Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool - how does it work?

Elroy Jetson

Little Dipper School
Joined
31 Oct 2002
Messages
330
Windows update installed the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, buit how does it work? I have no link to the program anywhere i can see? What does it do, and how?

Any help greatly appreciated!
EJ ;-)
 
RickyC said:
It isn't installed on your PC, you can download a manual version, it's just a run once type of program. If you visit Windows Update you should still see it there.

Nope, it is gone. just visited the windowsupdate, and it is not there. will it reappear every month, though? strange tool...

and the installation history tells me it was successful, too.
see: Malicious Software Removal Tool - January 2005 (KB890830) Successful Wednesday, 12 January 2005 Windows Update website

and if it is a run once thing, where is it stored? I can't even find a file ...
 
Check out the frontpage for a link to it.
It will be updated every month.

Pretty neat and I hope it has the desired effect.
 
Electronic Punk said:
Check out the frontpage for a link to it.
It will be updated every month.

Pretty neat and I hope it has the desired effect.


Yes, I could do this, but windowsupdate tells me it was installed, and I CANNOT FIND IT !!!!!
 
It downloads a cab file to a temp folder and extracts it, check your temp folders though it may just delete the files after it has run :(

Check my above post if you want to DL it again :) (oops didn't see it on the frontpage)
 
leedogg said:
Yeah I was looking around like crazy trying to figure out how to run it after it was installed...found out it runs right after install and just checks once. When you click on finish, thats actually the report saying that it has or has not found something. to run the online version click here:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx


So do I understand it corretly, then, that with each windows update from now on I will be downloading a new version of this "software" rather than update a current version on my system? What a stupid, stupid way of distributing such a piece of code. M$, you have done it again ....

<walks away scratches his haed>

EJ :disappointed:
 
I think so. I dont quite get it either...but it really is only a check for a handful of worms/trojans. similar to mcafee's stinger.
 
I found out where this gets installed. Go to internet options, under temp internet files, click on settings, click view objects. You should see it in there.
 
Bear in mind that this is NOT meant to be a replacement for your regular antivirus software (just a heads up for those who were even thinking along these lines). It's targeted towards clueless users who don't have AV software installed (or those with definitions that haven't been updated in months because of an expired subscription) and are hit by the most common worms.

Basically, it's just a removal tool that'll check your computer once every month. Realtime scanning will still need to be handled by third-party antivirus software.
 
What I don't understand is that it scans for worms that exploit holes patched months ago, now if they go to Windows Update and get the stupid removal tool, they should just update their entire system, and then you don't need the removal tool. Anyone follow?
 
yes , I agree. But what if the worms already resided on the hard drive previous to updating? You know the fact of updating would not be necessary if everybody did it, but let's be honest Windows went to automatic updates becuase there were the few out there who just never bothered. You know who you are...
 
Agreed, this simply sounds like a service MS provides, scanning for particular trojans right before you update patches.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

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