Microsoft has made available a free software tool to help victims of the worms that hit Windows computers in the past days clean their systems.
The Zotob worm started spreading on Sunday. Since then, the worm, its variants, and other worms that take advantage of the same security flaw have hit Windows computers, especially those running Windows 2000. Systems at ABC, CNN and The New York Times were among those infected.
The cleaning program, released Wednesday, is an updated version of Microsoft"s Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, said Debby Fry Wilson, a director at the company"s Security Response Center. "You click on it and it will tell you if you are infected," she said. "And if you are, it will clean the worm off your PC."