How Can I Remove the Win32 virus?

The Win32 family of trojans describe literally hundreds of different malware infections and are generally considered to be the most widespread, dangerous and virulent computer threats on the Internet today. This article will help you understand this family of Trojans and describe why you're going to be fighting an uphill battle removing these dangerous threats if you want to try and remove them yourself. Of course, don't throw out your computer if you have been infected: these trojans can be removed if you've got the right tools and the right advice.

The Win32 Family: Extended, Inbred and Completely Disfunctional

When naming new malware threats, large malware detection companies (PC Tools, Symantec, Sophos, etc.) like to group certain malware threats together based on certain shared characteristics. In this case, this particular family of Trojans are categorized regarding where they like to live on your computer system. With these particular threats, it's in a nice warm cozy corner of your registry with the Win32 folders and files. Legitimate Win32 files are critical to your computer because they control updates, startup protocols and operating system behavior.

Of course it's because of how critical these legitimate files are that make the Win32 Trojan family so dangerous.

Regardless of whether you have the Trojan.Win32.KillAV.bve infection or the Trojan.Win32.Banker threat, you have a malware infection that is having a house party in one of the most important parts of your PC's operating system.

One Family With Different Functions

The Win32 family of infections have three major functions -- all equally dangerous. Depending on the specific infection that you may have, this trojan may wreak havoc in one of these ways:

1. Hold you to ransom:

Commonly, Win32 trojans are tied up with bogus anti-malware software titles that hold your PC to ransom. The way they work is pretty standard: they convince the user that their PC is infested with malware before directing them to a 'removal' solution that simply steals your money and further compromises your computer.

2. Download more infections:

The Win32 family of trojans will often start downloading more Net-nasties onto your computer without your knowledge, including spyware, keyloggers and diallers. Once your PC is opened up to these attacks, it can be difficult to recover your computer: your system can become so bogged down with malware in such a short amount of time that addressing the problems are best addressed with a strong magnet, a ball-peen hammer or a quick drop from a fourth story window.

3. Open your computer up for remote control:

Perhaps the most dangerous function of these threats is the way in which they can sabotage your computer's defences and open your PC up for remote attacks. Computers are regularly recruited into botnets - groups of inter-connected 'slave' computers that perform whatever task the malware developer sets for them. This can range from using your PC as a spam sending machine to using your hard drive to serve illegal or immoral content onto the wider Internet... all without your knowledge.

Win32 Trojans: Harder to Hold Than A Greased Pig

One of the reasons that these Trojans are so difficult to get rid of is that they will almost always mutate once they are established on your hard drive. Commonly these threats are programmed so that the recreate themselves in different parts of your registry and change their file names regularly and unpredictably.

What this means is that once they are on your computer, you will always be at least a step behind: trying to delete file names that no longer even house the trojan infection any longer.

So many computer users end up giving up on their pride-and-joy systems after fruitlessly trying to chase trojans that are more elusive than a black cat in a dark room.

So What Can You Do?

At this point you can do one of two things: Firstly, if you consider yourself an experienced computer user, you can try and manually remove this trojan threat from your PC. The Internet has many guides (of varying quality) that try and instruct you in removing these threats yourself. Bear in mind that this is not recommended. As we've already seen, these Trojans mutate into different threats quickly and download more malware in only minutes after being infected.

The second removal technique is to purchase a reputable anti-malware tool. DO NOT use any malware removal tool that you come across by accident on the 'Net or anything that your computer redirects you to: it is highly likely that this will be a rogue anti-malware tool and will only steal your money and further infect your PC.

Although it can hurt forking over money for a solution to remove malware, consider it an investment in the ongoing health of your computer -- the good tools not only remove malware infections, they also protect you from these threats in the future. For less than $50, this may prove to be the best investment you can make on your PC.

For a step by step removal guide -- along with my recommended anti-malware tool available for free download, visit us here: Automatic Malware Removal Guide