Doesn’t it frustrate to have a computer that is infected with a virus? Nobody would love to experience such. When your computer is infected with a virus, it will start to behave strangely. The computer will be slow, the software will launch and close on their own, the fun will strain to work, and the computer can shut down on its own. However, those are not the only signs of a virus infected computer.
There are many signs that will tell you if your computer has a virus. While these signs might be too many, you can eliminate that virus from your computer. But how can you go about it? We will be discussing that in this article.
Removing a virus from the computer can be done in various approaches. You can either do it manually through a step-by-step approach or use an antivirus to do it.
The Manual Approach
The first way to get rid of that virus is by following a specific step-by-step guide. You need to be careful when doing this because skipping one step might give a different result.
Since you already confirmed that there is a virus in your system based on the behavior of the computer, you will need to take the necessary steps and get rid of it as soon as possible. Here is a manual process to follow;
Step I: Access it from the Windows Task Manager
The first step is to try finding the virus from the Windows Task Manager. To launch the Task Manager, use the shortcut buttons, CTRL, ALT, DELETE buttons. You should hold them down simultaneously. After the Task Manager launches, you will need to navigate and click on the Process Tab.
The Process Tab will give you a list of the programs that are running at that time. Go through every process keenly and take note of those that are currently processing information on the computer. In case you find any unfamiliar program, which is using too much memory too, you will need to learn more about it. The best way to do this is to search for that file name online to check if there is any virus connected to it.
If you have enough information showing that it is indeed a virus and it is a corrupt file, you can then click on End Process to stop this file from processing information on the computer.
Step II: Launch the System Configuration Utility
After stopping the software, you’ll then need to launch the System Configuration utility, and then click on the Startup tab. Once you click on the Startup tab, a list of programs that launches when you boot your computer will be shown. In most cases, the viruses are created to launch automatically when the system is booted.
The same way, you will need to locate any odd or unknown program on the list and delete if you find any.
Step III: Delete The Virus Manually
To get rid of the virus from the system after stopping them from running and processing information, you will need to delete it from the hard drive. Click on My Computer on your desktop and access the hard drive. You can either search for the name of the virus file or try finding it in the Program Files folders. Keep in mind that deleting the file can remove the virus entirely from the computer or it might not.
Here, you will need a sure solution for eliminating the virus from your computer. And that brings us to the other approach.
Best Approach: Using an Antivirus Program
Using antivirus software is the best option of eliminating the virus from your system. You need to install the antivirus program if you don’t have one. BitDefender is one of the reliable antivirus software out there. You can check out this BitDefender antivirus review to understand how reliable it is and if you should purchase it.
Once you purchase the antivirus, install it on your computer as instructed.
- Run a scan
The antivirus has crawlers that will search every drive and area of your computer to find any virus. In most cases, the antivirus will come with an easy to use interface that lets you choose the type of scan you want. Decide if you want a quick scan or a full scan. Ideally, run the full scan to get better results. But you should be ready to wait because it takes a long time.
In case the program finds possible threats in your system, you will need to take the next step.
- Take the necessary action
Before you take any action of the files that the antivirus has red-flagged, you should review each of them to be sure that you are not about to eliminate a trusted file. For the threats on your computer, the antivirus will recommend specific action for each threat. You can contact a professional if you are not sure of what action to take. Alternatively, ask online, and you will get a reliable answer. But you can also ask the support team of the antivirus you bought.
- Deal with the malware
If there is any malware detected, you will need to use the anti-malware program, which is available with the BitDefender antivirus. Use the anti-malware feature to take the necessary action against the malware that you find on your computer.
If The Problem Persists;
Suppose you try getting rid of the antivirus with every approach but you still experience the same signs, you might have to take the ultimate virus remover; formatting your hard drive. Doing this will erase everything from your computer and give you the chance to start afresh with no traces of virus on your system. But before you decide to wipe the data on the hard drive, you will need to back up your data and even contact a professional to help you. In most cases, formatting your hard disk will eliminate the virus completely.
They say prevention is better than cure. Therefore, ensure that you are careful enough to avoid a virus from infecting your computer. Above all, stick to reliable antivirus software that will protect you against a virus attack and alert you in case of any possible attack.
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