How to remove virus programs. How to completely clean your computer from viruses

All tips

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

There are many types of PC malware. In the last 2-3 years, malware that displays advertisements without the user’s consent, as well as ransomware viruses, have become particularly widespread. While dealing with the first is quite easy, the second, unfortunately, 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.

Due to 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. Direct lines indicate 100% virus activity. For example:

Messages demanding to pay a certain amount to unlock Windows or decrypt files (if the system stops loading or files stop opening).
Ads that are 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 also occur for other reasons. These include:

Slowing down the computer (to prevent your computer from slowing 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 be unknown to you, but do not pose anything dangerous).
Blue screens of death.
Inability to install or run antivirus and other security programs.
Spontaneous changes in system settings.
System function errors.
Loss of information from the hard drive.
Inability to access your page on social networks.
Application crashes, etc.

By the way, a symptom of the virus can be a complete absence of external manifestations. Many Trojan programs designed to steal the personal data of the PC owner operate completely unnoticed. 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 ends up in the hands of attackers 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 “evil” Internet resources. The main channels for the spread of viruses and Trojans are social networks, dating sites, forums and sites where a large number of people hang out. Another favorite method is to send emails with malicious attachments or download links. In addition, to distribute “gifts”, attackers use instant messengers (Skype, ICQ and others), open chats and personal messages on social networks.

In order for the recipient to perform the action desired by the attacker (click on a link or download and launch a file), the latter resort to social engineering methods: sending messages from the hacked accounts of the recipient’s friends or under the guise of various government agencies. The headings and contents of such letters are formulated in a very “tempting” way. For example: “Where did they take a picture of you like this?”, “I’m participating in a competition, please vote for me,” “Immediately pay off your housing and communal services debt, otherwise...”, “A statement of claim has been filed in court,” “Appear when summoned,” and etc.

Advertising “surprises” often come in addition to regular free applications, even on official websites. Only when installing a program downloaded from the developer’s website can you refuse them, but if the installer was downloaded from somewhere unknown, most often you cannot. In the latter option, advertising junk is installed automatically and actively prevents its removal.

By the way, in some cases, viruses and Trojans are downloaded onto a computer without user intervention - through vulnerabilities in the operating system and programs. Those who forget to install updates often fall for this “bait.”

What to do if you suspect a virus

Automatic scanning

The first attempt to remove a virus from a computer is to run the antivirus installed on the system. Anyway, 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 start with the built-in Windows Defender (formerly MSE antivirus). Its detection level is low, but in some cases it is sufficient. Those who have Windows 7 or an older version of this OS will have to use a third-party product.

If you don’t have an antivirus or it can’t cope—it doesn’t detect the malware or can’t remove it, use specialized utilities for a one-time PC treatment. The most effective and safest 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, which include all current virus databases.

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

There are other free antivirus products available, many of which can handle particularly complex and persistent threats. The highest detection rates with the minimum 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 advertising software (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 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 scanner with a console interface, designed for experienced users and professionals. Designed to search and eliminate all types of active malware, including rootkits.

Special products

Some antivirus manufacturers produce mini-utilities to treat one type of infection. 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 the system in 80-90% of cases, but what to do with the rest? Anti-virus bootable disks (flash drives) - the so-called Live CD or Live USB - help fight malware that cannot be removed from a running Windows. They are able to cope not only with the most “tenacious” infections (for example, file viruses), but also with system blocking by ransomware Trojans.

Here is a list of some of them:

The antivirus Live CD distribution must be downloaded and burned onto bootable media (disc or flash drive) only on a “healthy” machine. If you do this on a “sick” computer, viruses can damage the distribution files or prevent recording.

Once recording is complete, boot the infected computer from an 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 on an unloaded system.

Manual cleaning

Users who know Windows well sometimes prefer to remove malware manually. No, they do not scan every folder for anything suspicious, but use special utilities in the “scan only” mode. The utility scan results are displayed in a report, by analyzing which the user determines which objects are dangerous and must be deleted, and which are normal.

