microsoft windows malicious software removal

Obviously Microsoft didn't waste a lot of resources on a zooty interface or a snappy market-tested name for this simple but effective scanner and cleanser, but it does release an updated version of it on the second Tuesday of each month.

This took much longer, of course, but it was worth it to be sure than no crudware lurked in our system's deep dark corners. The Quick scan took less than a minute and found no malicious software, though we could view detailed results anyway, if we wanted to. A green bar graph tracked the tool's progress as it rapidly scanned critical areas of our C drive. The Customized scan performs a Quick scan and also scans user-specified folders. If none is found, the tool prompts you to run a Full scan, which scans your entire system thoroughly but can take several hours on large systems. The Quick scan targets those areas most likely to be infected by malware. Its dialog-style interface offers three scan options: Quick, Full, and Customized. The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is utter simplicity to use. This program is fully portable, so it can run on any compatible Windows machine without having to be installed.

It's available in separate downloads for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions, but the tool won't let you use the wrong version so there's little risk of getting it wrong. It doesn't protect your system from infection it merely finds and removes any known threats. Microsoft is quick to point out that the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is no substitute for antivirus software.

The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is a small, portable utility that checks Windows XP, 2000, Server 2003, Vista, and 7 for infection by a range of known threats, including Blaster, MyDoom, and Sasser, and removes any threats it finds.

Microsoft windows malicious software removal