Most common questions used to investigate
Do you have a virus scanner?
Do you know how to reboot your computer in safe mode?
Do you have many temporary files?
Do you change your passwords often?
Are your software and all applications up-to-date?
Do you have a mac?
Common conclusions
Computer viruses are hard to detect. This is why you should have a virus scanner and run it at frequent intervals. This scanner will check through all files and folders and will help to identify viruses that may be present on your computer.
Many professionals run their virus scanner in safe mode. To reboot your computer in safe mode, turn off your computer and turn it on again. While it reboots, press the F8 key to open the advanced reboot options. In this page, check for the option called "safe mode with networking". When your computer reboots, it will give your home screen but will have limited features that are required to run the virus scanner without impacting the installed programs.
Temporary files are one of the potential places where viruses may be lurking. So, you should remove them frequently. Sometimes, it's not possible to run through each folder to identify the temporary files or to go to the temp folder to remove it all. Your best bet is to use a tool called Disk Cleanup that will remove these files completely.
It is always a good practice to change your passwords often. This becomes even more important when you notice that your computer has a virus attack or if some data are compromised. Since passwords are the first line of defence, your passwords should be complex and changed often.
Updating your operating system and all other applications installed in it are essential to remove a virus from your laptop. This is because companies that develop the software identify bugs in it and send small pieces of code that rectify them, so the impact of it is non-existent. When you install the latest patches or software updates sent by the developer, your computer is in a better position to keep the virus out. This is why watch out for updates and install them right away. There are also automated tools that check your version, automatically download the update, and will install them for you. Buy those tools if you think they'll be easier.
Many people tend to think that viruses cannot impact a Mac computer. Unfortunately, that's not true. Though the number of viruses that impact Mac is far less than Windows, still there's no escape and you'll have to take the same precautions as you do on a Windows computer.
Windows, Linux, and other operating systems tend to be attacked by viruses often and most of these come from malicious hackers who want to insert a piece of code into your computer to gain valuable information such as your bank or other personal details. So, keep your eyes out for such viruses and run a virus scanner often.
References
Related Problems
