Registry Cleaner Geeks

Have you ever experienced moments where your computer would be acting very strange and show signs that obviously do not connect to hardware problems? Chances are you have a nasty computer virus running in your system and depending on the virus, it can be difficult to detect and a pain to fully remove. But don’t panic because all kinds of viruses can be removed if you know the proper steps.

It is recommended that these steps should be followed in order because some viruses are smart enough in blocking some easy solutions. This step-by-step procedure can break the virus piece by piece until it finally disappears.

Step 1: Disconnect from the internet

Many of the viruses today use your internet connection and disconnecting your computer can sever ties between the virus and some of the malicious things it can do. Some viruses can even steal information and upload it to another location without your knowledge or be remotely controlled by a hacker or server.

Step 2: Identify or recall what the virus does

Sometimes knowing how the virus acts can help you locate and get rid of it. If the virus no longer functions because you disconnected from the internet, try to recall how it works so you can better research online to identify it.

Step 3: Get some first-aid tools

You’re going to need internet access for this one. While you may be able to do this in your infected PC, it is much safer to get some first-aid tools using a clean computer and then transferring them to your computer. Some viruses can make your internet connection very strange preventing you from downloading and using the tools you need to remove them.

The two best tools for this job are the Sysinternals Process Explorer and the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool. Both of these tools are small in file size and require no installation so you should be able to transfer them in a removable storage easily. Before that, set both of these programs as read only to shield them from virus attacks. Take these two programs to your infected PC if you got them from another computer.

Run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool first because this can effectively scan and remove all of the deadliest viruses that known in the program’s version. If the program detects a few viruses there, your system should be running much better. Still it is better to finish all the steps to ensure that all viruses are out of the system.

The second program is the Process Explorer. This program highlights all running programs including viruses. It looks confusing at first, but try to find a process that is running that has no description and an unfamiliar filename. After that, check the properties of that file and get the location. Immediately end the process after you found the location and then head to that location and delete the file to the Recycle Bin.  After that, observe if the virus is gone. If that doesn’t work, try deleting it in Safe Mode.

Step 4: Check your windows startup list

If you click Start and then head to Run and type “msconfig”, you should be able to see a window that displays the programs that load on start up. Disable as many programs as you can, including suspicious ones that you see. This can avoid the virus from loading on the next start up.

Step 5: Restart your computer and reconnect to the internet

By now, you should have crippled the virus greatly and should be safe for you to restart your computer and reconnect to the internet so you can get some real virus protection and test if your system runs better.

Step 6: Eliminate the virus using an updated virus scanner

If you don’t have a virus scanner installed, download one from the internet or use one of the online scanning services. After you install it, immediately update it to the latest definitions and then perform a full scan. Try to use an antivirus software that has a high detection rating so that more viruses can be detected. You can check these ratings by researching online. Perform a full system scan for best results.

After you’re finished with these 6 steps, you should have caught a virus or two and your system should be acting better. Double check on all parts of your system and see if everything runs correctly. Redo the steps if necessary and see if any more viruses surface. It is also important to keep your first aid tools and your virus scanner running to avoid further infections to your system.