For years, Microsoft Windows has been the premium target of programmers who write malicious software. With each iteration of the operating system, these programmers design more sophisticated malware that takes advantage of even the most obscure flaws. In response, Microsoft has developed the Malicious Software Removal Tool, which will work on Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003, as well as Vista and Windows 7. As software removal tools go, the Malicious Software Removal Tool is good, but it may not always work in all circumstances.

Software Removal Made Easy

The best approach to protecting your computer against malicious software is by preventing infections in the first place. For any number of reasons, that isn’t always possible, but your first goal should always be to avoid infection in the first place. If the worst happens, and your computer becomes infected, a competent antivirus program should be used to remove software deemed malicious or dangerous. This includes viruses, spyware and malware, but it also includes “gray area” software like root kits. Some technicians argue that there’s a legitimate reason for some kinds of software that permit remote control of the desktop, but the arguments in favor of this are few and far between.

Anti-virus software should be your first choice in removing malware because the software is specifically programmed to locate and remove all malware components. Often, simply deleting the malware program files is not enough to either rid the computer of the malware or repair the damage to the computer.

Occasionally, you’ll come across software that defies removal for other reasons. These programs may be deliberately stubborn or they could be damaged in some way that prevents the built in removal tools from working. The Malicious Software Removal tool may not recognize these programs because they don’t fit the built-in malware definitions, meaning they’re not technically “malicious.”

Perfect Uninstaller is a good third-party software removal tool because it will absolutely remove any software you have installed on your computer. In addition, Perfect Uninstaller will remove registry entries that belong to the software it has removed. It’s an excellent tool to keep in your computer maintenance “toolkit.” It’s been downloaded more than a million times by PC users who want something that works more reliably than the built in Add/Remove programs tool. Perfect Uninstaller works well with your other maintenance software packages to keep your computer free from unwanted software and to make sure a program is gone-for-good!

Photo Credit: Monochrome, via Flickr