CONTENTS
Introduction
1
AVG Free Antivirus
2
Avira Free Antivirus
3
Malwarebytes
4
ComboFix
5
Advanced System Care Free
6
SuperAntispyware
7
IObit Malware Fighter
8
Other Tools
9
From the Author
INTRODUCTION
I would like to just take a minute and say thank you! You now hold in your hands a very comprehensive guide to getting your computer back on track. Being in the computer repair business for 10 years now, I find that there are some basic things people can do to help themselves when it comes to protecting and cleaning your computer. In the world today, viruses can be a regular occurrence and the computer repair bills can get very pricey. I am not guaranteeing that the information contained in this book will be able to solve all your virus problems, every time. Today’s viruses are getting very intricate and destructive, but these are some tools you can try before you have to call in the big guns. If you ARE unsure of something though, I recommend contacting a professional so you do not get in over your head and end up with bigger problems…
These are all tools and methods that I use myself. These are also tools that can be used to do a general cleanup and maybe stop an infection before it has the chance to spread. All of the tools in this book can be downloaded for free. I give you all of the websites where you can download them. There are also full-service versions that can be purchased that give you enhanced features, such as auto scanning & updating or a higher level of protection. I recommend running a virus scan, Malwarebytes and Advanced System Care at least once per month.
There are 2 very important tasks you must perform before attempting to remove a virus from your computer. The first is to backup all of your data and the second is to create a system restore point. It is also a good idea to do these on a regular basis, regardless of a virus. If your computer crashes or your operating system becomes corrupt, you do not want to lose all of your pictures, music and personal or work files. I will explain how to do both tasks next. It is also possible that once your computer has been infected, you may not be able to perform either of these tasks.
Also you may need to boot your computer into Safe Mode, which I will explain step-by-step. Safe Mode will load the minimum amount of functions the computer needs to be able to run. In many cases, when you start your computer, you also start the virus. Safe Mode can sometimes disable the virus on startup in order for you to remove it.
Backup your Data…
One of the first rules of thumb in the computer world is to always BACKUP YOUR DATA!!! I can’t tell you how many times I have had to fix a computer and the person never backed up… In some cases, like when the hard drive crashes, they lose everything. You can pick up an external USB hard drive pretty cheap these days from stores like Staples, Office Depot or BestBuy. You can also pick them up online. I buy new ones from eBay all the time. Most external hard drives today come with software to install on your computer to perform the backup. All you have to do is follow the directions. I would do a backup at least once a month, but it all depends on how often you add new data. You might need to do once a week or even daily.
Creating a system restore point…
System restore is a tool built into Windows that allows you to roll your computer backwards to a previous date and time if you are experiencing a problem. It does not affect your data in any way but it will uninstall programs or updates that may have been installed and are now causing a problem. Many times your computer will create restore points automatically, but it is always a good idea to check and make sure it is working properly and to create a few yourself.
To create a system restore point in Windows XP, click on the “Start” button in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. (If you are using Windows 7, the instructions follow after XP.)
Click on “All Programs Accessories System Tools System Restore”
A box will open and you can choose “create a restore point”. You can call it whatever you want, I usually call it Maintenance. Click “Create” and when finished you can close the program. If you need to restore your computer to an earlier time, you would open System Restore and choose “Restore my computer to an earlier time”. The dates that are in bold have restore points. Pick a date on the left and if there are multiple restore points, pick the one you want to use. Click “Next” and then “Next” again. Your computer will begin to restore itself. **WARNING** Once this process is started, it cannot be stopped. Your computer will restart itself and should display a message that your computer was successfully restored.
You may see a message that it was not successfully restored. In that case you may need to go back in and choose another restore point. If that also fails, depending on the problem you are having, you may need to consult a professional.
To create a system restore point in Windows 7, click on the Circle button in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. In the search bar type in “Create a System Restore Point” and you will see it appear in the list. Click on it to select it. A box will open and you will see a button that says “Create” at the bottom. Click “Create”, type a name for your restore point and click “Create” again. When it has created the restore point, click “Close”.
