Does Disk Cleanup Remove Viruses? Explained Here
Overview: In this blog post, we will clear the confusion which people mostly asked or have in their mind is “Does disk cleanup remove viruses or not?”. So, the answer is No. Also, let’s understand what it actually does while using this, reasons why it does not remove viruses, and what are the useful manual methods that can be used to remove viruses more effectively. But, before going to the reasons, let’s know something about this disk cleanup tool.
Disk Cleanup is an in-built tool which you will find in the Windows operating system and it is used to free up space on your system or hard drive by deleting temporary files, cache, and unnecessary files which are no longer needed. Basically, it improves system performance and cleanup those clutter files present in your system. Also, let it be clear that it is not a virus removal tool.
If you want to do complete data removal for security or other purposes, then you should look into more advanced options like how to remove all files on Hard Drive?
Reasons Why Disk Cleanup Doesn’t Remove Viruses?
There are various points that will ensure why it won’t remove viruses. Below are the points to remember and give you the answer of “Does disk cleanup remove viruses or not”
- Disk Cleanup does not scan for detected malicious files such as viruses, spyware, or any other suspicious activity.
- It removes cache and Recycle Bin files or thumbnails, but not those in system directories where viruses commonly hide.
- Advanced malware may hide itself as system files go into hiding places which Disk Cleanup will not enter.
- Unlike antivirus software, disk cleanup does not provide real-time protection to your malicious files.
- It might be able to delete temporary files that are used to track a virus’s source, yet the virus would remain active.
Manual Methods to Remove Viruses From Your System
There are quick short methods which can be used to detect and remove viruses from your PC. let’s go through the steps:
1. Using In-built Security Features
- Just open Windows Security > Virus & Threat Protection.
- Now, run a Quick Scan or Full Scan for finding potential threats.
2. Boot Into Safe Mode
- Firstly, reboot your PC into Safe Mode with Networking.
- Then scan your system using antivirus software while fewer processes are running in the background. This improves the detection process.
3. Uninstall Suspicious Software
- From Control Panel > Programs and Features.
- Look for unfamiliar programs installed or recently installed and remove them from your system.
4. Use System Restore
- If your system was recently infiltrated, restore it to an earlier state before system compromise using System Restore option.
5. Reset or Reinstall Windows
- If in the case that viruses persist and cause them severe issues, you can try to reset or reinstall the copy of Windows on the computer.
- Be very sure that you backup all your important files before resetting your Windows.
Permanently Remove Viruses to Make It Risk Free
In order to permanently remove viruses and make your system risk-free, it’s important to wipe the infected data beyond any recovery. So, for that you can go with PCVITA File Shredder Software that helps you just by applying advanced wipe algorithmic techniques to wipe the files, folders, and drives securely. As opposed to simple deletion, this ensures that the traces of malware or viruses do not remain. Also, it works well for cleaning SSDs, HDDs, or even external storage. You can just protect your system using this trusted solution.
Final Words
Coming to this last part, I think you have cleared your confusion and got the clarity on “Does Disk Cleanup Remove Viruses”. So, Disk Cleanup is a handy utility to delete files from the hard disk and thereby free-up disk space. It is not designed to check for viruses or remove them. It cannot substitute antivirus or undergo manual security operations. To keep your system free of viruses, one should use professional security software mentioned above, or try these quick manual methods like install OS updates, and practice safe browsing. So, remember that disk cleanup is used to enhance the performance of a system and not for the removal of malware.