The best utility for cleaning your computer from viruses. The best utilities to remove viruses and malware

If the antivirus installed on your computer does not detect anything suspicious, but the symptoms are obvious (freezes, strange running processes, autorun.inf appearing on flash drives, etc.), a “disposable antivirus” is necessary. It's easy to use - just download from the link and run it. In this case, during the scan, it is advisable to disable the antivirus that is installed on a permanent basis.

Advantages of disposable antiviruses

1. Free. For home use, almost all one-time antiviruses are free.

Flaws

1. They are not able to protect your computer all the time (there is no module for constant protection) and there is no update of anti-virus databases.

2. You have to download it again every time so that such an antivirus detects new viruses.

Dr.Web CureIt!

Dr.Web CureIt!- a good one-time antivirus. Knows how to fight running viruses (does not allow itself to be killed during scanning).

HerdProtect

An online antivirus that scans all computer files using 68 antivirus databases. I explained how to use it in a separate article.

This good option, if unlimited Internet is connected.

Minus: does not know how to treat infected files.

Plus: You don’t need to download it again to check, the databases are always fresh.

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

ESET Online Scanner

Plus Online scanner - no need to worry about downloading new versions with fresh databases. Just open the link or run esetsmartinstaller_rus.exe, the antivirus will start, update and scan your computer for viruses.

Norton Security Scan

Norton Security Scan- another one-time antivirus. You can download the interface in English, but simple.

Checks hard drives very quickly. Requires an Internet connection, just like Eset Online Scanner.

When you first start it, it creates a shortcut to itself, which is strange.

In general, it is better not to use it, since viruses common in Russia enter its database a little late. The newest winlockers (ransomware banners) are unlikely to be detected.

AVZ or Zaitsev Antivirus

Powerful antivirus utility (not a full-fledged antivirus!) for advanced users. There are not a sea of functions, but a whole ocean.

Supports updating anti-virus databases from the Internet. Unlike disposable antiviruses, it cannot treat infected *.exe files. It's more of an "anti-spyware" with many unique additional functions. I will quote the words of the author AVZ: “ The utility is a direct analogue of the Trojan Hunter and LavaSoft Ad-aware 6 programs. The primary task of the program is to remove AdWare, SpyWare and Trojan programs.» The archive with the program contains help on all functions; it must be read carefully before the first launch.

If a lot of unnecessary advertising materials appear in the browser, files disappear somewhere on the desktop, or other incomprehensible things happen, and the antivirus is powerless against them, a virus removal utility comes to the rescue.

This concept refers to a small program that simply finds and removes viruses and their remnants.

This is an inferior antivirus, such as Doctor Web or Kaspersky, but a small part of them that only scans the system and removes all malware.

Such utilities do not require installation and, most often, are distributed completely free of charge.

Some giants in the field of antivirus release such utilities so that users can fully appreciate the full power of their software.

An example of such is the same Doctor Web and Kaspersky.

The first “giant” has such a utility called Dr.Web CureIt, and the second one – Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool.

These two programs are the most popular of their kind, but far from the most effective. But they are distributed for free!

Using their example, we can consider the main functions and features of viruses removal utilities.

And then we’ll move on to considering those programs that really work effectively against ad viruses and other unnecessary programs.

Several ways: How to clean your computer from viruses absolutely free

No. 6. Dr.Web CureIt

So, Dr.Web CureIt does not require installation.

It's very easy to use.

It all comes down to these few steps:

Launch the downloaded file.
Click on one big button “Start checking” (Figure 1.a).
In the next window, tick the threats that the program will look for on your computer (highlighted green in Figure 1.b).
Click the big “Start scan” button.

After that, you just have to wait for the end of the check. This process is shown in Figure 2.a.

Upon completion, the user will see a report that displays detected viruses and the files that contain them.

An example of such a report is shown in Figure 2.b. Using the buttons at the bottom of the window, they can be deleted or quarantined.

That's the whole process of using Dr.Web CureIt.

No. 5. Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

The use of Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool is very similar to what we saw in Dr.Web CureIt. In principle, the same applies to all other utilities for treating a computer.

As for the utility from Kaspersky, I want to believe that it is really powerful and that it is capable of efficiently finding all viruses.

But, judging by the reviews on the Internet, everything is not as rosy as it seems at first glance.

Moreover, it seems that the developers of Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool decided not to put too much effort into their product.

