Download a program to remove viral advertisements. How to remove malware? Assistant in the fight against extensions Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

The free AdwCleaner program is designed to remove adware and potentially unwanted software from your computer. After removing such software, the security of your computer will increase.

Many users have often encountered the implicit installation of various unnecessary software on their computer. Toolbars and browser add-ons, advertising modules and banners, toolbars, and similar programs penetrate the computer during installation or after launching programs downloaded from the Internet.

The user expects to install a specific program on his computer, but in the end receives an unexpected “gift” that he will not be happy with at all. In some cases, the user himself allows such programs to appear on his computer without unchecking the appropriate boxes, and without paying attention to this when installing the program. In other cases, such unwanted software enters the computer secretly, without any notification to the user.

To prevent the installation of unnecessary programs, you can use a program that will warn you about an attempt to install such unwanted software on your computer.

Often, such unwanted software, once installed on a computer, behaves quite aggressively. Home pages in browsers change, new search engines appear, for example, such as the notorious Webalta, advertising banners, etc. Webalta secretly penetrates the computer, changes the start page in the browser, makes itself the default search engine, changes the properties of the shortcut for opening your page in the browsers installed on your computer.

To combat such unwanted programs, you can use the AdwCleaner program. AdwCleaner will scan your computer for adware and potentially dangerous software. Then you will receive a report, then you will be asked to remove the found adware, malware, and other potentially unwanted programs after restarting your computer.

AdwCleaner successfully removes toolbars, toolbars, ad units, hijacker programs that change the browser home page, and other similar software. Once the cleanup is complete, your computer will be safer.

AdwCleaner does not require installation on your computer. It can be launched from anywhere on the computer, from a connected disk or flash drive. The AdwCleaner utility has Russian language support and is used in the Windows operating system.

AdwCleaner download

The AdwCleaner program was acquired by the famous antivirus company Malwarebytes. after that, changes occurred in the application interface and settings.

The article has been supplemented with a review of the new version of Malwarebytes AwdCleaner.

Malwarebytes AwdCleaner Settings

Launch Malwarebytes AwdCleaner. In the main window of the application, there are several sections in the sidebar: “Control Panel”, “Quarantine”, “Report Files”, “Settings”, “Help”.

To change application settings, open the “Settings” section. The Settings section has three tabs: Application, Exception, Details.

In the “Application” tab there are options for applying certain program parameters when restoring during a basic system cleanup. Here you can set more strict rules for scanning and cleaning the system, depending on the degree of problems encountered on a given computer. From here you can remove AdwCleaner.

In the “Exceptions” tab, the user adds applications to exceptions so that AdwCleaner ignores this data when scanning and cleaning.

The Quarantine section contains quarantined files.

From the “Report Files” section, you can copy the report to Notepad for saving on your computer, or for transferring to others.

Find adware and unwanted programs in Malwarebytes AwdCleaner

In the main window of Malwarebytes AwdCleaner, in the “Control Panel” section, click on the “Scan” button to start searching for unwanted and adware software on your PC.

After scanning your computer, the AdwCleaner window will display information about detected threats.

First, click on the “View Scan Report” button to obtain detailed information about the detected objects. I advise you to read the report, as the program lists unwanted applications associated with Mail.Ru.

Remove unwanted programs and adware with Malwarebytes AwdCleaner

In the main window of Malwarebytes AwdCleaner, you can uncheck the boxes next to the found files and folders that should not be deleted in your opinion.

After reviewing the information received, click on the “Clean and restore” button.

In the reboot warning window, click on the first button; the reboot will occur after the system is cleaned of unwanted software.

Then another window will open in which you need to click on the “Restart” button.

After Windows starts, the Malwarebytes AwdCleaner window will open with information about the cleaning results. If necessary, you can repeat the search and removal of unwanted applications again.

Removing unwanted programs in AdwCleaner (old version)

After downloading to your computer, run the AdwCleaner executable file. In the window that opens, you will need to click on the “J’accepte/I Agree” item to accept the terms of the license agreement.

Immediately after launch, the main window of the AdwCleaner program will open. The program is already running and is in the “Waiting for action” mode.

To start searching for potentially unwanted and malicious programs, in the AdwCleaner program you will need to click on the “Scan” button. The program will begin the process of searching for unwanted software, scanning services, folders, files, modified shortcuts, the registry, and browsers.

