We treat the infected computer with antivirus utilities. Self-removal of viruses and advertisements from your computer How to treat your computer from viruses

Protecting your computer from viruses

Signs of a computer infection

There are signs by which you can understand that a PC or laptop has become a victim of viruses. However, they may differ. Depending on the purpose of the malicious software. But general omens do not change.

If some of the above symptoms were found on your computer, then you should check your PC for viruses as soon as possible. Otherwise, the infection will continue and turn into a pandemic. Therefore, you urgently need to install some kind of antivirus. Let's consider the best.

If you do not take timely measures to destroy viruses, the number of infected files will reach a critical point. In this case, even damage to the hard disk is possible. With such a disaster, only a complete reinstallation of the OS and formatting of the entire drive will help. And this is fraught with the loss of a huge amount of time and many important files (all).

Windows defender

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No matter what they say about the standard Windows antivirus, we must admit that it works well in the top ten. An important plus is that it is a system component. This means that there can be no question of any attempts to delete OS files.

Windows built-in utility window

Windows Defender is able to find and neutralize the most common viruses without any problems. Of course, it won't do much against Petya or WannaCry, but they're pretty rare. Especially now.

The beauty of the stock Windows antivirus is that you don't need to download and install it. Also, you do not need to purchase a license (if you already have an OS license). Therefore, it is better to use this particular product.

Windows Defender is always on and running in the background. It includes the antivirus product itself, Windows firewall and special software to protect against hacker attacks. Like all antiviruses, this one prefers to be in the system tray.

Method number 1

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Since Windows Defender is a component of the operating system, no installation is required. It is already on the user's computer. You just need to open its window. This can be done very simply.

Open the system tray and right-click on the antivirus icon. In the drop-down menu, click on the item View the Security Dashboard.

In the next window, click "Start new advanced scan". This is what this product calls a deep OS scan for viruses.

File analysis will start immediately. It can take quite a long time. All malicious objects that the antivirus finds will be destroyed immediately or quarantined.

After a while, Windows Defender will stop working. What will notify the user with the appropriate message. It is often unnecessary to check. The antivirus always works and stops any attempts of malware to run on the computer.

If you want to install a third-party antivirus product, it's best to disable Windows Defender first. Otherwise, conflicts between antiviruses are possible. And very serious. However, if there is Windows Defender with up-to-date databases, then no third-party product is required.

Dr.Web CureIt!

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This is almost the only free antivirus on the list. Despite his free status, he is able to find a huge number of viruses and destroy them correctly. Many users use it as their main antivirus product.

In fact, Dr.Web CureIt is a lightweight version of a "full-fledged" anti-virus from the same developer. This product does not even require installation. He is immediately ready to go. And this is even good, because with this use the program loads the computer less.

The utility is designed in the classic Dr.Web style. The interface is intuitive, but there is no Russian language in the kit. We'll have to strain knowledge of the English language. It's good that the school course is enough.

You can download this utility completely free of charge from the official website of the developer. The program is free for home use only. If you use it in offices, you will have to purchase a license. But no one, of course, does this.

Method number 2

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Since Dr.Web CureIt does not require installation, you just need to download the executable file. Then you can launch the program itself and start checking your PC or laptop for malicious software.

In the window on the left, select the objects that you want to scan (it is better to mark all) and click on the button "Start Scanning".

The scanning process will start immediately. The antivirus will eliminate all found threats by issuing an appropriate warning.

Using Dr.Web CureIt is an excellent solution for scanning your computer for viruses. The product is completely free, which makes it possible for everyone to use it. And despite the absence of the Russian language, it is very easy to manage the program.

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

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Lite version of Kaspersky Anti-Virus. The functionality of the program is rather meager, but it is completely free. By the way, this is strange. Previously, Kaspersky Lab was not distinguished by philanthropy.

Be that as it may, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool - excellent product for detecting and eliminating viruses and other malicious software. The tool received from the "big brother" an advanced and aggressive algorithm for searching and eliminating threats.

Nevertheless, this utility has one significant advantage over a full-fledged antivirus: working with system resources. The complete package is so power hungry that it can make even a fairly powerful computer freeze. There is no such thing here.

You can download this program from the official website of the developer. The utility does not require installation at all. This means that it can be used as a standby program to check other devices, simply by writing a file to a flash drive.

Method number 3

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Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, like all similar utilities, is very easy to use. The minimum number of functions makes itself felt. The app also has Russian. So there won't be any problems with management.

Now we select the objects to be checked and click "OK".

Now you can press the button "Start checking". It will start immediately. And it will be carried out in a fully automatic mode.

All threats found during the verification process will be ruthlessly exterminated. In this Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool is no different from the full-fledged antivirus of the same company. But it works well. With a high percentage of success.