This is confirmed by the fact that latest version this program was released in September 2015.

Since that time, Kaspersky Lab specialists have not worked with the utility. This is evidenced by the official website of the program - www.kaspersky.ru/antivirus-removal-tool.

There, by the way, you can download this very utility.

On the forums you can find reviews that Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool does not find most ad viruses, which Dr.Web CureIt easily copes with.

Some write that it takes a very long time to run and heavily loads the computer's memory.

Often it is simply impossible to run other programs in parallel with Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool. Although, all Kaspersky products suffer from this.

In any case, although Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool is the brainchild of one of the best antivirus products of our time, it does not have even a quarter of the power that Kaspersky antiviruses are famous for.

Therefore, it is better to use one of the utilities listed below.

No. 4. AdwCleaner

In any topic on the forums where we're talking about about free utilities for removing viruses, AdwCleaner will appear.

And this is not at all surprising, because many people choose this particular program as an alternative to the popular Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool and Dr.Web CureIt.

Although, if you take all the many reviews and posts, then it can hardly be considered the most powerful of its kind. But AdwCleaner was created, as they say, with soul and for people.

After the standard and identical virus removal process for everyone, AdwCleaner shows recommendations on how to avoid similar problems in the future.

As for use, this healing utility is practically no different from the above-mentioned similar programs.

The AdwCleaner window is shown in Figure 4. All actions are concentrated in the section with the appropriate name (highlighted in the figure).

To start using it, you need to click the “Scan” button, and then wait until the end of the scan.

The “Results” section (located immediately below the “Actions” section) will contain the inspection report.

There you can select all the threats found or some specific ones and click the “Delete” button.

Of course, the scanning and removal algorithms for all such programs are different, but the method of use is almost the same for all.

As for AdwCleaner, judging by the reviews of people that they left on forums and in social networks, this healing utility works better than Kaspersky and Doctor Web products.

There were cases when the same Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool did not find anything, but AdwCleaner found several dozen viruses and easily removed them from the computer.

No. 3. Anti-Malware

Anti-Malware is one of the most popular healing utilities.

Almost the same thing can be said about it as about AdwCleaner - in any topic about utilities for removing viruses, at least someone will write about Anti-Malware.

The peculiarity of this program is that it is a full-fledged software with several tabs in the main window, extensive customization options, several scanning modes and a great variety of functions.

Thus, the user can set exceptions for scanning, set scheduled scans, restrict access to the utility for other users, and do much more.

He also has the opportunity to view history.

In general, Anti-Malware is much more than AdwCleaner, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool and Dr.Web CureIt combined.

Moreover, this program is distributed completely free of charge.

It only has a Premium mode, in which a quick scan is available, the aforementioned scheduler, even real-time protection (!) and many other additional features.

But the main Anti-Malware package is quite enough to detect and permanently remove certain viruses.

In some cases, users use it as a replacement for an antivirus, only checking it from time to time. Although doing so is highly not recommended.

Anti-Malware also has disadvantages. But they are very small.

For example, the utility detected Webalta and Conduit for one user, but did not respond to Mobogenie, which is also a completely adware program.

So in the race for the title of “best virus removal utility,” Anti-Malware clearly cannot claim first place. But her place in the top three is guaranteed!

Important: Anti-Malware has a full Russian language. Only for this you need to download it from the official website - ru.malwarebytes.org/mwb-download.

No. 2. Spybot Search & Destroy

This program differs from the others in its very interesting interface - it is clear that few people worked on the program, and they did not spend a lot of time on beautiful design and advertising of their product.

But they spent a lot of time making a truly powerful virus removal tool for any modern computer.

The program interface is shown in Figure 6.

As you can see, in the main program window there are such standard items as system scan, quarantine and update.

Although there are two scans here - one for the system as a whole, the other for individual files.

This is very unusual for such programs.

There is a “Statistics” button, by clicking on which you can see how many viruses were on the computer for the entire time that Spybot Search & Destroy was on the computer, which of them were removed, and so on.

This is also a very useful function that allows you to analyze the main ways threats enter your computer.

But the palm among non-standard functions goes to “Immunization”. It allows you to protect certain files from infection. A very unusual, but very useful feature!

Among the advanced tools there is a report creator, which makes it possible to create a report on the operation of the program and the state of the system.

There are also settings and another interesting item - “Startup tools”.

It allows you to specify those programs and functions that will be loaded with the system. For example, you can set automatic scanning at startup.

