Manual Virus Removal Instructions: Remove Viruses Without Software!

Removing viruses manually is easier than most people think; alas…software is not necessary!

Sometimes using software to remove viruses isn’t possible. Either the malware (trojan, virus, spyware, rootkit, etc) duplicates itself and creates multiple versions of itself to avoid being totally removed by software, or the antivirus software that is used gets deleted by the virus before having the opportunity to scan the computer. In other cases booting the computer to even get the chance to install software is nil, as the computer may not boot at all.

Let’s discuss manual virus removal and how to remove viruses without needing to use software. Please remember, software is often needed to remove remnants of infections and rogue registry entries; however, these steps will help largely in removing a bad infection, or restoring proper operation to a PC that fails to work properly due to infection. Here are the steps you should take to remove viruses manually:

—

Streamline the “start menu”

I won’t get into details on how to get into the msconfig menu, but you will need to go into the start menu search box and type msconfig. Next, press enter. When you get into the menu,remove the check marks from anything that looks “suspicious.”————————-

For instance, any software without a manufacturer should be considered suspect. Often, anything that reads “RUNDLL…” is suspect. When in doubt, check out Google or any search engine of choice with the name of the entries in msconfig. After removing the checks, click Apply and Ok. Allow the PC to restart.

—

Check the System32 folder

The System32 folder in Windows is notorious for housing malware such as viruses, trojans and rootkits. Manual virus removal and software removal tips should always direct you to this folder, to check for threats. First, go into the System32 folder, located at:

C:> Windows > System32

Next, sort the files/results by Date (Date Modified) so the most recent files are closest to the top of the folder. Afterwards, look for any files that look suspicious, with dates on or near the assumed infection date. I won’t go into detail on what makes a files look suspicious; you can find out that information in full detail by checking out The PC Technician’s Virus Removal Manual.

In this folder, the search engine is your friend. If you need, run a search on each recent file in the System32 folder, to help identify possible infections. This can take a looooooong time, but that’s the cost of learning to become a manual virus removal pro! Once you find these malicious files, either rename them or delete them. Do this at your own risk and with extreme caution, as deleting the wrong file will render your computer scrap metal. Again: Google (or any other search engine of choice) is your friend here.

—

Check browser settings

Depending on the browser that you use, you have the option to change settings that allow connecting to a server to use that server’s connection to the internet. This is known as a “proxy server” and is exploited by malware frequently. If you don’t know how to get into the Internet Options for your browser, you may not need to continue trying manual virus removal! For instance, in Firefox go to Internet Options, then Advanced. Next, choose Network, and afterwards choose Settings (or other wording).

If Manual Configuration Proxy is checked and has an IP address listed, and you didn’t make or authorize these changes, a virus or other malware can be to blame. Remove any addresses showing and choose “No Proxy” or “Auto-detect” or similar. In other words, remove the proxy address from the browser and apply the settings. Next, close and restart the browser.

—

Check programs

Next, it’s good to check the programs installed on the computer. Believe it or not, several STUPID forms of malware actually install themselves as a regular program (in the add/remove programs category of the Control Panel) and can be simply removed by choosing uninstall! Always check here for threats that weren’t smart enough to conceal themselves properly.

—

Use Process Explorer

Process Explorer works wonders. Use it to stop viruses that recreate clones of themselves to prevent removal. Use it to find malware that is hidden from the most skilled professional and concealed from the highest-tech of software applications.———

Use it to find programs that don’t have normal “antivirus” behaviors. Process Explorer can be downloaded here. To learn how to use this excellent program, you can learn through trial-and-error or you can download The Virus Removal Manual.

Using these manual virus removal instructions will get you one step closer to removing any threat that comes your way without necessarily needing software. It’s also useful to know these steps to troubleshoot a computer that fails to boot. More information on manually removing viruses from a computer that won’t boot…next time!

—————–

Happy Computing!

Jarvis Edwards – TekTime IT Consulting LLC

________________________________________