Crown Softwares

HOW TO USE COMBOFIX

Introduction

ComboFix is a program that scans your computer for known malware, and when found, attempts to clean these infections automatically. In addition to being able to remove a large amount of the most common and current malware, ComboFix also displays a report that can be used by trained helpers to remove malware that is not automatically removed by the program.

At this time ComboFix can only run on the following Windows versions:

Windows XP (32-bit only)

Windows Vista (32-bit/64-bit)

Windows 7 (32-bit/64-bit)

Using Combofix

You will now see the ComboFix disclaimer screen as shown below.

Please read through the disclaimer and if you do not agree to it, then please click on the Cancel button to exit the program. Otherwise, to continue you should click on the I agree button. If you clicked on I Agree, ComboFix will now install itself on to your computer. When it is done, a blue screen will appear as shown below.

ComboFix is now preparing to run. When it has finished ComboFix will automatically attempt to create a System Restore point so that if any problems occur while using the program you can restore back to your previous configuration. When ComboFix has finished creating the restore point, it will then backup your Windows Registry as shown in the image below.

Once the Windows Registry has finished being backed up, ComboFix will attempt to detect if you have the Windows Recovery Console installed. If you already have it installed, you can skip to this section and continue reading. Otherwise you will see the following message as shown below:

At the above message box, please click on the Yes button in order for ComboFix to continue. Please follow the steps and instructions given by ComboFix in order to finish the installation of the Recovery Console. Once it has finished installing, you will be presented with the screen shown below.

You should now press the Yes button to continue. If at any time during the Recovery Console installation you receive a message stating that it failed to install, please allow ComboFix to continue with the scan of your computer. When it is done, and a log has been created, you can then perform the manual install of the Recovery Console using the steps found in the Manually installing the Windows Recovery Console section.

ComboFix will now disconnect your computer from the Internet, so do not be surprised or concerned if you receive any warnings stating that you are no longer on the Internet. When ComboFix has finished it will automatically restore your Internet connection.

ComboFix will now start scanning your computer for known infections. This procedure can take some time, so please be patient.

At the time of this writing there are a total of 50 stages as shown in the image below, so please be patient. The amount of stages will go up as time goes on, so if the amount of stages is different when you run it, please do not be concerned.

When ComboFix has finished running, you will see a screen stating that it is preparing the log report as shown below.

This can take a while, so please be patient. If you see your Windows desktop disappear, do not worry. This is normal and ComboFix will restore your desktop before it is finished. Eventually you will see a new screen that states the program is almost finished and telling you the programs log file, or report, will be located at C:\ComboFix.txt. This can be seen in the image below.

When ComboFix has finished, it will automatically close the program and change your clock back to its original format. It will then display the log file automatically for you as shown below.

How to Unistal Combofix

Please note that if you uninstall ComboFix it will also remove all backups and quarantines that were created when ComboFix scanned and cleaned your computer. Therefore, only uninstall ComboFix when you are a hundred percent sure that your computer is operating correctly and that you no longer need any of the files that were backed up or quarantined.

To uninstall ComboFix from Windows XP please perform the following steps:

Click on the Start button (Windows XP Start Button) and then select Run from the menu. This will open up the Run dialog box as shown in the image below:

Run Dialog Box in Windows XP

In the Open: field type combofix /uninstall, as shown in the image above. Please note that there is a space between combofix and /uninstall. Once you have typed this in, click on the OK button. A Open File security warning will appear asking if you are sure you want to run ComboFix. Please click on the Run button to start the program.

ComboFix will now uninstall itself from your computer and remove any backups and quarantined files. When it has finished you will be greeted by a dialog box stating that ComboFix has been uninstalled. You can now delete the ComboFix.exe program from your computer. ComboFix has now been uninstalled from your Windows XP computer.

To uninstall ComboFix from Windows Vista or Windows 7 please perform the following steps:

Click on the Start button (Windows 7 Start Button) and then in the Search field enter combofix /uninstall, as shown in the image below with the blue arrow. Please note that there is a space between combofix and /uninstall.

Windows 7 Start Menu

Once you have typed this in, press Enter on your keyboard. A Open File security warning will appear asking if you are sure you want to run ComboFix. Please click on the Run button to start the program.

ComboFix will now uninstall itself from your computer and remove any backups and quarantined files. When it has finished you will be greeted by a dialog box stating that ComboFix has been uninstalled. You can now delete the ComboFix.exe program from your computer. ComboFix has now been uninstalled from your Windows Vista or Windows 7 computer