ESET Smart Security (Paid)

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This is an unpretentious antivirus product from ESET. It is able to find and destroy almost all known viruses. However, it is useless against powerful ones like Petya or WannaCry. Although its built-in firewall will prevent these things from running on the PC.

ESET Smart Security package includes antivirus, firewall (firewall), protection against phishing sites and hacker attacks. It is actively used both on home computers and on servers. The product has proven itself excellent.

You can download the installation file from the developer's official website. But keep in mind that the program is not free. There is a certain "trial" period. Then you will need to pay for the license. But for a one-time scan for viruses, the unpaid version is enough.

Using the tips "How to clean an infected computer" given in this article, you can remove any type of malware from your computer and return it to working condition

1. Make sure your computer is really infected

Before trying to remove any infection from your computer, you need to make sure that the computer is indeed infected. To do this, please refer to the guidelines that I give in the article "". If this actually shows that your computer is infected, then continue with the steps in the next section. Make sure you follow them in the proper sequence.

2. How to clean your computer and make sure it is really clean

Please note that advanced users here can simply skip to the last part on how to clean up the computer accordingly. This is the most powerful approach, but it is also one of the most time consuming. However, if necessary, you can go directly to that section and then go back to the beginning again if the infection was not completely removed.

2.1 Cleaning your computer with CCE and TDSSKiller

Download Comodo Cleaning Essentials (CCE) from this page. Make sure to select the correct version for your operating system. If you are not sure which operating system your computer is running, 32-bit or 64-bit, see. Also, download Kaspersky TDSSKiller from this page. If you fail to download any of these programs, or if your Internet connection does not work, you will need to do it using another computer and transfer it to the infected one using a flash drive. Make sure there were no other files on the flash drive. Be careful with your flash device as malware can infect it when you insert it into your computer. Therefore, do not connect it to any other computers after transferring these programs. Also, I would like to point out that both programs are portable. This means that once you are done using them, you do not have to uninstall them. Just delete their folders and they will be deleted.

After you have downloaded CCE, unzip the file, open the folder and double-click the file named "CCE". The main window of Comodo Cleaning Essentials will open. If it doesn't open, hold down Shift and double-click the file named "CCE". After CCE successfully opens, you can release the Shift key. However, do not release it until the program is fully loaded into memory. If you release it at least during the UAC request, it will not be able to open correctly, even with a forced method. Holding Shift will help it open even on heavily infected computers. It does this by suppressing many unnecessary processes that could prevent it from starting. If that still doesn't help launch it, then download and run a program called RKill. It can be downloaded from this page. This program will stop known malicious processes. Thus, after launching it, CCE should start up perfectly.

Once it is running, in CCE, do a Smart Scan and quarantine whatever it finds. This program also looks at system changes that could have been made by malware. They will be shown in the results. I would suggest letting the program fix that too. Restart your computer when prompted. After restarting the computer, launch Kaspersky TDSSKiller, scan and quarantine what will be found.

Also, if your internet connection did not work before, check if it works now. A valid internet connection will be required for the next steps in this section.

Once the CCE scan is complete and you are satisfied that your internet connection is working, open CCE again. Hopefully it will open this time, but if not, then open it while holding down the Shift key. Then from the "Tools" menu in CCE open the KillSwitch. In the KillSwitch, from the "View" menu, select the "Hide Safe Processes" option. Then right-click on all processes that are marked as suspicious or dangerous and select the option to remove them. You should also right-click on any unknown processes that remain and select the "Kill Process" option. Do not delete processes marked as FLS.Unknown. Next, in CCE, from the tool menu, launch Autorun Analyzer and select the "Hide Safe Entries" option from the "View" menu. Then disable any items belonging to files that are marked as suspicious or dangerous. You can do this by unchecking the boxes next to the items. You should also disable all items marked as FLS.Unknown, but which you think most likely belong to malware. Don't delete any items.

Now restart your computer. After restarting, check your computer again using the advice I give in the "" article. If all is well, then you can skip to the "" section. Remember, disabled registry entries are not dangerous. Also, note that even if your computer is clean of active infections, there may still be pieces of malware on it. They are not dangerous, but don't be surprised if a scan in another program still finds malware on your computer. These are the dormant remnants of what you just deleted. If you are not satisfied with the presence of these leftovers on your computer, then you can remove the vast majority of them by scanning in the programs mentioned in the next section.

However, if your computer has not yet been cleared of active infections, but at least one of the programs was able to start, go through the steps described in this section again and see if this will remove the infections. But, if none of the programs were able to start, please skip to the next section. In addition, even if repeating the instructions in this section is not enough to clean your computer, you need to move on to the next section.