After the scanning process is completed, you will be able to look at the search results for the threats found. To do this, you will need to open the “Services”, “Folders”, “Files”, “Shortcuts”, “Registry”, “Internet Explorer” and other installed browsers tabs in turn in order to familiarize yourself with the detected data.

Carefully review the scan result in each tab. The program may suggest folders and files for deletion that should not be deleted from the computer. This mainly applies to services, programs and extensions of Yandex and Mail.Ru.

In the AdwCleaner program, the settings are made in such a way that, along with the removal of unnecessary toolbars, panels and add-ons, other software related to Yandex and Mail.Ru will be offered for removal. For example, the Yandex.Disk client program or the visual bookmarks extension from Yandex.

Therefore, carefully look at the list of what you found so as not to remove from your computer the add-ons or extensions that you use in your browser. Before deleting items, uncheck the boxes next to the appropriate items to prevent the programs you need from being deleted.

In this image you can see that I unchecked the boxes next to the corresponding items in order not to remove the “Alexa Toolbar” extension, which I myself installed in my Mozilla Firefox browser.

In order to view general information about the data found, you can click on the “Report” button.

Your computer's scan report will open in Notepad. If necessary, you can save this report on your computer. To do this, you will need to enter the “File” menu by selecting “Save as...” from the context menu.

To remove potentially unwanted programs, in the main window of the AdwCleaner program you will need to click on the “Clean” button.

Next, the “AdwCleaner – end programs” window will open. You will be prompted to close all running programs and save open documents on your computer. After completing the programs and saving the documents, click on the “OK” button.

The AdwCleaner - Information window will then open with information that will give you tips on how to prevent unwanted software from being installed on your computer. After reading this information, click on the “OK” button.

After this, the computer will shut down, and then the computer will restart. After starting the operating system again, a notepad will be opened with a report on the work done in the AdwCleaner program. If necessary, you can save this report on your computer.

The AdwCleaner program quarantines data deleted from the computer. If necessary, you can restore erroneously deleted data from quarantine.

Restoring data from quarantine

To restore data from quarantine, in the “Tools” menu, click on the “Quarantine Manager” item. After this, the “AdwCleaner – Quarantine Management” window will open.

To restore erroneously deleted items, you will first need to check the corresponding items, and then you will need to click on the “Recover” button.

You can remove AdwCleaner from your computer from the main program window with one click. To remove the program, you will need to click on the “Delete” button, after which the AdwCleaner program will be removed from your computer.

Conclusions of the article

Using the free AdwCleaner program, adware, malware, and potentially unwanted software will be removed from the user's computer. By removing unwanted applications, your computer's security will be increased.

The fact is that malware is not a virus in the usual sense of the word. These are small utilities that climb into your computer without asking and install any kind of infection or show unwanted advertisements. And there are 2 problems here:

1. Antiviruses do not see malware because they do not consider them viruses.
2. These threats are very difficult to remove.

But it is still possible. After all, there is special software with which you can find and remove malware. And below we will consider 8 excellent utilities designed to remove such advertising viruses.

It’s worth noting right away that Windows 10 already has a malware removal tool by default. Yes, it may not be as effective at cleaning Malware and Adware viruses as other utilities, but it’s still worth a try. Fortunately, you don’t need to download or install anything – everything is already installed and configured.

As a rule, this software starts automatically, but if necessary, you can start it manually. It is located here: C:\Windows\System32\MRT.exe.

Finding and removing malware is simple - you just need to click the “Next” button. But the verification itself takes a very long time, so it will take some time.

The main advantage of this software is that it will 100% not harm your PC or laptop (but only if Windows 10 is licensed). Another plus: you can download it for Windows 7 and 8 at. website ().

AdwCleaner utility

AdwCleaner is very effective in combating:

• pop-ups in the browser;
• opening advertising pages in a new tab;
• changing the home page in the browser and the inability to change it.

Its main advantages:

• free;
• constantly updated;
• gives really practical advice on how to prevent your PC or laptop from becoming infected in the future (after analyzing and cleaning the PC).

Using the utility is extremely simple:

1. Launch it and click "Scan".
2. See what threats she was able to detect on the computer (you can remove the birds from unnecessary items).
3. Click Cleanup.

While the program is running, you will need to restart your PC in order to completely remove ad viruses and other infections. And when cleaning the computer is complete, a detailed report will appear of what was deleted.

