Downloading the Removal Tool

• To remove Conficker, you'll need an Internet connection, a blank CD or USB thumb drive, and access to an uninfected computer. Go to the Symantec web site on the uninfected computer to download the removal tool (see a link provided in the Resources section). Put the removal tool, D.exe, on the CD or USB thumb drive and plug it into the infected computer.
  
  

Removing the Conficker Virus

• Disconnect the infected computer from the Internet, close all running programs, and run the removal tool. To do this, double-click "D.exe" on the CD or USB thumb drive. Press "Run" on the security warning if prompted, read the EULA, then click "I Accept." Next, click "Start" and wait for the tool to finish.
  
  Restart the infected computer in safe mode, and run the tool again. (To restart a computer in safe mode, reboot it, repeatedly press the "F8" key until you see a menu, then select "Safe Mode" from the menu.) After this scan, reboot normally.
  
  

Patching the Vulnerability

• You've removed the virus, but you don't want to get it again. Reconnect to the Internet and run Windows Update to download the latest security high-priority fixes from Microsoft. In the Start menu's "All Programs" section, select "Windows Update." Click "Express" and choose "Install Updates" after the program finishes, checking to see which ones you need. Read the EULA and then click "I Accept." Once the updates are downloaded and installed, close Windows Update.