Use these antivirus removal tools and techniques to safely remove an antivirus program from your computer prior to installing a new one. Never run two antiviruses programs at the same time. Some of these solutions will be actual removal programs, and some will be descriptive techniques on how to manually remove the files necessary to rid your computer of the antivirus program. If you have information on additional tools, please let us know.

Antivirus Removal Tools

Uninstall aVast!

Uninstall AVG

Uninstall BitDefender

Uninstall Comodo Internet Security

Uninstall Cyber Defender Early Detection Center

Uninstall ESET

Uninstall F-Secure

Uninstall G Data

Uninstall Kaspersky

Uninstall LavaSoft

Uninstall McAfee

Uninstall Norman Virus Control/Norman Security Suite

Uninstall Panda

Uninstall Sophos

Uninstall Symantec (Norton)

Uninstall Trend Micro

Uninstall Webroot

Uninstall Windows Live OneCare

Uninstall Windows Security Essentials

Uninstall Zone Alarm

Other Antivirus Removal Tools

Hopefully, you have just found the tools necessary to wipe your computer of your current security program so you can begin using your new one. If you require additional antivirus removal tools, be sure and join our forums and ask. While these are some of the more common antivirus programs on the market, they certainly are not all of them. Remember, use antivirus removal tools like these to get rid of any trace of antivirus on your computer, then be sure and immediately install and update a new antivirus program. If you need recommendations for free software, ask in our forums.

Follow These Computer Security Tips

1. Run an antivirus program and make sure it is up to date – You computer probably came with a trial antivirus program. Has it expired? Does it update itself automatically?
2. Configure Microsoft Update to download and install critical patches automatically – Exploits are discovered each and every day. Do you have Windows Update configured to automatically update to install security patches?
3. Use a network router, even if you have only one computer in the house – A router acts as a hardware firewall, concealing your computer’s IP address from the outside world. Any barriers you can put between yourself and the bad guys is a plus.
4. Configure your router to use WPA-2 wireless encryption – There’s nothing more useless than a router without encryption. You’re practically inviting people onto your network if you do not have wireless encryption configured.
5. Create secure passwords and change them regularly – Your password should be a random mix of numbers, letters and symbols. Words in a dictionary can be guessed to cracked in seconds by software.
6. Create an Administrator account on your computer and then create a Standard User account – Use the Standard User account on a day-to-day basis instead of the Admin account. If you do get infected, a virus will have a harder time taking over your PC with minimal user rights.
7. Do not open email from anyone you do not know, or emails that look suspicious – Getting an email is exciting! We know. But if you don’t know the person, send it to your SPAM box or if you do open it, do NOT click on any links within the email.
8. Do not open email attachments unless you are expecting one – Call and ask the person who sent the email if they sent the email and included an attachment. Worms (viruses) can access a person’s email address book and send itself to every one of your contacts.
9. Do not click on links from your credit card or banking institution in emails – Instead, manually type in the web address of your bank. Phishing scams are emails sent to people imitating large banks and other secure sites. You might unwittingly give a hacker your username and password for your bank account if you click a link in an email.

Computer Security Tips Concluded

While these computer security tips can help prevent unintentional infection, the responsibility ultimately falls on the user. Be suspicious of everything on the Internet. The bad guys are becoming more sophisticated and automated thanks to technology and the proliferation of broadband internet. If you need additional computer security tips, read our other computer security articles.

Download And Burn Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper

You should download the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper from the Microsoft site, even if you do not currently have a problem with the computer. The download is a .exe file. Click it to launch the program that will create the boot disk.

If prompted, click Yes to allow the program to run.

Read the message and have a blank CD, DVD or USB drive ready and click Next.

Read and accept the license agreement in order to proceed.

Select the type of blank media you will be using and click Next.

Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper will download files and burn the disk on the media you specified. This will take several minutes.

When the disk is ready, click Finish.

Run the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper Program

In order for this to launch, you will need to restart the computer with the CD, DVD or USB drive inserted into the computer. You will also need to make sure your BIOS is set to boot to the appropriate device. If you restart and Windows loads to the Desktop as normal, you will need to restart the machine and enter the BIOS setup and select either the Optical Drive (CDROM) or USB drive–if that is where you burned the media. Read how to access the BIOS here if you’re unsure of how to get into the setup.

Note: When booting your computer, watch for a message that says “Press any key to boot from CD.” Press any key on your keyboard to launch the Microsoft Standalone System Sweeper. Otherwise, Windows will eventually boot to the Desktop.