By the way, AdwCleaner has recently received support for Windows 10, so it can be safely installed on any operating system.

Today, some malicious utilities can impersonate AdwCleaner. Therefore, if you download it from a third-party site, be sure to check for viruses on virustotal.

Anti-Malware Free

Another excellent utility that can be used to clean your computer from malware is Anti-Malware. Very popular among users today.

Its main advantages:

• reliable computer protection against malware (easily detects webalta and other common threats on PCs);
• effective removal;
• presence of Russian language.

It is also completely free (there is also a paid version, but the first one is more than enough).

For me, checking for malware takes a bit too long. But that's just my opinion. Still, this utility is not in vain considered one of the most popular.

Zemana AntiMalware

It is also worth paying attention to Zemana AntiMalware. This is another good malware cleaning utility.

Main advantages:

• effective search (often finds advertising viruses that the previous 2 utilities do not see);
• scanning individual files to choose from;
• PC protection in real-time mode.

In addition, it has one very useful option - checking for malware in the browser and removing it. Since pop-ups most often appear for this very reason, this makes this utility one of the best.

Among the disadvantages are 15 days of free use and the need to connect to the Internet. But since such malware removal tools are used only occasionally, the first drawback is considered insignificant.

Junkware Removal Tool

Another great free threat scanning utility.

Main advantages:

• works with ad viruses, browser extensions, etc.;
• it automatically deletes detected threats in folders, shortcuts, processes and any browsers (before this it creates a checkpoint for recovery);
• generates a report after the operation is completed.

HitmanPRO program

HitmanPro is software that can also be used to find and uninstall malware.

Main advantages:

• fast work;
• effective search: sees many threats, and even those that have already been removed (traces of them usually remain);
• does not need installation.

It is paid, but there is a 30-day free period. This is more than enough to check your PC for malware.

Malicious Software Removal Tool

Also on this list there is another software from Microsoft that does not require installation and is suitable for Windows 7 and 8. You can download it.

Using the program is easy. Turn it on, click Next and wait for the report.

Spybot utility

And the last free program for removing viruses from your computer is Spybot.

Its main advantages:

• wide functionality;
• can track newly installed software and changes made to the Windows registry and files;
• is able to roll back changes in case of failures in the PC after removing viruses.

Perhaps programs to combat unwanted software and advertising, which are described below, are “more powerful” than AdwCleaner, but I recommend starting checking and cleaning the system with this tool. Especially in the most common cases today, such as pop-up ads and automatic opening of unnecessary pages with the inability to change the start page in the browser.

The main reasons for recommending starting with AdwCleaner - this tool for removing malware from a computer or laptop is completely free, in Russian, quite effective, and also does not require installation and is regularly updated (plus, after checking and cleaning, it advises how to avoid infecting your computer in further: very practical advice, which I myself often give).

Using AdwCleaner is as easy as shelling pears - launch the program, click the “Scan” button, study the results (you can uncheck those items that you think do not need to be deleted) and click the “Clean” button.

The uninstallation process may require you to restart your computer (in order to remove the software that is currently running before it starts). And upon completion of the cleaning, you will receive a full text report about what exactly was deleted. Update: .

The official page where you can download AdwCleaner for free - https://ru.malwarebytes.com/products/ (at the bottom of the page, in the section for specialists)

Note: AdwCleaner is now disguised as some of the programs it is designed to combat, so be careful. And, if you download the utility from a third-party site, do not be lazy to check it on VirusTotal (online virus check virustotal.com).

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Malwarebytes (formerly Malwarebytes Anti-Malware) is one of the most popular programs for finding and then removing unwanted software from your computer. You can read more about the program and its settings, as well as where to download it, in the review.

Most reviews note the high detection rate of malware on the computer and its effective removal, even in the free version. After scanning, the threats found are quarantined by default, and then they can be removed by going to the appropriate section of the program. If you wish, you can exclude threats and not quarantine/delete them.

The program initially installs as a paid Premium version with additional features (such as real-time scanning), but after 14 days it switches to a free mode that continues to work great for manual threat scanning.

I can personally say that during the scan, the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware program found and removed the Webalta, Conduit and Amigo components, but did not find anything suspicious in the Mobogenie installed on the same system. Plus, I was confused by the duration of the scan; it seemed to me to be long. The Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free version for home use can be downloaded for free from the official website https://ru.malwarebytes.com/free/.

