Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool
The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool is a post-infection malware removal tool that is designed to look for specific prevalent threats and undo the changes they have made to your system. It's meant to be run if your machine has already been compromised by malware. It can detect and remediate Trojan horses, viruses, and worms.
The MSRT is a utility built into Windows that scans your device for malware and other malicious software and removes anything that it finds. The tool targets specific malware families and variations each month, based on research from Microsoft's security team and data from its security products such as Windows Defender.
How To Use the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool helps you detect and remove active malware on Windows systems. This guide explains what the tool does , how to run it , how to read its reports, and when you should use it for extra security.
Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MRT) is a freeware second-opinion malware scanner that Microsoft 's Windows Update downloads and runs on Windows computers each month, independent of the installed antivirus software . First released on January 13, 2005, [2] MRT does not offer real-time protection. It scans its host computer for specific, widespread malware, and tries to ...
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT)
The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is a quiet, one‑shot cleanup utility Microsoft distributes monthly to detect and remove prevalent, high‑risk malware families from Windows systems, and it remains a practical secondary layer of defense alongside a full antivirus product.
The Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool does not replace an antivirus product. It is strictly a post-infection removal tool .
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 64
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) helps keep Windows computers free from prevalent malware. MSRT finds and removes threats and reverses the changes made by these threats. MSRT is generally released monthly as part of Windows Update or as a standalone tool available here for download.
The Malicious Removal Tool was introduced in Windows XP Service Pack 2 and is not a replacement for an antivirus program or antimalware program. However, it can detect and remove several hundred types of malware threats that could infect your computer. Below is an example of what this tool looks like running in Windows 11.
MSRT vs. MSERT
The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) and the Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT.exe) both scan for and remove Windows malware. We explain the differences and when it makes sense to use ...
The Malicious Software Removal Tool scan log is located at: C:\Windows\Debug\mrt.log Microsoft releases a new version of the Malicious Software Removal Tool every second Tuesday of each month.