Malicious siftware removal tool

Help protect your computer that is running Windows from viruses and malware: Virus Solution and Security Center. The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center: For bit xbased systems:.

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, see How to obtain Microsoft support files from online services. Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file. If you are an IT administrator who wants more information about how to deploy the tool in an enterprise environment, see Deploy Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool in an enterprise environment.

Except where noted, the information in this section applies to all the ways that you can download and run the MSRT:. You must log on to the computer by using an account that is a member of the Administrators group. If your logon account does not have the required permissions, the tool exits. If the tool is not being run in quiet mode, it displays a dialog box that describes the failure.

If the tool is more than days 7 months out of date, the tool displays a dialog box that recommends that you download the latest version of the tool. Runs in detect-only mode. In this mode, malicious software will be reported to the user, but it will not be removed. When you download the tool from Microsoft Update or from Automatic Updates, and no malicious software is detected on the computer, the tool will run in quiet mode next time.

If malicious software is detected on the computer, the next time that an administrator logs on to the computer, a balloon will appear in the notification area to notify you of the detection. For more information about the detection, click the balloon. When you download the tool from the Microsoft Download Center, the tool displays a user interface when it runs.

Each release of the tool helps detect and remove current, prevalent malicious software. This malicious software includes viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Microsoft uses several metrics to determine the prevalence of a malicious software family and the damage that can be associated with it.

This Microsoft Knowledge Base article will be updated with information for each release so that the number of the relevant article remains the same. The name of the file will be changed to reflect the tool version. The following table lists the malicious software that the tool can remove.

The tool can also remove any known variants at the time of release. The table also lists the version of the tool that first included detection and removal for the malicious software family.

We maximize customer protection by regularly reviewing and prioritizing our signatures. We add or remove detections as the threat landscape evolves. Note: It is recommended to have an up to date next-gen antimalware product installed for continuous protection.

The specific information that is sent to Microsoft consists of the following items:. An indicator that notes whether the tool is being run by Microsoft Update, Windows Update, Automatic Updates, the Download Center, or from the website.

A cryptographic one-way hash MD5 of the path and file name of each malicious software file that is removed from the computer. If apparently malicious software is found on the computer, the tool prompts you to send information to Microsoft beyond what is listed here.

You are prompted in each of these instances, and this information is sent only with your consent. The additional information includes the following:. You can disable the reporting feature. For information about how to disable the reporting component and how to prevent this tool from sending information to Microsoft, see Deploy Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool in an enterprise environment.

An infection was found but was not removed. Note This result is displayed if suspicious files were found on the computer. To help remove these files, you should use an up-to-date antivirus product. An infection was found and was partially removed. Note To complete this removal, you should use an up-to-date antivirus product. A3: Yes. Per the terms of this tool's license terms, the tool can be redistributed.

However, make sure that you are redistributing the latest version of the tool. A4: If you are a Windows 7 user, use Microsoft Update or the Microsoft Update Automatic Updates functionality to test whether you are using the latest version of the tool.

Or, use the Windows Update Automatic Updates functionality to test whether you are using the latest version of the tool. Additionally, you can visit the Microsoft Download Center. Also, if the tool is more than 60 days out of date, the tool reminds you to look for a new version of the tool. A5: No. The Microsoft Knowledge Base article number for the tool will remain as for future versions of the tool. The file name of the tool when it is downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center will change with each release to reflect the month and the year when that version of the tool was released.

A6: Currently, no. Malicious software that is targeted in the tool is based on metrics that track the prevalence and damage of malicious software. A7: Yes. By checking a registry key, you can determine whether the tool has been run on a computer and which version was the latest version that was used. If you have already run the current version of the tool from Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Automatic Updates, or from either of the other two release mechanisms, it will not be reoffered on Windows Update or Automatic Updates.

For Automatic Updates, the first time that you run the tool, you must be logged on as a member of the Administrators group to accept the license terms. A9: The tool is offered to all supported Windows and Windows Server versions that are listed in the 'Summary' section if the following conditions are true:. A Yes. Even if there are no new security bulletins for a particular month, the Malicious Software Removal Tool will be rereleased with detection and removal support for the latest prevalent malicious software.

You can open this file in Notepad or any other text editor to see the results of the scan. In the early hours of February 24th GMT, Windows' automatic updates installed an update on my Windows 7 machine that included a definition update to the Malicious Software Removal Tool.

The Malicious Software Removal Tool or KB is a Windows malware-protection offering that updates and runs once a month, and proceeds to remove any threats it finds without user confirmation. After the download, this tool runs one time to check your computer for infection by specific, prevalent malicious software including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom and helps remove any infection that is found.

If an infection is found, the tool will display a status report the next time that you start your computer. A new version of the tool will be offered every month.

If you want to manually run the tool on your computer, you can download a copy from the Microsoft Download Center, or you can run an online version from microsoft.

This tool is not a replacement for an antivirus product. To help protect your computer, you should use an antivirus product. As it happens, the February update to MSRT's definitions list flagged tools that I had run for years with no problems - namely, the KMSPico activator for Microsoft Office - as being malicious, and removed them from my system without confirmation.

In addition to this invasive approach to perceived threats, the tool doesn't appear in Windows Update's Installed Updates dialogue, effectively denying users the right to pass on what is both an invasive and inadequate tool, and it also reverted my UAC settings to the highest level.

What follows is a short guide to undo any adverse effects of the forced update, as well as to disable MSRT entirely, giving you the option of relying on time-tested, dedicated anti-malware and anti-virus offerings. I'm hoping this will hopefully be useful to anyone else adversely affected by the latest update to MSRT's definitions list.

To begin with, open System Restore, and check whether a restore point was created before the Malicious Software Removal Tool was installed.

Restore points are usually created by Windows automatically just before updates are installed, although it's possible it may not have done so. Open Windows Update, and click on Change Settings in the sidebar. In the dropdown that appears, select the option to ' Check for updates but let me choose whether to install them '.

Those infection types include Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom—and helps remove malware and any other infection that may be found. When the detection. MSRT finds and removes threats and reverses the changes made by these threats. MSRT is generally released monthly as part of Windows Update or as a standalone tool available here for download. However, the last malicious removal tool update patch KB has caused several. Please note: you should Download Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool bit app only from trusted publishers and retail websites.