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Malware can slow down computers, steal information, and cause instability. Use antimalware software, online scanners, and search engines to remove malware. Keep software updated and avoid unknown sources to prevent future infections.
Malware, or malicious software, is the scourge of the Internet. Malware can slow down a computer by running unauthorized background processes. It can eat up your bandwidth, leading to slow internet connection and cause annoying pop-up ads or browser redirects. Malware might also bypass security measures, steal sensitive information, and trigger system instability. Fortunately, there are various ways to remove malware.
Most computers have at least some antimalware software already installed, such as an antivirus (A/V) program. Try using the on-demand A/V scanner to check your system. Make sure the program’s anti-virus database is up-to-date before you start, and configure the software to not only detect but also remove malware. If the infection is a new strain, it may have escaped the program before the virus signature was added to the database.
If you have a separate anti-spyware program installed, run its on-demand scanner. If not, it’s a good time to download a program, install it, and allow it to thoroughly scan your system. Many malware programs are disguised as anti-spyware, so only use a program that is recommended and hosted by a trusted and reputable site like PCWorld, MajorGeeks, ZDNet, TuCows, SourceForge, or similar.
In addition to the installed software, you can also use an online scanner hosted on a website. Again, caution is needed, as malware sites posing as anti-malware sites will return false results, scaring the surfer into installing an “anti-malware” program that is actually the malware itself. Fortunately, there are several free and reliable online scanners, including ESET Online Scanner, Trend Micro’s HouseCall, Panda’s ActiveScan, Computer Associates’ Threat Scanner, F-Secure’s Online Scanner, and more. Most free online scanners will detect but not remove malware, although ESET and Trend Micro online scanners do remove malware. An online scan requires ActiveX controls to be enabled and can take a long time depending on the scanner and the amount of data being scanned. In some cases it may be more convenient to scan overnight.
Only one anti-spyware program should be installed on a system at any given time, but there can be several anti-spyware programs, although having more than one program running as a background process could slow down your system or cause conflicts. However, when you suspect an infection (or as a matter of monthly maintenance), you can open these programs, update their databases, and run on-demand scanners consecutively to scan for and remove malware. What one program lacks, another may find. This is also the value in augmenting an installed A/V program with a periodic online A/V scan.
On occasions when you suspect or have confirmed the presence of a specific infection, perhaps a virus or worm that is “out there”, you may not want or need to scan your entire system, but just want to deal with the particular threat. In this case, enter the same as the infection in any search engine, along with “+removal”, as in, virusname +removal. Follow reputable links to find potential solutions such as patches or small scripts that will check and remove malware.
If you receive monthly Microsoft system updates, the Malicious Software Removal Tool is automatically downloaded and run once to detect and remove malware, mainly looking for timely and prevalent infections. When malware is detected and removed, the program generates a report for the user. This tool shouldn’t be considered the only strategy against malware, but it does help augment a routine monthly computer scan regimen that includes an up-to-date anti-virus program and at least one reputable anti-spyware program.
To prevent future infections, keep your operating system up-to-date with the latest security releases, use a good A/V program that is updated daily, and complement it with top-notch anti-spyware. Avoid downloading software from unknown sites and be careful with shared files like torrents. Most malware is spread via email, so delete all mail that comes from unknown, unopened sources, and don’t click on a file received via email unless it’s from a trusted source.
