Malicious Software Removal Tool

Microsoft's Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is a free program that
removes a whole host of the most popular malicious software (malware). This tool was created
by Microsoft to help counteract fast-spreading malware, such as the Blaster, Sasser and Mydoom
worms, which infect a large amount of computers. Malware programs like these dont only affect
a single computer each newly infected machine produces more traffic and infects other
machines. Many Windows users have it installed and run it monthly, yet are not aware of its
existence. It's a stealth program, when things are functioning normally you don't see it. It is
updated silently as part of Windows Update or Microsoft Update. It runs in what the company
refers to as "quiet mode", which means it doesn't tell you anything - at least as long as it doesn't
find any malware to remove.
Biggest drawback to the default stealth approach is that MSRT only rounds up the usual
suspects. That is, it only looks in the usual places for malware. Like much anti-malware
software, MSRT offers both a quick scan and a full scan. By default, it only runs a quick scan,
below we'll see how to run a full scan. The once a month scanning is also limiting, but you can
run it manually at any time.
MSRT is not an antivirus. The big differences are that it does nothing to protect from
infection and it only runs on demand. In addition, it is targeted at a select few pieces of malware,
rather than the broad range that regular anti-virus software deals with.

05-Oct-16