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Pre-Kaspersky virus removal
This section contains information on restoring the operating system after it has been infected with malware.
Recovering the operating system after infection
If you suspect that the operating system of your computer has been corrupted or modified due to malware activity or a system failure, use the Microsoft Windows Troubleshooting Wizard, which clears the system of any traces of malicious objects. Kaspersky recommends that you run the Wizard after the computer has been disinfected to make sure that all threats and damage caused by infections have been fixed.
The Wizard checks whether there are any changes to the system, which can include access to the network being blocked, file name extensions for known formats being changed, Control Panel being blocked, etc. There are different reasons for these different kinds of damage. These reasons may include malware activity, incorrect system configuration, system failures, or malfunctioning applications for system optimization.
After the review is complete, the Wizard analyzes the information to evaluate whether there is system damage that requires immediate attention. Based on the review, the Wizard generates a list of actions that are necessary to eliminate the damage. The Wizard groups these actions by category based on the severity of the problems detected.
Troubleshooting the operating system by using the Microsoft Windows Troubleshooting Wizard
To run the Microsoft Windows Troubleshooting Wizard:
- Open the main application window.
- Go to Security → Microsoft Windows Troubleshooting.
- Click Find damage.
The Microsoft Windows Troubleshooting Wizard window opens.
The Wizard consists of a series of pages (steps), which you can navigate through by clicking the Back and Next buttons. To close the Wizard after it finishes, click the Done button. To stop the Wizard at any stage, click the Cancel button.
Let us review the steps of the Wizard in more detail.
Start recovery of the operating system
- Select one of the two options for Wizard operation:
- Search for damage caused by malware activity. The Wizard will search for problems and possible damages.
- Roll back changes. The Wizard will roll back the fixes applied to previously identified problems and damages.
- Click Next.
Search for problems
If you selected the Search for damage caused by malware activity option, the Wizard searches for problems and possible damages that should be fixed. When the search is complete, the Wizard proceeds automatically to the next step.
Select actions to fix damage
All damage found at the previous step is grouped based on the type of danger that it poses. For each damage group, Kaspersky recommends a set of actions to repair the damage.
There are three groups:
- Strongly recommended actions eliminate problems that pose a serious security threat. You are advised to repair all damage in this group.
- Recommended actions are aimed at repairing damage that may pose a threat. You are also advised to repair damage in this group.
- Additional actions repair operating system damage that is not dangerous now, but may pose a threat to the computer's security in the future.
Expand the list of the selected group to view damage within the group.
To get the Wizard to fix a specific type of damage, select the check box next to the damage description. By default, the Wizard fixes damage belonging to the groups of recommended and strongly recommended actions. If you do not want to fix a specific type of damage, clear the check box next to it.
It is strongly recommended that you not clear the check boxes selected by default, as doing so will leave your computer vulnerable to threats.
After you define the set of actions for the Wizard to perform, click the Next button.
Fix damage
The Wizard performs the actions selected during the previous step. It may take a while to fix damage. After fixing damage, the Wizard automatically proceeds to the next step.
Wizard completion
Click the Done button to exit the Wizard.
Operating system emergency recovery
Kaspersky Rescue Disk is intended for emergency recovery of the operating system. You can use Kaspersky Rescue Disk for scanning and disinfecting infected computer that cannot be disinfected using other methods (for example, with anti-virus applications).
More details on using Kaspersky Rescue Disk are available on the Kaspersky Support website.
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