Classic Micro Systems

Malware Definition: From the words malicious software, is software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without your consent. This is a generic term that describes a computer virus, spyware, trojan horse, worm, rootkit, or adware.

Prevention is always better than a cure, but NO one product will protect you and nothing is perfect. We recommend a multi-layered approach which includes (in order of importance) Windows Security Patches, Firewall and/or Gateway Security, Anti-virus software, Anti-spyware software.

So you've got or think you've gotten some form of malware infection?
...you've come to the right place.

These are the basic steps to take right away:

• DISCONNECT - If your PC is connected to a network, disconnect it by unplugging the network cord from the back or disable your wireless connection if you are connected wirelessly. This prevents infecting other systems.
• SCAN - Hopefully you have anti-virus and/or spyware protection software installed. If you do, run a full scan of your system immediately with whatever you have. At the very least if will give you a better idea of what kind of infections are present.
• SECOND OPINION - From another computer, download one other popular spyware removal tools to a flash drive or burn to a CD. Make sure nothing else important is on the flash drive (if that is what you use) then take the software to your infected PC and install and run that software. We like Spybot S&D, SuperAntispyware, and Malwarebytes. AVG also makes a good free anti-virus scanner you can download and install if you have nothing.
• SAFE MODE SCAN - If your system is heavily infected, run another scan from Safe Mode. Most malware removals will require the use of two or more products.
• MAKE NOTES - Keep notes about any infection that is determined, it can prove extremely helpful, and can help save us time and you money.

Many modern malware infections require professional assistance and sometimes a lot of research. There are additional advanced methods that we use to seek out and manually disable malware hooks so if you have tried several traditional removal tools and do not have a properly operating computer, you need to bring your system in for a professional evaluation and cleanup.

Since modern malware infections have become so sophisticated, we generally recommend completely reloading Windows onto a clean hard drive if we are not confident that a malware-free system can be returned with 1-2 hours of effort.

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Helpful Links

AVG free

Trend Micro HouseCall

Spybot Search & Destroy

SuperAntiSPyware

Malwarebytes

• Beware of sites pretending to offer these products if they are not a trusted source!