Anilrgowda

In this tutorial I will explain how to remove potentially unwanted software or 'malware' that can cause great harm and may even ruin your computer. Note that all software suggested is free along with their updates. Also note that these are suggestions to help balance pc performance vs. security. So lets begin...

VIRUSES & WORMS

Viruses are small programs that load onto your computer without your permission and without your knowledge of their real function. They are called viruses because just like a human virus they are designed to replicate themselves and cause damage, attaching themselves to normal programs and files and spreading to other host computers. Viruses range from the mischievous to the truly harmful, and while none of them can cause physical damage to your computer, they can destroy valuable information, cause a range of system problems, and waste resources.Worms are a variation of viruses, with the primary difference being that they generally do not attach to other programs. Virus scanners serve a valuable role in finding these hidden viruses and worms ‐ as well as some other common malware ‐ and removing them from your system. A virus scanner is an essential part of any system,and you run a major risk if you donʹt have one installed on your system: it is your first line of defense against serious infection. To start with, by regularly running Windows Update and installing all available Critical Updates, your system will have a good level of protection.The Windows
Malicious Software Removal Tool is a regularly updated free tool provided through Windows Update. Once it is downloaded and installed it does an automatic scan of your entire system for the most common pieces of malicious software and removes them if detected. You can also download and run the latest version of the tool at any time from the link above. However you will need a dedicated virus scanner software which can perform regular full scans of your system. I personally use and recommend AVG Antivirus Free Edition. AVG strikes a good balance between effectiveness, ease of use and minimal system intrusiveness. However AVG is not the only good virus scanner around ‐ there are several good free scanners which you can try, though some of them are only free:

Avast

There are many arguments about which virus scanner is ʹthe bestʹ, but any of the ones listed above should do a suitable job. I have yet to see security experts agree on which single scanner is the most efficient one at detecting and removing every virus and worm so donʹt hold your breath waiting. I used to use Norton Antivirus ‐ a common choice on many systems ‐ but found that it basically took over my entire system and took a great deal of work in reining in its intrusiveness, hence I do not recommend it at all.

TROJAN HORSES

A Trojan, short for trojan horse, is a malicious program that is often installed on your system under the guise of being another program. Trojans differ from viruses in that they typically attempt to steal information from your system such as passwords, or control certain aspects of your PC without your knowledge, all for the benefit of the distributor of the trojan.Trojans differ from viruses in many ways, and many trojans are not detected by virus scanners, so you need a dedicated trojan scanner as well. I personally use and recommend A‐Squared to scan for trojans.

~~~Exploring More Into A-Sqaured~~~
During the installation of A-Squared you will be asked to register for an account to recieve updates. This is ok... there is absolutley no catch to this. Once you have registered finish installing the program and check for all available updates. You can now perform a full system scan or a smart scan which will most likely catch all trojans or malware currently present on your computer

SPYWARE & ADWARE

Spyware is similar to a Trojan, in that it is software that is usually installed on your system purporting to have different functionality, or as a component of a useful program. Just like a trojan it transmits information about you, such as your passwords, Internet usage behavior etc. to the distributor of the spyware. Adware is a form of spyware that is less malicious as it is mainly used to target online advertising, however again it is installed without your permission.

~~~Exploring More Into Ad-Aware~~~
I personally recomend a combination of Anti-Spyware. One program that is crucial would be Ad-Aware SE Personal. Download and Install Ad-Aware and get all of its updates. Once you have done so install the free Ad-Aware TeakSE Plugin. Now either perform whatever scan you want. I strongly recomend a full system scan for the first time and then use the quicker scans.

ROOTKITS

A Rootkit is similar to a virus or trojan horse, but is specifically designed to mask its presence on your PC to make it easier for an intruder to access your machine and conduct malicious activity. The problem with a rootkit is that it is specifically designed not to be detected, and actively works to remove telltale signs of itself so that most scanners cannot see it. There are specific tools to deal with them and the best free one is Rootkit Revealer.

Download Rootkit Revealer and run the main executable file which starts the scanner. Make sure you close down all background programs, then click the Scan button and allow the scanner to scan your files. You should have no problems found, but if any are found check the SysInternals Rootkit Revealer Forum for more details of how to identify whether it is a legit threat or not.

BROWSER HIJACKERS

A certain category of malicious scripts attempt to alter certain aspects of your Internet browserʹs behavior, such as the default home page, the title bar of the window, additional toolbar icons all without your permission. These scripts are typically called Browser jackers. Aside from the usual malicious software scanners which may find the source of the hijacking, there is a specific tool designed to detect and remove hijack attempts called HijackThis.

~~~Exploring More Into HijackThis~~~
To use HijackThis, download the program and run it, then click the Scan button to begin a scan of your system. When the scan is complete you will see a list of entries ‐ donʹt panic, these are not all browser hijack attempts or malware. Almost all of these entries are related to legitimate startup items and modifications you may have made to your browser, such as installing a messaging program. Some entries are startup items necessary to run at Windows startup.

If you find that certain items are not necessary, or are malicious, then place a tick mark against every such item on the main HijackThis list after a scan (left‐click on the small box next to each item), then click the Fix Checkedʹ button. HijackThis will remove these items from your startup, but note that it keeps a backup of your changes under the Config>Backups section of the program, so if you need to undo anything you can highlight a backup and click the Restore button to return to the state you were in before.

Download Links:

..::Antivirus Software::..

AVG Antivirus Free Edition:
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com

Avast Antivirus:
Avast Home Edition - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com

.:Trojan Removers:.

A-Squared:
a-squared Anti-Malware - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com

..::Anti-Spyware Removers::..

Ad-Aware:
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com

plugin:
Tweak SE Plug-in for Lavasoft Ad-Aware SE - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com

Spybot:
Spybot - Search & Destroy - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com

Windows Defender:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...a4-f7f14e605a0

d&displaylang=en

.:Rootkit Remover:.

Rootkit Revealer:
Software - Lavasoft

SysInternals Rootkit Revealer Forum:
Sysinternals Forums: RootkitRevealer Usage

..::Browser Hijackers::..

HijackThis:
HijackThis - Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com