Free Download No credit card required. Buy Now -. Advanced malware blocking Strong malware protection is essential for defending your home computers from online threats. Sophos Home Premium blocks viruses with:. Award-Winning Malware Security. Protect your home computers with the same security technologies that Sophos uses to protect over million organizations worldwide.

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A Small File. Anywhere Access. In the Properties dialog box, check the path of the rogue security software program that is listed in Target. Note: The folder name is frequently a random number or string of characters. In the Program Files window, click Program Files in the address bar.

Scroll until you find the rogue security software program folder. For example, XP Security Agent Go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner website. If you suspect that your computer is infected with rogue security software that was not detected by using Microsoft security solutions, you can submit samples by using the Microsoft Malware Protection Center submission form.

Microsoft Defender Offline is an anti-malware tool that helps remove difficult to eliminate viruses that start before Windows starts. Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft Defender Offline is built in. To use it follow the steps in this article: Help protect my PC with Microsoft Defender Offline.

On an uninfected computer, go to Help protect my PC with Microsoft Defender Offline. Click Download the 32 bit version or Download the 64 bit version , depending on which operating system that you are running. If you're unsure of which operating system that you are running, see Is my PC running the bit or bit version of Windows.

When you are prompted, click Save As , and then save the file to a DVD, CD, or USB flash drive. When you are prompted, press a key to select an option to use to start your computer, such as F12, F5, or F8, depending on the kind of computer that you are using.

Use the arrow key to scroll to the drive where you installed Microsoft Defender Offline file. Microsoft Defender Offline starts and immediately scans for malware.

Once malware is running in your computer's memory it can be harder to remove. The malware is often created with what we call "persistence" which means that if it's running and sees that its files have been deleted or quarantined by security software, the malware will attempt to re-write the files to your drive.

Restarting gives us a chance to load Windows without loading the malware, so we can clean the files off the drive without the malware in memory attempting to reinstall itself. Confirm that the Windows firewall is turned on. See Turn Microsoft Defender Firewall on or off for instructions on how to do that on modern versions of Windows.

In the Search box, type firewall, and then click Windows Firewall. In the left pane, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off you may be prompted to enter your administrator password.

Under each network location, click Turn on Windows Firewall , and then click OK. For more information about how to set Automatic Updates in Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ. Only download programs from sites that you trust. If you're not sure whether to trust a program that you want to download, enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see whether anyone else has reported that it contains spyware.

Read all security warnings, license agreements, and privacy statements that are associated with any software that you download. Never click "Agree" or "OK" to close a window that you suspect might be spyware.

Be wary of popular "free" music and movie file-sharing programs, and make sure that you understand all the software packaged with those programs. Use a standard user account instead of an administrator account.

An administrator account can access anything on the system, and any malware run with an administrator account can use the administrator permissions to potentially infect or damage any files on the system. For more information about how to protect a computer against viruses, see Protect my PC from viruses.

Want to chat with a live person? Our Answer Tech trained professionals are ready to help: Answer Desk. Security information and training. Microsoft Security Help and Learning Security solutions for IT Professionals: Microsoft Security and Response Center For locations outside North America:.

For computer virus and security-related support for locations outside North America, go to the Microsoft Support website. Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft subscription benefits. Microsoft training. Microsoft security. Accessibility center. Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge. Ask the Microsoft Community. Microsoft Tech Community. Malware can impair your ability to access your anti-virus software by blocking certain computer processes or inhibiting your ability to launch administrator-level programs.

Sometimes, malware will modify your system registry to hamstring helpful programs. Additionally, malware can prevent you from searching for a solution via the Web by actively preventing you from accessing certain websites.

Malware authors constantly look for ways to prevent you from reversing the damage done by their programs. If a virus is blocking your protection software from launching, loading your computer in Safe Mode can help you successfully stop and remove the virus.

This is a limited functionality mode of the Windows operating system that loads only system-critical processes. In most cases, this means the virus won't load at launch, which in turn will enable you to successfully launch your anti-virus software. Rootkits are advanced types of malware that hide malicious processes from your computer's anti-malware suite.

Viruses can be quite destructive, corrupting data and infecting legitimate files. Most types of malware can be completely removed with the assistance of good anti-malware software that can scan and remove malicious software. We suggest that it's best to be proactive, though.

