how do you know if your PC is clean of malware

adam fulton

adam fulton

New Member
sorry this ened up so long but i would like to have a discussion on this topic so i was just putting most of my view and experience of anti malware programs. my actual question is in the frist paragraph so feel free to ignore the rest. thanks for your time :)
ok ive done tons of research on anti virus programs. and ive come to this conclusion if there is no anti virus that is 100% effective at finding malware how do you know your computer is not infected? ive looked at a lot of reviews and people say that this program is good but others say the same program is trash. how do i find a real actual analysis of a program?
futhermore i have windows defender and people say its so so. when i got my laptop from my sister she could not get it to update to windows 10. i got it to by downloading then upgrading the OS. anyway as soon as it booted up i got a message saying windows defender found malware and is removing it. it did this like 10 times. i then did a quick scan it was all "good" then i did a full scan 7 hrs later and there was still malware. there was 5 programs (i already deleted them) 3 were Trojan viruses 1 was a phishing and the fifth was a trojan spyware. i told windows defender to delete the programs. i then did another full scan and guess what the same programs were still there. so i looked at them more closely and noticed that they were saved in a back up (defendr did find the siad program location) so i had it delete the back ups frist then the program. and it was still there and on the thrid scan for some reason the computer automatically booted into safemode. i left safemode to find defenders deactivated and unable to reactivate it. so i reset my laptop to factory settings only to be stopped part way thought. when i tried to start the coputer back up again the it just keep looping the main start up where it says lenovo (this laptop was made in 2012 so no superfish spyware) go blank then repeat. i had to factory reset thought the BIOS. this got me back in. i then once it booted up i then proceded to reset to factory (the normal way) just cuz. i then did another scan and nothing came up. my point being that windows defender was unable to remove the malware but was able to find it. since it gave me so much trouble im wondering if its really gone now.
what are people downloading that would even give such viruses i doubt any legitimate download would so it begs the comment, if you get malware its probably your own fault. ive downloaded lots of stuff for minecraft like skins and mods and only run into small time malware that the anti virus can deal with. but that a fore mentioned stuff had to be from something, but what is what i would like to know. not really where it came from like website but what you would need to be doing to get such a virus.
now back to my original ranting. how do i know my PC is clean and is safe to use like for log in websites like this one. i dont store passwords in the brower or on the computer i write them down and type the username and password ever time i log in. and i most certainly dont use banking online or any other websites that would require sensitive information including or job applications. i even back up my whole system before downloading any thing like mods for minecraft because if there is a virus that the anti virus cant stop i can just completely reset my computer to factory without making/saving back us witht he malware on it. im mostly worried about the spyware and phishing programs not being gone. im using my
old laptop right now. my new laptop the one with the virus is actually running way better before the clock speed was maxing out at like .8GHZ now it goes up to 2.6 which is the max for my laptop quad core i5.
anyway sorry about this being so long but i am curious as to wehter or not one may be 100% sure they are virus free. thanks for sticking with me :) and any comments on this would be awesome.
P.S.
since windows defender didnt find the malware in quick scan what is the point of it? i mean if it only found that malware in full scan it would seem you should be be doing only that right? i just have the defender do it before i go to bed since it takes so damn long. thought in factory boot up the full scan only took 2 hrs or so. i get that a quick scan is looking in the most common places malware like to put itsself but if the nasty ones are hidden abd thses are the ones you want to get it seems to me you shoild just de a full scan everyday. idk just a thought and i would love to discus it. thanks again. :)
 
First of all, I wouldn't call Windows Defender a malware program. I consider it garbage. You are right, there is not 1 program out there that is 100% effective in removing everything that is bad. Decent programs are the following.

1. Malwarebytes Antimalware
2. AdwCleaner
3. Junkware Removal Tool


If after running those 3 programs and you are still having issues then there are other programs we run to scan for malware, rootkits and other things.

