How do i clean up the virus on my computer?

12 thoughts on “How do i clean up the virus on my computer?”

1. trimagna says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   I game a Thumbs up to one respondent. Very thorough.

   I recommend the following.

   1) Run a small shareware called Spybot Search and Destroy.

   I don’t suspect a Rootkit virus. Why? Because they are tiny and stealthy. They transmit your sensitive login info for secure websites, but they are so non-obtrusive that you won’t notice that your system is running slower.

   2) Make sure you have enough space on your hard disk and that your system’s cache is not full. If you see an error message about Windows Increasing Your Virtual Memory, that’s a clue.

   3) Run a shareware like MoreSpace to find file hogs. Sometimes you will have an enormous .tmp file left over from internet downloads.

   Good luck,
   – CarlD

   – – –
   This is an answer I previously posted on a similar topic.

   Best Answer – Chosen By Voters

   Assuming the official Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs won’t uninstall, try this:

   1) Start with UNLOCKER, a shareware that you can obtain from Softpedia. Once the files are unlocked, you should be able to delete them.

   2) Use a program like MSConfigXP.exe to control which programs and SERVICES automatically load at boot.

   3) Load Regedit. Seach for anyline which references the Panda exe file. Edit the line by inserting an apostrophy ‘ at the start of the line.

   4) Use Ctrl-Alt-Del (three key combination) to check the task manager. Try to deactivate the Panda programs. You may need to use the above process to unlock and remove other Panda fragments.

   5) Use a program called HijackThis to create a boot log. Find a website where you can post the log. People will advise you which items are running and how to remove them.

   Good luck,
   – CarlD

2. Kingluke says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   AVG

3. Jim H says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   A slow computer can also be caused by non-virus malware. You can get a free antivirus. I am currently using AVG free and it does work. You will also want a program (or two) such as spybot search-and-destroy. There are a couple of free ones. These can get rid of programs that steal information out of your system. When your computer is "slow", check your modem. Is there a lot of activity? If so, something is likely passing a ton of information – *out* of your computer and into someone else’s.

   Your first step will be to obtain "stinger". You can obtain it here:
   http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

   Your next step after downloading "stinger" (it is free). will be to disconnect from the Internet. Empty your temporary Internet files.

   Now, turn off system restore if you are running XP. You didn’t mention your operating system, but I am assuming it is most likely you are running XP. This is necessary to prevent restoring any virus after fixing the problem.

   Stinger is a very special anti-virus. It only attacks programs that attack antivirus software. This allows us to be able to use a normal antivirus program without the antivirus program itself being disabled. Should stinger come up with any "hits" (i.e. it finds one or more files infected with some real nasty stuff), then you will have to also uninstall your antivirus software. If it doesn’t come up with a hit, you may be lucky and not have any virus at all. You won’t know until you get an up-to-date antivirus program. You can get AVG free here:
   http://free.grisoft.com/

   Of course, you’ll have to reconnect to the Internet to get the AVG free, so once you have it you’ll have to install it. Disconnect from the Internet again and run stinger again (to ensure that you haven’t picked up any nasty stuff). If stinger comes up clean, run a system scan with the antivirus. This should remove any virus in the system (except very new ones – you’ll have to reconnect to the Internet and update your antivirus). I know this is time-consuming, but you’ll have to do it to ensure your system is clean.

   After this is all done and you know you have no viruses, go and get some programs that will get rid of spyware (and worse). The AVG URL that I gave you should have a free program that does get rid of that kind of stuff. Also, you can try Spybot Search-and-Destroy. You can find that here:
   http://www.spybot.com/en/index.html

   Run the program. I’d bet it will come up with some hits and take the junk out.

   Finally, since your system should now be clean, run cleandisk. This should free a bit of space up. Now defrag your hard drive. Finally, turn system restore back on. Only do that *after* your system is clean.

   I know this will be lengthy, but if you follow the whole proceedure, you should be rewarded with a clean computer that is considerably faster – and you won’t be out a thin dime!

