Many of the recommended tools made it into our top anti-malware programs list and we agree with the recommendations given. Once you’ve removed the malware, you should fix any issues present on your PC and then take steps to protect your PC from future attacks. A good start can be made by reading the PC Security Handbook.

What steps do you recommend when removing malware? How else can you protect your PC from infections?

Malware Removal Guide for Windows | Real Security via Windows Forums

Note: you can also crack the password; however, a little preparation will save you the hassle of doing this.

Before you begin this guide, you’ll need the following:

• A USB drive (does not have to be empty)
• A current password set for your account (how to)

Create a Password Reset Disk

To reset your password, you’ll need to create a password reset disk; to create a password reset disk:

1. Insert your USB drive into your PC

2. Click the Start button, type reset, and click Create a password reset disk.

3. On the Forgotten Password Wizard dialog, click Next

4. Select your USB drive from the drop down list and click Next

5. Type in your current account password and click Next

The password reset file is now written to your USB drive:

7. When the wizard completes the reset disk creation, click Next, and then click Finish.

Note: The file is encrypted as userkey.psw. If you lose your thumb drive, nothing can be done with this file to obtain your password. This file can only be used to reset your password locally at your PC. With that in mind, you may want to keep this thumb drive away from other PC users who should not have access to your account.

userkey.psw is placed on your thumb drive:

The file is encrypted and can not be used to obtain your current password:

Test Your Password Reset Disk

It’s a best practice not to wait until you’ve lost your password to test your disk. This section will show you how to test your disk:

1. Print this guide or bring it up on your cell phone (http://bit.ly/zWM6P2)

2. Insert your password reset USB drive

3. Click the Start button, click the right arrow next to Shut Down (or different if you changed it), and click Switch User

4. Type in or click your username, leave the password field blank, and press Enter

5. After you’re informed you’ve typed an incorrect password, click Reset Password

5. Click Next

6. Select the flash drive and click Next

7. Type your new password (can be the same as your current password) and password hint and click Next

8. Click Finish

Note: This password reset disk will last the lifetime of your account. You do not need to create a new disk after using the one you set up as part of this guide.

Set a Windows Password

To set a password for your account:

1. Click the Start button and click Control Panel

2. On the Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety 

3. Click Change your Windows password

4. Click Create a password for your account

5. Type in your password twice and a hint (optional.) Click Create Password

Your password is now required each time you unlock or log in to your account.

Change Your Windows Account Password

By changing your password regularly, you decrease the chance of someone finding out your password and getting in to your account (and posting silly pictures of you on your Facebook account.) To change your Windows account password:

1. Click the Start button and click Control Panel

2. On the Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety 

3. Click Change your Windows password

4. Click Change your password

5. Fill in the blanks with your old password, your new password twice (so you don’t make a typo and lock yourself out), and a hint (optional). Click Change password

Add/Change a Different Account Password

If you’re using an administrator account, you can also manage other accounts and set or change passwords without logging into the other account. To change another account on your PC:

1. Click the Start button and click Control Panel

2. On the Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety 

3. Click Change your Windows password

4. Click Manage another account

5. Click the account you want to manage:

6. Either click Create a password or Change the password

7. Fill in the blanks with the account’s old password (if changing), your new password twice, and a hint (optional). Click Change password/Create password

Bonus Tip

Stepping away from your PC for a moment? Use the shortcut Windows Key + L to lock your PC before you do. You probably have a great deal personal information on your PC (not to mention active email, social networking, and even bank sessions in your browser.)

Note: You’ll need to set passwords for your accounts before hiding usernames. So set Windows account passwords on your PC, follow this guide: Set or change your Windows password.

Pictured above is similar to how your logon screen looks now. To hide user names, you’ll either need to use Group Policy or the Registry Editor. Group Policy is available only with Windows Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions. If you are using a Starter, Home, or Home Premium edition, please follow the Registry Editor method.

Disable User Name Display Using Windows Registry Editor

Note: If you are unfamiliar with making changes to the Windows Registry, please read this guide.

1. Click Start, type regedit, and press Enter to pen the Windows Registry Editor
2. Navigate to key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
3. Modify (or add) DWORD DontDisplayLastUserName and set the value to 1
4. Log off to see changes

Disable User Name Display Using Group Policy

Note: If you are unfamiliar with making changes via Group Policy, please read this guide.

