In this digital age, we are relying heavily on technology and PCs are massively used on a daily basis. This need has pushed malware writers to code different types of malware to serve their interests. This is why it is important to have the knowledge to detect and remove the traces of such files from your computer.
Before We Begin
You should know that situations may vary when malicious files are the subject of removal. There are harmful files of programs that are not friendly in general, but are not malware, and there are programs that are malware, installed directly on the victim’s computer. We will provide removal methods for both, but strongly advise users to back up their data because we hold no responsibility for the outcome because of how variable the situation is.
Harmful Files That Are Not Malware
Indirectly harmful files of such type are generally easy to remove, but they may present difficulties in some situations as well. This is because they may be concealed in different folders and may be set to run and restore themselves after deletion every time Windows restarts. Thus, before removing those files, you need to stop them as active Windows Processes.
Step 1: Stopping an Active Process
1)Right-click on your Windows toolbar and choose “Start Task Manager” or “Task Manager” (Depends which Windows version you are running).
2)Look for a suspicious process by going to the “Details” tab of your Task Manager.
N.B. To find suspicious processes you should watch mainly the Description and the Username Tabs of the harmful process to identify it. In addition, to that, it is highly recommended to refer with the notorious Process Library which has information about the Windows processes.
3)Find the location of the process by right-clicking on it and choosing “Open file location”.
4)Finally, stop the process by again right-clicking it in the Task-Manager and selecting “End Process.”
5)Delete all associated files in the folder. If some files cannot be deleted, use one of the methods in Delete Doctor – free software that can erase any file in Windows.
Harmful Files That Are Malware
For malicious files, the situation may be rather complicated. First, you need to know what you are dealing with. Is the malware a worm, a wirus, ransomware or a Trojan horse? Whatever the case may be, it is important to know that malware uses devious tactics to be concealed on your system.
One of the tactics used by malware is to mask itself as legitimate Windows Processes or programs that are well known. The processes that are often imitated are:
- Svchost.exe
- System.exe
- Notepad.exe
- Explorer.exe
- Winlogon.exe
- WindowsUpdate.exe
Furthermore, the malware may insert malicious code into legitimate Windows Processes to create exploits or to stop defenses. Some malware modules may even have the ability to hide the process as if it was never there from the Windows Task Manager.
The malware usually uses the following folders to drop its harmful files:
- %User%
- %Users%
- %AppData%
- %Roaming%
- %System%
- %System32%
- %Temp%
- %Local%
Since different malware may have the ability to connect to active hosts and create more than one malicious process or migrate a process once it has been discovered, we highly recommend using an advanced anti-malware tool to scan for and remove all malicious objects associated.
To correctly and efficiently scan your computer, the first step is to isolate the malware by stopping the internet connection. Then, it is advisable to download the anti-malware software from a clean device.
SpyHunter scanner will only detect the threat. If you want the threat to be automatically removed, you need to purchase the full version of the anti-malware tool.Find Out More About SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool / How to Uninstall SpyHunter
It is highly preferred to use an offline installer with the latest updates already installed because you will have to update the anti-malware tool later. After you install the anti-malware tool, boot your PC into Safe Mode. If it hasn’t updated, boot it in Safe Mode with Networking. For more information on how to boot into safe mode, refer to the after-mentioned tutorial.
1. Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows 7,XP and Vista.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.For Windows XP, Vista, 7 systems:
1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
2. Select one of the two options provided below:
– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.
– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.
3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.
4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account
While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.
Step 1: Open the Start Menu
Step 2: Whilst holding down Shift button, click on Power and then click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, the aftermentioned menu will appear. From there you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu you can choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: Click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You should choose Safe Mode by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
2. Remove Harmful Software with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for and remove Harmful Software.2. Scan with SpyHunter to Detect and Remove Harmful Software.
It is highly recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to automatically update.
Step1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Scan Computer Now’ button.
Step2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any Harmful Software files, click on the ‘Fix Threats’ button to remove them automatically and permanently.
Step3: Once the intrusions on your PC have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart it.
3. Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
Security engineers recommend that you back up your files immediately, preferably on an external memory carrier in order to be able to restore them. In order to protect yourself from Harmful Software (For Windows Users) please follow these simple steps:
1. For Windows 7 and earlier 1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 1. Enabling the Windows Defense Feature (Previous Versions)1-Click on Windows Start Menu
2-Type Backup And Restore
3-Open it and click on Set Up Backup
4-A window will appear asking you where to set up backup. You should have a flash drive or an external hard drive. Mark it by clicking on it with your mouse then click on Next.
5-On the next window, the system will ask you what do you want to backup. Choose the ‘Let Me Choose’ option and then click on Next.
6-Click on ‘Save settings and run backup’ on the next window in order to protect your files from possible attacks by Harmful Software.
2-In the window type ‘filehistory’ and press Enter
3-A File History window will appear. Click on ‘Configure file history settings’
4-The configuration menu for File History will appear. Click on ‘Turn On’. After its on, click on Select Drive in order to select the backup drive. It is recommended to choose an external HDD, SSD or a USB stick whose memory capacity is corresponding to the size of the files you want to backup.
5-Select the drive then click on ‘Ok’ in order to set up file backup and protect yourself from Harmful Software.
1- Press Windows button + R keys.
2- A run windows should appear. In it type ‘sysdm.cpl’ and then click on Run.
3- A System Properties windows should appear. In it choose System Protection.
5- Click on Turn on system protection and select the size on the hard disk you want to utilize for system protection.
6- Click on Ok and you should see an indication in Protection settings that the protection from Harmful Software is on.
Restoring a file via Windows Defense feature:
1-Right-click on the encrypted file, then choose Properties.
2-Click on the Previous Versions tab and then mark the last version of the file.
3-Click on Apply and Ok and the file encrypted by Harmful Software should be restored.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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