A Rootkit virus is a type of hidden malware that is used to prevent antivirus programs from detecting, recognizing and removing malicious processes. The peculiarity of rootkits is that they load with system startup and then disappear. In practice they work like computer drivers or programs that are used by the Windows system to recognize the hardware parts connected to the computer. Often the rootkit deceives the antivirus and is not detected . So if you don't have a complete security suite, it's best to take precautions and periodically check that your computer is free and clean of malicious rootkits.
In this list we see the best and most used programs in the world to remove rootkit viruses .
It is good to note that these are stand-alone programs or scanners that do not act in real-time, but must be performed manually every so often to check and eliminate the viruses that run away from the antivirus. Those who have installed a complete antivirus suite on their computer can check if the anti-rootkit is also included.
1) Kaspersky TDSSKiller is a special tool of Kaspersky Lab developed for the specific purpose of removing the TDSS viruses that have spread in recent years and that can remain hidden on Windows systems for a long time. As already seen in another article, a symptom of the TDSS rootkit virus is when you open strange advertisements and sites yourself.
TDSSKiller is, without a doubt, one of the best anti-rootkit tools for detecting and eliminating most rootkit viruses.
2) Bitdefender Rootkit Remover is a tool that eliminates all known rootkits. Like all these portable scan tools, it can be started immediately, and after a very quick and automatic check, I clean the system.
3) McAfee Rootkit Remover is another program to check and cure complex rootkits and the malware associated with them. This tool must be run as a computer administrator and it is important to note that there is no user interface, it works on the command line (it is easy to use, just follow the instructions on the screen)
4) Malwarebtytes Anti-Rootkit is a program to which an article has already been dedicated in this blog. It is a stand-alone tool that can be downloaded on its own and works without installing anything to scan any object suspected of being a rootkit virus.
5) Sophos Rootkit Removal Tool scans, detects and removes any hidden rootkit on your computer using advanced detection technology.
For its in-depth check, it can perhaps be considered the most powerful control scanner and it is advisable to keep it always at hand for occasional safety checks.
6) Oshi Unhooker is a ratified scanner that scans your computer and eliminates any hidden rootkits. This too, like the others, is a single file only to be run to start the check.
7) avast! aswMBR Rootkit scanner scans TDL4 / 3, MBRoot (Sinowal), Whistler and others rootkits.
8) Trend Micro RootkitBuster, finally, is a free portable tool to check if among the hidden files, the registry entries, processes, drivers, the MBR and the main boot entries are hidden malware or viruses that the antivirus does not he managed to find and cure.
In an article from a few years ago it is possible to deepen the discussion of rootkits and download the Hijackthis program which makes a list of all the elements that start on the computer (including any viruses). Fortunately, today, with the anti-virus-rootkit tools of this article, you no longer have to be an expert in recognizing malware and their removal is automatic.