RogueKiller

RogueKiller is one of the anti-malware tools that has not yet been purchased by Malwarebytes (unlike AdwCleaner and JRT) and the search and threat analysis results in this program (both free, fully working, and paid versions are available) differ from analogues , subjectively - for the better. Except for one nuance - the lack of Russian interface language.

RogueKiller allows you to scan your system and find malicious elements in:

• Running processes
• Windows Services
• Task scheduler (recently relevant, see)
• Hosts file, browsers, bootloader

In my test, comparing RogueKiller with AdwCleaner on the same system with some potentially unwanted programs, RogueKiller was more effective.

If your previous attempts to combat malware were unsuccessful, I recommend trying: .

RKill

Sometimes, running malicious programs, as well as the changes they make to the system, interfere with the launch of the utilities listed here for removing unwanted software and access to the Registry Editor, Task Manager and other Windows tools. In order to eliminate these interferences, you can use the RKill utility.

Read more about what exactly RKill does and the features of using the tool in the instructions.

A free program for removing Adware and Malware - Junkware Removal Tool (JRT) - is another effective tool for combating unwanted programs, browser extensions and other threats. Like AdwCleaner, it was acquired by Malwarebytes after growing in popularity for some time.

The utility works in a text interface, searches for and automatically removes threats in running processes, startup, files and folders, services, browsers and shortcuts (after creating a system restore point). Finally, a text report is generated of all unwanted software removed.

Update 2018: The program's official website states that JRT support will end this year.

CrowdIsnpect - tool for checking running Windows processes

Most of the utilities presented in this review for searching and removing malware search for executable files on the computer, study Windows startup, the registry, and sometimes browser extensions and display a list of potentially dangerous software (checked against their database) with a brief information about what kind of threat was detected. .

In contrast, CrowdInspect's Windows Process Checker analyzes currently running Windows 10, 8, and Windows 7 processes, checking them against online malware databases, checking with VirusTotal, and displaying the network connections made by those processes (displaying also the reputation of the sites that own the corresponding IP addresses).

SuperAntiSpyware

And one more independent tool for removing malware - SuperAntiSpyware (without the Russian interface language), available both free of charge (including in the form of a portable version) and in a paid version (with the possibility of real-time protection). Despite the name, the program allows you to find and neutralize not only Spyware, but also other types of threats - potentially unwanted programs, Adware, worms, rootkits, keyloggers, browser hijackers and the like.

Despite the fact that the program itself has not been updated for a long time, the threat databases continue to be regularly updated and, when tested, SuperAntiSpyware shows excellent results, detecting some elements that other popular programs of this type “do not see.”

You can download SuperAntiSpyware from the official website http://www.superantispyware.com/

Utilities for checking browser shortcuts and other programs

When fighting AdWare in browsers and not only, special attention should be paid to browser shortcuts: often they, while outwardly remaining the same, do not launch the browser at all, or launch it in a different way than the default one. As a result, you may see advertising pages, or, for example, a malicious browser extension may continually return.

You can check browser shortcuts manually using only Windows tools, or you can use automatic analysis tools, such as the free Shortcut Scanner or Check Browser LNK.

Learn more about these shortcut checking programs and how to do it manually in the guide.

Chrome Cleanup Tool and Avast Browser Cleanup

One of the most common reasons for the appearance of unwanted advertising in browsers (in pop-up windows, on click anywhere on any website) is malicious browser extensions and add-ons.

At the same time, from the experience of responding to comments to articles on the topic of how to get rid of such advertising, users, knowing this, do not follow the obvious recommendation: disabling all extensions without exception, because some of them seem to them to be quite reliable, which they use for a long time (although in fact it often turns out that this particular extension has become malicious - this is quite possible, it even happens that the appearance of advertising is caused by extensions that previously blocked it).

There are two popular utilities for checking for unwanted browser extensions.

The first of the utilities is the Chrome Cleanup Tool (an official program from Google, formerly called the Google Software Removal Tool). Previously it was available as a separate utility on the Google website, now it is part of the Google Chrome browser.

The second popular free program for checking browsers is Avast Browser Cleanup (checks unwanted add-ons in Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers). After installing and launching the utility, the specified two browsers are automatically scanned for extensions with a bad reputation and, if any, the corresponding modules are displayed in the program window with the ability to remove them.