   Two last words of warning. Do *not* depend upon XP’s built-in firewall. It is difficult to get it to really protect you. You need a decent firewall. Also, do *not* use the administrator account for general websurfing. If you get hit, the bad guy has access to *everything* in your computer. Set yourself up (if you haven’t done so) a user account. If you are logged on as a user, it is much more difficult for a bad bug to be able to do things such as modify the registry or start communicating with another computer. You can always log on as the administrator if you need modify something.

   Hope this helps 😉

   Best regards,
   Jim

4. ray_8128 says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   Securing a Personal Machine
   http://safecomputing.umn.edu/studentchecklist.html

   OS Reinstallation vs. Virus Removal
   http://safecomputing.umn.edu/guides/rebuild_repair.html

   If you follow all the following steps it should get rid of your problem and prevent future problems. All programs listed are free.
   ——————————
   Update your Full Time (Active) antivirus and run a full scan.

   If you do not have active virus protection, install only one. All are excellent.

   AVG Antivirus 7.5 Free Edition
   http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/avg-anti-virus-free/lng/us/tpl/v5
   http://www.download.com/AVG-Anti-Virus-Free-Edition/3000-2239_4-10669237.html?tag=lst-0-1
   or
   Free antivirus – avast! 4 Home Edition
   http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
   ———————————————————
   Update your Full Time (Active) spyware protection and run a full scan. If you do not have active spyware protection, install:

   Windows Defender
   http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
   ———————————————————
   Install the following four programs and run weekly or at least monthly. You need all four. They are not a substitute for full time spyware and virus protection. They will greatly increase your protection. Install and run now.

   Ad-Aware SE Personal (update + full scan)
   http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php

   Spybot Search & Destroy (update + immunize + scan)
   Do not enable Tea Timer and SDHelper
   After installation: update + scan + immunize
   http://www.safer-networking.org/en/mirrors/index.html

   SpywareBlaster: Update then open and click “enable all protection”.
   http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html

   SUPERAntiSpyware free version: (update + scan)
   http://www.superantispyware.com/
   ——————————
   Install:

   CCleaner:
   http://www.ccleaner.com/
   Do not install optional toolbar.
   Removes tracking cookies, unneeded files, history
   In options.
   Set to run when computer starts.
   Place cookies you want to keep in save list
   ————————————————-
   Install either one not both:

   McAfee Site Advisor: Internet Explorer and Firefox
   http://www.siteadvisor.com/
   McAfee SiteAdvisor helps protect you from all kinds of Web-based security threats including spyware, adware, spam, viruses, browser exploits, and online scams.

   TrendProtect™
   http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/free_security_tools/trendprotect.php
   TrendProtect is a FREE browser plug-in that helps you avoid Web pages with unwanted content and hidden threats.
   ——————————–
   Note if a scan detects a problem but is unable to remove, start the computer in safe mode with the internet line disconnected and run a full scan.

   In severe cases your system restore files will also be infected. In these cases you will need to turn off system restore to prevent malware hiding in the system restore files and reinfecting the computer during removal or during a future system restore. Turning off system restore deletes the system restore files.

   Right click on "my computer"> Properties > System Restore Tab > Check box turn of system restore

   After the malware is removed turn on system restore.
   ——————————
   Run this time only:

   CWShredder: run
   http://www.trendmicro.com/cwshredder/
   Roguefix.bat
   http://www.internetinspiration.co.uk/roguefix.htm
   Shoot The Messenger
   http://www.grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm
   SmitFraudFix
   http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How_to_use_SmitFraudFix-t109268.html
   Vundo Fix and
   VirtumundoBegone (if VundoFix does not work)
   http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic18610.html
   VX2 tool for Ad-Aware and run tool (Install and run)
   http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/securitycenter/vx2_cleaner.php
   ——————————
   Run this time and monthly:

   Microsoft Update:
   Run in "Custom Mode". Install everything, reboot and repeat until nothing is left to install.
   http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

   Microsoft OneCare Live, run “full service scan”
   Updates windows, virus and spyware scan, disk cleanup, disk fragmentation (if needed), backs up registry and then cleans registry, and checks for open firewall ports
   http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/default.htm

   Malicious Software Removal Tool (run “full scan”)
   http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx
   ——————————
   Rootkit Removers
   Pick any 2 install and run one each month.

