How Can I Remove Malware From My Windows Laptop? Antivirus

Our computer is always full of harmful viruses, which can affect the operating systems, the performance of the device, and can expose it to electronic piracy.

Information security expert, "Jack", explains that there are two clear ways to clean a laptop running Windows, and both of them are free.

the first; is to run several anti-malware programs, to find and remove bad items. And the second; is reset to factory condition.

If you don't have a lot of software and data to recover, the reset can be faster. In this case, you can either use the built-in (Windows 10) reset system; Or take the nuclear option to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch. Jack recommended the nuclear option. For bad virus infection and for mobile devices that only have 32GB of built-in storage. It's also the best option if you're selling or giving away a laptop.

Assuming you're running your antivirus and you're running a firewall, you can generally avoid (Windows) malware by updating all of your software, and not making any silly mistakes. This applies even if the only antivirus program you run is Microsoft Windows Defender.

Fear of rootkits.

Whichever route you take, start by running one or more programs designed to find rootkits and similar programs. Rootkits are designed to avoid detection, sometimes for many years. (Rootkit) writers try to hide the code in places where they can avoid detection. Late last year, anti-virus software (ESET) researchers found the rootkit code hidden in the flash memory of a computer's Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), where it can survive even if you change the hard drive.

It is a type of virus used to attack IoT devices, as recovery includes not only software change, but firmware update.

Sometimes users discover; They have (rootkit) software because something strange - like processor usage or unexplained internet traffic - prompts them to check firewall logs frequently. Rootkits mainly function as backend, so other programs, such as keyloggers, can be installed from remote servers. This is one of the ways malware can reappear after you've removed it.

You can check for rootkits by running Windows Defender Offline scanning; To do this, run the Security (Windows) application, and select “Virus and threat protection”; In the Current Threats section, then click on the words "Scan Options." Then click the radio button to clear (Windows Defender Offline), then click "Scan Now." This will restart your computer.

Several companies also offer free root scanners. You can try Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit and remove Sophos's Rootkit.

Software cleaning.

If you have had a computer that has been infected for a while, do not run a single scan and think you have solved the problem. Malware may expose the user to hacking. To remove one of the malware and run a second scan - or scan with another utility.

Save your work and back it up, and for best results keep these three things in mind:

1 - There is no single antivirus program that will always find everything. Try two; Them (Windows Defender). It is a mistake to install more than one antivirus program on the machine, but you can perform one-time scans with programs like; (Malwarebytes Anti-Malware) and (Spybot Free Edition), formerly known as (Spybot Search). (Avast) is another good option. (ESET) has a good free online scanner. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool could be helpful.

2 - There is no single examination; He will always find everything. Checking each file for every known virus can take hours, and some malware can hide other malware. If an antivirus finds some malware, restart your computer, then turn it back on and it might find more. Although it is helpful to run antivirus programs in standard mode, you should perform some scans after restarting your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Safe Mode loads a simple set of programs and drivers, making malware detection somewhat easier.

3 - You may need outside help. Some virus infections are difficult to remove. Fortunately, you can go to an online forum and get an expert to analyze the problem to guide you through the removal process. In this case, you can use Bleeping Computer as it provides a simple tutorial on removing malware.

It should be apparent that cleaning up the program could easily take half a day, and in the worst case, several days. Resetting your computer to factory condition might be faster. It depends on how many programs you will need to reinstall, and how organized your backups and data are. For this very reason, archive all your data separately from your system backup. A backup copy allows you to restore the device if something goes wrong, such as a disk failure.

To reset the operating system (Windows 10), run the “Settings” application (cogwheel), select “Update and Security,” go to the recovery page and search for “reset this computer”.

Reset offers two options. The first removes all your programs and settings but preserves your personal files. The second removes everything, so any viruses should be removed.

For the nuclear option, download a fresh copy of (Windows 10) from Microsoft, along with the media creation tool. Use this to create a USB thumb drive (8GB or larger), or DVD; You can use it to install the operating system (Windows 10). However, remember that in many cases, you'll need DVDs, product keys, log-in details, and passwords to reinstall some software and go back to your place.

You should also keep a record of your (Windows 10) administrator's login details - usually an email address from (Microsoft) - and a password.