You really don't need to buy an anitivirus program to be honest. You only need to install a decent free virus scanner such as Avast. It works pretty well and will usually stop you from visiting bad websites. You should also install a browser addon called Web Of Trust. This will tell you what websites are safe when you do online searches.

And a lot of times people will install programs that are okay to use but the installers also install other malicious software that will cause havoc with your system. You just have to be careful and really look at the windows as they appear so you can decline the extra software.

If you need help in removing malware, just let me know.
 
well i just completely reset my laptop to factory i didnt even save any files at all. i make a back up of my computer so i can do this. that way no malware can hide in my USB if i save files. i no longer fallow links on forums. http://www.computerforum.com/threads/best-i7-cpu-for-gaming.237484/ there is a link by mrflux where he has a link to his computer specs i clicked as seeing others had looked at it. when i got to the site i got some bulshit about how my computer was infected and i shuold call some number yeah like im that retarded right lol. i just closed my browers with the task manger. but really why did that happen to me but not the others i mean a moderator "beers" was the one who was talking with this guy i figured if he got that same thing he would have kicked the dude. anyway if doing the above steps doesnt ensure im malware free some help would be nice. ill download and fallow the steps in the sticky
 
what is the website for adwcleaner there are like 5 download sites. i think its bleepingcomputers.com as thats what howtogeek said was thier website

i downloaded the one from that website

adwcleaner had this to say:

AdwCleaner v5.028 - Logfile created 08/01/2016 at 15:17:49
# Updated 04/01/2016 by Xplode
# Database : 2016-01-04.2 [Server]
# Operating system : Windows 10 Home (x64)
# Username : adamf - DESKTOP-ID843KI
# Running from : C:\Users\adamf\Downloads\AdwCleaner.exe
# Option : Scan
# Support : http://toolslib.net/forum

***** [ Services ] *****


***** [ Folders ] *****


***** [ Files ] *****


***** [ DLL ] *****


***** [ Shortcuts ] *****


***** [ Scheduled tasks ] *****


***** [ Registry ] *****


***** [ Web browsers ] *****


########## EOF - C:\AdwCleaner\AdwCleaner[S1].txt - [570 bytes] ##########

as seeing as i did completely reset to factory settings does that not get rid of viruses. i mean when i scanned after i reset windows found nothing even thought it did find stuff before i reset

malwarebytes found nothing
 
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Well something is going on if you get that type of page to come up. Whether its a bad browser addon or a temp file but something made it come up. I would continue with junkware removal tool and malwarebytes to be sure. Also download and run Ccleaner to remove all your temp files.
 
well as i said i just reset it to factory. and kept nothing at all no files. i downloaded nothing really save for chrome joytokey and steam. the only thing that could possible have given me anything is joytokey but i download it all the time.

so unless factory reset doesnt solve my issue ill just get a new HDD then. that should fix it entirely right?

also those programs ran fast. windows defender took 2 hrs and these only took like 10 mins. as i said in my frist post windows defendr only found stuff when i did a full scan is there such an option on thses two other anti malware?

all these viruses or what ever were not downloaded by me unless like i said joytokey. but it was my sisters and the viruses were already on it. the only thing ive ever downloaded onto this computer that would is joytokey. so idk.
 
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You can have malwarebytes do a full scan of your system but normally a quick scan is only needed. Those other 2 programs only scan for specific things so won't scan your whole pc.

Use your pc as normal and see if you get the page again. Did you run Ccleaner yet?
 
well i went back to that link i said i got it on. and it didnt happen this time. i think im just going to reset it again and take it to a computer shop near here. they are very helpful (not that you havent been) and see about just getting this done. i mean resetting to factory should work right? you havent really anwsered that yet. im just trying to get all the malware off so i can use it normally so replacing the harddrive is fine. thanks for your time i got to go now though.
 
A factory reset should work yes. But as I said, either you have a temp file or bad browser addon causing this. It very well could be that software you installed as I'm not familiar with it. Or possibly just a bad website you have visited since the reset.
 
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