How to Get Rid of the Virus From Your Computer?

An unpleasant feeling when you find out that your computer or laptop is infected with a virus, because your hard drive may contain important files, irreplaceable photographs, or some kind of unfinished project that you forgot to save. Viruses and malware can pose a significant threat to your data and your personal information, and can negatively affect the operation of your computer.

There are many reasons why your computer may start to run slowly, but one of the reasons is the presence of malware, and therefore, first of all, you need to pay attention to it. Because getting rid of viruses is sometimes quite difficult, so we have prepared for you a step-by-step guide from start to finish on how to get rid of viruses.

Virus Detection

Before diving into the process of cleaning your computer, it’s important to make sure if you have a virus or not. Here are some clear signs that a computer might be infected with a virus:

• Various Pop-up Windows Often Appear. Every time you work on a computer, they begin to annoy you with their appearance, while it is not always clear how to close them, and it is not always possible to get rid of them. Never click on a suspicious pop-up window, even if it says a virus has been found. it could be a fake antivirus system.
• Your Computer is Slow. Make sure all your applications and systems are up to date. If it is still slow, then a virus may have “hacked” your browser using ads or phishing sites.
• Your Hard Drive Is Making Noise. If your hard drive makes continuous noises or starts up intermittently, although there is no activity on the computer, then this is also a sign that your computer may be infected.
• Programs Constantly Crash. If programs start and close automatically, or your system randomly reboots or freezes, then your computer may be infected with a virus.
• Your Files Are Missing. If you have lost files that you did not exactly delete, then this can happen as a result of the actions of a malicious program that can delete files, move them or encrypt them in such a way that you cannot open them.
• High Network Activity. If your WiFi is active and your Internet traffic has grown a lot, although you are not doing anything “like that”, then it is quite possible that a virus entered your computer to send information back and forth over the Internet.

Method 1: Scan
Before starting the virus removal process, make sure you have backed-up all of your most important files. This will ensure that all valuable files are safe and then you can begin the process of cleaning up your computer. The best thing is to scan all of your personal data before you copy it to any external hard drive. There are many spyware/virus/malware removal programs available, with most of them free.

A virus can access your computer when it is running. Some viruses are launched by “attaching” to some programs at startup when Windows starts. When the system starts up in safe mode, your computer will only run the most important system files, preventing other programs from starting along with viruses. Then you can find and delete them.

After the scan is complete, you will receive a summary of the malware found. Check the list of detections so that you do not accidentally remove legitimate programs and be sure that it was the malware that was removed. Then restart your PC and check its operation and performance. Try opening your browser or any other program that you previously had problems with. If your computer is working well, then most likely it is now free of viruses.

Method 2: Emergency Disk / USB
If your computer cannot start as a result of a virus, then you need to use a rescue disk or USB. Emergency USB allows you to scan your computer without having to start its system. Using another computer, download the ISO image of the files provided by your antivirus company and burn them to a disk or USB.

Then start your computer from this USB (“flash drive”) or disk instead of starting Windows on your computer in the usual mode, then run a special antivirus software from this emergency “flash drive”. Because the system of your computer is not running, then the virus should not interfere with your work, and therefore you will have an excellent opportunity to get rid of the virus. Most computers can be safely started from an emergency USB by simply plugging it in before turning on the computer.

Method 3: Manual Virus Removal
Some viruses can only be removed manually. But you can only do this if you know Windows well and know how to view and delete program files. If you feel quite confident, then download AutoRuns, which allows you to see exactly what exactly works on your computer and how you can get rid of it. Once you’ve downloaded AutoRuns, make sure it’s in a convenient location (folder) that you can quickly access later if needed.

Run the program and remember that there are many things that may not be familiar. To simplify the process, turn off reporting for some signed Microsoft services, and programs that you know are not malicious. Filter options to validate code signatures, enable blank locations, and hide Microsoft entries.

Then reboot your PC in Safe Mode with Networking. This will allow you to use the Internet to look for these suspicious programs that are downloaded with your computer. Run AutoRuns and start searching for suspicious objects.

This can take a lot of resources and time, but it is important for scanning for viruses. Pay attention to the name of the files and their location, check the legitimacy of the name by searching for it on the Internet for a process ID, which can help you understand what the process is and whether it is a potential threat. Check the login and service tabs for information filtered for you. Also, for a thorough analysis, take more time to go through these processes.

If you can, write down the location of the files and any other relevant information before deleting it. Right-click on the malware and remove it. Remove all related files, and remove one item at a time for security. After you’ve removed the malware and files, make sure your desktop recycle bin is empty and restart your computer again.

Method 4: Install From Scratch
This may be the most tedious method, but it is a guaranteed way to rid your computer of viruses and malware. Installing from scratch deletes everything on your hard drive, so you need to transfer all your documents and photos to your external hard drive. And before that, be sure to scan all these files to be sure that they are not infected. You will need to reinstall all programs, but this will protect your computer from further infection and problems caused by viruses.

In newer versions of Windows (Windows 8.1 and 10), there are several ways to install from scratch, depending on what you have on your computer. You can do it from DVD / USB using a system reset, or by performing an installation within an existing version. With the DVD or USB, you need a product code.

By installing from an existing version, you will need to opt-out of saving something so that you don’t migrate it to the new version. This is necessary if other methods have not worked and you need to clean up your hard drive. Take a look here to learn how to use the System Reset feature for a clean installation.