You can download Avast Browser Cleanup from the official website https://www.avast.ru/browser-cleanup

Zemana AntiMalware

Zemana AntiMalware is another good anti-malware program that was highlighted by the comments to this article. Among the advantages are effective cloud search (finds what AdwCleaner and Malwarebytes AntiMalware sometimes do not see), scanning of individual files, Russian language and a generally clear interface. The program also allows you to protect your computer in real time (a similar feature is available in the paid version of MBAM).

One of the most interesting features is checking and removing malicious and suspicious browser extensions. Considering that such extensions are the most common cause of pop-up ads and simply unwanted advertising for users, this opportunity seems simply wonderful to me. To enable checking browser extensions, go to “Settings” - “Advanced”.

Among the disadvantages are that only 15 days work for free (however, taking into account the fact that such programs are mostly used in emergency cases, this may be sufficient), as well as the need for an Internet connection to work (in any case, to initially check the computer for the presence of Malware, Adware and other things).

You can download the free version of Zemana Antimalware for 15 days from the official website https://zemana.com/AntiMalware

HitmanPro

HitmanPro is a utility that I learned about relatively recently and which I really liked. First of all, the speed of operation and the number of detected threats, including those that were deleted, but from which “tails” remained in Windows. The program does not need to be installed and it works very quickly.

HitmanPro is a paid program, but for 30 days you can use all the functions for free - this is enough to remove all junk from the system. When checking, the utility found all the malicious programs that I had previously specifically installed and successfully cleaned the computer of them.

Judging by the reviews of readers left on my website in articles about removing viruses that cause advertising to appear in browsers (one of the most common problems today) and about returning the normal start page, Hitman Pro is the utility that helps the largest number of them solve problems with potentially unwanted and simply harmful software, and in combination with the next product in question it generally works almost flawlessly.

You can download HitmanPro from the official website https://www.hitmanpro.com/

Spybot Search & Destroy

Spybot Search & Destroy is another effective way to get rid of unnecessary software and protect yourself from malware in the future. In addition, the utility contains a wide range of additional features related to computer security. The program is in Russian.

In addition to searching for unwanted software, the utility allows you to protect your system by monitoring installed programs and changes in important system files and the Windows registry. If malware removal is unsuccessful and results in failures, you can roll back the changes made by the utility. You can download the latest version for free from the developer: http://www.safer-networking.org/spybot2-own-mirror-1/

I hope that the presented anti-malware tools will help you solve problems with your computer and Windows. If you have anything to add to the review, I’m waiting in the comments.

Has your PC started to perform poorly? It may be infected with malicious adware, potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), or browser blockers. Malwarebytes AdwCleaner will remove annoying objects that slow down your computer. Get rid of annoying adware forever and restore your computer to normal performance.

How can Malwarebytes AdwCleaner help you?

• Remove adware
• Remove unwanted toolbars and add-ons from browsers
• Remove Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs)
• Eliminate browser blockers

Learn more about Malwarebytes AdwCleaner features

Removing annoying toolbars, browser plugins installed with or without your consent, as well as unwanted adware and hijackers that reconfigure the browser's start page can be quite a difficult job, especially when you don't have a convenient and effective tool at hand.

AdwCleaner is specially designed to help users get rid of these types of malware and unwanted software. The application is characterized by its small size and ease of use. AdwCleaner can be launched from absolutely any storage medium, including portable ones, because... the program does not require installation. After launch, the utility automatically checks for traces of unwanted components or remnants of previous installations that need to be cleaned.

The scan results are presented as a text document. Thus, the user can view in detail the files and registry keys that should be destroyed. When you click the “Clean” button, the removal process will begin and will be completed after the system reboots.

It is necessary to note a very important feature of the program - for AdwCleaner to work, you need to close all running applications, saving the corresponding changes. In addition, rebooting the system during cleaning cannot be delayed.

An interesting feature of the program is the ability to remove it with one click. The interface has a special button, when clicked, the application is removed from any media on which it is recorded.

AdwCleaner successfully deals with a wide range of unwanted programs, removes ad blocks and eliminates the results of hijacker programs used to change the home page of your web browser. The utility also finds effective use in removing various toolbars for web browsers, unwanted plugins, extensions and add-ons.

