It would be a good idea also to reset your firewall in case the malware opened any ports.
Please update these programs, as old versions pose a security risk.
- Java
WARNING: Java is the #1 exploited program at this time. The Department of Homeland Security recommends that computer users disable Java
See this article and this article.
I would recommend that you completely uninstall Java unless you need it to run an important software.
In that instance I would recommend that you disable Java in your browsers until you need it for that software and then enable it. (See How to diasble Java in your web browser and How to unplug Java from the browser)
If you do need java, then you should definitely update to the latest version:
Please download JavaRa to your desktop and unzip it to its own folder
- Run JavaRa.exe, then click Remove JRE.
- Run the built-in uninstallers for all copies of java listed
- Click the Next button
- Click the Next button again
- Click the Java Manual Download link
- A browser window will open with the Java download page
- Click the Windows Offline (32-bit) or Windows Offline (64-bit) link to download Java (based on your browser type)
- Run the installer
- Close JavaRa
- Adobe Flash -> You can get the latest version here.
- Adobe Reader -> You can get the latest version here.
I would recommend securing Adobe Reader against the latest exploits as follows:
- Launch Adobe Reader.
- Click on Edit and select Preferences.
- On the Left, click on the Javascript category and Uncheck Enable Acrobat Javascript.
- Click on the Security (Enhanced) category and Uncheck Automatically trust sites from my Win OS security zones.
- Click on the Trust Manager category and Uncheck Allow opening of non-PDF file attachments with external applications.
- Click the OK button.
- Firefox -> You can get the latest version here.
- Chrome -> Instructions for updating here.
Clean up FRST quarantine:
- Please save this last fixlist to the same location as FRST. fixlist.txt 17bytes 149 downloads
- Run FRST one last time and click "Fix."
- Once it completes, you can delete the FRST icon and any logs or fix lists left over.
Delete possibly infected restore points. Your computer may have saved a restore point while it was infected, so we need to delete the old restore points and create a new, clean one.
First set up a new, clean restore point:
- Open System by clicking the Start button, right-clicking Computer, and then clicking Properties.
- In the left pane, click System protection. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
- Click the System Protection tab, and then click Create.
- In the System Protection dialog box, type a description, and then click Create.
Then delete the old, infected ones:
- Go Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools
- Right click Disc Cleanup and select run as administrator
- Then select the more options tab
- Select system restore and shadow copies "Clean up"
- Follow the prompts
Empty temp files. I would recommend doing this every so often to free up some space on your computer.
Download TFC to your desktop
- Open the file and close any other windows.
- It will close all programs itself when run, make sure to let it run uninterrupted.
- Click the Start button to begin the process. The program should not take long to finish its job
- Once its finished it should reboot your machine, if not, do this yourself to ensure a complete clean
Ensure that Windows is always updated. Keeping Windows updated is very important to prevent security vulnerabilities. I recommend turning on automatic updates following the instructions below:
- First, click on Start and click onAll Programs, then Windows Update.
- Click on Change Settings in the left pane and then check the option for Automatic Updates.
Always ensure that your firewall and anti-virus program are updated and running. These are your first line of defense against infection.
Make sure that you keep all of your programs updated. Out-of-date programs can make your computer more vulnerable to infection. Software manufacturers release updates to fix security problems as they are discovered. Secunia Personal Software Inspector, free to download here, is a good program that will scan your computer looking for programs that need to be updated.
This article has good information about how computers get infected. You can read it for good tips on staying clean and safe.