Rootkits are a form of virulent malware that masks malicious software from being detected by antivirus software. While these days most security software do include Rootkit detection capabilities, at some point it may happen that you require the help of specialized Rootkit removal tools. We have already had a look at Bitdefender Rootkit Remover, Oshi Unhooker, Kaspersky TDSSKiller, and Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit. Today we will have a look at McAfee Rootkit Remover for Windows.
McAfee Rootkit Remover
McAfee Rootkit Remover is a 538kb standalone freeware ‘command-prompt-look-alike’ tool that can be used to detect and remove complex rootkits and associated malware.
To run McAfee Rootkit Remover, navigate to the folder that contains the downloaded RootkitRemover.exe file. Run the tool as an Administrator for best results. The tool has no UI.
The tool when run will show the stages of the scan as Initializing, Checking for Updates, Scanning and finally if Rootkits are found, Cleaning. The scan completes quickly Once the scan is complete, you can click any key to exit.
If a rootkit infection is found, you will be required to reboot immediately. On reboot, it is a good idea to run the tool again.
Do note that McAfee Rootkit Remover is not a substitute for full anti-virus software. It is only designed to detect and remove specific rootkit infections – which currently includes it can detect and remove ZeroAccess and TDSS families of rootkits. It is expected that more rootkit families will be covered in future versions of the tool.
UPDATE: The tool seems to have been taken down. You may want to check out other free Rootkit Remover software.
Go here if you would like to have a look at some free standalone on-demand Antivirus Scanners for Windows.
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