2.2 If the computer is still not clean, scan with HitmanPro, Malwarebytes and Emsisoft Anti-Malware

If the above steps did not completely eliminate the infection, then you need to download HitmanPro from this page. Install the program and run "Default Scan". If it doesn't install, go to the next paragraph and install Malwarebytes. When you are prompted during the installation of HitmanPro, I recommend that you select the option to perform only one-time computer scan. This should be fine for most users. Also, if malware prevents it from starting correctly, then open the program by holding down the CTRL key until it loads into memory. Move to quarantine any infection she finds. Keep in mind that this program will only be able to remove infections for 30 days after installation. During uninstallation, you will be asked to activate a trial license.

Once HitmanPro has removed all detected infestations, or if Hitman Pro failed to install, you need to download the free version of Malwarebytes from this page. Note that it has chameleon technology that should help it install even on heavily infected computers. I recommend that you uncheck the "Enable free trial of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Pro" checkbox during installation. Make sure the program is fully updated and then run a quick scan. Quarantine any infection she finds. If any program asks you to restart your computer, be sure to restart it.

Then download the Emsisoft Emergency Kit from this page. Once it's finished downloading, extract the contents of the zip file. Then double-click the file named "start" and open the "Emergency Kit Scanner". When prompted, let the program update the database. Once it's updated, return to the Security menu. Then go to "Check" and select "Quick", then click "Check". Once the scan is complete, quarantine all detected items. Restart your computer whenever required.

After scanning your computer with these programs, you must restart it. Then check your computer again using the tips I give in the "" article. If all is well then you can skip to the "" section. Remember, disabled registry entries are not dangerous. However, if your computer is still not cleaned, then go through the steps in this section again and see if it helps remove infections. If the programs in section 2.1 were not previously able to work correctly, then you should go back and try starting them again. If none of the above programs were able to start, boot into Safe Mode with Networking and try to scan from there. However, if they were able to start correctly, and threats still remain even after following the advice in this section again, then you can skip to the next section.

2.3 Try these slower methods if necessary

If the aforementioned measures did not completely remove the infection, then some very unresponsive malware is likely living in your machine. Thus, the techniques discussed in this section are much more powerful, but take longer. The first thing I advise you to do is to scan your computer with another anti-rootkit scanner called GMER. It can be downloaded from this page. Delete anything shaded in red. Be sure to click the Scan button immediately after the program finishes its quick system analysis. In addition, if you are running a 32-bit operating system, you must download a program to find and remove the ZeroAccess rootkit. Information about this rootkit and a link to a program to remove it from 32-bit systems can be found here at. AntiZeroAccess can be downloaded from the link in the second paragraph.

After scanning in the above programs, next you should open CCE, go to settings and select the option "Scan for suspicious MBR modification". Then click "OK". Now in CCE do a full scan. Reboot when required and quarantine whatever is found. Note that this option can be relatively dangerous as it can identify problems where they are not. Use it with care and make sure you have backed up anything important. Note that on rare occasions, scanning with these options may render the system unbootable. This rarely happens, but even if it does, it is fixable. If your computer stops starting after performing this scan, use your Windows installation disc to restore your system. This should help get your computer to start up again.

Once CCE is completely finished, reopen CCE while holding down the SHIFT key. This action will kill most of the unnecessary processes that might prevent you from scanning. Then open KillSwitch, go to the "View" menu and select "Hide Safe Processes". Now, remove all dangerous processes one more time. Then, you should also right-click on any unknown processes that are left and select "Kill Process". Don't delete them. you should follow the advice in this paragraph every time you restart your computer to be sure that the following scans will be as effective as possible.

After completing all processes that were not considered reliable, you should open HitmanPro by holding down the CTRL key. Then run the "Default Scan" and quarantine whatever it finds. Then run a full scan in Malwarebytes and the Emsisoft Emergency Kit. Quarantine whatever they find. Then download the free version of SUPERAntiSpyware from this page. Be very careful during installation, as other programs are included with the installer. On the first page, make sure to uncheck both options regarding the Google Chrome installation. Now select the "Custom Install" option. During the custom installation, you will have to uncheck the two checkboxes from the add Google Chrome option again.

Apart from that, the program will install just fine. When prompted to start a free trial period, I advise you to opt out. Once the program is fully loaded, select the Complete Scan option and click the "Scan your Computer ..." button. Then click the "Start Complete Scan\u003e" button. Delete any detected files and restart your computer when required.

After completing these steps, you must restart your computer. Then check it again using the advice I give in the "" article. If all is well, then you can skip to the "" section. Remember, disabled registry entries are not dangerous. However, if your computer is still not cleaned, then follow the steps in this section again and see if this helps in removing the infection. If not, then you need to move on to the next section.

2.4 Make a bootable disk if necessary

If the above methods did not completely eliminate the infection, or if you cannot even boot your computer, then in order to clean your computer you may need a bootable CD (or flash drive), also called a bootable disk. I know this may sound complicated, but it really isn't that bad. Just remember to create this disk on a computer that is not infected. Otherwise, the files may be corrupted or even infected.

