In Windows 10 or Windows 11, several features have been added to prevent attacks. For example, both Windows versions include Windows Security, a set of apps that protect Windows from attacks, ransomware, and malware.
These apps protect Windows preventively with Windows Defender. You can use the Windows malicious software removal utility if your computer is already infected with malware.
So the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool helps remove a set of specific malware.
It only removes a list of the most common malicious software and is designed to do so while the malware is active. It receives quarterly updates and runs automatically once a month.
It is not a replacement for an anti-malware program or a traditional antivirus.
How to use Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
You can also run this app manually. You can then choose from about three different scans that check the computer for already present and started malware.
Right-click on the Start button. In the menu, click on Run. In the Run window type: mrt.exe
The malicious software removal utility will be launched. If you click on the link “View a list of malicious software that this tool detects and removes”, a list of the malicious software that this tool can detect and remove will open.
If you click Next, you can choose from three different scans.
These are the quick scan, the full scan, and the custom scan. Each has its advantages or disadvantages. If you suspect your computer is infected with malware, I recommend running the full scan.
The utility searches your computer for widespread malicious software and removes it. A report is displayed when the scan is complete showing what malicious software was found and removed.
When the scan (“search”) is complete, you will see if any malicious software was detected or not. Then, click on the “View detailed results of the scan” link to see for each “malicious software” whether it was found on your computer or not.
All results from “mrt” will be saved to the following location: c:\windows\debug\mrt.log
You can refer to the above file to revisit past scans performed automatically or manually.
I hope this has helped you. Thanks for reading!