AdwCleaner does its job perfectly. If you ever need to remove a plugin, toolbar, ad utility or other unwanted adware components, the application will be a great solution.

Malwarebytes AdwCleaner System Requirements

The program is suitable for all versions of Windows OS starting from Windows XP; all OS bit levels 32 and 64 are also supported.

Finding out what the best malware removal tools are is not that difficult. Upon request, you can easily find applications on the Internet that allow you to troubleshoot computer problems associated with virus infection.

Such software is usually distributed free of charge or shareware.

Although its capabilities include a quick search and guaranteed removal of malicious code and annoying advertising, which well-known (and, most often, paid) antiviruses cannot always cope with.

Built-in Windows 10 tool

The first way to get rid of malicious applications, which the average Windows 10 user should use, involves launching the already built-in Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool.

Sometimes it works automatically, but if a virus infection has already occurred, the tool is launched manually. You can find MMSRT in the System32 folder of the system disk, located in the System32 directory. The efficiency of the application is not very high, but at least half of the problems will be solved.

Rice. 1. Windows 10 Malicious Software Removal Tool.

The benefits of using the product include:

• Russian-language interface;
• intuitive controls;
• no need to download additional software.

The application's disadvantages include long scanning times and low efficiency. And you can download it not only for Windows 10, but also for the 7th and 8th versions of the operating system. The update, numbered KB890830, is only 52.8 MB in size.

Fast and free AdwCleaner

One of the most famous and effective programs for removing unwanted applications from your computer is AdwCleaner. The advantages of using it include working in Russian, no need for installation on a computer, and constantly updated updates that improve the quality of system testing.

In addition, after completing the scan, AdwCleaner gives the user several recommendations on how to prevent infection with malicious code. And to launch the utility, you just need to click the start scan button, and, after reviewing the results, set the settings and select the information to be deleted.

Rice. 2. Search for malicious code using the AdwCleaner utility.

A peculiarity of the application is that during the scanning process it sometimes becomes necessary to restart the computer. And after completing the work, a report is displayed on the screen, which can be saved as a text file.

Assistant in the fight against extensions Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free

Rice. 3. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware main window

Simple yet effective Junkware Removal Tool

Rice. 4. Report on the operation of the Junkware Removal Tool utility.

The utility is accompanied by the creation of a system restore point. And during the scanning process, problems are automatically corrected and virus programs are removed. The check ends with the creation of a detailed report on the problems found and their solutions.

CrowdIsnpect – search for unwanted processes in the system

Malicious applications can also be detected by processes running on the system. This is the basis of the operating principle of the CrowdInspect utility, which during its operation scans the startup list and currently running services. Using a constantly updated database of viruses and unwanted software, the program collects information about processes and compares it with a list of potential threats.

Rice. 5. Analysis of Windows processes using the CrowdInspect utility.

One of the results of checking the CrowdInspect system is to display a list of network connections and IP addresses, as well as the reputation of the sites to which they belong. Although only advanced users can understand most of this information. For others, it is advisable to choose utilities that automatically fix problems to remove malicious code.

Shareware utility Zemana AntiMalware

In terms of effectiveness in combating viruses and unwanted extensions, the Zemana AntiMalware application is not inferior not only to other free utilities, but even to paid versions of some well-known antiviruses. The advantages of the program include the possibility of cloud search, a clear Russian-language interface and real-time system protection. The paid Premium version has even more advantages.

Rice. 6. Search for malware using the Zemana AntiMalware utility.

Zemana does a good job of removing plugins in browsers, the presence of which often leads to pop-up advertising messages. Although to start searching for extensions, you will have to change the program settings by going to the “Advanced” section.

And the disadvantages of the utility include conditionally free distribution - after 15 days you will have to pay for its use. Although usually a few hours are enough for a user to quickly scan a computer, after which the application is removed.

HitmanPro - maximum efficiency when removing plugins

Rice. 7. Operation of the HitmanPro utility.

The program effectively removes most common viruses. And when checking browsers, it finds and fixes problems with third-party extensions. After the scan is completed, the user is prompted to review the list of detected problems. And, if any of the marked files is not dangerous, in the user’s opinion, it can be removed from quarantine.

Spybot Search & Destroy – increasing PC security

Rice. 8. Spybot Search & Destroy – search, fix and prevent problems.

