How to Remove Malware from Your PC: Complete Guide 2026

Is your PC suddenly slow, showing strange pop-ups, or running programs you never installed? You might have malware. Don't panic: in most cases you can remove it without formatting. Here's the complete procedure to clean your computer and prevent reinfection.

Quick fix (TL;DR)

• Disconnect the PC from the internet to stop malware communication
• Boot into Safe Mode with networking
• Run Windows Defender (offline scan)
• Install and run Malwarebytes (free version)
• Remove suspicious programs from Settings
• Reset your browser to factory defaults

How malware gets on your PC

Most common infection vectors:

• Downloading pirated software or from untrusted sites
• Email attachments disguised as invoices or important documents
• Clicking deceptive advertisements (malvertising)
• Infected USB drives
• Unpatched operating system vulnerabilities
• Malicious browser extensions

Step-by-step guide

Step 1 — Disconnect from the internet

As soon as you suspect an infection:

1. Unplug the Ethernet cable or disable Wi-Fi
2. This prevents malware from:
   • Downloading additional components
   • Sending your data to external servers
   • Spreading to other devices on the network

Step 2 — Boot into Safe Mode

Safe Mode loads only essential services, preventing many types of malware from starting:

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings
2. Go to System > Recovery
3. Under "Advanced startup" click Restart now
4. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings
5. Click Restart
6. Press 5 for "Safe Mode with Networking"

Quick method: hold Shift while clicking Restart in the Start menu.

Step 3 — Run Windows Defender Offline

From Safe Mode:

1. Open Windows Security (search in Start)
2. Go to Virus & threat protection
3. Click Scan options
4. Select Microsoft Defender Offline scan
5. Click Scan now

The PC will restart and run a scan before Windows loads, catching malware that hides in the system.

Step 4 — Scan with Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes catches adware, PUPs, and malware that traditional antivirus often misses:

1. Download Malwarebytes Free from malwarebytes.com
2. Install and launch the program
3. Click Scan (full analysis)
4. Wait for completion (15-30 minutes)
5. Select all detected threats
6. Click Quarantine to isolate them
7. Restart the PC when prompted

Step 5 — Remove suspicious programs

1. Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps
2. Sort by Install date
3. Look for recently installed programs you don't recognize
4. Select and click Uninstall
5. Also check browser extensions:
   • Chrome: chrome://extensions
   • Edge: edge://extensions
   • Remove anything you didn't install voluntarily

Step 6 — Reset your browser

If your browser is compromised (homepage changed, different search engine):

Chrome:

1. Go to chrome://settings/reset
2. Click Restore settings to their original defaults
3. Confirm

Edge:

1. Go to edge://settings/resetProfileSettings
2. Click Reset settings

Step 7 — Prevent reinfection

After cleaning:

1. Update Windows fully (Windows + I > Windows Update)
2. Enable automatic updates
3. Keep Windows Defender always active
4. Don't disable the firewall
5. Only install software from official sources
6. Don't open suspicious email attachments

Common mistakes to avoid

• ❌ Downloading "free antivirus" from pop-ups warning about infections — they often ARE the malware
• ❌ Ignoring symptoms thinking the PC is just "old"
• ❌ Paying ransomware demands — doesn't guarantee file recovery
• ❌ Reconnecting to the internet before completing the cleanup
• ❌ Not changing passwords after removal — malware may have stolen them

When formatting is necessary

If after all steps the PC is still infected:

• Ransomware that encrypted your files
• Rootkits that reinstall after every removal
• Severely damaged system with multiple errors

In these cases, back up important files (verifying they're not infected) and reinstall Windows from scratch.

For comprehensive preventive protection, read our guide on how to protect your smartphone from viruses which includes tips useful for PCs too.