Tools for safely removing rogue anti-malware

By Ryan Russell The last several rounds of malware I’ve had to fight were all of a type — bogus security applications. In this article, I’ll share my favorite techniques for removing those fake “You’re infected!” warnings that pop up on your PC.

Don’t pay!

At that point, giving the malware vendor money may only compound your troubles because your machine will still be infected, and the malware vendor will then have your money and your credit card information!

When scareware code is installed on your PC, it often uses difficult-to-remove rootkits to protect itself. (For details on identifying fake security apps, see today’s article by WS senior editor Woody Leonhard. Also see a Feb. 25 article on rootkits by contributing editor Susan Bradley.)

Current favorite scareware removal tools

I’ll start with my oft-repeated mantra — multiple tools and multiple scans. It’s been years since I could trust a single tool to get rid of everything.

Related posts:

1. Anti-Spyware Tools = Tennis Doubles?
2. Rogue anti-spyware products proliferate
3. Make sure you don’t have a rogue anti-spyware scanner
4. “Anti-adware Misses Most Malware”
5. Return Of The “Malicious Software Removal Tool”