The result of checking with multiple 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 provide below. As a result, the quarantine and deletion 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 harmful from normal.

If you are fed up with advertising

Browser- and ad-related malware is particularly 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. Luckily, it's free and very easy to use.

To search for ad viruses, just launch the utility and click the “Scan” button. After a few minutes, a report will open in the main AdwCleaner window, 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, uncheck the items you want to keep, and click Clear. After cleaning, the computer will restart and the advertisement will no longer bother you.

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

Probably everyone whose computer became infected with viruses began to think about an additional program that would check the PC for malicious software. As practice shows, a basic antivirus is not enough because it often misses serious threats. There should always be an additional solution at hand in case of emergency. You can find a lot of these on the Internet, but today we will look at several popular programs, and you yourself will choose what suits you best.

Junkware Removal Tool is a simple utility that allows you to scan your computer and remove adware and spyware.

Its functionality is limited. All it can do is scan the PC and create a report on its actions. In this case, you will not even be able to control the process. Another significant disadvantage is that it is not able to detect all threats, for example, from Mail.ru, Amigo, etc. she won't save you.

Zemana AntiMalware

Unlike the previous solution, Zemana AntiMalware is a more functional and powerful program.

Its functions include not only virus scanning. It can serve as a full-fledged antivirus thanks to the ability to enable real-time protection. Zemana Antimalware is capable of eliminating almost all types of threats. It is also worth noting the thorough scanning function, which allows you to scan individual folders, files and disks, but the program’s functionality does not end there. For example, it has a built-in Farbar Recovery Scan Tool, which helps in searching for malware.

CrowdInspect

The next option is the CrowdInspect utility. It will help identify all hidden processes and check them for threats. In her work, she uses various kinds of services, including VirusTotal. Immediately after launch, the entire list of processes will open, and next to them, indicators in the form of circles will light up in different colors, which will show the threat level in their color - this is called color indication. You can also see the full path to the executable file of the suspicious process, as well as block its access to the Internet and terminate it.

By the way, you will eliminate all threats yourself. CrowdInspect will only show the path to the executable files and help complete the process.

This software solution has quite a wide range of functionality, including regular system scanning. And yet, Spybot does not check everything, but gets into the most vulnerable places. In addition, it offers to clean the system of excess debris. As in the previous solution, there is a color indication indicating the threat level.

It is worth mentioning another interesting function - immunization. It protects the browser from various types of threats. Thanks to the program’s additional tools, you can edit the Hosts file, check startup programs, see a list of currently running processes, and much more. On top of that, Spybot Search and Destroy has a built-in Rootkit scanner. Unlike all the programs and utilities mentioned above, this is the most functional software.

The functionality of this application is very small, and it is aimed at searching for spyware and virus programs, as well as their subsequent elimination along with traces of activity in the system. The two main functions are scanning and cleaning. If necessary, AdwCleaner can be uninstalled from the system directly through its own interface.

This is another solution that has the functions of a full-fledged antivirus. The main feature of the program is scanning and searching for threats, and it does this very carefully. Scanning consists of a whole chain of actions: checking for updates, memory, registry, file system and other things, but the program does all this quite quickly.

After scanning, all threats are quarantined. There they can either be completely eliminated or restored. Another difference from previous programs/utilities is the ability to set up regular system checks thanks to the built-in task scheduler.

This is a relatively small application that has only two functions - scanning the system for threats and disinfecting if any are detected. To check for viruses, you must have an Internet connection. HitmanPro is able to detect viruses, rootkits, spyware, adware, Trojans, etc. However, there is a significant drawback - built-in advertising, and also the fact that the free version is designed for only 30 days of use.

Dr.Web CureIt

Doctor Web CureIt is a free utility that scans your system for viruses and either cures or quarantines detected threats. It does not require installation, but after downloading it is valid for only 3 days, then you need to download a newer version with updated databases. It is possible to enable sound alerts about detected threats, you can specify what to do with detected viruses, and set parameters for displaying the final report.