Most importantly, Spybot Search & Destroy protects very well from viruses - search on top level, and the deletion takes place without side effects. And this is the main thing for such programs.

Important! Spybot Search & Destroy does not take first place in our rating today for one simple reason - it is unfinished!

For one user, this utility for some reason removed the drivers from the scanner; for another, the computer rebooted.

In addition, the creators approached the game with humor that was not very appropriate in this case. license agreement.

If they take their creation more seriously in the future, Spybot Search & Destroy may well outperform other similar programs.

Advantages of disposable antiviruses

1. Free. For home use, almost all one-time antiviruses are free.

Flaws

1. They are not able to protect your computer all the time (there is no module for constant protection) and there is no update of anti-virus databases.

2. You have to download it again every time so that such an antivirus detects new viruses.

Dr.Web CureIt!

Dr.Web CureIt!- a good one-time antivirus. Knows how to fight running viruses (does not allow itself to be killed during scanning).

HerdProtect

An online antivirus that scans all computer files using 68 antivirus databases. I explained how to use it in a separate article.

This is a good option if you have unlimited internet.

Minus: does not know how to treat infected files.

Plus: You don’t need to download it again to check, the databases are always fresh.

Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool

ESET Online Scanner

Norton Security Scan

Norton Security Scan- another one-time antivirus. You can download the interface in English, but simple.

Checks hard drives very quickly. Requires an Internet connection, just like Eset Online Scanner.

When you first start it, it creates a shortcut to itself, which is strange.

In general, it is better not to use it, since viruses common in Russia enter its database a little late. The newest winlockers (ransomware banners) are unlikely to be detected.

AVZ or Zaitsev Antivirus

Powerful antivirus utility (not a full-fledged antivirus!) for advanced users. There are not a sea of functions, but a whole ocean.

Supports updating anti-virus databases from the Internet. Unlike disposable antiviruses, it cannot treat infected *.exe files. It is more of an “anti-spyware” with many unique additional features. I will quote the words of the author AVZ: “ The utility is a direct analogue of the Trojan Hunter and LavaSoft Ad-aware 6 programs. The primary task of the program is to remove AdWare, SpyWare and Trojan programs.» The archive with the program contains help on all functions; it must be read carefully before the first launch.

Many manufacturers of security products produce free versions of antiviruses, which can be completely freely downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer and used on your computers.

Most developers only include anti-virus scanners without real-time protection in their free editions, but there are developers who provide a full range of tools to protect your data in their free version.

Below is a selection of antiviruses that you can download and use absolutely free.

07/19/2018, Anton Maksimov

Joins the ranks of free antiviruses with constant protection new version a Kaspersky Lab product called Kaspersky Free. If previously they only had a healing utility (antivirus scanner Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool), now they also release permanent file system protection and protection against malicious sites on the network.

06/12/2018, Anton Maksimov

Security is never enough. Many manufacturers of security systems think so. Including the developers of the free antivirus 360 Total Security, which includes as many as 5 engines. Yes, this antivirus has many different engines, each of which performs its own task. This includes virus detection mechanisms from Avira and Bitdefender, proactive protection QVM II, the 360 Cloud cloud system and the System Repair system recovery system.

04/18/2018, Anton Maksimov

Avast Free Antivirus is a free antivirus package with always-on protection. Perfect for home use. In addition to the anti-virus module itself, it has a number of additional tools that will help save data and protect you from online threats.

01/11/2018, Anton Maksimov

So we got our hands on free Comodo Internet Security. This is a set of tools to protect your computer, which includes a firewall, antivirus and proactive protection module. I will not describe all the features of Comodo Internet Security, because, in my opinion, they are standard and are present in most similar programs. The main difference between this program and the others is that it is free and amazingly reliable. At correct setting The program allows you to secure your computer to the maximum. The other day I reviewed several comparative tests that were carried out various companies, and the results of these tests quite surprised me. As an example, I will give the results of one of these tests.

10/05/2017, Anton Maksimov

AVG AntiVirus FREE is a world-famous antivirus program that is available free of charge to home users and is already used by millions of people around the world. Unlike many free scanners from large antivirus laboratories, AVG is a full-fledged product that can ensure the full security of your PC. AVG Anti-Virus FREE is easy to use and doesn't slow you down operating system(has low system requirements).