Since this is a bootable disk, no malware can hide from it, disable it, or interfere with its operation in any way. Therefore, scanning in different programs in this way should allow cleaning almost any machine, no matter how infected it may be. The only exception here is if the system files themselves were infected on the machine. If so, deleting the infestation could harm the system. It is mainly for this reason that you have reserved all important documents before starting the cleaning process. However, sometimes you can get around this by following the advice I give below.

To do this, you must download. It is an excellent program that will allow you to create a single bootable disk with multiple anti-virus programs. It also has many other useful features that I will not discuss in this article. Some very useful tutorials for SARDU can be found on this page. Be very careful about the additional suggestions now included in the installer. Unfortunately, this program is now trying to fool people into installing additional programs that are mostly unnecessary.

After downloading it, unzip the contents and open the SARDU folder. Then run the executable file that matches your operating system - either sardu or sardu_x64. On the Antivirus tab, click the antivirus applications that you would like to burn to the disc you are creating. You can add as much or as little as you see fit. I recommend that you scan your computer, at least with Dr.Web LiveCD, Avira Rescue System and Kaspersky Rescue Disk. One of the nice things about Dr.Web is that it sometimes has the ability to replace an infected file with a clean version of it, instead of just deleting it. This will help you clean up some computers without harming the system. Therefore, I highly recommend that you include Dr.Web in your boot disk.

Clicking on the names of various antivirus applications will often direct you to a page from which you can download an ISO image with the corresponding antivirus. Sometimes, instead, you will be given the option to download it directly through SARDU, which can be found in the Downloader tab. If you have a choice, always choose the ISO download option. In addition, after downloading the ISO file, you may need to move it to the ISO folder located in the main SARDU folder. Once you've moved the ISOs of all the antivirus products you want to the ISO folder, you're ready to create an emergency boot disk. To do it, go to the Antivirus tab and make sure that all the antivirus you have selected have the checkboxes checked. Now click the create button for either USB device or disk. Any of these options will be acceptable. It only depends on whether you want to run the rescue disk from USB or from CD.

After creating the rescue disk, you will probably need to change the boot sequence in your BIOS settings to ensure that when you insert a bootable CD or bootable flash device, the computer boots it and not the operating system as usual. For our purposes, you should change the order so that the first item is "CD / DVD Rom drive" if you want to boot from CD or DVD, or "Removable Devices" if you want to boot from flash drive. Once this is done, boot your computer from the rescue disk.

After booting from the disk, you can choose with which antivirus you would like to start scanning your computer. As I mentioned earlier, I would recommend starting with Dr.Web. When this program finishes and you restore or delete whatever it finds, you will need to shut down your computer. Then be sure to boot from disk again and then continue scanning in other antiviruses. Continue this process until you have scanned your computer with all the antivirus programs that you have written to your startup disk.

After cleaning your computer with programs that you burned to disk, now you need to try starting Windows again. If the computer is able to start from under Windows, then check it using the instructions that I give in the article "". If all is well, then you can skip to the "" section. Remember, disabled registry entries cannot be compromised.

If your computer is not cleaned yet, but you can boot from Windows, then I would advise you to try cleaning it while in Windows, starting with this article and following the suggested methods. However, if your computer still cannot boot Windows, then try to tidy it up again using the Windows installation disc. This should help get your computer to start up again. If even this does not help make it bootable, then try adding more antiviruses to the emergency boot disk and then scan your computer again. If doing this still doesn't help, then read on.

3. What to do if the above methods did not help clean your computer

If you have followed all the above instructions and still could not clean your computer, but you are convinced that the problems are caused by malware, we would be very grateful if you leave a comment and explain what you tried to do to clean your computer, and what remained signs that make you think your computer is still not cleaned. This is very important in order to improve this article. In fact, hopefully no one ever gets to this section. This article is intended to give you the ability to clean the infected computer completely.

You can also seek advice on the dedicated malware removal forum. A very useful forum, which is our partner -. However, if, even after asking help on the malware removal forum, your computer is still not free of malware, you may need to format your computer and start it that way. This means that you will lose everything that you did not copy in advance. If you do this, be sure to fully format your computer before reinstalling Windows. This will eliminate almost any kind of malware. Once Windows has been reinstalled, follow the steps in.

4. What to do after all malware is finally identified for removal

After making sure that your computer is cleaned, you can now try to recover anything that was lost. You can use Windows Repair (All In One), an all-in-one tool that fixes a large number of known Windows problems, including registry errors, file permissions, Internet Explorer, Windows updates, and Windows Firewall. If, after completing all the procedures, your computer is working normally, then you can also open Comodo Autorun Analyzer and select the option to delete those registry entries that you just disabled earlier. Thus, they will no longer be on your computer at all.

Once you have safely removed all infiltrations from your computer and removed the remnants of the devastating consequences, you must take steps to ensure that this does not happen again. For this reason, I wrote a guide "How to stay secure online" (to be published on our site soon). Please read it later and implement the methods that you think best suit your needs.

After securing your computer, you can now recover any of the files lost during the cleaning process that were previously backed up. Hopefully this step will not have to be done. Also, before restoring them, make sure your computer is very well protected. If you do not protect your computer sufficiently, you can accidentally infect it, and then you will have to clean the infection on it again. Also, if you used a USB device to move any files to the infected computer, you can now insert it back into the computer and make sure there is no malware on it. I recommend doing this by deleting any remaining files on it.

In principle, any computer is exposed to the danger of virus infection. What if your fears have already grown into the belief that your PC is infected? Do you want to uninstall the operating system and format the hard drive? Call a specialist? Trying to heal your computer yourself? This article will focus on self-cleaning of a computer from a virus infection using antivirus tools from well-known manufacturers.

Treatment with a free disposable utility

In order to find and neutralize an infection that has entered your computer, it is enough to use free one-time tools. This method is good because you do not need to remove the antivirus installed on your system (although, why do you need it if you let the virus into the system), you just need to stop it during the scan. Disposable utilities downloaded from official sites contain fresh anti-virus databases, are fully functional for our purposes and are able to clean the virus threat from the computer.

It is worth drawing your attention to the fact that downloading antivirus utilities from third-party sites, you may not only fail to achieve the desired result, but also expose your system to greater danger - it is likely that the “hacked” software products contain destructive virus code, and having cured the computer of old viruses, they will put their own new one in it.

The healing utility Dr.Web CureIt!

Doctor Web provides the Dr.Web CureIt! Utility for computer disinfection, available for download from the official website:

After downloading, the utility does not require installation or any database updates and is completely ready for use. We launch it. In the window that opens, we define the objects that need to be checked.

Since you do not know exactly where the virus settled on the computer, you should specify all system objects by checking the box for them:

I also highly recommend that you specify for verification completely all storage media connected to the system. Click to select:

and check the boxes next to all available drives:

Before starting the scan, you can also change the scan settings:

Check the box for automatic application of actions so that you do not have to react every time in manual mode (after all, a full check can take several hours) and proceed to, in fact, the settings:

Here, in my opinion, it is worth changing the action for incurable files to be deleted, so as not to accidentally pull the virus out of the quarantine folder later. It is unlikely that you will need a sample to study, so feel free to put “delete”, the extra utility will not delete, do not worry:

We are finished with the settings - you can start the scan. Please be patient, the check must go completely, to the end. Do not interrupt it in the hope of continuing later - you have not forgotten that viruses tend to multiply? As soon as you leave one untreated file, the next time you run the curing program, you will find that hundreds are infected.

So - starting the check:

During it, you will be shown information about the progress of scanning in the form of a green "thermometer", you will also see the number of scanned objects and identified threats:

After a while, you will be able to make sure that you have taken care of catching viruses for a reason:

Since we have set up the automatic application of actions, nothing else is required from us. Upon completion of the check, it is worth restarting the computer (especially if you are prompted to do so) - to apply the changes in the registry.

Everything, we have successfully coped with the task. The computer is cleaned of viruses.

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

Those who do not trust Doctor Web (or, on the contrary, completely trust Kaspersky Lab), should be advised to use the Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool:

The main thing is not to confuse it with another free program, Kaspersky Security Scan - it detects viruses with no less high quality, but, unfortunately, it cannot cure.

Before starting the utility, as usual, configure its parameters:

There are not so many of them to get confused - you just need to specify all system objects and add your hard drives to conduct the most complete check:

Is it done? Then press the button "Start check", it is big - you won't miss:

During the scan, you will be familiarized with the number of scanned objects, detected threats, you will see how close the scan is to completion:

When the utility finishes its work, you will see a detailed report with a list of detected threats, and you can choose what to do with them manually:

You can simply delete everything (1), or you can apply a separate action to each object (2) - maybe what Virus Removal Tool considered a threat, you need to work.

Dr.Web LiveDisk and Kaspersky Rescue Disk

In the event that viruses intercepted control of the system and the aforementioned utilities do not start or cannot delete locked objects, you need to use special disks, booting from which, a “clean” system will start, from which you can scan and clean your Windows.

You can find the images of Dr.Web LiveDisk and Kaspersky Rescue Disk on the corresponding official websites of Doctor Web or Kaspersky Lab, and there are utilities for recording a boot image, if necessary, to a USB flash drive.

Having booted from any of these disks, on the desktop you will see a utility icon, with which you, without much difficulty, can clean your computer of viruses.

