Win32 Virus Removal

The UTD Information Security Office recently released a FAQ regarding viruses in response to the threat of viruses that are getting past most antivirus programs.  The threat of computer infection is ripe in the minds of students and faculty.

Virus infections are nothing new to me, and over the years I've developed a toolkit of programs and items to use in the event of an attack.

Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware

Unlike anti-virus software, which is meant to stop infections before they happen, Malwarebytes' software is best suited for removing viruses after the fact.  One button scans your computer for every sort of malware it can find and clears it from your computer.

While you don't need it unless there's an infection, it's a good idea to install it and keep it updated, just in case.  Installing the software can be painful if a particularly bad infection hits your computer.

You can download the free version of Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware here.

Bleeping Computer & Rkill

Bleeping Computer is an excellent resource for anyone looking to try to remove a virus from a computer solo.  Not only have they created a multitude of step-by-step guides for removing specific viruses from your computer, but the owner, Lawrence Abrams, also created Rkill, a tool that disguises itself and stops processes that may keep your removal tools from working.

The Rkill executable comes with four different extensions in order to hide from different viruses.  You can download it from each of these links:

rkill.exe
rkill.com
rkill.scr
rkill.pif

Quarantined flash drive

I like to keep a clean flash drive with virus removal tools and a few install files handy in case a computer gets infected.  If I plug the drive in, I avoid plugging it into another computer before scanning it to avoid transferring infected files.  It's cheap, and gives you easy access to computer essentials without endangering other computers.

Linux Live CD

By using a live CD, you can boot into an operating system straight from a CD and use it to access your files and settings.  It's a good idea to keep one on hand, as extremely bad infections can completely cripple your current operating system, and live CD's can help rescue your files.

Mainstream distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora have live CD's you can burn and use, or you can use a live-only distribution such as Knoppix.  You can also get versions that boot from a flash drive.

Extra manual copies

If you find a repair manual or other essential document to help with your computer, print it out or save it across multiple computers.  If your computer gets infected, it's hard to access documentation, and having extra copies is very useful.

Do you have any suggestions or experiences to share?  Discuss and exchange tips in the comments.

-Harrison Massey, web editor