The program will load. Click the button that says Full Scan and allow the program to run through completion. The scan is very thorough and will likely take several hours to run. If it finds any malware, follow the onscreen prompts to remove it.

As Microsoft states, this is NOT used for virus prevention. This is a removal tool. It is successful where many fail because it does the scans before Windows loads the virus into memory. It is a valuable tool to have and one you should burn onto disk before disaster strikes.

Delete your memory cache – It can be quite embarrassing when users discover their family members and work colleagues have been snooping around their computer while they are away. Imagine a situation where a user’s wife or girlfriend starts typing in a search query, only to see illicit pornographic queries pop up as a result of the web browser’s auto-complete function. A similar experience can occur should they decide to review the web browser’s viewing history. The best way to avoid this awkward situation is to clear the web browser’s viewing history and cache after every browsing session.

Encrypt private information – Nowadays practically every email program supports encryption. Privacy advocates should make ample use of encryption by storing emails, online forms and other personal data in an encrypted form. Doing so will prevent other users from being able to access these sensitive items without prior authorization.

Use a second email account -  Set up a second email account separate from that used for work and school. Schools and employers are allowed to monitor their users’ email accounts. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should be using an academic or business email account for their own personal affairs when so many other email account options, both free and paid, are available. Unless users want their bosses and school teachers to know everything they do in their private lives, a second email account is essential.

Use a third email account – It is difficult to use the Internet these days without having to submit your email address to countless numbers of popular websites. Facebook, Twitter and many other social networking sites require an email address just to establish an account, with this email address often being made public or at least semi-public to friends within one’s own network. Posting on blogs often requires an email address, too. Use a third email account strictly for one’s banking and other sensitive activities to reduce the amount of exposure that email address has to hackers and criminals who may have easier access to the second email account address. Banks, government sites and e-commerce sites like eBay and PayPal are more likely to have greater security measures than the average user’s blog. While a user’s second “blogging and chatting” email address may get compromised, all they lose out on is chat history and perhaps a ruined Facebook wall. This is much less devastating that losing one’s bank balance.

Use a VPN service A Virtual Private Network (VPN) adds a whole extra level of privacy to one’s online surfing habits. VPNs create a secure tunnel through which a user’s Internet activities travel safely and securely in an encrypted fashion. Whereas an unprotected connection is subject to hackers and criminals sniffing the contents of one’s transmissions, a VPN prevents such activities from occurring. This is especially the case when using public wi-fi connections such as those offered in schools, airports and coffee shops. Most users don’t have the networking hardware or know-how available to do this themselves, which is why a VPN service comes in handy. For a low monthly fee, a VPN service provides online privacy like no other options can.

Philip Novak is a fascinating author and currently completing his studies in Information Security. He is a regular contributor for a premium VPN service provider and a top-class tech blog in between his studies.

The following will help if you can’t connect to Internet after a virus removal has broken it.

Can’t Connect To Internet – Check Your Web Browser Settings

One of the ways a virus is able to re-direct your browser is to set up a Proxy Server connection. You need to make sure your web browser is configured properly. Otherwise, you’ll receive the familiar “Internet Explorer Cannot Display The Webpage” error. Do the following to look for a proxy server connection:

• Open IE
• Click Tools, Internet Options and then the Connections Tab
• LAN Settings
• Uncheck Proxy Server box if checked

If a proxy server was setup, you should be able to connect to the Internet after you apply the change.

Can’t Connect To Internet – Repair Corrupt WinSock

Unfortunately, a corrupt Winsock usually follows the removal of some insidious viruses. You will need to take steps to repair it. In WIndows 7, you can click the “diagnose connection” option.

In Control Panel>Network and Sharing>Change Adapter Settings. Right-click your connections and select “Diagnose.” It might state there is a damaged Winsock and attempt repair it.

If it cannot repair it, you will need to manually edit the registry to fix the problem. The concept is to remove the Winsock entries and then re-install the TCP/IP protocol.

Fix Winsock By Editing The Registry

You will want to first backup the registry by creating a System Restore point. Go to Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore and create a restore point.

Next, open the registry by going to Start and typing regedit in the run dialog box. Hit OK. If a box pops up asking for permission, say YES. You should now be in the registry.

Note: doing something wrong in the registry can break your computer. Proceed with caution.

