Free Tool from Microsoft Removes Malicious Software, Recommended for All Windows Machines (KB890830)   8/10/2005 - 1,627 views, 1 Comment

This free tool is not a replacement for anti-virus, anti-spyware, or anti-spamware. Rather it is a separate, additional tool (and did I mention that it’s free?), offered by Microsoft, which seeks out and destroys specific, targeted malicious software, such as Sasser and Mydoom.

The newest version, released just yesterday, will remove Spyboter, Dumaru, and Bagz malware, in addition to Netsky, Wootbot, Sober, and a host of others.

Explains the Microsoft site:

“The Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool checks Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003 computers for and helps remove infections by specific, prevalent malicious software—including Blaster, Sasser, and Mydoom. When the detection and removal process is complete, the tool displays a report describing the outcome, including which, if any, malicious software was detected and removed. The tool creates a log file named mrt.log in the %WINDIR%debug folder.

This tool is not a replacement for an anti-virus product. To help protect your computer, you should use an anti-virus product.”
The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool is updated on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, and runs on Windows XP, Win2k, and Windows Server 2003. It does not run on Win 98, ME, or NT 4.0

You can download the Malicious Software Removal Tool here. And with the $0.00 price tag, and what it does, there is no excuse for not downloading and running it right now.

Note that it does not remove the keylogging trojan which may be putting millions of Windows users at risk.