When you get malware on your computer, trying to get it removed can be a difficult and lengthy process. Many different tools exist for removing malware (or just preventing it in the first place), however some don’t work as well as others, and some are actually malware themselves. So what can you do to be absolutely, 100% sure that you’ve removed malware once you get it.

The traditional approach to this question is to simply run a lot more software. Most IT guys will run several different spyware removal tools, virus cleaners, and a variety of other software designed to try to clean up and optimize your computer. However this takes a long time, and even after all that work, there’s still no way to be absolutely sure that your computers clean.

Here’s a way you can be absolutely sure to clean up your computer - reinstall the operating system. This is a pretty extreme measure, and most people don’t want to go to that much work. Reinstalling the operating system offers quite a few benefits - for one thing, you can be completely sure that your computer’s clean, because you’re starting from scratch (just be sure you don’t reinstall malware). Also, it cleans up bitrot. Bitrot is the term used to describe old files that get left behind on your computer that you don’t need. It’s not a literal form of rot, your hard drive is still fine, but after a while your computer can have a lot of stuff that you really don’t need. This helps you get rid of unneeded digital clutter, and will often help your computer to run faster.

If you’re going to reinstall the OS, here are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, make absolutely sure that your data is backed up - and not just that you have one other copy. You will need 2 copies of all your files that are not on your computer, because you will be deleting the original, and you still want to have a backup. Also, make sure to completely format your hard drive before you reinstall the OS, to rid it of all the old data.

This method, as extreme is it sounds, is a great thing to do every now and then anyways, just to keep your computer optimized.