Using trial versions of antivirus software

One-time utilities work great, but they do not guarantee you are safe from re-infection. In order not only to cure, but also to secure the system, it is necessary to use anti-virus monitors that monitor what is going on in your computer, and it is better to use specialized complexes of anti-virus services. You can decide which software is best for you by installing a 30-day trial version, and then you can purchase a license to use it for a longer period of time.

Kaspersky Internet Security

Don't be intimidated by the purchase offer, feel free to download the trial version:

Unlike disposable utilities, this software requires installation, after which it will ask you to enter an activation code, or activate a trial version. In principle, you can scan your computer and clean it of viruses without activating the license at all, but if you want to get acquainted with the full capabilities of this software product, you should still get a trial license:

In addition, it is necessary to download virus databases and updates:

When all updates are completed, you can start a full scan of your computer, viruses will be definitely detected and neutralized:

After cleaning the system, you have a whole month in order to sort out Kaspersky Internet Security, understand how functional it is, decide whether it suits you and whether it loads your system too much. There are a lot of functions in the package, but for the time given for acquaintance, you can master absolutely everything.

This product is also available in a trial, demo version, just download it from the company's website:

After installing and rebooting, you can immediately launch the scanner from the system tray:

The choice, of course, requires a full check:

After you have made your choice, a window very similar to what we can see in the one-time Cure It! Utility will open and the scanning process will start.

However, it is also no different from how a one-time utility works. The main difference is that the virus databases will be regularly updated (at least during the demo mode), and your computer will be reliably protected with all the broad functionality of the Dr.Web Security Space package.
As with a Kaspersky Lab product, you have 30 days to master all the services and check the reliability of the software.

Of course, it's up to you to decide in what ways to clean your computer from viruses, with what software. The choice is large enough and is not at all limited to the products of the companies indicated in the article. The main thing is to use officially distributed software and download it from reliable, official sites. And besides, nevertheless, do not forget about computer hygiene, and then the issue of cleaning your computer will worry you much less often.

You load the browser, and instead of the desired page, an advertisement opens. Or, some applications are installed by themselves, unknown processes "hang" in the task manager and for some reason the antivirus stopped working. Or maybe instead of the desktop, a threatening message opened that your files are encrypted or Windows is locked. What does all of this mean? That your computer was caught by a virus.

There are many types of PC malware. In the last 2-3 years, malicious programs that display ads without user consent, as well as ransomware viruses, have become especially widespread. If coping with the first is quite easy, then with the second, unfortunately, it is very, very difficult, and often completely impossible. Today we will talk about how to recognize an infection and how to clean your computer from viruses yourself.

In view of the wide variety of harmful "flora and fauna", a lot can be attributed to the symptoms of infection. In fact, any deviation from the normal operation of the operating system and programs can be a manifestation of a virus.

To make it easier for you to understand, we will divide the symptoms of infection into direct and indirect. Straight lines indicate 100% virus activity. For example:

• Messages demanding to pay a certain amount for unlocking Windows or decrypting files (if the system stops loading or the files stop opening).
• Advertisements not tied to a specific site or application.
• Pop-up windows of antivirus programs with a message about the detection of malware and other unambiguous signs.

Indirect symptoms do not always indicate infection, as they can occur for other reasons. These include:

• Slowdown of the computer (so that the computer does not slow down, you need to not only clean it of debris, but also check it with an antivirus).
• Unknown processes in the task manager (they may not be known to you, but they are not dangerous).
• Blue screens of death.
• Inability to install or run antivirus and other security software.
• Spontaneous change of system settings.
• System function errors.
• Loss of information from the hard disk.
• Inability to get to your page on social networks.
• Application crashes, etc.

By the way, the complete absence of external manifestations can be a symptom of the virus. Many Trojans designed to steal personal data of the owner of a PC work completely invisibly. The user learns about the fact of infection only by emptying bank accounts and virtual wallets of payment systems. And also when information from his computer turns out to be in the possession of malefactors who use it for extortion or blackmail.

Methods and ways of spreading computer viruses

In order to catch a malicious program, it is not at all necessary to visit the "evil" Internet resources. The main distribution channels for viruses and Trojans are social networks, dating sites, forums and platforms where a large number of people hang out. Another popular method is to send emails with malicious attachments or links to download them. In addition, cybercriminals use instant messengers (Skype, ICQ and others), open chats, and private messages on social networks to distribute gifts.

In order for the addressee to perform the action necessary for the attacker (click on the link or download and launch the file), the latter resort to social engineering methods: they send messages from hacked accounts of the addressee's friends or under the guise of various government agencies. The headlines and content of such letters are formulated in a very "tempting" way. For example: “Where was it taken like this?”, “I am participating in the competition, please vote for me”, “Immediately repay the debt on housing and communal services, otherwise ...” etc.

Advertising "surprises" often go in addition to regular free applications, even on official websites. Only when installing a program downloaded from the developer's site, you can refuse them, and if the installer is downloaded from nowhere, most often it is impossible. In the latter version, ad junk is installed automatically and actively prevents its removal.

