how to get rid of a trojan virus for free

2008-05-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Trojan virus removal isn't the easiest thing in the world, but it isn't impossible. Let's take a look at how to get rid of a Trojan virus for free.

The bad guys aren't stupid. The folks who maliciously force malaware and viruses into your PC are just as smart as they are morally corrupt.

The Greeks fooled the Trojans with a big troop-stuffed wooden horse. It opened the walls of Troy while giving the Greeks a chance to initiate a sneak attack.

Smart people, they say, learn from history. And just in case you haven't figured it out yet, the bad guys of the Internet aren't stupid. The folks who maliciously force malaware and viruses into our PCs are just as smart as they are morally corrupt. The bad guys are taking a page from the Greeks every day, rolling Trojan horse viruses into our virtual Troys.

The Trojans should have taken a look at the wooden horse, rolled it right back out of town, and closed the gates. Life would've been a lot easier for them if they would've done that immediately. That's what you should do, too. If you've been infected with the Trojan horse virus (Trojan), you simply must get it out of town ASAP.

First thing first, though. Before you start trying to remove the Trojan, make sure that's what you're actually up against. System instability, lousy performance and all of the other infection symptoms associated with Trojans aren't unique to them alone. There could be other causes. That's one reason why we recommend a complete system scan before taking action.

Additionally, Trojans are tricky. Like the Greek plot that bears their name, they're sneaky. They don't always announce themselves. If you have a keen eye, you might notice the files just by taking a look around. Most of us, however, aren't really up to the challenge of digging through hidden files in hopes of noticing what's wrong.

If you have good anti-spyware software or other security programs installed, they should be up to the task. If not, there are many sites offering free system scans.

Once you confirm that you do have a Trojan in your machine, it's time to take action.

Trojan virus removal isn't the easiest thing in the world, but it isn't impossible. Let's take a look at how to get rid of a Trojan virus for free.

Hopefully, your system scan has found the Trojan files and has given you their location(s). If so, it'll be a lot easier to remove them. If you still aren't sure of Trojan whereabouts, however, you will need to some digging.

To find the hidden Trojan files, you'll want to go to your Windows Control Panel. Under "Folder Options", you'll need to uncheck the boxes for "Hide Protected Opoerating System Files" and "Hide File Extension for Known File Types". After okaying those changes, you'll restart your PC in "Safe Mode".

Just in case you haven't used "Safe Mode" before, you start your computer in this fashion by holding down on your F8 key while it boots up. You'll be given a few options. Choose "Safe Mode".

"Safe Mode" doesn't support a mouse, so get ready to use your keyboard to navigate Windows. You'll need to find your way to "Search Files". Type in the complete file name (including the extension) of the Trojan file. Highlight that file and delete it. Repeat as necessary for all files found via your software's virus scan.

After you reboot (back into "normal mode"), empty your trash/recycle bin immediately.

This method of removing Trojan viruses is not risk-free and it's not 100% foolproof. You can cause system instability or outright Windows failure by deleting the wrong files--so make sure that you're not just "playing hunches". It's also possible for the Trojan viruses to re-appear. Often this is because the temporary file from Window's "restore" folder continues to assist in their resurrection. It may help to delete files remaining in your temporary folders that relate to the Trojan while in safe mode.

If you're not comfortable with deleting files while in "safe mode", you can rely on software solutions to eliminate the viruses. This article is not a review of anti-virus programs, but it is worth mentioning that many free solutions fail to deal with difficult Trojan situations effectively. Thus, those who don't plan to take action manually may want to invest in quality software for removal and protection.

No matter how you do it, push that Trojan horse right out of your Troy as soon as you can. Your problem won't disappear and the viruses can damage your PC more and more with each passing day of inactivity.

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how to get rid of a trojan virus for free