Take precautionary steps to mitigate the risk of a malware infection. Read more here: can malware go undetected. The answer to this question depends on the nature of the malware and the type of reset. Malware is more likely to survive a PC reset that only refreshes the system but keeps your personal files.

It's highly unlikely to survive a PC reset that formats your hard drive, though. However, there are some types of malware, like rootkits, firmware malware, or BIOS malware, that can survive a hard drive format.

Although there are many different nasty types of malware in the wild, a rootkit is usually the most challenging to remove because it gains root-level access to a system while trying to stay undetected. Root access, also known as administrator-level access, allows rootkits to operate on a deeper level than other malware.

Skip to content HOW TO REMOVE A VIRUS FROM A COMPUTER Read this in-depth guide about how to remove a virus from various types of computers.

HOW TO REMOVE A VIRUS FROM A COMPUTER Cybersecurity Basics JUMP TO HOW TO REMOVE A VIRUS FROM A COMPUTER How to get rid of a virus on your computer: Step-by-Step Spot the signs: How to tell if your computer has a virus or other type of malware How to remove a virus from Windows PC How to remove a virus from Mac How to remove a virus from Chrome What if you can't remove malware from your computer?

How to avoid computer viruses Antivirus Malware Ransomware Adware Spyware Hacker Phishing Data breach Android antivirus Trojan Mac antivirus Emotet Keylogger Spam SQL injection DDoS Spoofing Cryptojacking Scam call Exploits Malvertising Backdoor Identity theft Computer virus GandCrab VPN Social Engineering Password manager What is EDR?

What is endpoint protection? Malwarebytes Endpoint Detection and Response Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection Malwarebytes Incident Response View all. How to remove a virus from a computer Modern computer users often use the terms virus and malware interchangeably. Read this in-depth guide for more on: How to get rid of a virus on your computer How to remove virus from computer using command prompt How to remove malware from Mac How to remove malware from chrome How to get rid of a virus on your computer: Step-by-Step 1: Contact an IT professional Some malware, like a rootkit, bootkit, spyware, or ransomware, can be challenging to remove.

Spot the signs: How to tell if your computer has a virus or other type of malware Learning how to tell if your computer has a virus can be tricky because of hardware problems that look like malware problems.

However, there are some symptoms that are more likely due to a malware infection like a virus than faulty hardware: Some files, folders, and programs are inaccessible. New software on your computer that you did not download. Documents are saved as template files or files with strange extensions.

New executables in your system folder. Mysterious new home pages, wallpapers, toolbars, or extensions. Pop-up ads on your screen featuring ads demanding your attention through offers or threats. Someone else is controlling your computer. Loss of root-level access such as admin privileges or system settings.

How to remove a virus from Windows PC Disconnect the system from the Internet to stop the malware from spreading across your network or communicating with its author. Scan the computer with your antivirus software to detect any malicious threats.

Quarantine or remove any detected threats. Run another scan with your antivirus software to catch any remnants of malicious software. Remove any detected threats. Restart the PC. How to remove a virus from Mac Disconnect the system from the Internet to stop the malware from spreading across your network or communicating with its author.

Quit any apps that are misbehaving. Look for known Mac viruses in your Activity Monitor and quit them too. Scan the computer with anti-malware software to find any malicious threats. Run another scan to catch any remnants of malicious software.

Reset your browsers. Restart your Mac. How to remove a virus from Chrome Google has retired the Chrome Cleanup Tool, which was a useful Chrome anti-malware tool baked into Google Chrome. Use an anti-malware tool to remove any malware on your system downloaded via Chrome.

Remove and reinstall Chrome as a final resort. How to avoid computer viruses Back-up your data A computer virus can delete important files such as your images or documents. Make sure your cyber security software is up-to-date Update your security software to the latest version to gain access to the latest antivirus technology.

Use antivirus, anti-malware and Internet Security software Use a cybersecurity tool to safeguard your computer from viruses and other kinds of malware.

Avoid suspicious emails and sites Never open suspicious emails, especially if they carry attachments. Keep your passwords strong and protected While unlikely, a threat actor could breach your login security and infect your system with a virus. Download safe software Software downloaded from unsafe websites, links, and emails can hide malware.

