6 Steps to Fix Your Computer’s Virus Infection

Avatar photo
Anthony Lewis

Cleaning Your Viruses in 6 Sort-of-Easy Steps

Some of our clients are the “DO IT YOURSELF” type so we thought we would try to spell out some basic steps to help you fix a virus on your own. Note: this won’t work for severe infections that require lots of manual tedious work. If you need help along the way just submit a request below:

[wpforms id=”3351″]

STEP 1: Download the Software Necessary Tools and Save Them to Your Desktop

STEP 2: Turn Off System Restore

Right click on the my computer icon and click properties. Then click on system restore and check the box to disable it. Viruses like to hang out in the system restore area so we need to disable it to make their life a little more difficult. In Windows 7 this is called System Protection.

STEP 3: Install and Run the First Four Viral Cleaning Tools

Each of the first four programs needs installed and then a full scan run. Once the scan finishes fix/remove any infections it finds. Some programs may ask you to reboot. DON’T. Wait until all programs are done before rebooting.

STEP 4: Reboot Your PC

Once it reboots, just login as normal.

STEP 5: Run ComboFix

Follow this guide at Bleeping Computer on the steps to running ComboFix. The guide has plenty of screenshots

Each of the first four programs needs installed and then a full scan run. Once the scan finishes fix/remove any infections it finds.

STEP 6: Run MVPS Hosts File

Not many people realize the effectiveness of this tool in preventing future attacks. Unzip the file. Explore the folder in created and run the mvps file by double clicking on it. It will seem like nothing happened, but it did. Continue through the prompt and you are done. This file prevents spyware from redirecting your PC to infectious websites in the future. It is not a guarantee, but it is an awesome preventive tool to have on your PC.

New Resources In Your Inbox

Get our latest cybersecurity resources, content, tips and trends.

Other resources that might be of interest to you.

Immutable Backups Explained: Simple Guide for SMBs

Immutable Backups Explained: Simple Guide for SMBs  Can hackers destroy your backups when they attack your business? With traditional backups, the answer is yes. Ransomware attackers don’t just encrypt your production systems—they hunt down and destroy

Elf-on-the-Shelf Security: Monitoring for Insider Threats

The holiday season brings cheer, celebrations, and… elves on the shelf! These mischievous little figurines spend their days spying on the family for Santa and their nights causing (or pretending to cause) harmless chaos. But what if your workplace ha
Vivian Lee
>>Read More

Using an MDR Service vs. Building Capabilities Internally

The Need for Detection and Response Cybersecurity is a top priority for businesses of all sizes due to the constant barrage of attacks. Monitoring system logs, detecting cybersecurity incidents, and responding are important parts of every sophisticated
Vivian Lee
>>Read More