By the way, in some cases, viruses and trojans are downloaded to the computer without user intervention - through the vulnerabilities of the operating system and programs. This "bait" is often caught by those who forget to install updates.

What to do if you suspect a virus

Auto scan

The first attempt to remove a virus from a computer is to launch the anti-virus installed in the system. Anyone, the main thing is to update the virus databases before scanning. You can count on success in 50-70% of cases.

Windows 10 and 8.1 users can get started with built-in Windows Defender (formerly MSE Antivirus). Its detection level is low, but in some cases it is sufficient. Those with Windows 7 or an older version of this OS will have to use a third-party product.

If there is no antivirus or it does not cope - it does not detect malware or cannot remove it, use specialized utilities for a one-time PC treatment. The most effective and safe are the following:

Both utilities are free, universal (designed to remove all types of threats), have a Russian-language interface and run without problems on an infected system. To increase the chances of success, it is important to use the most recent versions of them, which include all current virus databases.

Scanning with a standard antivirus and one of these utilities increases the effectiveness of treatment up to 80-90%.

There are other free antivirus products available, many of which are capable of dealing with particularly complex and persistent threats. The highest detection rates with the lowest number of false positives are:

• Malwarebytes Free. It includes modules for searching and eliminating viruses, Trojans, spyware, rootkits (a special class of malicious programs that hide their presence in the system) and adware.
• ESET Online Scanner is an online scanner for eliminating all types of threats. For effective treatment, he needs stable Internet access.
• HitmanPro Malware Removal Tool is a cloud-based scanner for neutralizing all types of malware, including "0-day" threats (previously unknown). You can use it for free for 30 days.
• Emsisoft Commandline Scanner is a console-based scanner designed for power users and professionals. Designed to search for and eliminate all types of active malware, including rootkits.

Special products

Some antivirus vendors release mini-utilities for treating infections of the same type. In particular, Kaspersky Lab. If you know the name of the malware and want to deal with it as quickly and efficiently as possible, look for a suitable utility.

Live CD and USB

Automatic scanners help clean up the system 80-90% of the time, but what about the rest? Anti-virus boot disks (flash drives) - the so-called Live CD or Live USB - help to fight against malware that cannot be removed from a running Windows. They are able to cope not only with the most "tenacious" infection (for example, with file viruses), but also with the blocking of the system by ransomware Trojans.

Here is a list of some of them:

Antivirus Live CD distribution kit must be downloaded and written to bootable media (disk or flash drive) only on a "healthy" machine. If you do this on a "sick" basis, viruses can damage distribution files or prevent writing.

After the burn is finished, boot the infected computer from the anti-virus Live CD and scan the hard drive. Even the most persistent malware will not be able to resist it, since they are inactive in an unloaded system.

Manual cleaning

Windows users sometimes prefer to manually clean up malware. No, they do not scan every folder for something suspicious, but use special utilities in a "scan only" mode. The results of the utility check are displayed in a report, by analyzing which the user determines which objects are dangerous and should be deleted, and which are normal.

The result of a check with a variety of antiviruses will dispel or confirm your doubts.

If the downloaded checksum is not in the Virustotal database, you need to check the suspicious file itself on the service.

To eliminate a malicious object, click the "Quarantine" and "Delete" buttons in the cell of its name.

A script will be generated at the bottom of the report (under the table).

What we see in the screenshot should be supplemented with the lines that we give below. As a result, the quarantine and delete script should look something like this:

begin
QuarantineFile (‘*’, ”);
DeleteFile (‘*’, ’32’);
BC_ImportAll;
ExecuteSysClean;
BC_Activate;
RebootWindows (true);
end.

Instead of asterisks - paths to files.

In this way, you can remove almost any virus - Chinese, adware, etc., with a few exceptions. The main thing is to learn to distinguish what is harmful from what is normal.

If you get sick of advertising

Browser and adware malware is especially widespread. And, what is most unpleasant, many antiviruses do not remove them, because advertising does not harm the user (the effect on the nerves does not count) - it is even included in many free applications.

Blockers like AdBlock do not help against malware that opens ads in the browser. They only slightly mask the problem. Only specially "sharpened" utilities can cope with this scourge, the best of which is AdwCleaner. Fortunately, it is free and very easy to use.

To scan for ad viruses, just run the utility and click the "Scan" button. In a few minutes, a report will open in the main window of AdwCleaner, consisting of sections: folders (created by adware), files, scheduled tasks (often used to display ads and recreate deleted settings), browser extensions, registry keys, infected shortcuts and services.

Review the report, clear the check boxes for what you want to keep, and click Clear. After cleaning, the computer will restart and the ads will no longer bother you.

