One of the big burdens for computer users is the fact that there are people out there who create software for the sole intention of doing damage to another individual’s computer. Often called viruses or malware, these programs go in and can sometimes ruin a computer to the point of all files being corrupted and the computer needing a factory restore to keep it safe. In response to the growing need to have virus protection, Microsoft released, in 2005, its malicious software removal tool. This tool is a free anti-virus software kit that comes installed on computers that are running the Windows operating system.
The way it works is rather simple. As you are doing your normal activities on the computer, it pops up behind every other browser and begins to run. If there is malicious software on the computer, it will report it to you and give you an option on what to do — whether that means quarantine it, delete it, or whatever else — and then will send a report to Microsoft. Microsoft will take this report, compare it to other reports and then develop a fix for it. Therefore, every two weeks, Microsoft has an update via Windows Update that provides fresh data to the software so it can can’t future viruses.
However, if you’re not interested in having Microsoft get updates on your computer, there is a way to turn that off. Open the software and simply click the button that disables communication with Microsoft. Unfortunately, the only way Microsoft can continue to update the software and provide consistent patches to catch more malicious software is to get the updates.
Is Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool Enough?
It’s a good start to have the tool running at all times, regularly doing a sweep of the computer to catch any malicious software. However, it is important to note that the software alone is not enough. There is other software out there that are either better or updated on a more regular basis; therefore, they are able to do sweeps of your computer that are more encompassing.
The one problem with the tool is that it is difficult to find. There is no icon for it on your computer; therefore, if you want to find it, you have to actually search for it. To find it, access the Systems32 folder where you should see a mrt.exe. If you don’t see that file in that folder, it means you don’t have the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool on the computer and therefore, will need to download it if you want to use it.