1. Click Start, type local, and click Local Security Policy
2. In the left-hand pane, click on Local Policies > Security Options
3. In the right-hand pane, double-click Interactive Logon: Do Not Display Last User Name (or right click and select Properties)
4. Select Enabled and click OK
5. Log off to see changes

Even after emptying the Recycle Bin, files can be retrieved from your hard disk until they are physically overwritten. If you want your files deleted, permanently, use TuneUp Shredder to completely remove traces of your files. Doing this is both useful and strongly recommended if:

• You sell your PC
• You sell your hard drive
• You are returning a drive for warranty repair, replacement, or refund
• You loan your PC to a friend and you’re not sure what you’ve deleted recently
• Your PC is borrowed (school loaner, corporate laptop etc.)

To shred a file:

1. Install TuneUp Utilities 2012 (trial) (aff)

Either

2a. Right click a file you want to delete and click TuneUp Shredder

3a. Click Yes

Or 

2b. Open TuneUp Utilities, click Gain disk space, and click Securely delete data

3b.  Choose whether you want to shred files, folders, or your recycle bin and click Next. Then add the files or folders you want to delete, and click Next

4b. Choose your deletion method, click Next, and click Yes to confirm deletion

Now give yourself a pat on the back (watch your tin foil hat… you don’t want to damage it :)

*If you chose a custom installation of TuneUp Utilities 2012, you will need to leave TuneUp Shredder checked:

New to using the command prompt? Check out the Windows Command Prompt Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve ever asked a PC help question in a forum, it’s likely someone suggested you check for corrupted or out of version protected system files. To do this:

1. Open a Command Prompt (Click Start, type cmd, and click cmd.exe.)
2. Type sfc /scannow and press Enter

What Does the sfc /scannow Command Do?

System File Checker (SFC) verifies all protected system files are current and complete. If they’re not, it replaces them to bring them into currency.

Here’s what Microsoft say (applies to Windows XP):

System File Checker gives an administrator the ability to scan all protected files to verify their versions. If System File Checker discovers that a protected file has been overwritten, it retrieves the correct version of the file from the cache folder* (%Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache) or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces the incorrect file. System File Checker also checks and repopulates the cache folder. You must be logged on as an administrator or as a member of the Administrators group to run System File Checker. [1]

*The DLL cache folder is replaced in Windows Vista and 7 with Windows File Protection (files are kept in C:\Windows\winsxs\Backup.) Thank you Marc Liron, Microsoft MVP, for this information.

This is a good thing. If something doesn’t seem right on your PC, run this command to give you peace of mind and a good start.

More information:

• SFC Usage Windows 7/Vista
• SFC Usage Windows XP

1 Description of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 System File Checker (Sfc.exe)

To focus online ads, many advertising companies track your activity as you browse from website to website (where their ads are displayed) and will build a profile of you to present more useful ads according to your interests and assumed demographics. These companies don’t collect personal information like your name and address; thus, you may find this information gathering helpful as you find yourself being offered more customized advertisements.

Or, you may see it as a violation of your privacy.

Simply disabling cookies will not alter the fact that your public IP address is available to these companies and, if you’re the only person/family using that address, you’ll still be profiled. If you’d like to opt out of these types of ads, you can do so very easily.

Note: What we’re going to do is create a cookie on your browser that requests most of the reputable companies respect your privacy. Opting out of customized ads is done on a browser-by-browser basis. If you clear your cookies, you’ll need to do this again. If you would like to permanently opt out, install the Chrome extension linked below.

Thanks to the Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising, this will take just a couple of minutes for each browser you use.

The Self-Regulatory Program is based on the seven Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising released in July 2009. These Principles correspond with tenets proposed by the Federal Trade Commission in February 2009, and also address public education and industry accountability issues raised by the Commission.The Principles are designed to address consumer concerns about the use of personal information and interest based advertising while preserving the innovative and robust advertising that supports the vast array of free online content and the ability to deliver relevant advertising to consumers. [Source]

Note: Before you opt out, you might want to check out categories you’ve been profiled into. Here’s Google’s page, which shows the categories you’re in for Google advertising: Google Ads Preferences. Surprised by what information Google has gathered?

Opt out of Interest-based Advertisements Online (One Time)

To opt out of personalized ads:

1. Go to aboutads.info
2. Scroll down and click Choose all companies:

Keep My Opt-Outs is an extension for users who aren’t comfortable with personalization of the ads they see on the web. It’s a one-step, persistent opt-out of personalized advertising and related data tracking performed by companies adopting the industry privacy standards for online advertising.