07/12/2017, Anton Maksimov

Today I will talk about another free antivirus Avira Free Antivirus, which recently settled on one of my computers. The situation with it is special, since this antivirus is not a simple scanner; it does not need to be downloaded every time you need to check the system. This antivirus hangs in memory and does everything on its own. Independently downloads and installs updates, independently checks files accessed by the operating system and various applications.

A massive attack by the WannaCry ransomware (WannaCryptor, WanaDecryptor) led to the infection of tens of thousands of computers in organizations and public institutions around the world. The malware uses a known vulnerability described in security bulletin MS17-010 and a combination of EternalBlue/DoublePulsar exploits that allow it to attack other vulnerable Windows systems on the same network. As a result, infection of one computer can lead to the compromise of the entire corporate network in the organization.

After appearing on a computer through successful exploitation of the vulnerability, the WannaCry ransomware encrypts all files and documents of certain formats, executing remote commands sent via the SMB protocol and spreading to others Windows computers online.

Perhaps you are too trusting and therefore have not installed an antivirus on your PC, or the license for your antivirus has already expired, or the antivirus you have installed does not provide maximum protection, and... maybe your PC is infected!

02/20/2015, Anton Maksimov

For the vast majority of home users of Windows 7 and Windows 10, a standard antivirus product from Microsoft is quite suitable. In the Windows 10 operating system, it is already built into the system called Windows Defender and does not need to be additionally downloaded and installed. But for Windows 7 you will have to install it by downloading the Microsoft Security Essentials distribution from the Microsoft website. Essentially, these are the same product, but with different names for various systems.

07/22/2013, Anton Maksimov

Dr.Web CureIt! - an antivirus that is noticeably different from the programs everyone is familiar with. This utility does not work constantly, preventing the appearance of malware on the computer. It allows you to cure an already infected PC from viruses, Trojan horses, rootkits, etc. This feature of Dr.Web CureIt! defines the scope of application of this product. It can be used periodically to check the reliability of the antivirus installed on your computer, as well as in cases where, based on indirect signs, you can suspect a PC infection. In general, I benefit from Dr.Web CureIt! difficult to overestimate.

06/26/2013, Anton Maksimov

Continuing the popular topic of free antivirus, I would like to mention another development that I became acquainted with relatively recently and which I have not yet had time to write about. In theory, it would be possible to add this information to the original message, but I decided to put everything in the form of a separate note. So, today we will talk about a free antivirus from Kaspersky Lab called Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool.

10.21.2009, Anton Maksimov

An interesting free antivirus program is produced by Microsoft Corporation. The utility is called Malicious Software Removal Tool (Malicious Software Removal Tool for Microsoft® Windows® OS). This tool is in automatic mode scans your computer for a range of malware and immediately removes them when found. The tool is not a replacement for a regular anti-virus utility; it only allows you to perform a quick analysis for the presence of common viruses.

In this short review we will look at several applications that have been considered the best. These utilities will allow you to quickly detect and easily remove malware from your computer running Windows 10, 8, 7, XP.

How to remove malware

Currently, malware is widespread because it uses a fairly simple method of infiltrating a user’s computer. These are not Trojans or vulnerabilities, but simple deception. Almost every one of us, at least once, installed free application. So, most often, such applications allow malware to penetrate the user’s computer, since the malware is simply integrated into their installer. Install free program- a bonus is installed - malware. But, we must add here that there are cases when paid programs contain malware, most often adware.

I would also like to remind you that malware poses a very serious threat, as it can cause great harm to your computer: damage or encrypt files on it, install a module or extension in the browser that will change its settings or begin to show a huge amount of intrusive advertising, and what else. not unimportant, can work as a spy, collect information about you detailed information, which will subsequently be transferred to third parties. Therefore, it is obvious that the presence of malware on your
It is undesirable on your computer; it must be deleted immediately after being found.

The best malware removal utilities

Not all antivirus programs are good at detecting and removing malware, since malware most often behaves differently than regular viruses. Therefore, it is very important to have on your computer a utility specifically designed to solve this problem. Here you need to add that you can have one antivirus program installed on your computer, but you can use several utilities to remove malware. Each of them is an excellent addition to the security system of the Windows operating system.

AdwCleaner

Quickly find and easily remove malware. AdwCleaner will allow you to solve these two problems with ease.

If you need a utility that is small in size but can easily find and remove malware, then check out AdwCleaner. This is a very convenient program, which is primarily designed to quickly find and remove malware that infects web browsers and changes their settings.

