What functional checks do you run after malware removal?

[Haole Boy]

Aloha everyone!

I disinfected a customer machine, and happened to stumble across a not-so-obvious problem when I was done. When in Windows (file) Explorer, the 'New Folder' function would not work. I've fixed that but it got me wondering what other damage the malware left behind.

So, I decided to ask what functional checks do you run after removing malware from a machine? (Assume that you're satisfied that you've removed all the malware.)

Obviously a reboot is a required check, as is running Windows Update.

Let me know what you do to verify the machine is running correctly.

Mahalo,

Harry Z.

 

[Blues]

For my return post after ~3 yrs away from here

I work in a corporate office so my process is a little different but it also in general verification depends on a couple things

A list in no particular order:
#1 what the end user issues and/or infection were to begin with
#2 how the infection was fixed/removed
#3 known infections and issues they cause
#4 known issues created by certain types of fixes

Take the fun Money Pack scam infections for example it either breaks a lot or very little. What it does break tends to be nothing outside of settings and the easiest way to get a user back to where they want to be is wipe most settings and start fresh.

 

[altrenda]

After I reinstall the machine at the clients location, I check the internet connection, open all browsers to make sure they all work and any redirectors are gone.

I send myself an email from their account and respond from my phone.

Then I fire up Excel, open the invoice file from my flash drive, fill out how many hours I've spent, print it on their printer, and hand it to them.

Very rarely, one of these steps reveals a problem.

 

[Xander]

For my return post after ~3 yrs away from here

Pffft...barely over 2. No parade


D7 has a built-in battery of tests ranging from MP3 to XLS to DOCX and so on. Most of the common formats and includes flash, java.

 

[katz]

I usually make sure Dev. manager looks good. I'll check wired/wireless internet access. Run Windows update. Maybe open a couple of programs, that's about it. I will throw a cd in to check if it plays/audio is good.

I know some techs will even go as far as testing the dvd burners by creating a cd/dvd (heard it on podnutz). I don't go that far though.

I started testing/playing a cd because I returned a system, maybe 8 months ago that had a faulty dvd drive & I didn't realize it until the client called me about it.

 

[Blues]

Pffft...barely over 2. No parade


D7 has a built-in battery of tests ranging from MP3 to XLS to DOCX and so on. Most of the common formats and includes flash, java.

Hey math is hard

D7 sounds nice having been doing this as part of an IT staff including end user support for a large company I feel my general repair skills have gotten rusty and I am not as current with tools as I once was.