COM Surrogate is a normal Windows process, but hackers use fake versions of it to infect a PC while avoiding detection. The COM Surrogate virus is one of the most common malware infections on Windows computers — it’s pretty dangerous, but getting it off of your PC actually isn’t very hard. Show
However, you should never try to delete the COM Surrogate virus manually. If you attempt to remove the virus manually, you risk causing permanent damage that can lead to Windows 10 failing completely. The most efficient and secure way to remove the COM Surrogate virus is by installing a comprehensive antivirus suite. A good antivirus will not only quarantine and remove every instance of the COM Surrogate infection from your computer, but it will also ensure you remain safe from future threats with its real-time protection and scanning capabilities. I recommend Norton as the best antivirus to remove the COM Surrogate virus. Norton has an advanced malware scanner with flawless detection rates, and you can get it for just AU$29.99 / year. Plus there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it for 2 months risk-free. 60-Days Risk-Free — Try Norton Now Preliminary Step: Checking for a COM Surrogate InfectionThis step is for advanced users who want help in understanding malware diagnostics. If you simply want to remove the COM Surrogate infection (and other malware), to learn how. If you want to check whether the COM Surrogate process running on your system is malware, you must first understand what the standard COM Surrogate process is. COM is an acronym for Component Object Model and is related to dllhost.exe in your System32 folder. In simple terms, it’s a binary interface that communicates with different software and increases the software’s capabilities. For example, when a folder on your OS needs to draw thumbnails, it will request COM Surrogate to do just that. This is why COM Surrogate is referred to as “middleware”. COM Surrogate is a pathway between applications, commands, and your operating system. It’s important for your computer’s everyday functioning. This is why hackers frequently disguise malware as middleware — they want to get access to your entire system. That said, here’s how to know if you’re looking at an authentic instance of COM Surrogate or a dangerous piece of malware: Bring up your Task Manager by hitting CTRL + Shift + ESC. In the picture above, you can see COM Surrogate is running twice on the system. While this may look alarming, it’s not. It simply means multiple applications are using the middleware to help them communicate with the OS. To confirm this, you can right-click on both instances and click Open File Location. If they go to a file called “dllhost.exe” in the System32 folder on the system, then it is unlikely they are malicious. If the file is located anywhere other than dllhost.exe, then you have a virus and should follow my removal steps. Step 1. Identify the COM Surrogate Virus With Your Antivirus (And Don’t Make the Problem Worse!)REMEMBER: Never connect your cell phone, tablet, or any external drive to an infected computer. If you do, the virus could replicate itself onto your other devices too. Now you’ve downloaded a secure antivirus program, you can run a full disk scan to identify the COM Surrogate virus and any other malware on your computer. It’s really important to let the scan run to completion, because even if you think you know where the infection started or the suspicious file is located, it might have replicated itself elsewhere on your system. So don’t be tempted to cancel the scan once you see the virus appear on the infected file list. The full disk scan will detect and quarantine all instances of the COM Surrogate virus, and make sure your computer isn’t infected with other malware like spyware, worms, or rootkits. It can take between 1 and 4 hours, so be patient as it analyzes every file and process on your computer. The antivirus will inform you when the scan is complete — now every piece of malware on your computer, including the COM Surrogate virus, has been identified and put into quarantine! It’s time for the next step. Step 2. Remove the COM Surrogate Virus Infection and Delete Any Other Infected FilesNow that the full disk scan has identified and quarantined any compromised files, you’ll be given the option to delete them. More technical users can go through the files one by one and check for false positives before hitting Delete. But if you’re less techie, it’s fine to just trust the antivirus to do its job — a quality program like Norton is unlikely to generate lots of false positives anyway. Once you’ve deleted the files, you should restart your computer. Then, run another full disk scan to make absolutely certain that your antivirus has removed every trace of the COM Surrogate infection. Usually, the second scan will be quicker — , and many other antiviruses, are able to remember which files they’ve already scanned and avoid scanning them again next time round. Once again, it’s important to let the antivirus complete its scan so that you know your whole system has been fully checked. When it’s finished, and you’re not seeing any more infected files, you can be confident that your computer is totally malware-free! For now, that is. Unfortunately, there is a huge quantity of malware out there that can infect your computer, compromise your accounts, and even spread through your Wi-Fi network. Read on to find out what you can do to avoid getting reinfected. Step 3. Keep Your Device From Getting Re-InfectedSince the COM Surrogate virus has already infected you, you’ve witnessed first-hand how easy it is to get malware on your PC. There are new malware threats released every day, as hackers exploit vulnerabilities in software to gain access to your system. Plus, there’s the danger of identity theft, online data harvesting, and your Wi-Fi getting hacked. The best thing you can do today is install a reliable antivirus software that is designed to protect your PC from viruses and other cybersecurity threats. Reliable antivirus programs, including Norton 360, Bitdefender, and TotalAV, all come with comprehensive security features that detect hidden viruses and prevent you from downloading and installing malware. These antivirus programs had perfect malware detection rates in my tests and stopped trojans, rootkits, computer worms, adware, spyware, and more. as it provides accurate virus detection and offers an excellent range of extra features, including a live dark web monitoring feature that scans the dark web for stolen personal information, including passport numbers, banking card details, and more. Aside from antivirus protection, how else can you keep your devices and data safe in today’s online world? There are several things you can do:
Best Antivirus Programs to Remove COM Surrogate in 2024Quick summary of the best antiviruses to remove COM Surrogate in 2024:
🥇1. Norton — Best Overall Antivirus to Remove COM SurrogateApproved by our experts
Sam Boyd is a QA Editor at SafetyDetectives. He has years of experience writing, reviewing, editing, and optimizing blog articles, and he has researched and tested hundreds of cybersecurity products since joining the SafetyDetectives team. When he isn’t exploring the latest cybersecurity products, he enjoys chilling out with video games, watching sports, and exploring new parts of the world with his family. |