Top 3 Virus Removal Tips for Infected Machines

Did you know that roughly 25 percent of P.C.s are vulnerable to malware and viruses? Malware and virus problems are easily the most common issues computer techs and consultants have to deal with. So to help you return your system to functional operation as quickly as possible, we’ve got a short list of the top virus removal tips you can use wherever you are.

1.) Run Safe Mode and Do a Basic Cleanup

Often the primary objective of malware and viruses is to scrape your personal information and transmit it to the hacker who created the virus or to make your computer take specific actions, like sending infected emails. One of the best ways to prevent this is to simply restart your P.C. in Safe Mode, disconnect from the internet, and then run your installed anti-malware suite. This can help protect you from a “too late” scenario, where the intended damage is already done.

2.) Clean Up and Delete Your Temporary Files

While you might think that just clearing your browser’s temporary files will do the trick, we recommend going the extra mile to clear everything. First, you’ll want to restart your computer in Safe Mode. You can usually find your temp file in the ‘Users’ directory in the C:\ drive, but most operating systems allow you to easily search for the file. Doing this will help ensure that any virus has less access to your applications, any personal information you’ve entered on the web, and might even easier cleanup viruses you’ve collected through casual web browsing.

3.) Wipe Your Computer With a Clean Installation

This is effectively the nuclear option, often only used when a computer is infected well beyond easy recovery — but that happens more often than you think. It’s a quick way to effectively remove any and all viruses from your computer, without any lingering concerns. Luckily, newer operating systems make this process on everyday users easier than it has been in the past. In Windows 8 and 10, for example, there’s a simple option to either refresh or reset your P.C. that does the heavy lifting for you.

Of course, there are much more virus removal options than just these three tricks! And we encourage anyone with infected hardware or software to contact us to learn more about deep-cleaning these common problems. Remember one in four computers if vulnerable! Don’t let yours be (or stay) one of them.