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Author Topic: What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?  (Read 778 times)

Offline Czar

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What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?
« on: November 03, 2012, 04:18:27 PM »
I've been asked to `fix` an inlaw's computer. Supposedly it has a virus or malware or something.. I want to come prepared. What tools do you normally use? I had then try Spybot on their own but it had no effect.

Offline vincegun

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Re: What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2012, 06:02:06 PM »
fdisk
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Offline sully!

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Re: What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2012, 06:13:33 PM »
MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (aka, MBAM) has been very good for me lately. Start the system in "Safe Mode with Networking", install this and run it to remove the nasties.
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Offline The Nstuff

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Re: What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2012, 06:37:08 PM »
MalwareBytes Anti-Malware (aka, MBAM) has been very good for me lately. Start the system in "Safe Mode with Networking", install this and run it to remove the nasties.

That, and hit it with some mix of spybot and adaware if you want.  Specifically though, there's a particular nasty app floating around that shows itself as "System Center 2011" or something of the like.  It changes your wallpaper saying you've been hacked and pretends to be a legit virus scanner.  Malware Bytes is the only thing I've found that detects/cleans it.

I personally always use hijackthis because it lets me check out the tcp/ip stack, ie hooks, and anything in the various auto-run locations in windows to keep malware from loading.  If you don't know what you are doing, it's possible you could do more harm than good.  The list is shows is EVERYTHING, including ALL good and bad stuff.  It's up to you to choose what is malicious and remove only them.
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Offline _!Rathe!_

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Re: What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2012, 08:09:19 AM »
Another one I have come across is ComboFix.  It makes sure System Recovery is installed (and installs it if it isn't) and does a restore point and scans for everything then deletes the stuff automatically.  It has found stuff that MalwareBytes hasn't.  Of course that goes the other way too.
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Offline The Shoctor

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Re: What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2012, 12:12:57 PM »
Sorry for off topic here... HOLY CRAP! RATHE IS ALIVE!!!

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Offline decepticon

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Re: What are your go-to software tools for virus/malware removal?
« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2012, 12:31:53 PM »
Combofix FTW!
That's Mr. Deception to you.