Computer Virus, Anti Virus, and Virus Removal
Written on 06.03 by girl oh tech
Due to many requests I will discuss virus removal. This is of great importance these days as newer and nastier viruses are being released all the time. The best offense is a good defense so it is imperative to have
anti virus protection. If it is too late to protect and you already have a virus read on.
As I said, the best offense is a good defense. Of all the software you buy the one you should not skimp on is an anti virus program. I have heard several stories recently of people paying $350.00 to have a virus removed and the operating system reinstalled. This really doesn’t make any sense because installing an operating system requires formatting, (erasing), the hard drive which would eliminate any viruses contained on it anyway. Protect yourself first and avoid being put in that position.
Once you are infected you must act quickly. Delay will just allow it to change more of your system settings. If the virus gets into the root of your system it can be very difficult to remove. This is called a root kit virus and they attach themselves to necessary system files. With that being said I suggest that you proceed with caution because deleting the wrong files can cause great damage to your system, sometimes so bad you are unable to boot up at all. Here are links to two free root kit anti virus programs. The first is from Sophos. I haven’t used it yet myself but they do have good reviews. . .
http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/sophos-anti-rootkit.html
The second is from AVG and I have used this one. It is fast, thorough, and free. Here is the link to this program. . . .
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Antivirus/AVG-Anti-Rootkit.shtml
Before you use a root kit anti virus it is imperative that you disable ALL real time scanners from your anti virus, spyware, and adware removers as well as your firewall. Use extreme caution when you choose to delete anything a root kit anti virus finds. If you are unsure about what to do go to this link and look up what the program has found to verify if it is a virus or not….
http://www.f-secure.com/en_EMEA/security/security-lab/latest-threats/virus-descriptions/
Before you begin scanning for spyware follow this tip. Use a cleaning program to clear out junk files and temp files first. It will cut down on the scan time for your anti virus. Don’t forget to purge your temporary internet files and cookies too. You also need to make sure your programs have the latest updates.
Here is what I do when I am presented with an infected computer. I will run two anti virus programs, one at a time. I will scan two or three times with one until it doesn’t detect anything anymore, then I will uninstall it including the virus vault. Then I install a different anti virus and run it several times, the choice of programs is up to you. Here are two other options for you. Get Microsofts free malicious software removal tool from this link.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
I also run Spybot and Adaware afterwards just to make sure I got everything. Spybot is for spyware but it definitely will find a virus too.
Once you think you have found everything I suggest making sure. There are a few sites that offer online scans. The only one I have used before is Kaspersky and it is free and thorough. You just go to the site and let it scan. At the end you will get a report that shows any malware left on your system. Here is the link..
http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
After removing any viruses from your computer it is always a good idea to clean it up. Use your cleaning utility to clean the system and registry. After that run your defragmenting program. You should now be at a nice clean system state. This is the perfect time to set a restore point and use your backup program to create a new backup. You do have a backup program don’t you?
