Top 5 Malware Removal Programs
Malware Removal
There are so many choices out there for malware removal it seems like blonds running around at the Playboy mansion. They are all sexy looking and tend to look alike but will any of them really satisfy your needs? The other problem is will they just take your money and leave you holding well you know. So this is a list of the top 5 malware removal applications that really get the job done.
Top 5 Malware Removal Applications
Spybot Search and Destroy has been around for several years. It has won awards and is praised in general and computer magazines. It gets the highest ranking by 2Spyware.com. It offers features like a secure file shredder, hosts-file modification, a botnet scanner, a dummy code feature along with scanning for malware. It is also compatible with Windows versions all the way back to Windows 95.
ComboFix is a real basic program. You simply download it, allow it to run and it does all the work. Included in the basic free package are registry backup making sure Windows Recovery Console is installed, and a 40+ stage scanning. Then it will spit out a list of anything it finds. Then you will have to use Google-fu to determine how to remove them manually. Nothing fancy here but certainly does the job.
SUPERAntiSpyware comes in both free and premium versions. The free version has some pretty high restrictions. The free version only allows basic on demand scanning and malware removal. The premium version steps things up with real-time scanning, auto-scan during startup and a scheduling system. It is also compatible with other programs like Kaspersky, Symantec, and McAfee. It will operate with those programs with no problem.
HijackThis is in a class by itself in terms of least automation. This also means if you don’t know what you are doing you can ruin your system. It gives no judgment if the application if harmful or not. So you can easily screw something up. It is however a great tool for experienced users.
The top of the list is Malwarebytes. This application is a available in shareware and premium versions. If you do not need active scanning for threats the shareware version will take care of your needs. I highly recommend this application.
Then if you have a great backup in place there is always the reformat your hard drive option. While this is not the best option in some cases it becomes the only option. Happy malware hunting!