Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Note! Your computer might be affected by W32/Agent and other threats.
Threats such as W32/Agent may be persistent on your system. They tend to re-appear if not fully deleted. A malware removal tool like SpyHunter will help you to remove malicious programs, saving you the time and the struggle of tracking down numerous malicious files. SpyHunter’s scanner is free but the paid version is needed to remove the malware threats. Read SpyHunter’s EULA and Privacy Policy
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article has been created to help explain what is the W32/Agent virus and how to remove these types of threats from your computer effectively.
If you came to this page, you are probably wondering what I that W32/Agent infection which was recently detected on your PC. To best explain it, the W32/Agent is the actual “Agent” family name of viruses which are custom. And by custom this likely means that they do not belong to any virus family or are combination of different viruses, making them unique. When your antivirus program detects such a virus, it is likely are customized or a brand new worm, virus, spyware, miner or even a dropper for a ransomware virus. These types of malicious programs are all characterized under the W32/Agent name and they can be quite a lot. If you have the W32/Agent virus, we strongly advise you to read this article as it will explain you all there is to know about the “Agent” family of viruses and how you can remove them completely from your computer.
Threat Summary
Name
W32/Agent
Type
Customized Virus / Mix of Different Malware Strains
Short Description
If you see a W32/Agent detection, then you should know that it is either e new threat that is custom made and does not imitate or share any other viruses’ code or is part of a combined viruses.
Symptoms
Symptoms can vary from unusual PC behavior to a complete block of access to your machine.
Distribution Method
Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files, Malicious web links, JavaScript files, Drive-by download, etc.
If you have the “agent virus”, chances are your computer has been infected with one of the following cyber-threats:
Trojan Horse.
Keylogger.
Spyware.
Worm.
Virus.
Coin miner infection.
Ransomware.
Downloader.
Dropper.
Cliker.
Infostealer.
All of these infections detected under the “agent” family could use variety of methods to replicate on your computer. Probably the most often used method is to upload the infection files in the form of files that only pretend to be legitimate. These types of files imitate programs that the users search for. So you could say that by doing this, the crooks aim to intercept some traffic to compromised websites, where the malicious files are quitely waiting to be downloaded and infect computers.
The most often imitated programs are:
Cracks for games, programs or other software.
Key generators that activate different tools.
Updates for Windows, for Drivers or different programs.
Driver installation packages.
Fake software setups.
Fake portable versions of programs you might be looking to download and use.
Fake documents, containing malicious macros.
Patches.
In addition to this, the malicious files may also be sent to you in different forms, like via e-mail for example. If sent by e-mail, the crooks embed the file as an attachment and they often include it in a Microsoft Word document that contains malicious Macros. Below you can see how such infection takes place:
If you want to learn more about the malicious files that may be spreading such “Agent” malware infections, you can read more on the related article underneath:
The malicious actions performed by such threats usually depend on the type of threat that it actually is. For instance, if the threat is ransomware that is dropped from a crafted W32/Agent virus, it may drop the ransomware’s payload and then, your files may become encrypted. Then, the ransomware would demand you to pay ransom In order to restore your files so that they can be opened again, but until then, they look crippled:
So one safety measure against these infections is to immediately get your files out of your infected machine. For a complete guide on how and where to safely store your infected files, please read the related article below:
In case however, the malware is from the Spyware or Trojan type, it may do more surveillance and information theft on your PC, so then your passwords and files are also at stake, since such information can easily be stolen. Some Trojans that belong to the banking type may obtain data from your PC. This is why in the event of such infection, changing all your exposed credentials after removal is advisable.
And of course, there are also the less dangerous threats that are related to W32/Agent type. These are often clicker Trojans or some aggressive from of adware, that uses unauthorized hack-tools to show you ads and cause browser re-directions. This cannot be directly dangerous in most cases, but it may lead to some unsafe sites, so it is recommended that you not underestimate it.
Remove W32/Agent Infections from Your PC
These types of threats can generally be removed manually, but for this to happen, you will need to have experience in how to identify the malicious files and registry objects that are modified by the threat in question and remove them manually as the instructions below show.
Since such information is generally not available, especially with “Agent” types of viruses, it is recommended that you take a more automatic approach and download an advanced anti-malware software. Such tools are often the best solution according to experts, because they are designed to try their best to scan for and remove all files and objects that are related to your specific variant of W32/Agent and in the same time they also include real-time protection against such threats.
Note! Your computer system may be affected by W32/Agent and other threats. Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as W32/Agent. Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove W32/Agent follow these steps:
1. Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove W32/Agent files and objects
OFFER
Manual Removal Usually Takes Time and You Risk Damaging Your Files If Not Careful!
We Recommend To Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
For Windows XP, Vista and 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 up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
2. Find files created by W32/Agent on your PC
Find files created by W32/Agent
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
For Newer Windows Operating Systems
Step 1:
On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
Step 2:
Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
Step 3:
Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:
Step 1:
Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
Step 2:
After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
Step 3:
After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove W32/Agent with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for W32/Agent and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove W32/Agent. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
Step 1: Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.
It is 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. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
Ventsislav has been covering the latest malware, software and newest tech developments at SensorsTechForum for 3 years now. He started out as a network administrator. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for discovery of new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management and then Network Administration, he found his passion within cybersecrurity and is a strong believer in basic education of every user towards online safety.
This article has been created to help explain what is the W32/Agent virus and how to remove these types of threats from your computer effectively.
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for W32/Agent and remove them.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.