In addition, this tool will easily help you get rid of adware and potentially unnecessary applications. The disadvantage of the program is that AdwCleaner does not contain an auto-protection module and cannot protect you from new malware entering your system. In all other respects it is very effective remedy and should be in the arsenal of every user who actively uses the Internet.

Zemana Anti-malware

Zemana Anti-malware is an excellent addition to your main antivirus, which allows you to protect your computer as much as possible from new malware.

Zemana Anti-malware is another great option among programs designed to find and remove malware different types. If you want to protect your computer as much as possible, then first of all we recommend that you install a classic anti-virus package, and as a means of protection against malware, choose the Zemana Anti-malware program.

This is an excellent application that appeared not so long ago, but has already earned respect among security experts. Zemana Anti-malware can analyze suspicious programs (called heuristic analysis) to see if their behavior exhibits characteristics that are characteristic of various types of malware, including adware and programs that change the settings of installed web browsers. This means that you will be protected from the latest malware, including the case where your computer is the first victim to be affected by a new malware and, accordingly, its description is not yet in the Zemana Anti-malware database of known threats. In any case, this malicious program will be quickly detected and safely removed from your personal computer. All this happens automatically, in the background.

We recommend scanning all downloaded files with Zemana Anti-malware before running them. This will allow you to prevent your computer from becoming infected with malware, as it will block them before the initial launch. And as you know, it is better to prevent infection than to treat it later.

As already mentioned, if you already have an antivirus program, paid or free, and you completely trust it, then you can additionally install Zemana Anti-malware Free. This program will not cause conflicts and will work as an add-on that will significantly increase the security of your computer.

Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes can easily replace your antivirus or work in tandem with it, thereby significantly increasing your operating system's protection against malware.

Thinking about replacing your antivirus? Then meet Malwarebytes. This is a well-known program, originally created specifically for finding and removing malware. But by now it has seriously changed and can not only save you from malware, but also protect you from its penetration, as well as find and neutralize ordinary viruses. In addition, Malwarebytes contains a module that allows you to protect your computer from the most dangerous malware - ransomware viruses.

Malwarebytes 3.0 - scan results

Despite its enormous capabilities, this program can very quickly scan your computer, having one of the fastest scanners among all antivirus programs. With it, you can forget about the fact that scanning the entire computer can take half a day or more. Any security threat to your computer will be detected and quarantined.

Malwarebytes is not intrusive, but will always warn you when there are attempts to launch malicious programs or when any programs attempt to perform potentially dangerous actions on your system. Additionally, what needs to be added is that when you install it, you get all the features for 14 days free of charge, and then you are given a choice. Buy a license and use all the features, or use free version programs. In free mode, the automatic protection module will be disabled, but Malwarebytes, without any restrictions, will scan your computer at your request and will be able to remove all detected malware as before.

Kaspresky Virus Removal Tool

Kaspresky Virus Removal Tool (KVRT) is free utility, which is based on the core of Kaspersky antivirus. Of course, this application will not provide you with comprehensive computer protection against malware, but it will give you complete control over manual scanning.

Kaspresky Virus Removal Tool can detect all types of malicious software, including adware and spyware, as well as a variety of Trojans, viruses and rootkits. Once malware is detected, you can remove it quickly and easily.

If you suspect that a file you downloaded may contain malware, be sure to check it using Kaspresky Virus Removal Tool. This program will analyze it, and based on this analysis, recommend whether it is safe or not to run it. It is very easy and convenient, since this program scans very quickly and consumes virtually no computer resources. This is especially convenient if you are using a computer or virtual machine with limited resources.

Although you must initiate the scanning process yourself, this does not reduce the program's capabilities. Kaspresky Virus Removal Tool is a great tool to check your computer from time to time or keep on your PC in case malware gets into the system and urgent treatment is needed.

An ideal malware removal tool that does not require installation on your computer and contains several useful additional utilities.

If your computer has been infected with malware and you are faced with the fact that it works very slowly, or the installation of programs is blocked, or if you need a tool that can be stored on a flash drive, then Emsisoft Emergency Kit is perfect for you. This is an application that does not require installation on a computer and can be launched from a regular flash drive or any other external device.

Emsisoft Emergency Kit already has a database of malware signatures, but it requires an Internet connection to update. Immediately after launch, the program will scan your computer for malware and then allow you to move it to quarantine. This will block the ability of malware to harm your system.