Sometimes it can be hard getting an antivirus to install on an infected machine especially when malware is making it difficult to use an internet connection. I have covered other tools such as MalwareBytes in the past but I thought a new tool released by Microsoft was worth a mention.
The Microsoft Safety Scanner is a fully self-contained security tool that scans for viruses, spyware and other sorts of malware. It doesn’t require installation and works simply by executing the application. At present, the current file size weighing in at around 70MB which shouldn’t take too long on most broadband connections.
When you run the application, you’ll encounter the end user license agreement screen:
Microsoft Safety Scanner - EULA Screen
Then a welcome screen (which could have perhaps been removed to save another click):
Microsoft Safety Scanner - Welcome Screen
On the next screen, you can choose the type of scan you want to run (on infected machines the “full scan” option would probably be most appropriate):
Microsoft Safety Scanner - Scan Type Screen
Once you have chosen your scan, MSS will do its thing and start scanning:
Microsoft Safety Scanner - Scanning Screen
Once completed you’ll be provided the results of the scan (and my computer seems to be clean after a quick scan):
Microsoft Safety Scanner - Scan Results Screen
The scanner comes in 32-bit and 64-bit flavours so make sure you pick the right version for your copy of Windows. The software is also only valid for ten days after downloading. Whilst this might seem a bit inconvenient, it’s done to prevent people running old and obsolete software given the lack of built in update functionality. MSS is also not a replacement for antivirus software. Proper antivirus software runs continuously and automatically in the background to prevent infection whilst MSS is designed to manually remove infections after the fact.
So whilst you might not need MSS straight away it might come in handy later on.
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