How to Remove Trojan Malware

There are several different types of trojan horse malware. Depending upon the type of trojan malware that has entered your PC it can be fairly easy to remove provided the trojan has not disabled your antivirus software. If the trojan has not disabled your antivirus program, it will be easy to remove. However, if your PC has been infected with a more malicious type of Trojan that disables your antivirus program, it will not be as easy to remove but not impossible.

If your antivirus program is disabled, you can remove the trojan malware by completely wiping and reformatting the hard drive. However, before you consider this extreme route there are other steps you can take to try and remove the trojan.

Steps to Remove Trojan Malware

  • Windows Safe Mode: The Windows operating system provides a way for you to perform tasks on your PC safely with only the necessary integral processes you need to repair a problem. To start your PC in Windows Safe Mode, turn it on and press the F8 button. When you see a menu appear, select "Safe Mode" from the menu.

  • Open the Task Manager: Right click the task bar located on the bottom of your screen and select "Task Manager." Click on the Processes tab to view the files that are currently running and determine which ones are running legitimate processes and which ones are trojans. The task manager will clearly indicate whether or not the file is a Trojan.

  • Right Click the Trojan: Right click on the file that is a trojan and select "End Process" from the menu. If you receive a message saying "Access Denied" you will have to take another route by clicking on Start on the main toolbar, selecting Run, and then typing msconfig into the dialog box. When the System Configuration Utility box opens, click on the Startup tab, find the Trojan file, and disable it.
  • Search for the File: After you disable the file from the System Configuration Utility, manually search for the file by clicking on "My Computer," selecting C drive, and then selecting "Search for Files and Folders" in the left hand column. Type in the name of the Trojan file to locate it and then delete the file. Make sure you also empty the recycle bin after deleting the file to completely remove the file from your computer.

  • Restart Your Computer: Restart your computer and check for any signs of the Trojan.

If you still have problems, then you may have to consider wiping the hard drive and reformatting your computer. This is because some of the nastier Trojans are programmed to automatically return during the PC startup process or they hide themselves as a rootkit which is nearly impossible to locate.

If you have to completely wipe the hard drive and reformat your computer, try and save your files to a CD if at all possible depending upon the type of Trojan. Wiping the hard drive and reformatting the PC includes wiping out all of your files which means you will lose everything.

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