AdwCleaner successfully copes with such malware as Vulkan (prescribes transitions to advertising pages in web browser shortcuts), Fust (creates copies of executable files of browsers with the .bat extension) and many others. Often, he even finds something that the user does not notice.

Content

Increasingly, users are attacked by Trojans, malicious files that change browser or system settings, constantly display advertising sites or viral ads. Windows protection does not always work, and it becomes necessary to clean your computer from viruses for free. This can be done in several ways.

How to check your computer for viruses

Threats can penetrate the operating system via the Internet, together with someone else's flash drive or when installing questionable software. The development of antivirus products has spawned more sophisticated, sophisticated spyware or malicious codes. Now they can write to startup, automatically recover after deletion. It becomes more difficult to cure the computer. Here are the ways to clean your laptop from viruses yourself:

1. The most radical, hard way to clean your computer from viruses is to reinstall the operating system. Together with malicious files, files will be completely removed from the system partitions or from the logical disk. This means that the programs and documents that were on it will be lost. You can save data on other drives, but there is a risk that the infected file lives on them.
2. Formatting the disk. A good way if you know that the virus is not in section C.
3. Revert to a restore point without malicious files. The operating system is able to roll back to its previous state, for example, yesterday, when worms or Trojans have not yet penetrated into it. When using a backup, all new files, folders will be deleted and replaced by the old ones. Suitable if only system data and directories were affected.
4. Use any good antivirus, for example: Doctor Web (Dr.Web), Kaspersky or Nod32. The scanner will detect threats, offer to remove them, treat them or send them to quarantine.

Some viruses are not so easy to clean: they open windows in the browser with advertising pages, carry out hidden actions. One of them is blocking the operation of anti-virus utilities. In such cases, online services can provide assistance for the initial scan launch. Here are some popular and effective options:

• BitDefender QuickScan - online scanning is enabled directly on the website via a cloud service;
• Panda ActiveScan - a special module will be loaded, which, through the cloud service, will check the computer for security threats;
• HouseCall - searches for spy codes and viruses online;
• Microsoft Safety Scanner - a one-time scan from the company;
• Kaspersky Security Scan - a special utility is used to treat a computer from viruses. You need to download it, but the software works through a cloud service.

The best utilities to clean your computer from viruses

To clean your computer, full-fledged antiviruses are better suited, but you can also use special utilities. The best ones are listed below:

1. DR WEB CUREIT is a simple free portable utility. You just need to run the program and click "Start Check". This can take from 1 to 6 hours (based on the number of scanned objects).
2. NORTON SECURITY SCAN is another additional protection tool that will help clean your computer from viruses. Free distribution. It works and is available to the user online, controls the PC in real time.
3. Kaspersky Anti-Virus is a complete program that is distributed for a fee. There is a special utility that can be downloaded for free - Kaspersky Security Scan.
4. AVZ is a powerful, popular utility that can solve even the most difficult pest problems. It is very useful in cases where you cannot log into Windows. Run it in safe mode when the system boots. The current version is updated automatically for free.
5. ESET ONLINE SCANNER is another option for how to clean your computer for free from viruses. No installation is required, you just need to download and run the executable file.
6. AVIRA REMOVAL TOOL is not the best option for cleaning your computer from viruses, but they use it because the utility is distributed free of charge.
7. AVAST! VIRUS CLEANER TOOL - additional protection against Avast antivirus. Works autonomously in the cloud service. Searches for and removes spyware, malicious files.
8. Malwarebytes is a very effective program for removing adware viruses that successfully hide from Kaspersky or Dr.Web. The first month can be used absolutely free of charge, but then you have to purchase a license.

How to clean your computer from viruses yourself

If you want and have free time, you can clean your computer yourself. It is recommended to delete everything from the trash at the very beginning, use the CCleaner program, which will destroy unnecessary and unnecessary information from the registry, all sorts of garbage. The easiest way to clean your computer from viruses is to format your hard drive. If it is important to save data on it, you should choose a more complex path, using antivirus and special programs.

Cleaning and formatting the hard drive

Please understand that disk cleanup and formatting are two different things. The first is more often carried out with the aim of freeing up space on the desired partition by removing junk, temporary and broken (non-working) files. This action does not directly affect the cleaning of malicious files. It can be done as follows:

1. Go to "My Computer".
2. On the disk that needs cleaning, right-click.
3. Select Properties.
4. In the window that opens, at the bottom, find the "Disk Cleanup" button and click on it.

Formatting completely removes all the contents of the section along with the malicious code. Make sure to back up any important data to temporary media. To complete you need:

These first steps on how to properly clean your computer from viruses will allow you to identify problems in the system, the location of the infected files and neutralize them, but not delete them. You need a complete antivirus program. AVZ sets the stage for its efficient operation. Select full validation and wait for results. All found threats must be removed. If after that ad continues to load, pages open spontaneously - use "Malwarebytes".