or Antispyware you will come across will do what they say. A large percentage of antivirus software you see advertised are just trojans in disguise. If you receive a popup promoting software, 99 out of 100 times, that software is designed to further infect your system.
After using several of the above programs, and probably a few reboots, you should have control of your computer again. (Again, using just one for removal is usually not enough)
There are a few other things we can do to be sure you are clean, but that will come at a later date. It involves searching through your registry and manually cleaning it up, among other things. But the software above 'should' have taken care of most of these.
If you are still having problems, or just want an expert to help you, it is highly recommended to get help at the BleepingComputer forums. If you can read and follow directions, you will get help..
Note: This information should be used at your own risk, although, it is what I do, and usually takes care of the problem(s). (Having systems set aside to actually get infected, then clean, lends confidence in the recommendations above.)