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Difficulty: MediumMalware Symptoms and Standard Removal Procedures

A helpdesk specialist is troubleshooting a Windows workstation at a graphic design firm that is displaying fake antivirus alerts demanding payment. The specialist has already disconnected the workstation's network cable and disabled Wi-Fi to isolate the machine from the local network. According to the standard CompTIA malware removal procedure, which of the following actions should the specialist take NEXT?

  1. Disable System Restore in Windows.Answer
  2. B
    Download and install the latest signature files using an offline installer.
  3. C
    Re-enable network connectivity to initiate a cloud-based automated remediation scan.
  4. D
    Create a new system restore point to preserve system settings.

Answer

Disable System Restore in Windows.
The CompTIA 7-step malware removal methodology follows a strict sequence: 1. Identify symptoms, 2. Isolate infected systems, 3. Disable System Restore, 4. Remediate infected systems, 5. Schedule scans and run updates, 6. Enable System Restore and create a restore point, 7. Educate the end user. Because the technician has already completed Step 2 (isolating the system by disconnecting network interfaces), the immediate next requirement is Step 3: disabling System Restore so that infected files are not preserved in system recovery snapshots.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the current stage in the malware removal workflow.
The technician has identified symptoms (Step 1) and isolated the system by disconnecting network adapters (Step 2).
Determining the completed steps establishes where the technician currently resides in the 7-step process.
2
Identify the mandatory next step in the CompTIA 7-step malware removal process.
Step 3 dictates that System Restore must be disabled.
Disabling System Restore prevents Windows from creating shadow copies that store infected files or backing up active malware during remediation.

Key Concept

CompTIA 7-Step Malware Removal Procedure
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Malware Symptoms and Standard Removal Procedures

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