1. In Registry Editor, navigate to locate the following keys, right-click each key, and then click Delete:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesWinsock
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetServicesWinsock2
2. When prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.

Note Restart the computer after you delete the Winsock keys. Doing so causes the Windows Operating System to create new entries for those two keys. If you do not restart the computer after you delete the Winsock keys, the next step does not work properly.

Step 2: Install TCP/IP

1. Right-click the network connection, and then click Properties.
2. Click Install.
3. Click Protocol, and then click Add.
4. Click Have Disk.
5. Type C:Windowsinf, and then click OK.
6. On the list of available protocols, click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click OK.
7. Restart the computer.

Since computers are empowering criminals with new ways to commit crimes, it’s the job of computer forensics to discover and present opinions of the data they recover from computers and other media.

Careers In Computer Forensics

There are several certifications available for those looking to break into computer forensics. If you have an interest in pursuing a high-paying career in this field, you should look into the following training and certifications:

• EnCE – EnCase Certified Examiner is a program that certifies both public and private-sector professionals and is recognized by law enforcement and corporate communities.
• CCE – The Certified Computer Examiner certification is vendor-neutral cert that demonstrates a person’s ability to perform computer forensic tasks.
• GIFA - The GICA Certified Forensics Analyst certification demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to conduct formal incident investigations. These scenarios include internal and external data breach intrusions, advanced persistent threats, anti-forensic techniques used by attackers, and complex digital forensic cases.

Careers In Computer Forensics -Forensic Software

If you think you might be interested in computer forensics, there are a lot of computer forensic software programs available. This software can be used to find digital evidence at the sector-level of a hard drive or even capture volatile evidence stored on a computer’s RAM.

• ProDiscover
• Forensic Toolkit (FTK)
• The Sleuth Kit (Open Source)

So if you have a hacker mentality and want to help catch bad guys, careers in computer forensics might be in your future.

Other careers in computer forensics are data recovery companies and Electronic Discovery. If you have the mindset and patience to develop your skills, computer forensics is certainly something to consider.

But because it has so many users, and because making sweeping changes to security would affect billions of people, Microsoft has to take baby steps when implementing change. The good news is, all of these tools are available for you if you take a few moments to install them.

Things You Must Do To Improve Windows Security

Since you now know the tools are at your disposal, you must act to tweak your Windows installation to take advantage of them. The three tools we’re talking about today are the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, Microsoft Security Essentials, and Windows Defender. These three programs can play a key role in keeping malware off of your system, as well as removing it once you are infected.

Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool – This is a removal tool, as it implies. It is post-infection. This tool does not remove every single virus that comes out, but it does focus on the most prevalent and destructive of the bunch. It is updated monthly, so if you have setup Windows to automatically perform Windows updates, you should have the latest version. Typically, the latest version is released on the second Tuesday of every month, so you might be a month behind depending on the release schedule.

To run the removal tool, go to the Start button and type mrt in the run box and hit OK. The tool launches and asks if you would like to run a quick scan or a full scan. Always choose the full scan. If anything is found, MRT will take actions to remove it from your system.

Microsoft Security Essentials – People will argue which free antivirus software is the best. Some like AVG, some like aVast!, but the Microsoft Security Essentials antivirus program is our personal favorite. Why? because we use it all the time and have had no infections, no intrusive pop-ups, and no system slow-downs. If you’re running an out-dated antivirus, make sure you uninstall your current antivirus then go to the Microsoft Security Essentials website and download it. Remember, you cannot run two antivirus programs at the same time.

Windows Defender – Windows Defender is a free anti-spyware program that protects your computer in real-time. If you’re running Microsoft Security Essentials, it automatically disables Windows Defender because Security Essentials does both antivirus and anti-spyware protection in real-time. But if you do not have Security Essentials, you’ll want to make sure Windows Defender is enabled. If you’re running an older version of Windows, you may need to download it from the Defender website.

In conclusion, you should use these free tools to protect and rid your computer of infection. You will be safer and you will make the Internet safer, as well. The video below recaps the steps we took above to install and use these great security tools.

This flaw doesn’t execute code on its own, but does allow non-admin accounts to be elevated as if there had administrator powers. To protect yourself, be sure to visit Microsoft Update, as will hopefully patch this bug soon.

You’ll need to determine how serious this is to your particular setup. As long as you’re not prone to viruses, you may not be at immediate risk. But there is always the potential a virus could affect your PC and elevate itself to admin-like powers.

Source: NakedSecurity Blog