Spybot is able to monitor changes to the registry and system information, thanks to which it not only solves existing problems, but also ensures the prevention of possible problems. In addition, all changes made by the utility can be undone - sometimes this helps to avoid Windows malfunctions when a useful file is deleted along with the virus.

The most powerful but slow Dr.Web CureIt!

The most powerful and effective utility can be called Dr.Web CureIt! , the advantages of which include the possibility of free use. By downloading the latest version of the application (the size of which exceeds 100 MB) and running it on your computer, in a few hours you can receive a report on the work done and a 99.9% virus-free system.

It is CureIt that recommends using the technical support of some Internet providers. The application has only one drawback - you can only use it once. A few hours after downloading, the next update comes out, and the old one stops working.

The advantages of the utility include not only a high level of efficiency in detecting malware, but also the ability to download it again. After downloading again from the manufacturer's official website, the application is again ready to detect viruses. At the same time, the databases are already updated, and the search efficiency increases.

Rice. 9. Message about the need to update the Curelt utility.

Solving problems with browsers

When removing viruses, you should also pay attention to browser shortcuts - often they are the source of the problem. The malicious code is written into the shortcut properties and changes the launch method:

• sometimes when entering the Internet, the user ends up not on the main page, but on another site - most often a phishing site or advertising some services;
• When the browser is launched, a third-party plugin may be installed that changes the search engine, home page, and network settings.

You can solve the problem manually by checking your browser shortcuts. But the best way to do this is with utilities such as Shortcut Scanner. The free application checks logical and external drives for unwanted programs, identifying suspicious or broken shortcuts.

The advantage of using this tool is that it is free to distribute and works on any modern Windows system (from XP to 10); the disadvantage is the lack of a Russian-language version.

If an unwanted plugin has already been automatically installed in the browser, you can remove it through the extensions menu in the settings. Otherwise, instead of going to the selected pages, advertisements and extraneous resources will appear on the screen.

Most often, this problem occurs among users who have already installed a significant number of extensions and do not notice 1-2 extra ones. If there are practically no plugins, it is easier to notice a new one and take measures to disable it. And if you are not sure that the add-on is actually malicious, special utilities designed for specific browsers will help.

For Google Chrome, the official developers have created a utility called the Cleaning Tool. It automatically checks for embedded malicious code every time you launch your browser.

If a problem is detected, the plugin is disabled along with other extensions. After this, the user can restore the add-ons he needs manually.

Rice. 11. Search for malicious code using the Chrome Cleanup Tool.

For Mozilla Firefox and the standard Internet Explorer browser for older versions of Windows, there is a free application Avast Browser Cleanup.

The utility automatically scans two browsers (if they are present in the system), and as a result produces a list of suspicious plugins. The antivirus program can be downloaded from the manufacturer's official website.

Rice. 12. Cleaning your browser from malicious code using Avast Browser Cleanup.

Other companies also produce similar functional and free utilities. Moreover, for different browsers and with a wide range of capabilities. Some programs also provide effective real-time protection - however, most of them have a paid feature for this.

Conclusions

Using applications that remove unwanted software does not eliminate the need to install antivirus software. Each program performs its own tasks. Antivirus utilities protect the system almost constantly and prevent infection of system files.

And applications to fix existing problems are needed mainly after the antivirus has proven ineffective. Using two options at once - installed and periodically launched utilities - will ensure maximum protection efficiency. Although in order for the computer to be even more secure, it is advisable:

• follow the recommendations of anti-virus utilities that issue warnings when entering suspicious resources;
• use an antivirus to check files downloaded or recorded from an external storage device, the origin of which is unknown (for example, downloaded not from the official website, but from a third-party web page);
• Set your antivirus settings to automatically update virus databases and run the application manually at least once a week.

Preventing your computer from becoming infected with viruses and other types of malicious code will reduce the likelihood of problems occurring. Although neither Curelt! nor even a paid antivirus provide 100% protection.

Best Malware Removal Tools

It’s worth starting with the fact that malicious programs in this context (Malware) are not quite viruses; rather, they are programs that exhibit unwanted activity on the computer, are installed without the knowledge of users and, on top of everything else, are difficult to remove.

Cleaning Windows from spyware, malware and files

In this video, I will tell you how to clean your computer on the Windows operating system from spyware and malware and files, as well as how to free up space on your hard drive from temporary files and how to clear the cache. Three free utilities will be reviewed