When you have malware that simply won't go away (and you suspect something a bit uglier - like a rootkit or Trojan - that keeps re-infecting your machine), you want this tool. It's also not a standard anti-malware tool so much as it is a major problem-solver. 2: ComboFixĬomboFix is the Mac Daddy of removal tools.
Note that here are instances where the removal of a piece of malware by this tool will require a reboot of the machine. Now, if the end user is too lazy (or forgetful), I would suggest purchasing the non-free version, which does contains a real-time component. For the free version of Malwarebytes to actually be active and scanning, the user must run the tool. The only downfall is that there's no real-time component. It's fast, it's always reliable, and it's free. This is my go-to tool when there's a malware issue. They don't cost a dime, and they're about as reliable as a malware removal tool can be.
So I thought I'd list the five tools I prefer for keeping Windows as malware-free as possible. Even so, you still need to have some protection installed. The second you think you have your machine clean, something else appears - no matter what piece of software you use to combat this plague. It's a constant battle, the protection of a PC against malicious software.