Introduction: How to Remove a Virus From a PC Using Windows Defender Offline

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About: Student at BGSU, IT Security, Technology, Learning and Teaching

Disclaimer: Malicious software like viruses, worms and Trojans are serious. They can damage your computer's operating system files, steal personal data and corrupt other content on your computer. Due to the nature of malicious software this Instructable isn't a guarantee that you can recover lost or damaged files. This only provides information on how to download and use Windows Defender Offline to help remove a virus from your PC. In some cases this maybe the only step or a part of several steps depending of the severity of the issue. If you aren't sure if a PC is clean please seek the help of a professional computer repair service.

Introduction: So your computer isn't operating correctly? There is a possibility you may have a virus. Some things to look out for are system slow down, lock ups, windows pop-up that you did not open and even the system shutting down. Here's a step-by-step on how to download Windows Defender Offline, scan, possibly detect and remove the virus.  This software works on computers with Windows XP Service Pack 3 or above installed.

List of materials:
-A connection to the Internet on a "clean" PC with a USB port (used to download the software)
-A USB drive larger than 1 GB

Step 1:

1. If you believe your PC is infected with a virus, please take it off of the network you are connected to now! Taking it off of the network reduces the likelihood of it spreading to other systems on the same network.

2. If connected via a network cable remove the network cable. If you are connected to a wireless network, turn off the wireless card    on the infected machine.


Step 2:

3. Now that you have contained the infected PC physically go to the "clean" PC and Google for       
"Windows Defender Offline" or go to the following link:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/what-is-windows-defender-offline

4. Download the version of software you are using, 32 or 64 bit.

Step 3:

5. After you download the Windows Defender Offline to your computer, run or execute the software from where you installed it.

6. Windows Defender Offline will take you through several prompts. This includes selecting the type of device you are using (flash drive or cd-rom) to install Windows Defender Offline on. This will be the device that you will boot your computer to and run the Windows Defender Offline software. 

Step 4:

7. Once complete, turn off the infected PC and insert the USB drive (or CD-ROM) into the infected
computer.

8. Turn the computer back on and the Windows Defender Offline tool should boot up. Once the software the software is running you will be prompted to run a quick or a full scan.  If the system is clean the tool will report it. If malicious software is detected Windows Defender Offline will try to remove. Please check out the below video.




Step 5:

Once the scan completes running it will let you know if it detected a virus and the action it took to remove the virus.

Tips:

Quick Scan - scans your computer for scans in common area on your computer (approx. 20 minutes)
Full Scan - scans every file on your computer (approx. 1 hour and 30 minutes)

Thank you.