Use a VPN Using a VPN virtual private network helps you keep your data safe and private. Related Articles Top 25 Internet Safety Tips What is a VPN? FAQs How does a virus get on your computer? How to remove virus from a computer using command prompt.

Run your computer in Safe Mode and try the following steps: Type cmd in the search bar. Run Command Prompt as an administrator. Type dir and press the Enter key to see all the files in the drive. Press CANCEL to prevent it. Return to System Security and download it to secure your PC.

Press OK to Continue or Cancel to stay on the current page. For more information see Protect yourself from tech support scams. Removing a computer virus or spyware can be difficult without the help of malicious software removal tools.

Some computer viruses and other unwanted software reinstall themselves after the viruses and spyware are detected and removed. Fortunately, by updating the computer and by using malicious software removal tools, you can help permanently remove unwanted software.

For more information about how to remove a computer virus and spyware, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: - Microsoft resources and guidance for removal of malware and viruses.

Note A computer virus may prevent you from accessing the Microsoft Update website to install the latest updates. We recommend that you set the Automatic Updates service to run automatically so that a computer is not missing any important updates.

For more information, see Windows Update: FAQ. Microsoft offers a free online tool that scans and helps remove potential threats from your computer. To perform the scan, go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner website.

For more information about the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:. Note the name of the rogue security software.

For this example, we'll call it XP Security Agent When you are prompted, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Networking , and then press Enter. Tip: Safe Mode starts Windows with only the minimum number of drivers and services necessary for operation.

This often prevents malware or other misbehaving software from loading and makes it easier to clean them out. Click the Start button and check whether the rogue security software appears on the Start menu.

If it's not listed there, click All Programs and scroll to find the rogue security software's name. Right-click the name of the rogue security software program, and then click Properties.

In the Properties dialog box, check the path of the rogue security software program that is listed in Target. Note: The folder name is frequently a random number or string of characters. In the Program Files window, click Program Files in the address bar. Scroll until you find the rogue security software program folder.

For example, XP Security Agent Go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner website. If you suspect that your computer is infected with rogue security software that was not detected by using Microsoft security solutions, you can submit samples by using the Microsoft Malware Protection Center submission form.

Microsoft Defender Offline is an anti-malware tool that helps remove difficult to eliminate viruses that start before Windows starts. Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft Defender Offline is built in.

To use it follow the steps in this article: Help protect my PC with Microsoft Defender Offline. On an uninfected computer, go to Help protect my PC with Microsoft Defender Offline. Click Download the 32 bit version or Download the 64 bit version , depending on which operating system that you are running.

If you're unsure of which operating system that you are running, see Is my PC running the bit or bit version of Windows. When you are prompted, click Save As , and then save the file to a DVD, CD, or USB flash drive.

When you are prompted, press a key to select an option to use to start your computer, such as F12, F5, or F8, depending on the kind of computer that you are using. Use the arrow key to scroll to the drive where you installed Microsoft Defender Offline file. Microsoft Defender Offline starts and immediately scans for malware.

Once malware is running in your computer's memory it can be harder to remove. The malware is often created with what we call "persistence" which means that if it's running and sees that its files have been deleted or quarantined by security software, the malware will attempt to re-write the files to your drive.

Restarting gives us a chance to load Windows without loading the malware, so we can clean the files off the drive without the malware in memory attempting to reinstall itself. Confirm that the Windows firewall is turned on. See Turn Microsoft Defender Firewall on or off for instructions on how to do that on modern versions of Windows.

In the Search box, type firewall, and then click Windows Firewall. In the left pane, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off you may be prompted to enter your administrator password. Under each network location, click Turn on Windows Firewall , and then click OK.

We recommend experimenting with enabling and disabling the following three:. Exclusion settings in Kaspersky Internet Security, Kaspersky Total Security, and Kaspersky Security Cloud. Choosing the path to the exclusion file and selecting components to ignore.

Why cybercriminals want to attack PR and marketing staff and, crucially, how to protect your company from financial and reputational harm. One-time codes and two-factor authentication securely protect you from account theft. Getting what you pay for: cracked macOS apps fetch malicious code from DNS records to steal crypto.

Solutions for:. What to do if the antivirus app blocks a program As a rule, antivirus apps prevent other programs from starting if they see potentially dangerous behavior.

Selecting a trusted application. Permissible options when adding exclusions. Adding a new exclusion.