Article Summary:

This article describes how to remove a suspected malware infection and ways to protect your system against malware attack.

Malware is any type of malicious software such as spyware, adware, or viruses that harms your computer's performance or security. Most malware infections stem from Internet activity which include downloading files or even just browsing Internet sites. Most measures for protecting against malware focus on ways to make Internet browsing more secure

Various symptoms can be associated with malware, so any one (or a combination) of the following symptoms could be good indicators of malware infection.

• Browser Redirects, Popups, Homepage Changes: The browser may suddenly redirect to an unknown website, or a previously set homepage may change without warning or input.
• Slow Computer Response: The computer may seem to "lock up" or run slow during regular use. It is also not uncommon to experience delays in the operating system loading to the desktop.
• Processor Utilization at 100% in Task Manager: The processor seems to be working overtime and/or slowly. To check the processor utilization or the Kernel Memory status, press the <CTRL>+ <ALT>+ <DEL> keys at the same time. Then click the Performance tab. Processor utilization is indicated by the CPU Usage gauge.
• Virtual Memory Low Message: This message will keep appearing no matter what changes are made to resolve the issue.

For detailed information on Malware, refer to the Wikipedia entry on Malware: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware

Determine if you have security software already installed on your computer. If so, refer to your vendor for information on removal of malware. A list of security software vendors' contact information can be found in the Security Software section of the Dell Third-Party Software Contacts page

One simple way to determine if you have security software is to check the System Tray in the bottom right corner of your screen for a security package. Some common icons to look for:

• Check for the McAfee icon in your system tray (near the system clock).

• Check for one of the Norton AntiVirus ( or ) icons or one of the Norton Internet Security ( or ) icons in your system tray (near system clock).

• Check for the Trend Micro PC-Cillin icon in your system tray (near system clock).

For information on registering Symantec Norton Internet Security, refer to Symantec Knowledge Base Article Registering Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall after it is installed Article ID: 2001032112172036

To register your McAfee products:

1. Connect to the Internet.
2. Right-click on the M icon by your system clock.
3. Click Product Setup.

   	Note:
   	If you do not see Product Setup, then your products have already been registered.

   
   

4. Click Next.
5. Follow the prompts to register your products.

   	Note:
   	If you already have a McAfee account, click Current McAfee User Log In and enter your email address and password. Click Log In and follow the prompts.

   
   

If you receive a message "invalid Dell service tag", or "service tag has already been used", and you do not have a McAfee account, please click here .

After completing McAfee Product Setup, your products will update automatically on a regular basis.

Click here for additional product activation and update help.

For details on installing and registering Trend Micro Internet Security, refer to Trend Micro Knowledge Base Article "How to download and install the latest version of Trend Micro Internet Security for Dell" Article ID: EN-1037434

The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool accurately detects and removes about 80% of known viruses and spyware from your system.

1. Navigate to the Microsoft® Windows® Malicious Software Removal Tool download page.

2. Click Download to start the download process.

3. Click Run to download and run the program.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to initiate the scan and remove any malicious software, if found.

Learn more about updating your built-in Windows security features!

• Firewall

• Windows Updates