Viruses have become more and more complex and sophisticated and are beginning to win the war in the struggle to keep our Windows machines clear of infections. So what do you do when you can’t remove a virus? You can certainly reformat and reinstall the Operating System. While that is the preferred method when dealing with a massive virus infection, it’s not an option for everyone. The following may help you remove a stubborn virus if you cannot get rid of it with traditional means.

Techniques For Removing Viruses

Acting quickly will help you fight a virus. The longer you wait, the more your machine can become compromised and locked down to the point where you can’t even work. If you have a machine that has a virus, you should not keep it plugged into a working Internet connection unless you are attempting to download removal tools, as the virus will take that opportunity to download more viruses and update itself to counter anything you try to do.

Reboot into Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key when fist booting. Be sure to select Safe Mode With Networking, as you will need to get online. Next, open your web browser and download the Malwarebytes program from Malwarebytes.org. Use the free version, for now. Allow Malwarebytes to update itself, then perform a full scan of your computer and any attached hard drives. It might take a while, depending on the size of the drives. View and remove anything it flags. The machine will want to reboot to finish the cleaning.

There is a chance this will not work.  If you continue to get the pop-ups and still see other signs of infection, you must reboot and go back into Safe Mode. You should try a System Restore to revert the registry back to a date prior to infection. If you know you were infected on, say, Tuesday, then go back to the previous Tuesday. A lot of times, this technique will work and the virus will be gone.

If that doesn’t help. Go back into Safe Mode and look in your C: drive in the Windows folder, then the Temp folder. Viruses will typically root themselves there. Remove everything unless you know the files belong to something else. Fighting viruses this way is akin to pulling weeds out by the roots. Keep in mind that you might accidentally damage the Operating System if you delete something you are not supposed to.

You should next go into Add/ Remove Programs in the control panel and uninstall any toolbars you might have installed. Some toolbars could be defined as spyware and you do not need them. These are sometimes referred to as Browser Helper Objects (BHO). You can quickly remove them using a program called Hijack This.

Once these are removed, visit the Eset website and run their online virus scanner. It will scan and remove viruses. Vitis the Eset Online Virus Scanner. After you run the scan and it removes any viruses it finds, be sure to visit Microsoft Update and get any updates you’re missing. Then find a good antivirus, such as AVG or Microsoft Security Essentials and allow it to update itself automatically.

Computer security is something we all need to consider. With email spam, phishing schemes and viruses on the rise, PC users need to know how to protect their data and privacy. Learn more about phishing, email, antivirus and other tips in this article written to help make users more aware of the increasing dangers of the Internet.

Having good computer security habits is something we all need to develop. As hacking and viruses evolve, so does the user. Operating System like Vista and XP have made improvements on security by turning on security features like Windows Firewall and User Account Control, but at the end of the day, the user must take a proactive approach to protecting their computers.

Passwords
While it seems obvious to have a complex password, many users do not. There are tools on the Internet that give hackers and viruses the ability to crack simple passwords in seconds. Having a password of at least eight characters mixed with number, letters and symbols make it harder. Users should also rotate and create new variations of this difficult password and not use the same one on all websites.

Phishing
Phishing is a hacking technique used commonly in emails and websites that try to obtain sensitive information from users, such as logins to bank accounts and other private information. Never click links in emails, as they can be faked. And never give out information to sites that you go to through email. If you have an online bank account for instance, be sure  to manually type in the URL if you are sent an email from them. Typing in your bank’s website ensures that you are actually going to that site and not being re-directed to a site that looks like it.

Email
Email can also be used by worms, which are viruses that procreate by emailing themselves to everyone in your email address boot. Never open attachments from friends or relatives unless you are expecting an attachment from them. Worms can send themselves in an executable attachment that installs the virus when it is opened.

Turn off the Internet
While this may be a tough pill to swallow for some users, consider turning off your computer when you’re not using it. If you are not on the Internet, you become a smaller target for random scans.

Have an Antivirus and Firewall Installed
Windows Vista and XP Service Pack 2 will have a firewall turned on by default. If you do not have one, or if you have turned your’s off, be sure to install one. A firewall can protect you from viruses and other malware by blocking certain ports or ignoring traffic that hackers send out as feelers for unprotected PCs. Having an up to date antivirus is also necessary. You can get an anti-virus free online.

Being aware and having good computer security habits is only part of staying safe online. You must also keep Windows up to date and have a current anti-virus program. Be sure to join our forums for more tips about computer security.

Microsoft provides a tool to help clean computers that have been infected by specific viruses or malware. The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool is used to remove these infections, not to prevent them. In the past, viruses like Sasser and Blaster would spread quickly among PCs that were not patched or protected by antivirus or firewalls.

This is a utility designed to clean up these types of viruese so they cannot continue to mutate and spread from machine to machine. If you have an older machine that might have been in operation for long periods of time without Microsoft Security updates, download and run this tool to scan for infection.

Download the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool here.

Protect Your Computer From Future Infection

Once you run the scan and remove any malicious software this tool finds, be sure to run a complete scan again. After that, you’ll need to do the following things to help prevent getting viruses in the future:

1. Get Automatic Updates from Windows. Making sure your machine automatically downloads and installs security patches is the first step in preventing exploits.
2. Run an Antivirus on your computer. There are many free and commercial antivirus programs. It doesn’t matter which you use, as long as you use one.
3. Enable Windows firewall. If you have a computer earlier than Windows XP SP2, you’ll want to get a software firewall. If you’re behind a router, this isn’t necessary as the router is a firewall. Some people prefer to use both a software firewall and a hardware firewall (router).
4. Do not open email attachments. Email attachments can contain files that execute when you open them. Email is a primary distribution method for viruses.
5. Stay away from websites that might be shady.

