Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool?

I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

Any thoughts really appreciated and would be helpful.

charliec

On 10/22/2015 11:11 AM, wrote:
I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

Any thoughts really appreciated and would be helpful.

charliec


I never use or update the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. I
depend on non-Microsoft anti-malware applications to detect and remove
malicious software.

--
David E. Ross

Is Kim Davis a hero or a villain? See my
http://www.rossde.com/KimDavis.html.

On 10/22/2015 11:39 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 10/22/2015 11:11 AM, wrote:
I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

Any thoughts really appreciated and would be helpful.

charliec


I never use or update the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. I
depend on non-Microsoft anti-malware applications to detect and remove
malicious software.


Oops! I forgot to say why I do not use Microsoft's tool. Microsoft
constantly finds security vulnerabilities in its software. This makes
me wary of using a Microsoft tool to mitigate malware. That is, if they
cannot make their other applications safe, why should I trust the
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to be safe?

--
David E. Ross

Is Kim Davis a hero or a villain? See my
http://www.rossde.com/KimDavis.html.

In "David E. Ross"
wrote:

That is, if they cannot make their other applications safe, why should
I trust the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to be safe?

That applies to all software, including the anti-malware software that
you choose to trust and use.

--
St. Paul, MN

David E. Ross wrote:
On 10/22/2015 11:39 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 10/22/2015 11:11 AM, wrote:
I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

Any thoughts really appreciated and would be helpful.

charliec

I never use or update the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. I
depend on non-Microsoft anti-malware applications to detect and remove
malicious software.


Oops! I forgot to say why I do not use Microsoft's tool. Microsoft
constantly finds security vulnerabilities in its software. This makes
me wary of using a Microsoft tool to mitigate malware. That is, if they
cannot make their other applications safe, why should I trust the
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to be safe?


The tool is an attempt to remove the top fifty or so,
forms of malware. If the industry notices there are
a million machines in a botnet say, maybe MSRT has a
tool added to remove or quarantine part of that.

So rather than being a substitute for an AV program,
it's a tool focused on those people who run no AV
at all, and the tool removes the high-runner malwares.
It's still possible for a million different malwares
to get in the machine, or be missed entirely by the tool.

Think of it as the "FBI Ten Most Wanted List". It's that
list, only for malware.

The scan runs during the Windows Update tool installation,
with options being available later to extend the scan
if you want. Thus, for the average user who does not
investigate, this is a very quick and dirty check for malware,
and is intended to be an aid for those who don't have a tool
collection for this purpose.

I install it (and let it run), but do not have
high expectations it's going to be doing anything
for me.

Paul

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:11:36 -0700, wrote:

I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe


Necessary? No. But it' a good idea, since it lowers the risk of
malware.

Safe? Yes.


- it updates every
month.


Yes.


Do everyone update it when presented?



Everyone? Almost certainly not. There's almost nothing that everyone
does. But I do.

Paul wrote:
David E. Ross wrote:
On 10/22/2015 11:39 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 10/22/2015 11:11 AM, wrote:
I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious
Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it
updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

Any thoughts really appreciated and would be helpful.

charliec

I never use or update the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. I
depend on non-Microsoft anti-malware applications to detect and remove
malicious software.


Oops! I forgot to say why I do not use Microsoft's tool. Microsoft
constantly finds security vulnerabilities in its software. This makes
me wary of using a Microsoft tool to mitigate malware. That is, if they
cannot make their other applications safe, why should I trust the
Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to be safe?


The tool is an attempt to remove the top fifty or so,
forms of malware. If the industry notices there are
a million machines in a botnet say, maybe MSRT has a
tool added to remove or quarantine part of that.

So rather than being a substitute for an AV program,
it's a tool focused on those people who run no AV
at all, and the tool removes the high-runner malwares.
It's still possible for a million different malwares
to get in the machine, or be missed entirely by the tool.

Think of it as the "FBI Ten Most Wanted List". It's that
list, only for malware.

The scan runs during the Windows Update tool installation,
with options being available later to extend the scan
if you want. Thus, for the average user who does not
investigate, this is a very quick and dirty check for malware,
and is intended to be an aid for those who don't have a tool
collection for this purpose.

I install it (and let it run), but do not have
high expectations it's going to be doing anything
for me.

Paul

I let it run as well. I have done for years. But I can't recall a single
occasion when it's had a hit. Maybe that's thanks to good firewall and
AV that I run. I've had those two have hits. Similarly with my web
browser; Firefox.

Ed

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:42:00 -0600, Ken1943 wrote:

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:11:36 -0700, wrote:

I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

Any thoughts really appreciated and would be helpful.

charliec
It is safe to let it run.


Ken1943

I have current version of Norton AntiVirus running in live mode, and have the
current version of Malwarebytes which I run manually for full scans on a regular
basis (but do not have it in live mode - did not want the two to conflict).

charliec

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:12:32 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:11:36 -0700, wrote:

I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe


Necessary? No. But it' a good idea, since it lowers the risk of
malware.

Safe? Yes.


- it updates every
month.


Yes.


Do everyone update it when presented?



Everyone? Almost certainly not. There's almost nothing that everyone
does. But I do.

Thanks, Ken, for the input.

charliec

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:11:36 -0700, wrote:

I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

I have avast! Free Antivirus, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware,
SUPERAntiSpyware, MVPS HOSTS file, NoScript etc. but I let it run. It's
only once a month and I figure it can't hurt...

--
s|b

In message , Paul
writes:
[]
I install it (and let it run), but do not have
high expectations it's going to be doing anything
for me.

Paul

Other than giving a false (so many here would say) sense of security,
has _anyone_ experienced it doing anything _bad_?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"I have a perfect cure for a sore throat. Cut it." - Alfred Hitchcock

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:11:36 -0700, wrote:

I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe - it updates every
month.

Do everyone update it when presented?

Any thoughts really appreciated and would be helpful.

charliec

I let it run. I think it dl's when I'm logging off, and runs at the
start of restarting. It runs only once unless you go out of your way
to run it again. It's never found anything to complain about.

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:12:32 -0700, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
Necessary? No. But it' a good idea, since it lowers the risk of
malware.


But does it? That's the question. Certainly Microsoft Security
Essentials is nowhere near #1 in threat detection. Why should we
expect the Microsoft Software Removal Tool to be better than the
combination of a top-rated antivirus plus Malwarebytes?

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://BrownMath.com/
http://OakRoadSystems.com/
Shikata ga nai...

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
In message , Paul writes:
[]
I install it (and let it run), but do not have
high expectations it's going to be doing anything
for me.

Paul

Other than giving a false (so many here would say) sense of security,
has _anyone_ experienced it doing anything _bad_?

Seems pretty benign.

I've not heard anyone "lose an arm or a leg"
to MSRT, so would have to guess it is toothless.

The bad guys have all month to patch there stuff,
and make the detection ineffective.

Paul

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:34:38 -0700, wrote:

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:12:32 -0700, "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote:

On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:11:36 -0700, wrote:

I have an Important Update(s) for the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software
Removal Tool (KB890830). Is this Tool necessary and safe


Necessary? No. But it' a good idea, since it lowers the risk of
malware.

Safe? Yes.


- it updates every
month.


Yes.


Do everyone update it when presented?



Everyone? Almost certainly not. There's almost nothing that everyone
does. But I do.

Thanks, Ken, for the input.


You're welcome. Glad to help.