Need a Free Virus Remover Program

[Alwin Roth]

Does anyone know a free virus remover program?

we bought McAfee, for 3 pcs, but for some reason it didn't cover my mom's laptop, so i need to find a virus remover for hers,

Remember, not a virus scanner, a virus remover.

[klange]

AdAware has a really nice free edition... But as I only use Windows for going to this site and playing CE, I haven't needed anti-virus in years, so I'm not exactly the best reference...

[flibitijibibo]

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware > everything, ever. All the protection without the bullshit you get from McAffee and Norton.

[Cagerrin]

MalwareBytes Anti-Malware > everything, ever. All the protection without the bullshit you get from McAffee and Norton.
I've had Avira pick up a good number of things MBAM never got, so :shrug:.

Personally I run both. Paranoia > viruses.

[Phopojijo]

Windows Install CD...

Even if the remover gets the virus...

Did it get all of it?
Did the virus open any backdoors?
Did the virus unpatch your system?
Did the virus fuck up a critical system file that could cause your PC to bluescreen randomly?

You will never know for sure.

Backup your data, that's all fine... but no programs or anything.

If you're really stuck on it though, Microsoft has a malicious software removal tool... that's... uh... I guess a good alternative... but no, back-up your data and reinstall.

[Evil_Monkey]

Definitely go for MalwareBytes, great program and it's free.

[mR_r0b0to]

avast!... hasn't failed me yet

[Maniac]

Malwarebytes

[Cortexian]

AVG Free

[Rook]

AVG Free

yup

[legionaire45]

I second AVG Free + Malwarebytes.

[Cojafoji]

avast free is one of the best around, in my opinion anyway, and has never failed me yet. ever. 3 years running.

that and ad aware from lavalys and spybot s&d.

i'm paranoid like that.

[jcap]

Why not try Microsoft's new antivirus software?

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

I haven't tried it, but it's probably good.

[SGWraith]

Avast, Avira AntiVir, AVG, and ClamWin are all good choices. For antispyware I use SpyBot-SD. The Windows Defender program might be good too but I can't really tell if it does anything my other software doesn't already. Good protection for your computer will come with a multilayered setup of multiple programs working together and smarter use of the internet/email.

[English Mobster]

AVG Free (http://free.avg.com/) and Avast (http://www.avast.com/)are really good, both free. I really recommend them.

[annihilation]

Avast:
I am currently using the pro version. It works wonders!
download Avast (http://avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html)

Malwarebytes:
This is a very powerful anti-malware tool. It does not provide real time protection unless purchased.
download Malwarebytes (http://www.malwarebytes.org/mbam.php)

Spybot Search & Destroy:
A powerful anti-virus tool that never lets me down.
It is one of the most trusted programs out there!
download Spybot (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html)

SuperAntiSpyware:
One of the best anti-spyware tools. Hasn't failed me yet!
download SuperAntiSpyware (http://superantispyware.com/)

Avira:
Like Avast it provides real time protection for free.
They're pretty much the same. Avira is probobly a lot better than Avast though, I just hate switching programs.
download Avira (http://www.free-av.de/en/trialpay_download/1/avira_antivir_personal__free_antivirus.html)

Windows Defender:
I know, most people think this is a terrible program but it has saved my ass to many times when all others failed. It deserves to be on here.download Windows Defender (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx)

Most of these are the top free programs.

[Syuusuke]

Why not try Microsoft's new antivirus software?

http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/

I haven't tried it, but it's probably good.

Come on cap, you can't do that.:saddowns:

Before I got Nod32, Avast and AVG (not both at the same time, one of them just choose) were good.

[Alwin Roth]

Thanks guys, gonna get Malwarbytes for the other laptop.

[Jelly]

Malwarebytes isn't realtime, so get AVG, AntiVIR or Avast to compliment it.

[RedBaron]

I'm using McAfee's full suite right now and I have to say it is completely useless. It might have been decent 2 or 3 years ago, but I found that it's usefulness has been outdated. It just never detects anything anymore whenever I get a bug. I'm keeping it until the subscription runs out just for what little real time protection it offers, but I compliment it with Malwarebytes' as the scanner that I use. Malwarebytes' has never failed me, but it's always after I've already been infected that it can do any good. I guess I'll use Avira once McAfee is all said and done.

[Phopojijo]

Or you can, as state dozens of times earlier:

A) Keep Windows up to date
B) Keep your router properly configured (and up to date as well, just in case... there has been remote security exploits on routers before)
C) Don't click on anything stupid/watch your behavior
D) IF you DO happen to get a virus -- back up your DATA, not programs, not entire harddrive... DATA... and reinstall Windows.

If you don't do that... there's no guarantee you're safe... unless of course you have no harm done by it... ((Though frankly you'll be contributing to the DDoS problem of the world...))

If you get a virus this day in age... and you've done A and B religiously -- you REALLY need to pay attention to C. Zero-Day exploits are very uncommon.

[RedBaron]

I do all of that, and no, I don't ever go on porn sites. Almost anyone who has a computer knows how to back up their shit and reformat their drives. The main problem with that is that it takes hours to do. Something that I don't want to have to do every time I get a single little piece of adware. You run a scan with a decent protection program and bam, no need to send your harddrive back to the stone age. I always save reformatting as a last resort just so I don't have to reinstall dozens upon dozens of programs later.

And the thing is, when people reformat their drives, most use the utilities that were included by the manufacturer to reinstall windows. This would likely resort in the use of a seperate partition where the PC has been set to save everything in the case the user wanted to restore for the purpose of a damaged OS and not for the purpose of an infection. If this were the case, then the malware would likely be restored with everything else and the user just spent half a day chasing his own ass. The only thing that I would really consider doing other than using a protection program is to use System Restore, which I suspect was included on windows for this reason. It basically undos any changes to the the program list and registries back to a certain date in time. I like to think of that as a partial reformatting, even though technically they are two complete different things.

And I'm pretty positive, but can't be 100% sure, that I was hit with the exploit from IE7 last Fall. I get infected very rarely, and I literally went infection free for 2 years up until the week of when Microsoft announced that there was a major security breach from their latest patch and that everyone was going to get raped by their computer overlords. That was when I got smart, condemned all Microsoft products (except for XP), and went over to Firefox.

[annihilation]

Don't do Ad-Aware, it is not as good as SuperantiSpyware or Malwarebytes.
AVG is okay but it is nothing compared to MalwareBytes, Avast or Avira.
And if you ever get infected there are plenty of people here including me that will be glad to help you.

[Phopojijo]

The only thing that I would really consider doing other than using a protection program is to use System Restore, which I suspect was included on windows for this reason. It basically undos any changes to the the program list and registries back to a certain date in time. I like to think of that as a partial reformatting, even though technically they are two complete different things.Viruses know how to infect restore points. (Though they more likely just disable system restore... but both are possible)

[annihilation]

Disabling system restore and re-enabling it will delete all restore points also.

[Phopojijo]

That's why they disable it.

[Matooba]

Malwarebytes... I bought it. Works great! Found stuff others didn't. Like stated though. Get an external drive, keep important stuff on that....not programs just data. Fresh installs are nice anyways :P