A Complete Guide to Removing Malware From Your Computer
While no one is immune to the threat of malware, you can certainly minimize your risk by practicing good digital hygiene when browsing the Internet, downloading apps, and communicating with emails or messages with links or attachments.
However, if you notice that your computer is running slowly, programs or applications are crashing constantly or unexpectedly, or you are seeing software or processes that you don’t recognize, you may be infected with malware. To identify malware and remove it from your computer, follow these steps.
Disconnect your device from the Internet
First things first: turn off any Internet connection on your computer. This prevents malware from spreading through your network to other devices or receiving updates from the source, which could cause more damage or make it more difficult to contain or remove. If you end up needing to download software, such as a malware removal tool, disconnect from it as soon as you’re done.
Reboot into Safe Mode
Restarting your computer in Safe Mode minimizes the number of drivers and services running, which helps isolate malware and reduce the risk of damage. Safe Mode is the minimum, and Safe Mode with Networking will allow you to access the Internet if necessary (to download and install malware removal software). To restart your computer in Safe Mode (in Windows 10 or 11), follow these steps:
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Press Windows + I to open Settings.
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Click Update & Security > Recovery or System > Recovery .
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Under Advanced Startup, select Restart Now .
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From the Choose an Option screen that appears after you restart, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Options > Restart .
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After the second restart, select 4/F4 to enter Safe Mode or 5/F5 to enter Safe Mode with Networking.
Once you enter Safe Mode, avoid logging into any applications or services, as some types of malware include keyloggers or other methods of stealing your credentials from your screen or clipboard.
Monitor your PC activity
There are several ways to view activity and processes on your computer to identify anything suspicious. First, review your recently launched apps and files in Settings > Privacy & Security > Activity History . Event Viewer displays detailed logs of security and system activity. It can be launched by searching Event Viewer in the Windows search bar. Expand Windows Logs in the left sidebar and select a category to view events.
Finally, Task Manager shows you everything that is currently running and what resources are being used. Open it using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Esc or from the Start menu. Look for processes that require a lot of resources or have suspicious names. You can select and complete tasks from the Processes tab.
Delete temporary files
Malware can install temporary files on your computer that allow it to hide or spread – you can find and remove them in Settings > System > Storage > Temporary Files . Click Remove Files to remove some or all files. Windows also has a built-in tool called Storage Sense that automatically cleans up temporary files on a set schedule. You should enable it if you haven’t already, or run it on demand. In Settings > System > Storage, turn on Storage Sense and tap Clear Now to use it immediately.
Reset your browser settings
You can also reset your web browser to its default settings to remove any changes caused by a malware infection. In Chrome, tap the three dots in the top right corner of the browser window to open Settings. Click Reset Settings in the left toolbar and select Restore Settings to Original Defaults . Confirm your choice with the “Reset settings” button.
In Edge, the process is similar: Settings > Reset Settings > Restore Settings to Defaults > Reset . In Firefox, go to Menu > Help > More troubleshooting information and click Update Firefox > Update Firefox > Done .
You should also clear your browser’s cache, cookies, and history (and perhaps check out our guide to the best internet browsers for privacy ).
Run a malware scan
Malware scanners can detect, quarantine, and remove threats from your computer. Windows has built-in antivirus software with Microsoft Defender (via the Windows Security app), but if you suspect an infection, it may be a good idea to run a second opinion scanner or other third-party program to catch anything that was missed.
Lifehacker’s sister site PCMag has a list of their favorite malware scanners . Avast was their favorite free option, and Malwarebytes (also free) was their choice for fighting persistent malware. Again, you can download the software if you rebooted into Safe Mode using Networking.
Reboot (or reset) your computer.
Once you feel that you have isolated and removed all threats, you can restart your computer. If the malware removal process is unsuccessful, you may have to start from scratch by reinstalling Windows and all applications (i.e. restarting your computer). If you are restoring from a backup, make sure it was created before the malware infection.