What To Do When Your AntiVirus Fails

Do You Need New AntiVirus Software?

First, make sure your antivirus software is up to date. Malware changes constantly and antivirus vendors constantly revise their software engines and the virus signature databases that are used to identify viruses. It's possible you have a new species of infection that the updated version of your antivirus software can eliminate. So click the "Update Now" button (or its equivalent) in your antivirus software and try again.

If that doesn't work, try different antivirus programs. Every developer has its own ways of rooting out malware. Not one antivirus program is the best at eliminating every type of malware. You could uninstall your anti-virus software and try another one. See my list of Free Anti-Virus Programs if you want to replace your security software. But another option is to try some specialized anti-malware tools until you find one that works on the particular infection you have caught. Here are three popular anti-malware programs that will supplement your existing protection.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (MBAM) specializes in malware that standard antivirus programs miss, according to the company. It has an excellent track record of eliminating rootkits and keyloggers. It does not focus on vulnerabilities in third-party programs (such as the widespread PDF code execution exploit) because standard antivirus programs handles such things pretty well. However, it does detect and block payload downloads and remote code execution triggered by such exploits.

ComboFix is an advanced tool that should be used only by computer experts. In the hands of the average non-technical user, ComboFix often does more harm than good. That's because the program does not always do the complete job of identifying and removing suspected malware files. It will remove many well-known viruses, but it does not remove more obscure or recently developed viruses. Instead, ComboFix generates a rather large and technical log file listing the locations of suspect files, altered registry keys, and other problems. The user is expected to manually correct the problems that could not be automatically removed. One wrong deletion and your system may not boot. This tool is powerful, but better suited for uber-geeks, not ordinary mortals.

SuperAntiSpyware gets high marks on finding and eliminating spyware, adware, rootkits, keyloggers, and many other types of malware. Most infections are removed automatically; however, rootkits have to be removed manually after rebooting in Safe mode. Some users complain that SuperAntiSpyware takes too long to do a full system scan, but that's a price you pay for thoroughness.

All the detective work involved in eliminating a stubborn virus is very time-consuming. Your best bet may be Windows System Restore, which can return your system to an earlier state before the infection was acquired. Another option is to back up all of your data files (not applications, which may be infected), reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows. Then you will have to reinstall all of your application software and data files. This drastic procedure is also time-consuming, but it should leave you with a clean, stable system.

What would you do if your antivirus failed to remove an infection? Post your comment or question below...