If you’ve downloaded malware, try these fixes before doing a factory reset

With billions of malware attacks every year, chances are you’ve been targeted a few times – and maybe even a victim. Unfortunately, the experience of a malware infection is pretty much certain at some point; if this happens to you, follow this plan to save your malware infected computer.

Try to remove the malware

One of the easiest and fastest ways to get rid of malware (although not 100% effective) is to do a factory reset. The problem is that it’s a headache because resetting your computer to factory settings will erase all your photos, videos, passwords, and other personal data, and it may not even remove malware like rootkits or bootkits. Before doing so, try the following steps to remove the malware.

1. Disconnect from the Internet

If you suspect that your device is infected with malware, first disconnect it from the Internet. There are many types of malware, each with specific characteristics. Some malware, such as a worm, needs to connect to the Internet in order to spread to other computers on your network.

Other types of malware communicate with command and control servers so a hacker can remotely control your computer, while other forms of malware need to connect to the Internet to download even more malware. For example, this Excel phishing malware requires an internet connection to download its malware containing the most dangerous attacks.

2. Start your computer in safe mode and scan for malware

Booting into safe mode is an easy process that allows only essential files and programs to run. Booting into safe mode ensures that if your computer is infected, the malware in question will most likely not be able to run.

In Safe Mode, you can run a malware scanning tool like Microsoft Safety Scanner to scan all files on your computer for the latest malware definitions. That’s why it’s important to download the latest version – you’ll have the most up-to-date virus definitions, which means more malware will be detected.

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However, you will need to download Microsoft Safety Scanner (or another anti-malware suite) before entering Safe Mode and still connected to the Internet. If you think your computer is already infected, download the program to another computer and upload it to a USB, where you can then run it from the USB in safe mode.

Once Microsoft Safety Scanner is up and running, you can run a quick scan, a full scan, or a custom scan.

Of course, if you’re not using Windows, you’ll want to check out the best malware removal tools for macOS, while there are various malware removal tools available for Linux.

3. Remove suspected malware

Once your malware scan program starts, it will detect if there is any malware on your computer. It will then allow you to remove the malware or do it automatically for you. Even if the malware is detected and removed, I still recommend following the remaining steps to remove the malware to be safe.

4. Delete temporary files and browser cache

Malware doesn’t always hide in plain sight. Tools that scan your computer may not catch every bad software on your computer. You may need to dig a little deeper to rid your system of the infection.

Windows Disk Cleanup can quickly remove temporary files. Most temporary files can be deleted without any problems, but if you are worried about a particular file, you can search for it on the Internet on another device.

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To start Windows Disk Cleanup, type disk cleanup in the Start menu search bar, and then select the best match. From there you can select the files you want to delete, which in this case it should be Temporary files and Temporary internet files. Doing so should remove the malware installers if they are lurking there.

You should also clear your browser cache. To do so, go to your browser settings and select delete browser cache. Doing so will log you out of any services you’re signed in to, so be prepared for that. Still, it’s better to log back into your internet services than deal with dangerous malware.

5. Run the virus scan again

Now reboot the system and run the malware scan again. If the second scan goes well, you are probably fine and have removed the malware from your system. However, if it finds malware again, you are probably dealing with dangerous, persistent malware and may need to seek professional advice on how to remove the malware.

Unfortunately, malware scanners don’t catch every malware. With thousands of new malware variants discovered every day, it’s possible that your malware scanner won’t catch everything. If you have gone through all the steps in this list but are still worried that your computer is infected, you can always opt for a factory reset.

In this case, you should consider using a different malware scanner for a second scan. For example, if you used Microsoft Safety Scanner for the first time, you should use Malwarebytes Premium for the second scan. However, like the first antivirus scanner, you’ll want to download it to another device and then transfer it using a USB drive.

Factory reset

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If you’re still concerned that your device might be harboring malware, you can factory reset your device. Doing so will completely erase all files and data that may have been infected from your computer. If you choose this nuclear option, consider backing up your valuable files before wiping your computer.

However, backing up a computer you believe is infected with malware transfers the virus to the backup. Restoring a backup could reintroduce malware to your system. Malware is unlikely to be lurking around in your personal files and folders, such as documents and photos, so careful backups and scans should be enough. Still, you should scan with several antivirus tools before even considering copying them back to your main system (once it’s malware-free).

Windows 11

To perform a factory reset on your Windows 11 PC, go to Settings > Recovery. Here you will find Reset PC choice. After clicking, you can perform a reset that will delete all files or keep personal files. Since malware can hide among personal files, you opt for Remove all option is the safest course of action.

However, note that this will delete all files.

Windows 10

If you are using Windows 10, resetting your device requires a similar process. Get out Settings > Update & Security. Once there, you will find Recovery choice. After clicking Recovery, you will have to click PC Reset, where you can delete all files or keep some personal files.

Now that you know how to remove malware from your computer, it’s time to prevent it from happening again. Simple things like updating your antivirus program, not clicking on suspicious links, and being careful when providing sensitive data are all steps you can take to prevent infection.