How To Get Rid of Malware

I am writing here a step by step guide on how to get rid of malware using some free tools that you can download from the internet to scan, detect and remove spyware, virus and other malware types.

The time had come. You are working on your system. Doing whatever you do and you have a feeling that your computer acting a bit strange, not as usual.

It may be slow. Showing your unwanted web site popup. Change the behavior of your browser, change the default home page.

So let start…

The Anti-Malware Tools:

Here is a list of some tools that we need. You can download them from the internet. They are free and you can use them on your private computer.

I highly recommended you to create a new folder on your system. On the system root folder or under the download folder will be best. I will use the root aka C:\ folder and create a new folder name: scanner.

re c:\scanners

This folder will contain the free download tools that I am going to explain to you about.

We will use them to get rid of the malware. In a case that the tools will find one on your system.

For this guide, we are going to use 4 free tools. The tools can help in scanning, detection and removing malware from your system. This guide can be one of the answers to how to get rid of malware question.

As we are dealing with some types of malicious files we will use to detect a rootkit, adware, malware, and viruses using the free tools.

Please Note: Make backups before deleting files!

Tool List:

1) GMER:

Anti Rootkit Tool, a free anti-rootkit tool that you can download to your system and run, it is a small file that you do not need to install, if you download the exe file from its web site it may download it in a strange name to try and bypass technology that may be used by malware to search for the gmer file and delete it automatically.

2) AwdCleaner

Anti Adware Tool, a France tool, developed by Xplode it can be used to detect and delete Adware, Toolbars, Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP), and browser Hijackers easily.

3) Malwarebytes anti-malware:

Anti Malware Tool, the facto tool that currently rules in the anti-malware category, turning several changes in the past years, you can download the free version and install it on your system for manual scanning.

4) Avira Antivirus Free

Anti Virus Tool: is a highly recommended tool that you can install on your system as it will give you two important features, a real-time virus monitoring, and a web site protection, you can also use the cloud service for extra protection.

5) CCleaner

Clean Your System: is a free tool that you install on your system and it can delete all kind of files that you do not need, like temp files, logs and other, it is not an anti-malware tool, but it is a good tool to use to clean your system and free some disk space.

6) Recuva:

Recover Lost Files: is a free tool, from the creator of CCleaner, that you can use to recover deleted files if you have a malware that deleted files from your system, or you accidentally deleted your picture folder, Recuva can restore the files.

Ok, so now we have the tool…

How to get rid of malware?

1. Download the tools from the above list.
2. For better performance, empty your Recycle Bin and delete the file from the temporary folder.
   1. The temporary folder may contain a lot of temp files. Scanning this folder may result in long scanning time. It is better to delete the files from safe mode.
   2. There are tools that you can use to delete all the files, like CCleaner from our download tools list.
   3. It can delete your stored passwords, just unmark option that you do not want to delete or unsure about. Use it with caution.
3. Install Malwarebytes anti-malware on your system. Press check for an update for downloading the latest software updates. The update includes new definition data file (new malware database). The update may contain other software updates.
4. Install Avira free antivirus on your system, and also check for an update to download the last software updates.
5. In Avira start a full system scan.
6. On Malwarebyte start the Threats Scan.
7. Run AwdCleaner as administrator (right click -> run as administrator), it may ask you to download a new software version of the tool.
   1. Updating AwdCleaner to the latest version is recommended.
   2. Run the tool. Press the scan button. While running continues to the next tool.
8. Run GMER tool as administrator. Press the scan button to start scanning. let it scan your system it will take some time.

Save and close all other running applications. A system restart may be needed.

Now we have 4 tools running and scanning your system, each one in its own subject after the scans finished we can continue to the next step.

This is your time for a coffee break…

How to get rid of malware? – continue, dealing with the result of the tools:

1. In GMER only if you see a rootkit, aka line that has the red color, only then you need to act and tell gmer to delete this rootkit.
   1. You can see this under the Rootkit tab. If it finds a rootkit on your system this is a serious issue and the file must be deleted.
   2. Did you note the >>> in GMER UI, press on it to expend other tabs that this tool has.
   3. In AwdCleaner check all the tabs for issues.
      1. Select the object you want to fix/delete, then click the Clean Button.
      2. There is a limitation. It may find some of the known toolbars. Mark them problematic or PUP (positional unwanted program) base files.
      3. Please note, the tool will reboot if you select clean!
2. Malwarebytes will show you a report with infected items it found. You can select the files and tell Malwarebytes anti-malware to delete or move them to the quarantine folder.
3. Avira antivirus will show you a report with infected objects that it find. You can delete them or move them to quarantine.

The Check List:

Here is how to get rid of the malware checklist:

1. An anti-malware and antivirus installed software on your system.
2. The software is up to date!
3. The 2 standalone software that you can run on demand.
4. Save download files on your disk. Do not run them automatically. This will give you the option to scan them with the tools.
5. You are not pressing automatically on links, especially short links aka shortened URL on email and social media.
6. If you want to install something on your system, use Google to run a search on it. Who knows what you may find.

Well, with all that in mind, I think you can be more secure. How? keep on applying the above steps in your daily internet activities.

Malware can be hiding in files. If we pay a little more attention to what we do we can gain a good defense against them. The answer to how to get rid of malware question is that.