Kaspersky Rescue Disk

The selection ends with Kaspersky Rescue Disk. This is software that allows you to create a recovery disk. Its main feature is that when scanning it is not the computer OS that is used, but the Gentoo operating system built into the program. Thanks to this, Kaspersky Rescue Disk can detect threats much more effectively; viruses simply cannot resist it. If you are unable to log in due to virus software, you can do this using Kaspersky Rescue Disk.

There are two modes of using Kaspersky Rescue Disk: graphic and text. In the first case, control will occur through the graphical shell, and in the second - through dialog boxes.

These are not all programs and utilities for checking your computer for viruses. However, among them you can definitely find good solutions with extensive functionality and an original approach to completing the task.

First of all, I suggest you delete all unnecessary files from your device. There are no unnecessary files and folders on my computer! - you object, in fact there are many of them, take for example the Temp folder, this is a folder for storing temporary files. Files accumulate in it after installing programs, after saving intermediate versions of files, etc. In addition, this is the first refuge of viruses; most viruses initially appear there. Since we don’t need extra junk and viruses, we need to clean it, this can be done manually, go into the folders and remove all unnecessary things from them:

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Temp (AppData is a hidden folder, you need to see it make hidden folders visible )

Or use specialized programs, such as CCleaner. This program will not only delete temporary files, but will also clear browser caches (where viruses can also be located), the trash can, etc.

First of all, it is necessary download CCleaner from the official website (in this case it will be the Portaple version - which does not require installation)

After downloading, unzip the archive and run the version corresponding to your operating system version (x32 or x64). You will see this information if you click on Computer shortcut right-click and select Properties. In the properties window, find the line "System type", the version of your operating system will be indicated there (x32 or x64). If nothing is indicated, it means you have the x32 version.

Depending on your operating system version, run the CCleaner version.

Immediately after launch, a window will appear asking you to scan Cookies, click “Yes”.

After this, the program window will open; if you need to change the language, go to the “Options” - “Settings” tab and select “Russian” in the “Language” field.

Select “Cleaning” in the left menu; to the right, various groups of files that need to be searched will be indicated. I recommend leaving everything as default and clicking the “Analyze” button (close all browsers first). After this, the program will analyze all files in the folders. This process may take up to several minutes.

After the analysis is complete, on the right you will see the file sizes that can be deleted. To delete, click the "Cleanup" button.

We agree to the deletion of all files.

All... unnecessary files have been deleted. Now you can proceed to the next step.

Checking your laptop/computer for viruses.

In order to check your laptop/computer for viruses, it is not at all necessary to fork out money and buy an antivirus; it will be enough to use free scanners, such as Dr Web Curite or Kaspersky Virus removal tool . What they are is programs that do not require installation, scan your computer for viruses, but unlike paid analogues, they are designed for one time use, since the anti-virus databases cannot be updated. Those. An anti-virus scanner downloaded today is no longer relevant for tomorrow because it does not contain the latest databases. Therefore, to check a laptop/computer with scanners, you need to download them each time before scanning. For example, I’ll describe it step by step how to clean a laptop/computer from viruses using an antivirus scanner from Dr Web Curite.

After you have visited the Dr Web website, you must click the button "Download Dr. Web CureIt! With the function of sending statistics." Otherwise, you simply will not be able to download the free version.

Then read and agree to the License Agreement.

After this, the antivirus will begin downloading. Run the downloaded file, I will remind Dr. Web CureIt does not require installation. After launch, the Licenses and Updates window will appear, check the box that you agree to send statistics to Dr. Web.

After that, click on the wrench in the upper right corner to expand the options menu. Put a tick " Automatically apply actions to threats" so that whenvirus detection, Dr.Web CureItimmediately performed the specified actions (treated, deleted, etc.), rather than waiting for your reaction. Next, click the "Settings" button.

In the settings window, go to the "Actions" tab and select "Delete" in the Incurable item. Click "OK".

After this, you can start scanning your laptop/computer for viruses; to do this, just click the “Run scan” button.