If you have more questions about computer security, be sure to visit our computer forums today!

It’s not enough to use passwords. Some PC users will pick a password they like and can remember and use that password for the rest of their lives. This is not a safe password policy, even if that password is tough to crack. Instead, we need to look at how often we change our passwords and the types of passwords we are choosing. Only then can we hope to close that particular door in network and computer security.

How long should a password be?

A password needs to be at least six characters long and contain a mixture on letters, numbers and possibly symbols. The longer the password, the better. So we need to find a way to generate and memorize these passwords so we can use them in real life. One possible technique is to use a pattern on the keyboard. For example, you could use all of the center keys, then all of the number keys like so: “a-s-d-f-g-h-j-k-l-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0.” That’s a long password and it’s easy to remember because you have selected a pattern on the keyboard. To make it even stronger, you can hit the shift key and do it twice: “a-s-d-f-g-h-j-k-l-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-A-S-D-F-G-H-J-K-L-!-@-#-$-%-^-&-*-(-).” This was the same key combination twice, except the second time around we held the shift key. You can also use a phrase and take the first letter from each phrase. To make it more secure, try adding a number before the first letter and maybe an exclamation point at the end. For instance: “I like apples because they are red.” That would translate to “7-i-l-a-b-t-a-r!”

How often should I change my password?

Depending on what you do and how you use your computer will determine how often you need to change your password. If you only check Emails at home and do not do any online banking or go to WiFi hotspots and surf with your laptop, you may only want to change your password every six months. If you are an avid Internet surfer, and if you frequent places that share Internet connectivity, then you’ll want to change it much more frequently.

Storing your passwords.

Passwords should be kept in your brain. Do not write them down and tape it below your monitor for easy access. If you must write it down, be sure to lock it away in a safe or lock box. This is why it’s a good idea to come up with a password technique, such as a keyboard combination or phrase as mentioned above.

Having a secure password is only part of having a secure computer. It plays a major role and forces us to be reminded about the dangers of Identity Theft and other forms of criminal behavior. Have a policy and be sure to stick with it and you’ll feel more secure in the end.

It’s good to get a second opinion–especially when it comes to the security of your computer. Not all antivirus programs are created equal. While the antivirus you run on your home PC might never detect anything when it scans, it doesn’t mean you’re not infected. Not all companies update their virus definitions at the same time. So it’s possible one company may have the most current and accurate virus definitions, while the one you use does not. Likewise, your antivirus may catch malware the others do not. So it’s good to get a second opinion. With that said, you should never install two antivirus programs on a computer, as they will conflict and likely slow your system down. Use one of the website below to scan your computer from the Internet.

Free Online Antivirus Sites

There are several companies that provide free online virus scanning. You will have the best luck launching these from Internet Explorer:

Eset Online Virus Scanner — From the company that makes the reliable NOD32 antivirus, Eset has a fast and easy online virus scanner.

Housecall - Trend Micro has been offering this free malware scanner online for several years.

Panda - Panda has been considered a leader in the industry for many years. They also offer an online detection and removal tool for viruses.

No matter which of the above you use, understand that these scanners do not prevent you from getting viruses. They are for detection after-the-fact. Make sure you keep Windows up to date and have a current antivirus running on your PC that provides real-time protection. For more tips on how to keep your PC safe or how to remove infections, be sure to visit our free computer repair forums for additional help.

Internet privacy is important. There are steps you can take to conceal your tracks in IE and Firefox so others can’t easily see the sites you have been visiting. There are two ways to protect your privacy online: The first is by controlling third-party cookies. The second is by controlling how your browser history is stored. All modern browsers will have ways to automatically delete your browsing history. Internet Explorer and Firefox, for example, give you many different ways to browse privately by not storing cookies in special browsing sessions, or by removing your browser history when you shut down the browser.

Private Browsing

In Internet Explorer, you can use their InPrivate browsing option, which allows you to surf the Web without saving cookies or your History. To access InPrivate browsing, either hit CTRL+Shift+P or just open IE and click the Safety option in the menu. You will see a link for InPrivate browsing. Once you click that, a new Window will open and you will see the InPrivate icon located to the left of the address bar. To exit InPrivate browsing, simply close the Window. In Firefox, you can enter private browsing mode by also hitting CTRL+Shift+P or by navigating to Tools, then Start Private Browsing.

Automatically Delete Browsing History

You can automatically delete your web browsing history in IE by going to Tools, Internet Options and under the General tab, tick the box that says “delete browsing hsitory on exit.” This will clear your web browsing history each time you close out of Internet Explorer.

If you use Firefox, you can also have your history automatically deleted by going to Tools, then Options, then click on the Privacy tab. You will  drop-down options for how Firefox handles your history. Where it says “Firefox will:” select “Never remember history” and each time you close out, your history will be deleted.

Properly managing your history is important, especially at the workplace or if you have a laptop that could be lost. Before you delete your history, be sure to write down any website you frequent because if you are removing them from your history, you probably do not have them bookmarked, either.