Virus+Removal

A step by step plan to remove viruses By Chris Getchell


 * 1) Purchase Antivirus software on CD.
 * 2) Disconnect from the Internet. (This prevents more infection)
 * 3) Boot into Safe Mode. To do this, press F8 when Windows begins to load. This will open the Windows XP Advanced Options menu. Select Safe Mode with Networking and press Enter.
 * 4) Insert your Antivirus software CD. An auto run menu should appear, choose to install the software.
 * 5) When given the opportunity, enter the info to register the AV software so that you will be allowed to download updates. At this point, you wont be connected to the Internet to complete the registration, but at least the software is poised to register later when the connection works.
 * 6) During installation, when given the option, choose to scan the system for viruses. Set the software to scan all drives and all type files and to look for all types of malware.
 * 7) Sometimes, AV software detects a program that you know you have downloaded and want to keep, but the AV software recognizes it as potentially harmful. This is called grayware or a PUP(potentially unwanted program). When the AV software displays the list of detected files, unless you recognize something you want to keep, it is suggested to tell the AV software to delete them all.
 * 8) Reboot into Safe Mode with Networking, connect to the internet, and allow your AV software to get any current updates from the AV software Web site. If the software asks for a reboot make sure to start into safe mode with networking.
 * 9) After updating is finished, scan the system again. Most likely, some new malware will be discovered for you to delete. Keep repeating the scan until you get a clean scan. Reboot between scans and take notes of any program files the software is not able to delete.
 * 10) Now it’s time to see where you stand. If you use an always-up connection to the Internet, unplugs your network cable. Reboot the system to the normal Windows 2000/XP desktop and check Task Manager. If you don’t see any weird processes, see pop-ups when you open the browser, or get strange messages, then you are most likely free of malware.