A “trojan horse” is a program that runs on your Windows computer without your knowledge or consent. It is designed to bypass your virus scanner and firewall to allow download and installation of other malicious software (e.g. viruses or spyware).
If you suspect that your computer has a trojan horse, there is no need to spend money on expensive removal software. In this guide, I’m going to show you how you can easily do your own trojan horse removal for free.
What You Will Need
- Windows Vista or Windows 7
- Local administrator privileges to be able to make system changes
1) Backup Your Data and System
As with any manual system changes, there is a chance of data loss. Therefore, before you begin:
- Backup your user data (e.g. documents folder)
- Backup your system registry
Hint: Use the free Microsoft System Backup tool that comes with Vista and Windows 7 and store your backup set to removable media such as DVD or external drives.
2) Disable Services and Programs
Hit the start button. In the search box, type “MSCONFIG” (no quote marks) and hit Enter.
In the “General” tab, check the option button labeled “Diagnostic startup”.
Click “OK” and follow the prompts to restart Windows.
3) Use Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool
Once your system has restarted, run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool.
If you are running Microsoft Windows Update (recommended), you already have the Malicious Software Removal Tool installed. For details of how to manually start this tool in Windows 7 or Vista, check the resource box below.
Conclusion
In most cases, you do not need to spend money on trojan horse removal if you have Vista or Windows 7. In 3 simple, effective and free steps, you can eliminate trojan horses and other malicious software from your Windows system.
If you find that your computer has been infected by a trojan horse, you might like to think about installing more effective PC virus protection to prevent future infections.
About the author
Rowland C O’Connor has worked as a Microsoft Certified Professional for over 12 years and has over 20 years of experience with Windows. Rowland is the editor at Windows Performance.com, a resource with helpful tips, articles and videos showing you how to speed up and protect your Windows computer.
To read the complete article including illustrations and full instructions, see our trojan horse removal guide.
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