Microsoft antivirus help

Download software only from official vendor websites or the Microsoft Store. Use Microsoft Edge when browsing the internet. Furthermore, Microsoft Edge can stop pop-up dialogue loops used by these sites.

Enable Microsoft Defender Antivirus in Windows It detects and removes known support scam malware. Uninstall applications that scammers asked to be install. If access has been granted, consider resetting the device. Run a full scan with Microsoft Defender Antivirus to remove any malware. Apply all security updates as soon as they are available. Monitor anomalous logon activity.

Use Windows Defender Firewall to block traffic to services that you would not normally access. Help Microsoft stop scammers, whether they claim to be from Microsoft or from another tech company, by reporting tech support scams:. No jargon. Pictures helped. Didn't match my screen.

Incorrect instructions. Too technical. Not enough information. Not enough pictures. Any additional feedback? Submit feedback. Thank you for your feedback! Note A computer virus may prevent you from accessing the Microsoft Update website to install the latest updates. We recommend that you set the Automatic Updates service to run automatically so that a computer is not missing any important updates.

Microsoft offers a free online tool that scans and helps remove potential threats from your computer. To perform the scan, go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner website. Note the name of the rogue security software. For this example, we'll call it XP Security Agent When you are prompted, use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Networking , and then press Enter.

Click the Start button and check whether the rogue security software appears on the Start menu. If it's not listed there, click All Programs and scroll to find the rogue security software's name. Right-click the name of the rogue security software program, and then click Properties. In the Properties dialog box, check the path of the rogue security software program that is listed in Target.

Note The folder name frequently is a random number. In the Program Files window, click Program Files in the address bar. Scroll until you find the rogue security software program folder. For example, XP Security Agent Go to the Microsoft Safety Scanner website.

If you suspect that your computer is infected with rogue security software that was not detected by using Microsoft security solutions, you can submit samples by using the Microsoft Malware Protection Center submission form. Microsoft Defender Offline is an anti-malware tool that helps remove difficult to eliminate viruses that start before Windows starts. Starting with Windows 10, Microsoft Defender Offline is built-in. Click Download the 32 bit version or Download the 64 bit version , depending on which operating system that you are running.

If you're unsure of which operating system that you are running, see Is my PC running the bit or bit version of Windows.

When you are prompted, press a key to select an option to use to start your computer, such as F12, F5, or F8, depending on the kind of computer that you are using. Use the arrow key to scroll to the drive where you installed Microsoft Defender Offline file. Microsoft Defender Offline starts and immediately scans for malware. Confirm that the Windows firewall is turned on.

See Turn Microsoft Defender Firewall on or off for instructions on how to do that on modern versions of Windows. In the Search box, type firewall, and then click Windows Firewall. In the left pane, click Turn Windows Firewall on or off you may be prompted to enter your administrator password.

Only download programs from sites that you trust. If you're not sure whether to trust a program that you want to download, enter the name of the program into your favorite search engine to see whether anyone else has reported that it contains spyware. Read all security warnings, license agreements, and privacy statements that are associated with any software that you download.

Never click "Agree" or "OK" to close a window that you suspect might be spyware. Be wary of popular "free" music and movie file-sharing programs, and make sure that you understand all the software packaged with those programs. Use a standard user account instead of an administrator account. An administrator account can access anything on the system, and any malware run with an administrator account can use the administrator permissions to potentially infect or damage any files on the system.

For more information about how to protect a computer against viruses, see Protect my PC from viruses. Want to chat with a live person? Our Answer Tech trained professionals are ready to help: Answer Desk.