Conficker
Over the past few days news about the latest “super-worm” called Conficker has been spreading. It’s supposed to go live on April 1 and do all sorts of damage, but so far so good. Or is it April 1 US time? Anyway, here are some general tools you can use to get rid of or minimize the effects of viruses and worms:
1. Windows Update - Make sure you’re using a licensed copy of Windows though
2. HiJack This - This is a slightly more complicated tool to use, but so far it has been able to clean up everything I’ve encountered. Be sure you know what you’re doing before you even attempt to use this tool. Misuse can lead to a total system crash.
3. Trend Micro’s Cleanup Engine - I haven’t actually used this tool yet, but Trend Micro knows their stuff, so this should be pretty good.
4. McAfee Stinger - This is a tool to scan for and get rid of certain viruses and worms. As stated in their website, it’s not a substitute for a full anti-virus system.
5. Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - I’ve had quite a bit of success with this. Mostly it seems to fix some of the effects of worms like disabling the task manager, disabling the different options of the control panel, etc.