A free virus scan and removal tool that many Windows Defender users will find helpful is the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MSRT). This free download from Microsoft will quickly scan your system and quarantine or remove any malicious software that’s found.

Of course, you don’t have to be using Microsoft Windows Defender to use the MSRT, but if you are a Windows Defender user, this is a nice (and free) additional tool that will help if you find that something nefarious slips past your defenses.

Norton is a well-known name in antivirus applications, so it’s no surprise that the company offers a small-footprint free virus scan and removal tool.

However, it is a pleasant surprise that the Norton Power Eraser allows you to customize the areas of your computer you would like to have scanned, and includes a tool that lets you undo previous virus removals, just in case something you’ve removed (with Norton) in the past was a false positive.

It is a concern that false positives might be caught by Norton Power Eraser, but it’s also not all that unusual. Just use caution when agreeing to Norton’s recommendations to remove programs.

When in doubt, do some research to find out if the application that is flagged is indeed a threat. If it’s not, you can try leaving it on your system. You can always come back and remove it later.

Bitdefender is one of the best-known and highest-rated names in antivirus protection. The Bitdefender antivirus suites are all well-developed, easy to use, and effective at stopping viruses and other types of malware. So, it’s not a surprise that Bitdefender made this list.

Once Bitdefender has detected a virus, it is quarantined and removed without much problem. Unless it happens to be a persistent (aka recurring) virus infection. Then, you’ll need to subscribe to one of Bitdefender’s paid programs.

Don’t let that scare you away, though. Bitdefender offers several free virus scan and removal tools, and in most cases, the Bitdefender software (including the free version) will remove any virus or malware that’s found.