How to Remove Zeus Virus From Windows in 2024 (3 Steps)
Reading time: 11 min
Updated on April 16, 2024
The Zeus virus is a dangerous trojan you must quickly remove if you get infected because it can monitor your activity and possibly make your computer a part of a massive botnet. You might also see a Zeus virus message while browsing, thus indicating a browser hijacker. In either case, getting an antivirus to remove the threat is vital for securing your system.
After testing many security apps, I’ve picked the best antiviruses for removing the Zeus virus and protecting your Windows PC. They offer excellent malware detection via their scans, reliable real-time security, impressive feature variety, and affordable pricing.
Overall, Norton is the best antivirus for removing the Zeus virus. It has perfect malware detection via scans, reliable web protection, a built-in VPN, excellent customer support, and more. Plus, the 60-day money-back guarantee lets you try Norton risk-free.
Try Norton risk-free for 60 days
Quick Guide: How to Remove a Zeus Virus
- Download a top antivirus. Download a reliable antivirus to remove the Zeus virus and prevent reinfection. I suggest you get Norton to protect your system.
- Remove suspicious apps. Open Windows’ Apps & features menu and uninstall any suspicious applications.
- Do a full system scan. Use your antivirus to do a full system scan and remove any threats it detects.
- Reset your web browser. Navigate to your web browser’s settings and reset the browser to its original defaults if you see strange behaviors.
Step-By-Step Guide: How to Eliminate Zeus Viruses From Windows PCs
The following steps will help you eliminate the Zeus virus from your Windows PC. The most crucial step is getting an antivirus, and I suggest you get a top antivirus with a built-in VPN to ensure better safety once you’ve removed the virus.
Step 1: Install a Top Antivirus
First, you must get an effective antivirus to remove the Zeus virus and prevent reinfection. I suggest you get Norton to remove the Zeus virus because of its perfect malware detection via scans and against real-time threats. Navigate to Norton’s website and click “Subscribe Now” on whichever plan suits you.
Access Norton’s web portal with your credentials after subscribing to download the installer for your device.
Run the setup and follow its directions to install Norton on your system.
Step 2: Uninstall Suspicious Applications
Next, you should install any suspicious applications and PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs) from your system. Open Windows’ Apps & features menu by searching “Add or remove programs” in the Start menu and clicking the first result.
Browse the list of your installed apps, find all suspicious apps that shouldn’t be on your system, select them, and click “Uninstall” to remove them.
Step 3: Do a Full System Scan
Finally, do a system-wide scan to ensure you remove the Zeus virus. Open Norton and access the Scan Options menu to see a list of all available scans.
Choose Norton’s full scan and click “Go” to check your system for the Zeus virus and other malware.
Quarantine or remove all the threats detected in the full scan and click “Finish” to end the scan.
Optional Step: Reset the Web Browser
If you see strange behaviors on your browser like if your homepage or your default search engine has changed, you must reset your browser to remove malicious extensions. I’ve used Chrome here, but all browsers have similar steps. Click the 3 dots at the top right and click “Settings” to open your browser’s settings menu.
Find and click “Reset and clean up” to access your browser’s reset menu.
Reset your browser’s settings to their original defaults and confirm to remove all malicious extensions from your browser.
The Best Antiviruses to Remove Zeus Viruses (Tested in 2024)
1. Norton — #1 Security App for Removing the Zeus Virus and Preventing Reinfection
Key Features:
- Detects 100% of malware via its scans, including the Zeus virus.
- Offers up to 500GB of encrypted cloud storage (in the US) for sensitive data.
- Blocks unauthorized webcam access.
- Provides online safety via its web protection and built-in VPN.
- Offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.
I found that Norton is the best antivirus for removing the Zeus virus from Windows systems and preventing it from infecting your device again. With its perfect malware detection score, impressive feature variety, best-in-class customer support, and worthwhile pricing, Norton stands out as my #1 choice.
Norton’s scans detected 100% of malware during my tests, thus making it perfect for removing the Zeus virus. Plus, its full scan needed only 20 minutes to check my system, which is very fast. I also like that Norton’s real-time security blocks 100% of threats before they infect your system to give you airtight safety against malware.
You’ll also get the following features to defend against the Zeus virus and other cyber threats:
- Built-in VPN — uses AES 256-bit encryption to safeguard your online activity.
- Web Protection — blocks unsafe websites that may infect your PC.
- Firewall — stops network intrusions and has various customization options.
- Encrypted Cloud Storage — offers up to 500GB of cloud storage (in the US) for sensitive data.
- Dark Web Monitoring — checks the dark web to see if any of your accounts were leaked.
- PC SafeCam — prevents unauthorized access to your system’s webcam.
- Password Manager — safeguards your passwords and other sensitive information.
Norton’s built-in VPN is great for extra online safety as it secures your connection with industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption and keeps you anonymous. Also, its web protection is handy for defending against the Zeus virus. Norton blocks all unsafe websites, thus saving you from those that may infect your system.