Next, the scanner window will appear. Here we can see how the scan is progressing, how many files are scanned, how many infected ones are detected, and the approximate time until the end of the scan. If the scanner detects infected objects, information about them will be entered into the table at the bottom of the window: file name, name of the detected virus or malicious code.

At the end of the test, just close the windowDr.Web CureIt.

In the future, in order to experience fewer problems with viruses, I strongly recommend installing a full-fledged antivirus; if you have a limited budget and don’t have money to buy an antivirus, install a free antivirus, for example Microsoft Security Essentials or Avast.

Removing unnecessary programs.

Sometimes situations happen when you downloaded a program from the Internet (such programs are usually free), installed it, and after that you began to notice that more advertising appeared on sites, sites opened by themselves, the home page in the browser changed, and the like. After removing the installed program, the situation does not change. It's all about other programs installed with the main program. I had a case when a friend of mine had advertising windows open automatically in his browser; in addition, advertising blocks were added on many pages. For example, additional advertising blocks appeared on the Yandex page, but if you open the Yandex page on another computer, there is nothing similar. Checking with an antivirus did not yield anything, and besides, he had a paid antivirus that was regularly updated. After I went to look at the installed programs, I was confused by several programs that seemed suspicious to me - I deleted them and the banners disappeared. Those. Apparently, an acquaintance installed some kind of program from the Internet and at the same time installed a program that inserts advertising blocks on a web page. So be careful when installing and downloading programs from the Internet.

So it won’t hurt to check what programs you have installed and remove the ones you don’t need. To do this, click "Start" - "Control Panel"

A list of all installed programs will open, from which you need to select those that you did not install or that cause you suspicion, for example, an unfamiliar program name or an empty Publisher field.

In this article, I described all the basic steps to clean your laptop/computer from viruses. He also gave some tips on how not to catch them and how to protect yourself from them. I hope the information was useful for you and you will not encounter viruses (or you will, but extremely rarely).

C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Temp (AppData is a hidden folder, you need to see it make hidden folders visible )

Or use specialized programs, such as CCleaner. This program will not only delete temporary files, but will also clear browser caches (where viruses can also be located), the trash can, etc.

First of all, it is necessary download CCleaner from the official website (in this case it will be the Portaple version - which does not require installation)

Depending on your operating system version, run the CCleaner version.

Immediately after launch, a window will appear asking you to scan Cookies, click “Yes”.

After this, the program window will open; if you need to change the language, go to the “Options” - “Settings” tab and select “Russian” in the “Language” field.

After the analysis is complete, on the right you will see the file sizes that can be deleted. To delete, click the "Cleanup" button.

We agree to the deletion of all files.

All... unnecessary files have been deleted. Now you can proceed to the next step.

Checking your laptop/computer for viruses.

Then read and agree to the License Agreement.

In the settings window, go to the "Actions" tab and select "Delete" in the Incurable item. Click "OK".

After this, you can start scanning your laptop/computer for viruses; to do this, just click the “Run scan” button.

At the end of the test, just close the windowDr.Web CureIt.

Removing unnecessary programs.

So it won’t hurt to check what programs you have installed and remove the ones you don’t need. To do this, click "Start" - "Control Panel"

Viral infection spreads much faster in densely populated communities. The same can be said about computer technology.

Viruses have as long a history as computer technology itself, however, the more popular computers become, the more dangerous virus attacks become. Until recently, computers were owned primarily by experienced professionals who knew how to protect their computers from malware. Now, the PC has become a household appliance, playing the role of a home theater, music center, game console and simply a device for surfing the Internet.

Is it surprising that older people, housewives and children cannot fully protect their computer from virus attacks?

Thus, attackers infect computers not only to steal personal data of the target machine, but also to further distribute malicious code. As a result, through remote access, an attacker can commit a crime using the computer of an unsuspecting user. With the help of this material we will learn how to remove viruses from your computer yourself.

What viruses can infect a computer

As mentioned above, viruses have a long history. At the moment, it is difficult to list all existing malware, however, they can be divided into several types.

