A Trojan horse is a type of computer virus which cannot duplicate by itself, but allows unauthorized access to the user's system. This computer virus is designed to allow hackers to gain access to a distant computer system. The hacker could steal data, install software, download or upload files, or even crash the computer system infected by the Trojan.
Trojans enter a computer mostly through the Internet. It could be through movie or music downloads, e-mail attachments, application exploits, or software downloads. Since hackers want to attack your system through the net, they disguise Trojan viruses in files which are popularly downloaded.
There are specific antivirus software designed for removing Trojans. They help in detecting as well as removing the virus from your system; certain malware protection applications also help in preventing them from entering your system. It is also possible to manually detect and uninstall files infected by the Trojan.
Options to Remove Trojans
TRICK. 1
Go to 'C' drive and click on 'Program Files' → 'Common' → 'Microsoft Shared' → 'Msinfo'. This particular program will show you all the processes, including the hidden processes, which are running on your windows system. Check all task listings and detect the ones you do not recognize. Open these tasks and also figure out their file names and paths. Let your virus scanner scan through all these files.
TRICK. 2
Open the anti-virus software you have installed in your computer, and allow it to run a virus scan through your computer. Once the scan is over, if there was any value detected in the registry, delete it. You can do this by clicking on the 'Run' option present in the 'Start' menu. In the space provided for typing, type 'regedit' and click on 'OK'. Find the value detected in the virus scan you ran before and delete it from your system.
TRICK. 3
The best way of Trojan removal from your system is to run a scan. Ensure that you have the latest and updated version of antivirus software available in the market which can efficiently spot and delete any spyware, virus or adware from your system. In case you do not have one, there are certain free spyware removal programs available as well. Allow the virus scanner to do its job and once all viruses are detected and deleted from your computer, restart the system and it should work fine.
Removing Trojans in Windows XP
Log on to your system as an administrator.
Drag your mouse cursor on the 'My Computer' icon, right click on it and select the 'Properties' option.
Click on the 'System Restore' option and select the 'Turn off System Restore' option.
You will now have to start your computer in 'Safe Mode'. For this, shut down your system and also switch off the power.
Wait for a minute and start your computer once again.
As soon as the computer starts booting, tap the 'F8' key for the 'Windows Advanced Options' menus to appear.
From this menu, select the safe mode option. Hit 'Enter' to allow the computer to start in safe mode.
Run your anti adware and anti spyware programs in safe mode.
Restart your computer in the normal mode and rerun adware and spyware programs.
On getting a clean report, follow the instructions given earlier to turn on the system restore.
If on completing your cleanup task, you notice the damage to your system was substantial, it is better you erase all data from your hard disk and re-install the operating system and other important software once again.
Cases of computers being hacked through introduction of Trojans are increasing and hence, it is important to have necessary knowledge about deleting them. To prevent any such situations, avoid downloading unprotected and unsecured files from the internet and try to keep your anti-virus software up-to-date.
