How to remove nearly all malware/viruses from a Windows PC

[neffernin]

Last edited Tue Jun 4, 2013, 08:15 PM - Edit history (1)

Please share this with anyone who runs into virus issues, this process works every time. Posted this as a response and felt it deserved its own thread.

1. Try system restore. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306084 for xp and http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-windows-vista-system-restore/ for windows 7/vista. Regardless if you can or can't run the system restore move to step 2.

2. If you can, download and install the free editions of both superantispyware (http://www.superantispyware.com/) and malwarebytes (http://www.malwarebytes.org/). Run a full scan on one, reboot, then run the other. Once completed run the first one again and if the issue is gone and it finds no more bad files then you are set to go. If there are still issues, boot into safe mode (by tapping F8 a handful of times as the machine is being turned on) and try to run each one in safe mode. If that doesn't work move to step 3. If there is no more infection, feel free to uninstall both applications at this time.

3. If you can't install/get to the internet to download becuase you have a really nasty one or the above doesn't remove your issue, use combofix (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/combofix). Download the combofix program from another computer and boot the infected pc to safe mode (pressing F8 as Windows starts up). Copy the combofix software to the computer and run it. This takes a good while sometimes and will sometimes sit on the same screen for 20-30 mins. If it gets stuck longer, reboot, go into safe mode and try again.

4. Once combofix has run properly and fully, try to complete step 2 again. If combofix has run properly you should be able to.

5. One completed make sure you have AV installed. I'd recommend Microsoft Security Essentials (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security-essentials-download), which is MS's free AV application. I know, MS sucks, blah blah but it is a good lightweight free product.

Notes:
The full scans from the antispyware programs can take hours each depending on how fast your machine is and how much data you have.
This is at your own risk, I've never damaged a PC doing any of the above but I'm sure its possible.
If you have questions within reason feel free to PM me. I wrote this for you DU'ers who work so hard to bring me cartoons and news and @#$#@, maybe this is my way of paying back some.

EDIT: Also, I don't care of getting an overpriced apple will make it so you no longer get viruses. Or some flavor of Linux. When it comes down to it the vast majority of people have PC's and they do get viruses. These same people wouldn't get viruses on Windows if they didn't go to bad websites, forward chain e-mails, etc. Fortunately for me people do these kinds of things so I earn a living off of it.

[cliffordu]

1. OR: the easy way!!!

Download and install LINUX.

Easy Peasy.

[TreasonousBastard]

2. That didn't take long. Like moths to a flame it is.

[cliffordu]

7. Windows 8:

A 64 bit kludge to a 32 bit fix for a 16 bit theft of an 8 bit operating system by a 2 bit company who could never handle 1 bit of real competition.

I hate absolutely everything about M$.

Internet Exploder? Outbreak Express? Everything M$ makes is screendoor on a submarine for script kiddies and shitheads.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. So what? I've got three versions of Windows running on four...

computers with nary a problem. And three printers and two scanners. I'm thinking of retiring the oldest box from XP and installing Ubuntu, but last time I did that it was nothing but trouble and I couldn't run WordPerfect.

I run all the software I want without any serious problems. I never have to search for a driver or decide which distro to use or dig through upgrades and tar files. I rarely even have to dig around in the help files. I want to spend as little time as possible on the OS because there are things I actually want to do with the computer.

One problem I'll admit I'm having now is that I tried to open the database in LibreOffice (don't want to spend the money for Paradox in WP Pro) but it keeps asking me for jre. I installed jre, and reinstalled it, and set pointers to it, but it still won't work. Is that a problem with LibreOffice, Win8, or Oracle and would it be the same problem in Linux?

[cliffordu]

14. Look at the EXACT version of the jre you're supposed to install.

After that, you are on your own.

I would imagine that LibreOffice on the LINUX box will pop your database right up.

All that stuff about digging through drivers and wrestling tar files is kinda 2005, but don't let that stop you.

Ah, but I do miss:

$ gzip -dc foobar.tgz | tar -xvf -

(Uh, oh, I think that's wrong......getting old here....)

[whistler162]

3. and remember Linux also cures gout and eczema

and will make you insatiable in bed!

[HarveyDarkey]

4. True dat

[cliffordu]

6. That's how it works for me!!!

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. You are right! it worked for me!

[angstlessk]

18. Linux requires a knowledge of programing...

I am geekless

[cliffordu]

19. Actually, you do NOT need to know programming.

Ask anyone using a MAC, (a UNIX/LINUX workalike) or anyone using Google Chrome (a version of UNIX/LINUX)

In fact - I say that for the average user, LINUX is easier to use than Windows, across the board.

And you don't have to deal with all those yucky viruses and worms.

[angstlessk]

20. I would LOVE to understand..cause

I lost my windows on one computer and tried like HECK to do UMBUTO...but it was too difficult...I am, like I said, geekless, I have no knowledge of DOS or programing

[cliffordu]

23. 1. Go to Best Buy. 2. Ask to see a chrome book.

