

It scans its host computer for specific, widespread malware, and tries to eliminate the infection. First released on January 13, 2005, MSRT does not offer real-time protection.


Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool ( MSRT) is a freeware second-opinion malware scanner that Microsoft's Windows Update downloads and runs on Windows computers each month, independent of the install antivirus software. Then, if a friend's PC seems to be having virus troubles, you can pull out the Malicious Software Removal Tool and give their system a speedy health check.English, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish Still, if you think your PC might be infected by something, but your current antivirus suite hasn't raised the alarm, then you can always try the Malicious Software Removal Tool for a quick second opinion (it won't clash with any existing security tools).Īnd because the program doesn't require installation, it's ideal for including on a USB flash drive as a part of your portable troubleshooting toolkit. And it only checks for some of the most common malware (see the full list here), currently around 150 specimens in total) - a good antivirus tool will detect hundreds of thousands of threats. The Malicious Software Removal Tool has no real-time detection features, for instance, so it can't stop you getting infected in the first place. While useful, this is no substitute for an antivirus package. Just choose the type of scan you need - quick (takes a few minutes), full (takes ages, usually) or custom (scan only the areas you specify) - then leave the program to check your hard drive for threats, and remove any that it finds. The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is a quick and easy tool to uncover and eliminate malware from your system.
