How to Manually Remove a Virus from Your Computer or Removable Disk
If you're out to seek vengeance upon the virus that has taken hold within your PC, you may want to root it out on your own, instead of relying on anti-virus software. Manually removing a virus is no simple task. No two viruses are alike. You will need to be familiar with both the Windows Task Manager and the Windows Registry.
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Instructions
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Back up your personal files. A failed attempt at manually removing a virus can cause serious system errors. You do not want to risk losing any important documents, photos or data.
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Research your virus thoroughly. Viruses almost always disguise their names to resemble benign system files. If you had a virus named "SpyWorm," for example, you would not be able to open up your Programs folder and find the corresponding "SpyWorm.exe" file. Find out what the virus files are named, where they will install themselves, and what changes they make to your Windows Registry. Some viruses spread themselves through multiple system folders.
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Open the Task Manager and select the "Processes" tab. Find the virus' image name. You will want to research this thoroughly, as some virus processes give themselves names identical to valid Windows functions. Once you have located the process, click the "End Process" button. This will temporarily shut down the virus. At this point, you may also want to disconnect from the Internet. Some viruses can switch themselves back on and resume transmitting data.
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Delete the virus' files from your computer's program and system files. Viruses tend to bury themselves deep within your system, so you may have to do some digging. Use caution when deleting the files, as some files may have names similar or identical to legitimate Windows files.
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Remove any registry keys added by the virus. Use your research to find which keys your particular virus installs.This is riskiest step. Editing the Windows Registry incorrectly can result in system errors, blue screens and all-out crashes. Work slowly and make sure that you are removing the correct keys.
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