How to Remove Trojan & Malware Viruses
Computer viruses come in all varieties. A Trojan is a virus that tricks you into infecting your computer yourself, often with a misleading file downloading from a website or peer-to-peer application. The virus only attacks when the user opens the program. “Malware,” on the other hand, is a broader term. Short for “malicious software,” it includes bugs from viruses to spyware. Whatever type of virus is on your computer, there are a few ways to remove it.
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Things You'll Need
- Malicious Software Removal Tool
- Internet Explorer
- Third-party antivirus software
Instructions
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Remove the Trojan or malware virus using the Malicious Software Removal Tool. This tool comes pre-installed on any computer running a post-Windows 2000 operating system. The user launches the program by typing the keys "MRT" into the Start menu’s Run dialogue box, then by hitting the "Enter" key. Though “Quick Scan” is the default setting, the “Full Scan” does a more thorough scan to fully remove worm viruses. Note that although you shouldn’t need to download anything, the Microsoft website offers a free backup of the tool (find it in the Resources section of this article).
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Remove the Trojan or malware virus using the Windows Live OneCare Safety Scanner. This tool requires no software at all, but runs straight from a Microsoft website. The tool searches the hard drive to find and remove Trojan and malware viruses. Microsoft recommends performing the scan with Internet Explorer, but the OneCare site offers a plug-in for Firefox compatibility. Users may wish to close other applications before running this scan, to ensure it does not miss something.
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Remove the Trojan or malware virus using third-party software. While these programs are rarely free, such applications generally offer better protection from bugs than Microsoft’s tools. Symantec, McAfee, and AVG are popular choices (links in Resources), but there are a variety of others. The software will scan the entire hard drive for viruses. Even after the Trojan or malware virus has been removed, such programs will run in the background to protect the hard drive from further attack.
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Tips & Warnings
Computer users should always have an antivirus program running to prevent Trojans and malware from infecting the hard drive in the first place.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit computer virus image by Marina Bartel from Fotolia.com
