Ten Steps to Remove a Virus from your Computer

Here are some Common Symptoms that may convince you that you have a virus on your computer.

-Computer takes long to start up.

-Computer running really slow and takes long to open documents and files.

-Constant pop up boxes while browsing.

-Programs are unresponsive.

-Computer keeps freezing and restarting.

-Keeps getting an on screen popup error stating you have missing system files.

-Files have gone missing.

-Program icons are showing up as a shortcut.

-Error messages while trying  to access your drives (hard-drive, flash-drive,).

-Your browser home page has suddenly been changed to some other home page.

-You keep getting error messages stating that your hard drive is running out of space.

-Mouse cursor keeps clicking and moving all over your computer screen by itself.

-Computer is generally unstable.

Once you are experiencing more than four of the symptoms above, you may have a virus and you need to clean your computer.In order to clean up your computer of this virus you will have to download  the tools below from an uninfected computer and further to your flash drive.

Here are the tools we will need to download below:

• Kaspersky TDSSKiller
• Rkill 
• Ccleaner
• TFC Cleaner
• Spybot Search & Destroy
• Malwarebytes  Free Anti-Malware
• Avast Free Antivirus 2015 or AVG Antivirus
• SuperAntispyware Free Edition

Note:Make sure the computers that you will download these tools from have an up to date Anti-Virus software running and also make sure that your usb flash drive is scanned thoroughly for possible infections. Once you are free of infections you can proceed to download the tools to your usb drive.

You may now proceed to use your flash drive with your virus removal tools on the infected computer.

Step  1 – Safe Mode – Window 7

Safe Mode Boot

It is important that we boot into Safe Mode to rid our computer of virus infections.We can boot into Safe Mode by restarting the computer and pressing F8 on the keyboard until it boots into the Advance Boot Menu .From there we will be greeted with a black screen with the various Boot Options like below, click on Safe Mode with Networking.Please see below:  

Safe Mode – Window 8

-To get into Safe Mode in Windows 8 you need to Hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard and hit the restart button on your computer and keep  hitting the F8 key..(SHIFT+ F8).You should be prompted with the screen below:

From Choose an Option->Click Troubleshoot

From Troubleshoot Choose Advanced Options

From Advanced Options Choose Windows Startup Settings

Restart

Hit restart and you should be at the familiar Safe Mode Boot  Screen .

Now that you are in Safe Mode with Networking, just verify that you are able to get internet by opening your browser i.e (Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc) and  then follow the steps below to get started.

Step 2 – Run and Scan with Rkill
Rkill terminates hidden malicious processes that a virus may be running when windows starts up.

Double Click on Rkill icon to start.

When the program has finished  terminating  suspicious processes it will create a log file which will then be placed on the desktop for you to review.You can now go ahead and install Malwarebytes and further clean your computer.

Step 3 – Install and  Scan with  Spybot
Spybot  removes malicious file entries found within your computer.

Double Click on the Spybot Icon on your Desktop or in your flash drive.

Click on Spybot  System Scan Tab & You will be prompted to Update the virus Database.

Click Update & when finish Click System Scan

Note: To complete Step 4 you have to Boot back into Safe Mode.

  Step 4 – Install and  Scan with  Ccleaner
Remove, scan and clean up windows registry files, temporary files and all browsers cache.

Double Click on the Ccleaner  Icon on your Desktop or in your flash drive

From Cleaner Tab->Click Analyze->Run Cleaner

From Registry Tab->Click Scan for Issues (You may be prompted with a pop up below)

When Prompted to Backup Registry, Click Yes, Backup Registry and save to Desktop then click Fix Selected Issues.When finished proceed to the Tools Tab.

For more information on how to use Ccleaner please refer to our post on Ccleaner.

From Tools Tab->Click Uninstall Sub-Tab->Now uninstall any suspicious program you did not install. 

From Tools Tab->Click Startup Sub-Tab->Click on any suspicious running programs->Click Disable to Disable it.Note you can Disable programs running in (Windows, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Etc)

Step 5 – Install and  Scan with  kaspersky TDSSKiller 

Double Click on the TDSSKiller  Icon on your Desktop or in your flash drive

Click change parameters.

Check the boxes like above and click ok and start the scan.

If it finds any infection, click continue and and TDSkiller will attempt to clean your  computer of the infections. 

Step 6 – Install and  Scan with  TFC cleaner

TFC cleaner removes temporary folders and files from all user profiles on a computer.

Double Click on the TFC cleaner  Icon on your Desktop or in your flash drive.

Click Start and when it finishes it will prompt you to Reboot.

Note: To complete Step 7 you have to Boot back into Safe Mode.

Step 7 – Install and Scan with Malwarebytes

Double click Malwarebytes icon on your Desktop.

Now Update the Database version by clicking on the right hand side (Update Now) and when it has finished updating, do a Full System Scan.

Once Malwarebytes finds any infection it will attempt to clean all infections, you may have to do a reboot, remember to boot back into Safe Mode.

Step  8 – Install  and Scan with Anti-virus software

For this post I will be use  Avast  Free anti-virus , however your can choose  AVG  Free anti-virus which is also good.

Double Click on the Avast icon on your Desktop and install it.

       Once it has been installed on your computer, Double click on it and a window pops up like below:

Click on the Settings Tab there to Update the Virus Definitions.

Click the Update Tab t & Click the Update Button on the right.

From the drop down menu on the right hand select Full System Scan and then Click Start.

Step 9 – Install and Scan with  Super Antispyware

Double Click SuperAntispyware icon on your Desktop.

Update SuperAntiSpyware Database by Clicking at the bottom right corner and Check for Updates, when finished Click Scan Computer.

Do a Complete Scan

If any infections are found, Click Continue and the program will fix them.automatically.

Step 10 – Install and Scan ( Normal Mode)

After completing these steps, restart your computer in Normal Mode and repeat Steps (2,3,5,7,8,9).
You should now be free of any virus infections.If the virus still exists you should  check out our TECH SUPPORT page for additional help and let us know what really is the problem.

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