You can get Norton for as low as $19.99/year. It has the following plans you can choose from:
- Antivirus Plus — has Norton’s antivirus features, firewall, password manager, 2GB of cloud storage (in the US), and lets you protect 1 device.
- 360 Standard — provides Norton’s PC SafeCam, Dark Web Monitoring, built-in VPN, everything in Antivirus Plus, and protection for up to 3 devices.
- 360 Deluxe — includes everything in 360 Standard, 50GB of cloud storage (in the US), Norton’s Privacy Monitor, parental controls, and protection for up to 5 devices.
- 360 Select — offers Norton’s ID monitoring, everything in 360 Deluxe, 250GB of cloud storage (in the US), and protection for up to 10 devices.
- 360 Advantage — has Norton’s Identity Lock and everything in 360 Select.
- 360 Ultimate — secures unlimited devices with up to 500GB of cloud storage (in the US), all the above features, and has Norton’s Home Title Monitoring.
You’ll get the best value with Norton’s 360 Deluxe plan. It provides all the important security features at an affordable price of $29.99/year. Best of all, you can try Norton risk-free because it’s backed by a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. You can easily claim a refund if unsatisfied, and I got my money back within 5 days of my refund request.
2. TotalAV — Protects Against the Zeus Virus While Also Helping Optimize Your System
Key Features:
- Stops the Zeus virus and 100% of real-time threats.
- Includes the WebShield and a built-in VPN for added online safety.
- Offers tools to remove junk files and enhance system performance.
- Has a data breach test to check for compromised accounts.
- Provides a 30-day money-back guarantee.
TotalAV stands out by helping optimize your system while keeping it safe from the Zeus virus and other cyber threats. The app’s Smart Scan removes junk and duplicate files, unnecessary cookies, and other unneeded files from your system to improve performance. Also, the built-in WebShield ensures you stay safe from websites that may infect your device.
During tests, TotalAV reliably safeguarded my system by removing 100% of threats via scans and blocking 100% of real-time threats from infecting my device. It has strong malware detection scores but flags a few false positives, so it’s not as effective as Norton at flagging threats. Also, it doesn’t have a firewall to prevent network intrusions.
Besides its scans and real-time security, TotalAV includes the following tools for added protection:
- Built-in VPN — uses AES 256-bit encryption to safeguard your online activity.
- Data Breach Test — checks if any of your credentials were leaked in data breaches.
- Password Vault — provides safe storage for all your passwords.
I found TotalAV’s VPN especially impressive during my testing. Besides its military-grade encryption, the VPN has a zero-knowledge policy to ensure none of your browsing data is collected.
TotalAV’s cheapest Antivirus Pro plan starts at just $19.00/year, but the Internet Security plan delivers the best value. It protects up to 5 devices and includes the app’s VPN and other key features at just $39.00/year.
Best of all, you can try TotalAV risk-free, as it’s backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Claiming refunds is easy, and I had my money back in 48 hours, even though I was told it could take a whole week.
FAQs on Zeus Virus Removal
What is the Zeus virus?
Is the Zeus virus alert real?
Yes, it’s a real virus alert. It means your device was infected, and you must use a top antivirus to do a full scan and remove the threat from your system. Also, it might appear as an alert on a rogue website, so you should avoid clicking anything on the alert.
Note that the Zeus virus can bypass Windows’ built-in security, meaning having a premium antivirus to defend against it is critical.
How can I remove the Zeus virus from Windows 10?
You can remove the Zeus virus using the following steps:
- Download a top antivirus to ensure you remove the virus and prevent reinfection.
- Uninstall suspicious apps by using Windows’ Apps & features menu.
- Do a system-wide scan using your installed antivirus and remove all threats it detects.
- Reset your web browser. Navigate to your web browser’s settings and reset the browser to its original defaults, in case you see strange behaviors.
Of course, you must get an antivirus with high malware detection scores to ensure it can find the Zeus virus via its scans and remove it from your system.
Protect Your Windows PC From Zeus Viruses With the Best Antivirus
In conclusion, it’s vital to defend your PC against the Zeus virus because otherwise, it might compromise sensitive data like your logins and banking information. Also, you must avoid suspicious websites with the Zeus virus warning, as this might also lead to an infection.
The above antiviruses ensure airtight security against the Zeus virus and all other cyber threats. Besides having excellent malware detection scores, they include reliable web protection, built-in VPNs, worthwhile price plans, and other highlights.
Of my top choices, Norton delivers the best defense against the Zeus virus. It has a perfect malware detection score via scans and doesn’t flag any false positives. Also, its web protection, encrypted cloud storage, software updater, and other safety features add more layers of safety. Best of all, you can try Norton risk-free with its 60-day money-back guarantee.
Summary — 2024’s Best Antiviruses to Protect Windows PCs From Zeus Viruses
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