This feature can be particularly useful if you’re opening a file from removable media (CD, DVD, external HDD etc.) and MSE’s real-time virus checker has not had a chance to do a preliminary scan at the file yet. If you’ve turned off real-time virus scanning, this will also help you avoid virus infection.

Caution: Even if a virus checker doesn’t detect a virus, never open a file from an untrusted source.

Realizing I didn’t have an infected file to use for this guide, I went to the source of many viruses: a torrent tracker and grabbed a copy of “Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v3.2″ (don’t worry, I promptly deleted it.)

Scan an File/Folder for Viruses

1. If you don’t already have it installed, download and install Microsoft Security Essentials (learn more about MSE.)

2. Open up Windows Explorer (Winkey+E) and browse to the directory that contains the file/folder you want to scan

3. Right click the file or folder and click Scan with Microsoft Security Essentials…

4. Hopefully your journey ends here and you’re informed the file is clean. If however, the file is infected, continue to the next section.

Remove a Virus with Microsoft Security Essentials

If MSE has detected an infected file, you should delete it immediately.

1. Upon notice of an infected file, click Clean Computer

2. MSE will clean the file from your PC:

3. After the file is clean, you may Close MSE

4. You’re almost done… once you’ve detected a virus on your PC:

• Notify others who may also have the file (did this file come via email?)
• If you run backups, make sure the file is removed from your backups
• If the file came from optical media i.e. CD/DVD, destroy the disc, if possible, to avoid future infection
• Inform the distributor of the file that it’s compromised and should not be shared

If the Virus Can’t be Deleted…

If you’ve followed the steps above but still can’t delete the file, please start a topic in Windows Forums and we’ll help you solve the issue. Beware that some viruses can help identity thieves get your personal information. If you know that a virus is running free on your computer, it might be wise to invest in a LifeLock account as a preventative measure against identity theft. But keep checking back with the Windows Forums, because there aren’t many problems that remain unsolved for long!

The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a free downloadable security tool that provides on-demand scanning and helps remove viruses, spyware, and other malicious software. It works with your existing antivirus software.

The software is designed to be downloaded for one-time use and expires after 10 days–requiring you to go back to the site and download the latest version with current virus-checking definitions.

You can perform three types of scans:

• Quick – Good for a first run but may not be enough to find an obscure virus.
• Full – Thorough: takes the longest but will find hidden infections.
• Custom - Targeted scanning if you don’t want to include certain files and folders to save time.

I performed a full scan and it took quite a while; however, thankfully, it didn’t find any viruses. If you use this program and it finds a virus, please let us know in the comments.

Download Microsoft Safety Scanner

Download Microsoft Safety Scanner Microsoft via Windows Forums

Note: You’ll need to know if you’re using 32 or 64 bit Windows. If you don’t know, check this guide: Do I Have Windows 32 or 64-bit? How to Find Out

We have spoken before about removing Windows virus:

Test to See if Your Antivirus Software Works (Safe)

Remove Viruses And Malware in Safe Mode [How To]

Thomas has written a post about a program that restores several windows features:

Re-Enable 2.0 – Restore Windows functionality after virus and Trojan attack [Freeware]

In this post  we are going to use another approach with SuperAntiSpyware portable to do this:

Download the program

The advantages of using a portable program are many. For example we can keep that program on a USB drive. To download SuperAntiSpyware portable go to the following link:

SuperAntiSpyware Portable

and select download as you can see in the image:

Execute the program

Once you have download the program, you will see a “.com” file on your system. The name changes with every download so a virus cannot remove the program. Imagine what can happen if a resident virus detects you have inserted a USB with a file it knows is an antivirus. It can easily delete the file; due to this, the utility changes its name every time.

Double click the .com file and you will see a program like this:

Update the AntiSpyware utility

First of all you need to update the program so it will look if there is something new available. We all know how fast new malware appears so never forget this step.

Apply the  Fixes

Superantispyware hides this utility, full of repairs, into the preferences section so we have to go there:

Go to the repairs tab:

Here are some of the repairs you can select:

Enable start menu run, enable system tray, enable task manager, enable windows control panel, enable windows explorer folder options, home page reset, internet zone security reset, local page reset, remove desktop screen saver, remove explorer policy restrictions, remove internet explorer policy restrictions, and many more.

As you can see SuperAntiSpyware has some useful hidden features that will help you get your computer up and running as normal again.