To restore the computer to an earlier time, click on the Circle button in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. In the search bar type in “System Restore” and you will see it appear in the list. Click on it to select it. You will see a recommended restore point or you can choose a different restore point. You can also scan for affected programs to see if you recently installed something that may be affected by rolling back the computer. If the restore points in the list do not go back far enough, you can choose to look for another restore point. **Once the process has been started, it cannot be stopped. Your computer will restart itself and should display a message that your computer was successfully restored.
You may see a message that it was not successfully restored. In that case you may need to go back in and choose another restore point. If that also fails, depending on the problem you are having, you may need to consult a professional.
What is Safe Mode and how to access it…
Sometimes your computer may experience a problem where it does not work right when you turn it on. It may be due to a virus or to files getting corrupted. You may have a problem running or accessing programs or you may not be able to run system restore if you need to. One technique you can try is “Safe Mode”. Safe Mode runs the minimum amount of process and program required for the computer to function. Your screen will look super-sized and you may not be able to access all of your programs. Sometimes this feature will allow you to scan for viruses or access system restore to try and fix whatever issue you may be having.
To access Safe Mode, turn on or restart your computer. Whatever brand of computer you may have usually has what’s called a flash screen, where the name of the manufacturer appears. You have to be quick! As soon as you see that screen you have to start hitting the F5 and F8 keys along the top of your keyboard. Hit them one at a time, back and forth, but very rapidly. Your computer will probably start beeping and you may get a keyboard error, but that is ok, just keep tapping. You should see a screen that says “Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking and Safe Mode with Command Prompt”. If you want to be able to access the Internet (which is what I recommend) choose “Safe Mode with Networking”. Use the “Up and Down” arrow keys on the keyboard and when you’ve made your choice, press “Enter”. You will see a whole bunch of lines of code flash across the screen. That is normal. A box will pop up that will alert you that you are working in Safe Mode, just click ok. You can now proceed with restoring your computer to an earlier time or starting to scan for viruses.
When you are trying to enter Safe Mode, if you do not start hitting the F5 or F8 soon enough or you are not alternating them fast enough, you may seem the normal windows screen. That means your computer is booting normally and you have to start all over and try again. It might take you a couple tries before you get the hang of it, but keep trying...
Now, on with the show. Let’s learn how to properly protect your computer with Antivirus software and how to remove those nasty viruses and cleanup your machine so it will run as fast as possible… READY – SET – LET’S GO!!!!!!!
CHAPTER 1
AVG FREE ANTIVIRUS
AVG is my favorite among the free antivirus software programs available today. I will also share my second favorite which is a program called Avira. There are 2 versions of AVG, the free version and the paid Internet Security Version. I have always used the free version and have found it works great!
The first thing you need to do is determine of you already have an antivirus program installed on your computer. You should not have more than one because they can conflict with each other and cause your computer to crash. If you have an exist antivirus that you used to pay for, you can switch over at any time to a free one. You simply have to uninstall the old one.
In some cases, you may find that you have multiple antivirus scans installed on your computer. Sometime when you download software from the Internet, it will download a free scanner such as McAfee or Norton Scan. I recommend you remove these.
In order to uninstall a program:
Click “Start Control Panel Add Remove Program or Programs and Features”. A box will open and it will generate a list of all the programs on your computer. Navigate to the program(s) you want to uninstall and click “Uninstall”. Follow the on-screen instructions. Once you are finished uninstalling, restart your computer if it doesn’t already prompt you to do so.
Open up an Internet window and type in www.download.com into the address bar. You will see a search box in the upper right corner of your screen. Type in “AVG Free Antivirus”. A list will be generated, just scroll down until you see AVG Free Antivirus. The current version is 2012 as you may notice. Click “Download Now”. You will see a bar either at the top or bottom of your screen. Click “Download Now” or “Run” and the following box will appear: