**Important Warning**
Any malware removal carries a small risk of data loss. **Back up your important files first** (we can do this for you). Call Fireytech at 918-258-FIRE (3473) if you want us to handle the backup and cleaning safely.
### Step 1 – Do You Still Have Control of Windows?
- If you can’t install programs or boot normally → boot from a rescue USB (we use Kaspersky Rescue Disk or Windows Defender Offline – both free) or remove the drive and scan it on another clean PC.
### Step 2 – Full Offline + Online Scans (2025 recommendations)
We run these tools in this order (all free for personal use):
1. **Microsoft Defender Offline** (built into Windows 10/11) – boots outside Windows, finds rootkits other tools miss.
2. **Malwarebytes Free** – still one of the best on-demand scanners.
3. **Emsisoft Emergency Kit** or **HitmanPro** – excellent second-opinion scanners (both portable, no install needed).
4. **AdwCleaner** (by Malwarebytes) – specializes in browser hijackers and junk toolbars.
Run full scans with each, remove everything they find, reboot, and repeat until all come back clean.
### Step 3 – Reset All Web Browsers
Even after the malware is gone, rogue extensions can linger:
- Edge → Settings → Reset settings
- Chrome → Settings → Advanced → Reset and clean up
- Firefox → Help → More troubleshooting → Refresh Firefox
Keep bookmarks/passwords but clear everything else.
### Step 4 – Remove Junk/PUPs
Control Panel → Programs and Features → uninstall anything you don’t recognize (search the name + “remove” if unsure). Common culprits in 2025: fake “PC cleaners,” browser toolbars, cryptic “system optimizers.”
### Step 5 – Test Thoroughly
- Browse to known safe sites (microsoft.com, google.com) – no redirects or pop-ups? Good.
- Search for “antivirus” and click legitimate results – no fake download pages? Clean.
### Still Infected or Too Stubborn?
Some ransomware/rootkits hide from normal scans. We have bootable rescue media and lab tools that finish the job when Windows-based scanners can’t.
### Bonus: Spoofing & Phishing Protection
We still see “spoofed” login pages that look 100% real (fake banking, QuickBooks, Microsoft 365 sites). Always check the actual URL in the address bar and never call phone numbers that pop up on screen.
Need help right now?
Call Fireytech at **918-258-FIRE (3473)** or stop by our shop near 91st & Sheridan (8988 South Sheridan Rd, Suite D1). We’ll clean it properly, the first time – on-site or in-shop – with our 100% money-back guarantee.
Your data is worth protecting. Let the pros handle it.
#Fireytech #VirusRemoval #MalwareRemoval #ComputerRepairTulsa #TulsaIT #CallFire