Malware Remediation: What Can You Do To "Cure" a Virus
Malware Fixes: Remediation
There are many different ways to disinfect your machine. Factoring in time and expertise, we've suggested some possible fixes in a detailed .pdf file at
this
link. If these fail, look for other solutions in our links page and elsewhere on the internet. Your options will depend on how good and how recent your last backup is.
Remember, nothing replaces a current disk image when you're in trouble. They're easy and cheap to create,
but most of us never do it.
As you move down the list below, you are more and more likely to lose the information on your hard drive. Don't worry about it: you were already dead when the virus
hit. Be happy if one of these solutions offers you some measure of resurrection.
Assess Your Resources First
| 1. |
Do you have a current hard drive backup? If yes, stop here. |
| 2. |
Do you have backups of your documents, spreadsheets, music, pictures,
etc? |
| 3. |
Do you have backups of your eMail folders, calendars, and bookmarks/favorites? |
| 4. |
Do you have a list of all programs loaded on your computer? Do you have the original software (discs or downloaded files) for these programs? |
The less you have, the harder the fix. Instructions will vary based on what you do or don't have.
You may
well be able to create backups now, even when it seems too late.
Try To Fix It Yourself.
Stop. Think. You
can do this yourself with beginner skills and good instructions, but
it takes patience, methodical behavior and time - maybe 12 hours or more.
A pro can should solve your problem for $200 - $300, and is more likely
to save your personal files. If you still want to keep going,
you can find detailed instructions at
this link. A couple of quick fixes might be:
Option 1: Use a Windows' Restore Point to roll back changes on your hard drive.
It's the easiest and fastest solution. It does not always work but it's always worth a try.
Follow these links to Anti-virus
Download.com or
About.com for
instructions. Read both articles. If this fails ...
Option 2: Try a using a better anti-virus suite anti-virus suite to solve your problem. We've
assumed all along that you actually had anti-virus software on your computer. Perhaps
you did no, or perhaps you used an inferior product. If you're AVS
is low on
this list option 2 is worth a try. Read the .pdf instructions first please.
Option 3: Try running an antivirus scan in safe mode.
Option 4: Use A Dunce Machine.
This one generally works for us, but it's dangerous. If you have an isolated machine with good antivirus software, you can remove your hard drive from the infected machine, plug it in to your dunce machine via a USB connector,
and then scan and clean the infected drive. You'll need a
USB to IDE or SATA connector. Don't do this on a machine you care about.
More About Antivirus
• Executive Summary 06/11/2008
• How Viruses Work (1 of 3) 06/11/2008
• Anti-Virus Software (2 of 3) 06/11/2008
• Malware Fixes & Protection (3 of 3)
06/11/2008
• Firewalls 06/11/2008