In most cases, viruses steal the user's personal data, which is subsequently used to steal money. In addition, quite often viruses encrypt user data, followed by extortion of funds. However, there are many viruses that simply destroy system files and media content due to their harmfulness. It is difficult to say why such viruses are created; perhaps they once served some purpose, but now they simply “wander” in the Internet space.

In addition to financial gain, quite often, attackers introduce a virus into users’ computers, which subsequently attacks other machines or network resources, and the owner of the infected PC unknowingly becomes an accomplice in the attack. This is called a DDoS attack, when many computers simultaneously try to download a particular resource.

Recently, cryptocurrencies have gained great popularity. The attackers, as usual, did not ignore this opportunity and began using all possible methods to introduce programs into users’ computers that generate cryptocurrencies using the computing power of the infected machine.

Recently, this type of fraud has reached the point where computer resources are being used even when the user visits a particular site on the Internet.

How to determine whether your computer is infected with a virus or not

Among all viruses, a personal computer does not show signs of infection only if a program is introduced into it that steals personal data. Other types of viruses cause serious damage to the system. A person may find that his documents no longer open, signs appear on the screen asking him to transfer funds to decrypt files, and sometimes the computer simply begins to slow down.

If there is a significant decrease in performance, any user will first check the technical specifications and find out which process is consuming computer resources. If at the time of boot, the machine is not performing any other resource-intensive task, and you can see unknown applications in the processes, then you need to suspect the operation of a virus. You can view running processes and the resources they consume in the Windows Task Manager.

To launch the task manager, right-click on the taskbar and select “ Task Manager».

To be sure of this for sure, a person can simply enter the name of the process into the search engine and make sure that this is not a systemic process.

Self-removal of viruses

To get rid of all viruses for sure, a person can simply format (clean) the computer, but at the same time, he will lose all the information stored on it. Formatting only the system partition will not give anything, because after reinstalling the system, the viruses will safely move from one to another.

Thus, in addition to full formatting, a person will not be able to remove malicious applications without third-party software.

If an infection is suspected, the first thing a person should do is install anti-virus software, more or less reliable. At the moment, NOD32 and Kaspersky are considered to be some of the highest quality antivirus programs.

However, all such programs work on a similar principle, and an example can be given using the NOD32 program. This antivirus is paid, but you can try it for free for 30 days after installation.

During installation, you need to switch to a custom installation, and then select the options that interest the user. In the virus detection section, you must specify " Enable unwanted software detection", and in the next paragraph, select the option " Interactive mode", thanks to which NOD32 will detect suspicious processes and files, but the decision to delete or move to quarantine will be offered to the user.

After installing and launching the application, in the program window, you should find the section “ Scanning" and select the mode " ».

Upon completion of the scan, the antivirus will prompt the user to decide what to do with the detected threats, delete or quarantine.

If among the threats there is useful data, for example, a text file with passwords, then of course it can be sent to quarantine for further extraction of information.

We can say that the user’s computer is like a house; its security must be monitored, the door must be locked and no suspicious persons allowed inside.

According to unwritten rules, it is necessary to install anti-virus software immediately after installing the operating system. The antivirus program will work in real time, scanning every file accessed by the user and the system.

If for some reason you do not want to pay money for antivirus software, then there are free antiviruses, the most famous and well-proven ones are Avast and Kaspersky Free.

In addition, on the dr.Web website you can use a free anti-virus utility to scan your computer – dr. Web Cure.

The dr.Web Cureit utility works without installation, but cannot scan files in real time, i.e. it is launched manually to deeply scan your computer.

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How to remove virus programs. How to completely clean your computer from viruses

Methods and ways of spreading computer viruses

What to do if you suspect a virus

Automatic scanning

Special products

Live CD and USB

Manual cleaning

If you are fed up with advertising

Zemana AntiMalware

CrowdInspect

Dr.Web CureIt

Kaspersky Rescue Disk

Checking your laptop/computer for viruses.

Removing unnecessary programs.

Checking your laptop/computer for viruses.

Removing unnecessary programs.

What viruses can infect a computer

How to determine whether your computer is infected with a virus or not

Self-removal of viruses

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