How To Remove Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool

In this article we're going to testify y'all how to utilize the Malicious Software Removal Tool (Microsoft MRT or MRST), a standalone tool to remove malware after an infection. It works beyond Windows 10, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows eight.1, and earlier. We'll be focusing on Windows 10 in this tutorial, but you lot can follow along on any Windows version.

Commencement, though, a little more nearly what this malware removal tool from Microsoft is all about. Why would you utilize this instead of Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Safety Scanner, or a piece of third-party software? The answer is that some malicious software may disable your anti-virus capabilities or exist hard to remove via traditional ways.

The Microsoft Malware Removal Tool: A Targeted Windows Malware Scanner

The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, then, is more targeted. Information technology merely removes a concise list of the most prevalent malicious software and is designed to do so while the malware is agile. It receives updates quarterly and automatically runs one time per month. It comes in two forms: Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 64-bit, and Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 32-bit. The version you accept will vary depending on your processor and OS type.

It'due south important to note that it does not remove spyware – only viruses, worms, and trojans, and does not cease malware from running in the first place. As a result, it's not a replacementfor typical virus scanning software.

With that said, permit's go into how you can use the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to run a manual scan.

How to Open, Find, and Use the Malicious Software Removal Tool

Microsoft doesn't signpost the location of MRT, and so yous'll accept to seek it out yourself via a targeted search or download it.

Open Microsoft MRST

PressStartand type "MRT". Click the top result, which will be its file path.
Read the disclaimer and printing 'Adjacent >'
How to run a Quick browse with Microsoft MRST

To run a quick browse of your organisation, tick the "Quick browse" checkbox and press "Next >". Be aware that this will only scan the areas of your system that most commonly contain malware. A quick scan returning null does not necessarily hateful y'all are safe, especially if you have seen strange behavior on your PC.

If the quick browse does choice upwardly malicious software, you may want to follow it with a full scan to ensure all remnants are removed.
How to run a full scan with Microsoft MRST

To run a full scan, instead, tick the "Full scan" box. Ensure that you have several hours free, every bit this could take some time.
How to run a custom Malicious Software Removal Scan

If you know exactly where the trouble lies – for example, you lot've discovered a trojan via another anti-virus solution – you tin can run a custom scan. This lets you cheque a specific binder for malicious software.

Click "Customized scan", and then printing the "Choose Folder …" option.
Select the binder to scan

You can too browse a specific bulldoze, such as just your C:/ drive, to save time. One time you've selected, press "Select Folder".
Wait for the malware removal tool to consummate its scan

This could take anywhere from minutes to hours depending on your choice.
Bank check your results

Click "View detailed results of the browse" to run across the malicious software the tool did or didn't find.
Check for the malware you were infected with and note information technology down

You lot should inquiry this software to determine its bear upon on your figurer and whether yous need to take whatever additional steps to stop information technology from recurring.

How to Run the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool via Command Prompt

If you can't access your PC'southward GUI because you take been locked out of your system past the malware, you can use the command-line instead.

Open Command Prompt

If you can yet access the start menu, pressStarting timeand so type"CMD". With Control Prompt selected, click "Run as administrator" on the right-hand side of your Start Menu.

If yous can't admission Command Prompt via the Start Menu, follow our guide to access information technology via Advanced Startup Options.

Run the Microsoft MRT command

In your command prompt window run one of the following commands:

Command	Description
`MRT /F`	Run a forced total browse with the MSRT UI
`MRT /F /Q`	Run a forced full scan without the MSRT UI
`MRT /F :Y`	Run a forced full scan via the UI and automatically clean files
`MRT /F:Y /Q`	Run a forced full browse without the UI and automatically clean files

That's all for this one. Now that the Windows malware scanner has done its piece of work, you lot may desire to check if Windows Defender has been disabled and turn it back on. You should also consider turning on the hidden adware blocker for extra protection.