Has your computer become slow? Do you often see pop-up messages that are hard to remove? Is there any unrecognized computer program that launches on its own? Is your hard drive making a sound? To get rid of it you need to get professional IT Support Services
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, chances are your PC has a virus or a different kind of malware. If your PC has two or three of them simultaneously, that’s a solid indication that it has been infected. However, some viruses such as spyware and crypto miners work discreetly. Or you can say that they work without letting you know.
First of All, Let’s Understand the Difference Between Viruses and Malware
Contrary to popular belief, viruses and malware are not the same things. Malware is an umbrella term that covers all types of malicious software or any program being designed to inflict harm. All viruses can be malware, but not all malware is viruses. But one thing is for sure—both viruses and malware are designed to harm your computer.
How to Remove Virus or Malware from Your PC
Let’s get into action.Your PC has become infected, and together, we will go through the steps to remove all viruses from it and make it work properly. The most efficient way to remove malware or virus is a dedicated virus removal program. It generally scans your computer for viruses.
Here we will show you how to remove viruses or malware from Windows 10 and older versions.
But first of all, using older software is not safe, as updates and patches are required to fix the vulnerabilities found in the previous versions. If your PC is connected to the Internet, make sure it has the latest software available.
Let’s go through the steps of removing viruses or malware from your Windows PC.
Activate Safe Mode on Your Computer:
First of all, restart your PC in Safe Mode that limits the computer to the basic operations that it requires to function. This is useful when removing viruses from your computer or laptop because it should deactivate malicious files as well.
There are some ways to activate Safe Mode on your computer:
- OPTION 1: Press the Windows key +I or click the START menu to open the Setting menu. Select the Update and Security category. In the Update and Security settings, choose Recovery, then click the Restart Now button under the Advanced startup heading. From here, your computer will restart and display the Choose an Option screen. In Choose an Option screen, choose to Troubleshoot then Advanced Options followed by Startup Settings and Restart. After another start, there is a new list of options for loading your OS. Select Enable Safe Mode or F4 for Safe Mode.
- OPTION 2: Another option to enter Safe Mode is from the sign-in screen. While there, press and hold Shift while clicking the Power icon and selecting Restart. Your computer will then restart to the Choose an option screen. From there, you can follow the same process as is shown in the previous step.
- OPTION 3: You can also enter Shift Mode by shutting down your PC. To turn the PC on, press the power button. As soon as the screen starts with the Windows logo, hold down the power button again for 10 seconds to shut your computer back down. Repeat this on-off process one more time. When your turn your PC on for the third time, allow it to fully restart to enter WinRE or the Windows Recovery Environment. From there, go through the same steps from the Choose an Option Screen to select Safe Mode, as shown above in Option 1.
Delete Temporary Files:
Once you get into Safe Mode, activate Disk Cleanup to remove all temporary files on your PC. It will help speed up the virus scan that is going to be done in the next step. Here’s how you can do it.
- Open the Start Menu and choose Control Menu.
- Select Administrative Tools
- Select Disk Cleanup from the tool list.
- Tick all the boxes next to the file types you are looking to remove. However, it is recommended to remove all temporary files and emptying your Recycle Bin. If there are unnecessary things, remove them as well.
Run a Virus Scan:
Once you are done with the removal of temporary files, you can use any antivirus tool installed on your PC to scan your device for a computer virus. Any good antivirus software can check your computer for viruses or malware. It also lets you clear up them with just a single click.
Remove a Virus Manually:
Some malware should be removed manually. You should do this only if you are familiar with the Windows Registry and know how to find and delete junk files. Otherwise, make sure to contact an IT expert or IT vendor who can help you with how to remove viruses.
Have a Backup in Place:
Many viruses can harm your software and files. Therefore, you need to recover them with a backup. It is better if you take your backup once a week on an external hard disk.
Strengthen Your Security:
Prevention is important than cure. While removing viruses and malware is important, you should prevent them in the first place. Make sure to keep your antivirus software updated to protect your laptop or PC against all types of latest threats. Don’t download from unauthorized sites or open malicious emails. Avoid using infected flash drives or external equipment.
Also, take regular backups of your files and store them on an external hard drive or a cloud service like Google Drive. This will help you prevent the loss of data in case of infection.
So you must have understood how to remove viruses or malware from your Windows PC. While using a reliable antivirus can reinforce your security, make sure to have a preventing approach to protect your computer from viruses and malware in the first place. For More Information Call Us or Visit us. What do you think? Let us know by commenting below!