Itchy Hands

A quick, non-geeky guide to removing malware and viruses

I spent the last few days trying to remove a bunch of malware (malicious software) and viruses from my dad’s laptop. After removing them, I explained it to him how to do it himself in the future in a non-geek manner.

Before we go any further I just want to make clear that this article is for the average computer user. I’m just going to mention some simple tools which you can download for free and stay clear of ‘geeky’ stuff like boot disks and registry editing. Onwards…

Removing malware 101

First, you’ll need the necessary tools.

Download an antivirus programme and make sure its up to date with the latest virus database. My favourite free antivirus programme is AVG Free Edition. Install it, create a backup disk and update virus definitions when prompted.

Then, download Spybot Search & Destroy, a spyware hunter-killer. The setup wizard starts after you install it and asks you to create a registry backup and update your spyware defintions.

Next, shutdown and restart your PC. During startup, tap the F8 key until the Windows Advanced Options Menu appears. Use the keyboard to select Safe Mode and press Enter. Booting in safe mode will prevent most malware from starting automatically with your PC.

Make sure to log in as Administrator to Windows. Once you have logged in, run the antivirus scan, followed by the spyware scan. By now you should have removed the malware on your computer. Reboot in normal mode and see if the problem is still there. If its gone, congrats and pat yourself on the back. If you’re still experiencing problems, you may want to check out these more technical how-tos on removing malware from Windows:

• Top 10 tips to keep that new computer spyware-free


• Removing Spyware, Viruses, and Other Malware from Windows


• How to remove a Trojan, Virus, Worms, or other Malware


• Removing Spyware

Prevention is better than cure.

It took me 2 days to remove all the malware because they were so deeply embedded in Windows. (Thanks Microsoft.) Getting your computer infected with malware can be extremely frustrating, not to mention embaressing. My dad didn’t dare use his laptop when there was someone else in the room because the website of a adult sex site kept popping up when there was a connection to the internet.

So, what can you do to prevent malware on your computer? Some guidelines:

1. Be suspicious. Don’t open files in your email, don’t click links to websites, and don’t receive files in instant messenger unless your friend told you that s/he would be sending something.


2. Don’t simply download ‘free stuff’. Many times the free stuff is just a lure for you to download and install a programme that is full of malware. Rule of thumb: if you can’t find it on Download.com then don’t download it.


3. Use protection. I’ve said it before and it needs to be said again. Internet Explorer is an outdated, unsafe piece of software. Attackers can automatically install spyware on your computer if you visit their site with Internet Explorer. Use Firefox instead.


4. Secure your computer. Make sure your antivirus and antispyware programmes are up to date. If you’re a Windows user, I recommend installing the Microsoft Antispyware programme. It’s quite effective yet friendly to non-geeks. You need to validate that your copy of Windows is genuine before you can download though.

Here’s to keeping your computer safe and malware-free for 2006. Happy new year.

Technorati Tags: malware, spyware, howto, windows, maintenance

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 4th, 2006 at 12:03 am and is filed under Tech & Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.