In this MiniTool post, we will show you some related information about Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, including what it is and how to download, run, uninstall, and update Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool on Windows 10/11.
You should know Windows Defender Antivirus, but you may not notice this tool: Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. This tool is also known as MSRT, which is a freely distributed virus removal tool from Microsoft for Windows operating system. It is one of the best free malware removal toolsand it has bothWindows Malicious Software Removal Tool 32 bits version andWindows Malicious Software Removal Tool 64 bits version. You can select a suitabel version to download according to the Windows version you are using.
This tool can run on the following Windows operating systems:
- Windows 11
- Windows 10
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows 8.1
- Windows Server 2012 R2
- Windows Server 2012
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows 7
- Windows Server 2008
In Windows Update of the Settings app, you can see Microsoft is always releasing updates for this tool. Yes, Microsoft distributes the MSRT to every computer via Windows Update. But you can also go to the Microsoft Download Center or Microsoft Update Catalog to download and then run it to scan for malware and remove it.
#1: Download and Run Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
Download Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
Here are the three available ways to download Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool.
Way 1: Via Windows Update
The easiest and most direct way to download and run the MSRT is to use Windows Update. To always automatically get the latest version of this tool, you’d better turn on Automatic Updates on your device. Microsoft will automatically release the latest version of Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to your device via Windows Update. In theory, Microsoft releases the MSRT on a monthly cadence as part of Windows Update or as a standalone tool.
You can just go to Start > Settings > Windows Update on Windows 11 or Start > Settings > Update & security > Windows Update on Windows 10 to check for updates and see if Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool has a new version, then download and install it on your device. The following is about a Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool x64 update. If you are running Windows 10 32-bit, this update will be displayed asWindows Malicious Software Removal Tool x86 – v5.92 (KB890830).
After you download the tool using this way, the MSRT will begin to scan your computer. If no threat is found, it will run in quiet mode next time. However, if it detects malicious software, the next time when an administrator logs on to your device, a balloon will pop up in the notification area to remind you of the detection.
Way 2: Via Microsoft Download Center
You can also download Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 64-bit or 32-bit from the Microsoft Download Center. That is, there are files for both 32-bit x86-based systems and 64-bit x64-based systems (>>Check which Windows version you are using).
You can directly go to the Microsoft’s official download page for the MSRT to download it:
If you want to download Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 32 bit, you can click the following link to continue:
>>Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 32-bit download
If you want to download Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 64 bit, you can click the following link to continue:
>>Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool 64-bit download
After entering the download page, you can click the Download button to download this tool.
Tip: From the download page, you can also learn the related information about this tool like the latest version number, the published date, the file name, the file size, and the KB number.
The MSRT does not use an installer. After downloading it, you can directly open the downloaded file to run it to perform a scan. This tool must be run with local administrator privileges.
Way 3: Via Microsoft Update Catalog
Microsoft also makes theoffline installers for Windows Malicious Software Removal Toolavailable in Microsoft Update Catalog. If Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is not installed via Windows Update, you can also search for the KB number of this tool in the Microsoft Update Catalog and select a proper version to download. The KB number ofWindows Malicious Software Removal Tool is fixed: it is KB890830. You can also search forWindows Malicious Software Removal Tool in Microsoft Update Catalog.
Step 1: Go to the KB890830 offline installers download page of Microsoft Update Catalog.
Step 2: Find your needed file as per the Windows version you are using and click the Download button.
Step 3: On the pop-up interface, click the download link to download this tool on your device.
Likewise, you can directly click the downloaded .exe file to run this tool.
Universal Way to Run Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
You can run Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool anytime using these steps:
Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run box.
Step 2: Type MRT into the Run box and press Enter to open the MSRT. If you see the User Account Control interface, click Yes to continue.
Step 3: Click Next to continue.
Step 4: Select a scan type and click Next to start scanning your device.
If your Windows Update is enabled, your system will automatically get the latest version of this tool or you can just go to Windows Update to manually check for updates to see if there is an available update.
However, if the Automatic Updates feature is disabled, you will need to download the newest version of this tool from the Microsoft Download Center or Microsoft Update Catalog.
#3: Uninstall Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool
Some users report that the MSRT is using too much CPU and they want to remove this tool from their devices.
Well then, how to uninstall this tool?
Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool doesn’t use an installer. When you run it, it just creates a randomly named temporary directory on the root drive of the computer. Usually, the path is C:\Windows\System32. After this tool stops running or after the next time that you start the computer, the folder will be automatically deleted. If the folder is not automatically deleted, you can go to manually delete it. It will not adverse effect on your PC.
The End
Want to what Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool is? How to download Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool and run it to remove malware? How to uninstall this tool if it is using too much CPU? This post just shows you all the answers you want to know.
If your files are lost due to malware or virus attacks, you can try a professional data recovery software like MiniTool Power Data Recovery to get them back.
Should you have other related issues, you can let us know in the comments.
