Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
| Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
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| developer | Microsoft |
| Publishing year | January 13, 2005 |
| Current version | 5.82 (KB890830) ( May 12, 2020 ) |
| operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| License | Microsoft EULA ( Closed Source ) |
| Microsoft | |
The Microsoft Windows tool for removing malicious software ( English Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool , MRT or MSRT for short ) is software from Microsoft for checking PCs and servers with Windows operating systems for certain malicious programs and their removal.
As of April 2015, the operating systems Windows 10 , Windows 8.1 , Windows Server 2012 R2 , Windows 8 , Windows Server 2012 , Windows 7 , Windows Vista , Windows Server 2008 , Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 were supported. Support for Windows XP ended on July 14, 2015. For Windows 2000 , the program is no longer offered via Windows Update since July 13, 2010; the last working program version is 4.20 from May 2013.
As of September 2017, MSRT is available for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 as well as for Windows Server 2016 , Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008.
function
(Screenshot of the malware list).
In contrast to antivirus programs , the Microsoft tool can only remove active malware and cannot prevent it from implanting in the system. Microsoft makes it clear that it is not a replacement for an antivirus program.
A new version of the program was usually released every second Tuesday of the month ( Microsoft's Patch Day ) until March 2020, and there are also unscheduled updates in special cases. The MSRT will be published quarterly from May 2020. The program is available via "Automatic Updates", via " Windows Update " or for manual download from the Microsoft website. It is intended for home and professional users.
Microsoft itself lists the reasons why the program, which is available free of charge, does not compete with common antivirus programs:
- The program does not offer any protection against the intrusion of viruses and other malware; MSRT can only detect and remove these once they have established themselves in certain places on the computer, but only if they are currently active.
- It specializes in detecting certain common but difficult to remove computer worms , " Trojans " and viruses . Microsoft has published a list of the malware families targeted by MSRT .
- The period of one month until the next update is too long for fighting new viruses. Common antivirus programs are usually updated automatically every day or more often via the Internet. The MSRT supports antivirus programs in combating malicious programs ("malware") that they could not detect or remove.
- The program usually doesn't scan the entire computer, just the usual suspicious spots. A “full scan” can only be set when called up by the user.
Since some malware prevents Windows from being updated automatically, a run with the manually downloaded MSRT can be a first step if an infection is suspected.
If malware is detected or if an error occurs during execution, a report is sent to Microsoft. According to Microsoft, no data is sent that allows conclusions to be drawn about the computer or the user. The transmitted data is used to compile statistics on the spread of certain families of malware and to improve the program. The reporting component can also be switched off.
The program mrt.exeis started by entering
Windows+R
%windir%\system32\mrt.exeEnter
history
The program for removing malicious software was first published by Microsoft on January 13, 2005 for the then popular Windows versions Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 in 24 languages. In the first 15 months after that, the program was installed on around 270 million computers. Feedback to Microsoft shows that during that time it removed 16 million worms, Trojans, and viruses from 5.7 million individual computers. 3.7 million computers were infected with Trojans, which represented the largest proportion of malware during this period. The fact that relatively little malware was removed in relation to the computers examined is due to the fact that the program specializes in certain groups of malware and usually removes malicious software in addition to antivirus programs. The prevalence of certain widespread families of malware declined significantly in the period from the tool's release in early 2005 to March 2006, and by 75 percent for some types.
On May 19, 2009, Microsoft published statistics showing that the ten most widespread families of malware ("Top Ten") included six programs that could spy on passwords and banking information on computers. At the time of this report, 859,842 computers have been cleared of these programs using Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool . Some computers were infected by more than one of these six programs; similarly working, but less common malware was not included in the statistics.
See also
Web links
- Michael Horowitz: What you don't know about the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool Computerworld from February 5, 2009 (English)
- Michael Horowitz: What you don't know about the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool; Computerworld from February 6, 2009
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (32-bit). support.microsoft.com, accessed May 13, 2020 .
- ↑ Microsoft Security Essentials is no longer available for Windows XP. Retrieved May 1, 2015 from microsoft.com .
- ↑ Remove malicious software with the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
- ↑ a b Differences Between Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool and Antivirus
- ↑ List of malware combated by the MSRT
- ↑ Michael Horowitz: What you don't know about the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Computerworld from February 6, 2009
- ↑ a b c Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool: Progress Made, Trends Observed Article at Microsoft (English)
- ↑ For the provision of the Microsoft Windows tool for removing malicious software in a corporate environment, see chapter "Frequently asked questions", F3
- ↑ Emil Protalinski: Microsoft cleans password stealer tools from 859.842 PCs in Ars Technica from May 21, 2009
- ^ What you don't know about the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. (No longer available online.) Computerworld from February 6, 2009, formerly in the original ; accessed on December 23, 2019 . ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
