How to Check a PC for Trojans
The Trojan Horse was named after the famous warfare tactic in which a group of Greek soldiers successfully invaded Troy by hiding in a wooden horse presented as a gift to the Trojans. Taking its name for computer terminology, a Trojan Horse is a computer virus or spyware program that "invades" your computer pretending to be something useful, but instead does something insidious, such as damage files or open your computer to hackers. To remove Trojans, you will need specialized software.
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Instructions
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Download and install an anti-Trojan or anti-virus program onto your computer. There are many of these programs on the Internet from which to choose, including Spybot: Search and Destroy, Norton Internet Security or Microsoft Malicious Software Remover, to name just a few. You can access and download these from the program's respective websites.
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Run the anti-Trojan or anti-virus program on your PC. Click the option for "Scan" to have the program scan your computer for Trojans. The scan may take quite a while depending on how many programs and how much data you have stored on your PC. When the program completes the scan, you will see a list of suspected Trojan viruses and spyware programs on your computer.
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Choose what to do with the files the anti-Trojan program suspects are Trojans. Typically, you have four options: Quarantine, or isolate the file from the rest of the disk; Clean, removing the file from the trojan; ignore the file and go to another; or delete and remove the file from the computer. Be careful, as some files may be related to legitimate programs you use. Telltale signs are if the file has the name of the program you use, or if the file is located in the directory of a program you use.
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Tips & Warnings
Some anti-Trojan programs will also recommend a course of action to take as well, in case you're not sure.
Run the anti-Trojan program on a monthly basis to keep your PC clear of Trojan viruses and spyware programs. However, if you suspect a Trojan is on your PC, run the anti-Trojan program immediately.
If the anti-Trojan program fails to delete the Trojans, your only option may be to fully restore your operating system.
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