System Recovery

hey everyone, I just finished with a full system recovery right now. I did it because apparently Microsoft security Essentials found a backdoor Trojan. It removed it and I did another scan it it found another Trojan and other java exploits and other severe threats. So I had it removed and then to be sure they were gone. I have done a FULL system recovery before and it got rid of the viruses but I want to be sure.

I want to log in on my Steam but I don't want to take the risk of a virus or something still in my computer taking my password or something. So, since I did a full system recovery using my HP's recovery partion of my Hard drive ( Disk D, my main Hard drive is C) So it goes back to factory defaults. Will that get rid of the viruses if there were any left? Also I'm going to do a full system scan with MSE since I am that paranoid about my computer.

 

anyone have an answer?

 

Rule #1: Turn off System Recovery when trying to remove a virus.

(That is how it comes back).


Good luck.

 

What do you mean? I cant turn it off. Do you mean system restore?

 

Yes, turn off System Restore.

Right click on Computer, click properties, click System Protection and turn it off.

 

An explanation just in case you were wondering: System Restore is pretty amazing in that it can revert registry changes and bring back executable and system files that were deleted or corrupted but it does that with the good and the bad. Lots of malware will hijack or masquerade as critical system files which can make them difficult to detect and remove because the user doesn't notice them and even when they do notice key system files misbehaving, its often not as simple as just deleting them (if they can even be deleted without breaking your OS). System Restore will archive all of that in the 'System Volume Information' folder along with other key system files at that point in time.

If you reverted to a system restore point that was made when you had some types of virus, they may come back because you restore them too. System Restore will also not allow programs to modify/delete the contents of System Volume Information or screw with your restore points so anti-virus software can't get to it and remove it. It makes sense because if you have clean restore points you don't want things breaking in and dirtying them up.

When you detect a virus, you should disable System Restore which will erase all system restore points made made to date. Then you get your anti-virus software to either quarantine or remove the infected file(s). Then you re-enable System Restore and create a new restore point (which if done in this order will create a snapshot of your new clean system and prevent the virus from recurring during susequent restores).