What to do if you suspect or know your computer has been infected by a virus or other threat

Technical Articles ID: KB61183
Last Modified: 7/13/2015

Environment

Multiple McAfee products

Viruses and vulnerabilities in the wild:

For current information on malware, vulnerabilities, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), see http://www.mcafee.com/us/mcafee-labs.aspx.
To see an up-to-date list of threats and to search for threats, see http://www.mcafee.com/threat-intelligence/malware/latest.aspx.

Summary

This article helps you determine what to do if you discover or suspect a virus infection.

IMPORTANT: For current information about viruses and threats, always use the live McAfee Labs pages. See the links in the "Related Information" section of this article.

If you discover or suspect a virus infection:

Ensure that you have the latest Microsoft Security updates installed.
Security updates are available from:

Microsoft Update	http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/vistadefault.aspx?ln=en-us
Windows Update	http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/vistadefault.aspx?ln=en-us
Microsoft Download Center	http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/search.aspx?q=security%20update

Verify you are using the latest DAT files and run a manual update if necessary:
- If your system does not update, download and run the latest SuperDAT file. See your product documentation for instructions.
  
  For McAfee product documents, go to the Enterprise Product Documentation portal at https://docs.mcafee.com.
- For the latest security updates and DAT files, see www.mcafee.com/apps/downloads/security-updates/security-updates.aspx.
If you know the threat name, search the threat library for detailed information and additional removal instructions. See http://www.mcafee.com/threat-intelligence/vulnerability/latest.aspx.
If the threat is not removed, submit a sample using the ServicePortal or the Platinum Portal. See article KB68030.

NOTE: Do not send samples to Technical Support because these will be returned and cannot be dealt with by Technical Support staff.

Related Information

McAfee Labs

Threat Center	http://www.mcafee.com/us/threat-center.aspx
Search the Threat Library	http://www.mcafee.com/threat-intelligence/vulnerability/latest.aspx
Risk Assessment and McAfee Labs Recommended Actions	http://www.mcafee.com/us/services/strategic-consulting/health-checks/risk-assessment.aspx
McAfee Labs Blog	http://blogs.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs
AudioParasitics - The Official PodCast of McAfee Labs	http://podcasts.mcafee.com/audioparasitics
Sign up for McAfee Labs Security Advisories	http://www.mcafee.com/apps/mcafee-labs/signup.aspx

Related Knowledge Base articles

To find suspicious files when a virus is not detected, see article KB53094.
For information on VirusScan Command Line Scanner 6.0.x switches, see article KB52229.
For an FAQ on V2 DAT files, see article KB55986.

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What to do if you suspect or know your computer has been infected by a virus or other threat

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What to do if you suspect or know your computer has been infected by a virus or other threat

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