Malware removal tools detect and remove various types of malicious software. It’s best to use a strong antivirus program as the primary tool and supplement it with reputable anti-spyware software. Running multiple anti-spyware programs is usually not a problem, but only one antivirus program should be installed. Periodic scanning is recommended, and online scanners can be used as a secondary tool. Choose recommended software from reliable sources and read reviews from reputable websites.
A malware removal tool not only detects various types of malicious software, but can also remove infections from a computer or network. While traditionally it took multiple programs targeting different types of malware to cover all bases, the trend has been to consolidate various types of malware detection into a single malware removal tool, usually packaged as an antivirus suite (A/V ). Such programs may scan for adware, spyware, keyloggers and rootkits as well as viruses, worms, trojans, macros and spybots.
While it may be tempting to use a single comprehensive A/V program as your sole malware removal tool, adding such a program with additional online anti-spyware or antivirus scans still makes sense. Anti-malware vendors each maintain their own proprietary detection algorithms and databases, and no program maintains a 100% detection rate for all types of malware 100% of the time. A second program could catch what the main malware removal tool is missing.
To do this, first choose a strong A/V detection program, one that scores highly in detecting viruses, trojans, worms, macros, scripts, and bots. Independent A/V software review websites compare popular antivirus programs for detecting and removing various types of malware.
With a solid anti-virus program installed as your primary malware removal tool, you can boost it with reputable anti-spyware software. A good anti-spyware program also detects adware and checks for keyloggers. It’s okay if the A/V program also looks for this type of malware. Multiple anti-spyware programs installed on the same machine is usually not a problem, although you may only want one running in the background, alongside the main A/V program. Do not install more than one antivirus program as this can create conflicts.
With the protection running in the background, it’s still a good idea to use the Malicious Software Removal Tool to scan your system on demand once a month, or more often if needed. Follow your leading anti-spyware program.
At this point you can also open additional anti-spyware programs and rootkit detection tools that are installed but not running in the background and use their on-demand scanners to check the system. Only run one program at a time. Signs that a computer may be infected include sluggishness, excessive advertising, strange browser behavior, and a slow network connection, although these symptoms can also be caused by other problems. Even when the system seems normal, periodic scanning is good preventative medicine.
Since it is not recommended to have more than one antivirus program installed on a machine at any given time, you can increase the installed A/V program by using a reputable online A/V scanner as a secondary malware removal tool. Avoid unscrupulous sites that return false results for non-existent infections by offering “scareware” which is often malware designed as anti-malware. Most online scanners detect and fail to remove malware, but Trend Micro’s ESET Online Scanner and HouseCall are two notable exceptions.
A good malware removal tool will not take up system resources and will update several times a day. Only choose recommended software from reliable sources and download it from a reputable site. Many types of malware masquerade as anti-malware and adopt names similar to popular, tried-and-true programs, so beware of copycats. Read software reviews from websites like PCWorld, PCMagazine, MajorGeeks, TuCows, ZDNet, CNet, and the like, and check out independent test sites like AV-Comparatives.org.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