   AVG Anti-Rootkit
   http://www.grisoft.com/doc/products-avg-anti-rootkit-update-app-art/?ver=1.1.0.29
   F-Secure BlackLight
   http://www.f-secure.com/blacklight/
   Panda Anti-Rootkit
   http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/antirootkit/
   Sophos Anti-Rootkit
   http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/sophos-anti-rootkit.html
   ——————————
   Online Free Scanners:
   Run Trend Micro, Kaspersky, and Panda Scan now.
   Run a different one each month.

   Avast! Online Scanner
   http://onlinescan.avast.com/
   BitDefender Online Scanner
   http://www.bitdefender.com/scan8/ie.html
   CA eTrust® PestScan
   http://pestpatrol.com/pestscan/index.htm
   eTrust Antivirus Web Scanner
   http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
   F-Secure Online Virus Scanner
   http://support.f-secure.com/enu/home/ols.shtml
   Kaspersky – Free Online Virus Scan
   http://www.kaspersky.com/virusscanner
   McAfee – Free Scan
   http://us.mcafee.com/root/mfs
   Panda Software – ActiveScan
   http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/activescan/ascan_2.asp
   Symantec (norton) – Security Check
   http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/default.asp
   Trend Micro™ HouseCall
   http://www.trendmicro.com/hc_intro/default.asp
   ——————————
   Additional Information:
   http://www.techsupportforum.com/security-center/hijackthis-log-help/15968-updated-important-read-before-posting-log.html
   http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Removal_and_Prevention:_Overview
   http://wiki.castlecops.com/Malware_Prevention:_Prevent_Re-infection
   http://aumha.org/a/quickfix.htm
   http://aumha.org/secure.htm
   http://aumha.org/a/parasite.php
   http://www.castlecops.com/t102301-Hijackthis_Guidelines_Read_Before_Posting.html
   http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=4075&sid=901703d08c2ace31389ffef2d84b6607

5. asitcomes says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   I had gotten several viruse once, and that was while I still had Norton Antivirus. I took it to a computer shop and they installed a free anti-virus program. It was AVG from http://www.grisoft.com. It has worked so well since I got it I finally purchased the version with firewall protection.

6. crybaby22294 says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   What i would do is buy a virus protection software like mcafee . if you download one there is a chance it may be a virus itself so your best bet is probly to buy one ..

7. KEN B says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   you can get a free anti virus that works very well..
   http://free.grisoft.com/ many people use this and seem very happy with it

8. acklan says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   First by installing an Antivirus. I recommend AVG.
   Also a couple of antispyware programs would help, Spyware Blaster, Spyware Guard, and Spybot S&D.

   http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic3616.html

   Next go to and follow the instruction in the following link.

   http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic34773.html

9. honami says:

   July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

   Get a another Computer=]

10. reporter_daily_planet says:

    July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    the best thing you can do before you go and try to fix it yourself is to get some kind of virus protection and scan it. it could be you just need to clean your computer up by running defragmenter or you have to many programs. get a good virus protection and then go from there.

11. legend says:

    July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    1 renew your norton program
    2 or buy a different virus program
    3 you can reformat your computer to make sure all viruses are gone

12. Samuel Adams says:

    July 9, 2009 at 1:31 pm

    You will need to get a new anti-virus and scan your computer. If you want a free anti-virus I recommend in this order (install only one):

    1. AVG Free
    a. A simple interface
    b. Can detect about 82.82% of viruses
    Cons: low virus detection

    2. Avast!
    a. Real-time protection
    b. It has an option to delete a virus once found
    c. Can detect about 87.46% of viruses.
    Cons: Too many icons and confusing user interface

    3. Avira AntiVir
    a. It can detect malware better than Avast and AVG
    b. It’s cute umbrella icon
    c. Can detect about 94.26% of viruses
    Cons: A very sluggish update

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