1) Manual malware removal requires identifying the specific malware and using multiple disinfection tools to remove it from an infected PC. 2) The first steps are researching the malware using another computer to identify recommended removal tools and gathering a variety of disinfection tools to use. 3) It often takes multiple passes with different tools to remove all the malware and associated programs from a system, and the computer should be disconnected from the internet during cleaning.

1. Multiple tools required to disinfect a PC
By Robert Sarkes
Even the sturdiest, most-comprehensive PC defenses won't stop all
malware from finding its way onto your systems.
First, identify the specific pest, and then find the best tool — or tools — to get
it off your system for good.
Manual malware removal puts you in charge
Unfortunately, no matter which security programs you run on your PC, there's a good chance some bad
stuff will eventually get through. Even when you take the most stringent of precautions, there's always
human error, leaving someone with the task of cleaning out Windows. Based on my experience in the IT
field, that person is often you, the user.
On that day when you're faced with an infection that got past your PC's defenses, you'll probably need to
take the bull by the horns yourself. The invader has likely blocked your anti-malware apps' protections
and prevented access to security sites.
It's time to turn to your primary security tool: your own gray matter. Whatever nastiness the program
perpetrates, it can't outthink you. The player who moves second in the malware game can always win,
and that player is you. Note that cleaning out a virus infection may take more time and effort than simply
reinstalling Windows, but you've got a shot if you want to take it. If not, hey, you can always call
GEEK911 (www.geek911.com). They’ll come out to your home or place of business and take care of it for
you, at a flat rate.
Before you begin, do your malware homework
There are many indicators of a malware infection. You may suddenly be bombarded with pop-ups on a
site you know doesn't use them, such as Google or Yahoo!. Or maybe your hard-disk activity or network
traffic spikes for no apparent reason. You may discover mystery processes running in Task Manager.
(Press Ctrl-Shift-Esc and click the Processes tab to view them.)
The first step in the malware-cleanup process is finding out what the enemy is up to. This intelligence-
gathering will help you plan your attack. Enter into a search engine any suspicious IP addresses, process
names, file names, directories, or other potential trouble indicators. The links returned should lead to
resources that can help you determine what's going on. You can often find specific removal advice in this
manner.
But keep this in mind: a particularly clever piece of malware will limit your view of reality from the infected
computer. Malware is notorious for blocking security sites, Google and other search engines, update
programs, and related services. The solution is to have another computer available, whether it's the one
you use at work, a neighbor's, or a machine in a library or school computer lab.
Even if you have a second infected computer — as long as it's infected with some different worm or virus
— you'll be able to compare results or get downloads that are inaccessible from its partner. Another
handy item is the humble USB flash drive, which you can use to download a cleanup tool on the working
system and then run on the infected machine. Just be careful not to use a flash drive that hosts malware
of its own!
Disinfection requires a malware-removal arsenal
Once you've completed your research and found references to the appropriate tools for removing the
specific piece of malware plaguing your system, you can put together your cleanup toolkit. This is where
tool diversity can be critical. The malware in question might kill one program but not another, or one tool
may just be better at detecting and removing the interloper on your PC. Some malware fighters are simply

2. more up-to-date with defenses against the latest nasty threat the others haven't yet caught up with.
Collect a variety of tools that can run without requiring a full installation, if possible. Make sure you've
downloaded their latest virus signatures and other updates before you use them; you can't count on
having their auto-update feature work correctly.
You might even be able to resurrect the anti-malware tool already installed on your PC by manually
downloading and applying the latest signatures for it. Nearly every security software vendor lets you
download updates for their programs as a separate installer.
Another reason multiple tools are often necessary is because the machine will usually be infected with
several different pieces of malware. Once the squatter has moved in, it's going to throw parties and invite
all its friends. Several detection and removal tools may be needed to catch all the bad actors. Expect to
require multiple passes with the disinfectors to get them all. Disconnect the infected system from the
Internet during this process.
In conclusion, it’s up to you, you can do the work yourself or you can call the professionals to do it for you.
The one thing you should not do is simply ignore it and hope it will just go away. It does not and more
often it will cost you more in terms of time and money if you let the malware grow and spread inside of
your computer and/or home/business network.