3.success.

[neffernin]

22. It has nothing to do with ease

of use, it has to do with support/interoperability of 3rd party softwares as well as straight up familarity with interaction. Sure, Linux is a better OS. What good is that though when you can't use the applications you need to on it and have to learn a whole new way of doing things?

What I personally dislike about Apple is their profit margins and if I wanted to go linux I'd rather go Ubuntu.

[EvilAL]

25. I switched to Ubuntu 2 years ago

and never looked back. I'll never own a Windows machine again. Not because I have anything against Microsoft, just because Windows gave me a lot of grief and the few problems I had with Ubuntu were easily fixed by going to the help forums and typing some shit in the terminal. I also use a Macbook, it's my daughters and it runs very well, I really like Garageband. Once I upgrade my machine I'll get Ubuntu Studio and probably won't use the macbook too much either.

[Incitatus]

27. You know how sometimes you see an OP and know someone has already given the answer you would? nt

[NightWatcher]

5. how do you get that garbage off your Mac?

Oh wait, you dont get it there to begin with, but we still hate Apple

[jakeXT]

10. You can install Windows on a Mac and OS X on a PC (Hackintosh), but why? /nt

[mythology]

17. Because you can

Says the guy who has a hackintosh and runs Ubuntu on his Chromebook.

[Art_from_Ark]

34. The only reason I would install Windows software on a Mac

would be so that I could once again use the hybrid Mac/Win software that can no longer be run on Mac OS 10.5 and later systems

[sharp_stick]

11. You got beat by the Linux dude

bad fanboy...bad...no iTunes for you today.

[NightWatcher]

13. I used to think Linux was a religious cult

My friend would just drone on and on about how I needed to convert.

[jmowreader]

15. Linux IS a religious cult

My favorite one is when someone points out some of us run very specialized software not available on Linux..."Linux is open source, someone will write a program to do exactly what you need out of the goodness of his heart." No one's heart is filled with enough goodness to write a freeware version of the $2 million software suite we've got at work. (And no, that's not a misprint.)

[NightWatcher]

16. No, kidding aside, I thought it was a cult with buildings and meetings

My friend always volunteered to convert me over.... I really thought it was like a cult that worked in my college town. They used the same talking points.

[cliffordu]

24. .....And what 2 million dollar suite of software are you talking about?

[jmowreader]

26. It's called DTI. It's for newspapers.

It has databases to hold stories, images, display ads, classifieds, legals and obits. It is set up so that if I run an AP article in twelve different papers and the AP makes a change it will update through all the papers automatically. I can search back at least three years for articles. Remember the guy who named his kid Hitler? We were able to find a picture of him not wearing a Nazi uniform in about a minute.

Now, I know we could have used ODBC and SQL to build our own management system...but there's no Linux equivalent of InDesign, no equivalent of Illustrator, GIMP isn't suitable for our needs and our core competency is journalism rather than engineering. We could spend $2 million and get something that works, or spend more than that trying to write a Linux app. Which is more economical?

[cliffordu]

28. Well.....

Your question has been answered by Lucasfilms, Google, ARS NOVA (UNIX, not LINUX, sorry, along with Oracle, not SYBASE or POSTGRESQL.....

And by the way- you really should go to the IBM Linux site and do a little reading. You could save your outfit a million or so.

All that shit is already available for the inquisitive. Sorry your IT department stuck your company with 2 million worth of stuff. Be glad it wasn't QUARK Immedia, or you'd be in for twice that.

You DO know that IBM moved from Windows to LINUX in most major divisions? The only reason I know is that I helped make that change.

Windows and the two million dollar add on software suites are for companies that love dinosaurs.

[jmowreader]

29. We are very comfortable with what we have, thanks

[hobbit709]

9. I've seen viruses that infect the restore points.

[neffernin]

21. Yes

Which is why you would continue to step #2

[One_Life_To_Give]

30. Format c:?

[neffernin]

31. The biggest reason I don't mention formatting or reinstalling

is because most of my clients have older software that was installed by someone else and finding licensing for would be even a bigger nightmare. Personally if a computer is on the older side and you are getting to the point where a standard clean doesn't cut it I recommend replacement.

[Mojo Electro]

32. I thought the post was gonna be

"set it on fire"

[BlueJazz]

33. One thing I do..as a Tech. I keep a 1 gig drive for cloning any computer I get that is ..

.."Loaded" with bad shit.

Nice to have a copy while I try to straighten out the mess. (especially if the customer has a lot of older programs)
It's been helpful a few times.

[SteveG]

35. all good

these are the steps I take. I've been in the desktop support business for over 30 years. Two additional suggestions. Auslogics Free Defrag and free registry defrag.

[neffernin]

37. We stopped using auslogics at our shop

as it seems windows defrag works fine enough.

[SteveG]

38. The windows defrag works

but is not nearly as fast as the auslogics.

[HipChick]

36. Get a Mac