What is the Malicious Software Removal Tool?
The Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT) is a component of Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. It does not run on older systems, such as Windows 98, Windows Millennium Edition, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0. It’s installed automatically with the rest of the operating system and updated regularly via Windows Update. It does just what its name says, and that’s all it does. Then it deletes itself until the next time you update Windows. The Malicious Software Removal Tool does not ward off infections by malware (malicious software) as programs such as Norton Internet Security and Avast! Antivirus do. It only detects infections that already exist on your system and removes them. Malware (viruses, spyware and other nasties) may have already done damage by the time MSRT snuffs it, so you should have preventive anti-malware programs installed as well. Furthermore, MSRT detects only some of the many malware specimens that exist in the wild. It relies upon a database of known mal
