Trojan horses are menacing programs that do nothing but harm, affect critical system files and degrade the performance and stability of the system.
You may find that programs are not running properly or you may notice some strange activity even if your system is idle.
Some of these have more lethal payloads when the infected computer is connected to the Internet.
It may transfer stored passwords and other personal details to a remote server usually owned by the hacker or creator of the malware.
Therefore, you should get rid of them as soon as possible.
Trojan horses got their names because they are disguised as legitimate applications.
Some of the applications execute perfectly fine but another application is hidden within the application, which launches in the background and does the damage from there.
This makes this type of spyware difficult to detect.
Formatting your system and reinstalling your OS is a sure way to get rid of this type of virus.
However, this method takes time to execute because you need to backup files and backing up is risky as you may backup infected files as well.
A better way to get rid of trojan horse virus infections is by using an anti-malware scanner or removal tool.
Anti-malware scanners can scan the entire hard disk and Windows registry for trojan horse intrusions.
They are easy to install and present a friendly interface where you only need to click a scan button and the program will do the rest.
However, some viruses are capable of disabling the functions of these types of software, making removal tools more valuable.
Removal tools are tiny portable applications that you can run to get rid of specific trojan horses.
Portable applications mean that you can conveniently carry these applications in an external hard drive or USB flash drive.
This makes these tools highly useful when fixing other computers with ease.
One good example of a removal tool is the Blaster worm removal tool which focuses on the infamous Blaster worm and its variations.
Failure to use the Blaster worm removal tool will result to the system shutting down unexpectedly.
There are even better removal tools that can get rid of malware intrusions of various kinds.
One of the best programs that can handle the job is Microsoft's very own Malicious Software Removal Tool.
It is a portable application as well, so it does not require installation and it can scan critical files quickly for popular spyware applications and remove them immediately.
If this tool does not work for you, make sure that you have the latest version of the software.
Microsoft updates their program database every month where it can detect newer strains of malware.
Once the repair is completed, try to install a real-time antivirus or anti-malware solution so you can prevent newer infections from entering the system.
Activate your built-in firewall or use a third-party firewall solution for added protection.