Microsoft Malicious Software Removel Tool

[Acorn]

Attachment 133832

the link in acorn's post is not working for me so I do not know if he linked to same

@handrawn, it was of the tool itself and its invocation:



Sorry it went walkabout.

@Boy, it is probably not signed as it is delivered in a signed package. It probably also checks itself.

The bottom line is always update, knowing there are ever-vigilant developers more than happy to blow the whistle on MS.
MS is aiming for a pure cloud-based operating system where you rent the OS, , performance, applications (Office 365) and space, a bit like Xara Plus products.
In both cases, there is one one master instance. No downloads, no viruses, no choice...

Acorn

[handrawn]

it is probably not signed as it is delivered in a signed package. It probably also checks itself.

indeed, which is getting into how things actually work, rather than what is said on the tin...

the number one rule is download only from a verified source

[Acorn]

Be afraid, be very afraid - https://arstechnica.com/security/202...kernel-access/

Acorn

[handrawn]

nice link, thanks

it would be shame if MS went down the apple route one way or another; the flexibility of windows is one of it's strong points, but therein lies risk

an issue of course is that a lot of users don't even appreciate the risks that exist, even with all their security tools active and uptodate; for most of us it may not be that big a risk, but that could once have been said about internet scam

I am not encouraged that it will get any better... apple is not immune

[Rik]

I always use the MRT.exe version that's in this location: C:\Windows\System32

So, to be honest, I never looked at the part that says publisher unknown.

[Acorn]

I do not think there is any need whatsoever to run the MRT manually; you achieve very little.
If you allow Windows Update to install the latest then the MRT is run automatically.

If you want confirmation then look at C:\Windows\debug\mrt.log where you will see it will have run on all its invocations.

Acorn

[handrawn]

afaik the mrt is only run the once at every update

as previously mentioned MS make clear this is not an AV program that gives protection across the board

it is a specific tool for specific threats that MS provide as a backstop

the MS AV is Microsoft Defender Anitivirus and you can run that from windows settings should you feel the need

However a third party AV may well take over the task, as ESET does on my desktop:



as it does for the firewall in my case