Home | Site Map

What to Do Once You Are Infected with Spyware, Ad-ware or Viruses

What to do once your PC is infected with spyware, ad-ware or viruses

So you've been running a virus program. Or you haven't. (Check my previous article on keeping your computer at top speed by using Avast). Either way, your PC is now infected by spyware/ad-ware, or even worse, a virus. What DO you do?

The easiest method, is, of course, to format. Should you turn on your PC and the infestation is so bad (and some of them are) you need to format, simply slide a windows xp cd you've either bought or burned into your rom drive, re-boot, and go through windows installation. Don't forget to enter your BIOS/CMOS and change your boot sequence so your cd-rom drive boots before your hard drive.

If you've just got a small problem; your computer still runs fine, then you can just clean up your hard drive with any number of programs. There are many out there, but the ones I suggest would be Spybot: Search and Destroy, Lavasoft ad-aware, and Avast Anti-Virus.

All of these programs are free and can be downloaded off download.com . Likely the most user-friendly program would be Avast or Ad-aware. Spybot is a little more of an advanced program. It is still one of the best, but if you have trouble understanding PC problems, you might have troubles understanding how Spybot works. (You could always read the readmes or their forums, however). Microsoft has also released a new program too, which can be downloaded from download.com as well, or whatever your favorite download portal is.

Anyways, once you have one of these programs, start a scan and attempt to remove the infestation. Most of these programs can also schedule a boot time scan. This means your computer will reboot and scan before you load windows. This can help remove most infestations because most spyware/ad-ware/viruses can manifest themselves in windows so well that they cannot be deleted unless you delete them before windows loads or from safe mode.

A boot-time scan is recommended as the first course of action to remove your infestation. Should you continue to experience slower PC speeds, you could try using a virus scanner to not only scan your hard drive, but prevent your PC from getting more spyware. Usually with spyware, once you have even a few files infected, they spread like a virus and attempt to propogate themselves. It's important you have a virus scanner to not only delete old spyware, but prevent new spyware from popping up. Avast is great for this.

Anyways, good luck and good hunting. Use a format as your last course of action. Besides, it's good for your PC at least once a year to format. This re-aligns your partition tables and eliminates corruption as well as fragmentation.

I am a young, aspiring computer engineer into Internet Marketing, hardware, software, web design, SEO and just about anything related to computers. Please come check out my growing PC forum at http://www.markspcforum.com

MORE RESOURCES:

hardware - Yahoo! News Search Results
hardware - Yahoo! News Search Results

• New Petworth hardware store adds jobs to local economy
The U.S. economy added 243,000 jobs in January ? and 11 of those were at Annie?s Ace Hardware, a new store slated to open in Petworth on Tuesday. The 6,500-square-foot store near Upshur Street and Georgia Avenue NW has long been a dream of owner Anne Stom, a home repair aficionado and former Labor Department project director who went all in to launch her new business, including investing about ...
• The Hardware Winners of a Cloud-Computing Boom
Top dogs and fast movers in a growing sector.
• Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation and Benjamin Moore & Co. Announce ...
Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation , a specialty retailer focused on the consumer segment of the home improvement market, announced that it has entered into a multi-year distribution agreement with Benjamin Moore & Co., a leading premium quality national paint manufacturer.
• Research and Markets: 2012 Worldwide Hardware Stores Industry - Industry & Ma...
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "2012 Worldwide Hardware Stores Industry -Industry
• Hardware World Selects iService to Power Online Support
Hardware World, and online retailer of hardware products, is powering their online service function with the iService email response management solution.Champaign, IL (PRWEB) January 30, 2012 Customer service is an important differentiator for retail companies. But for retailers that do a significant amount of business online, it's crucial. Hardware World recognized the importance of online ...

RELATED ARTICLES

Testing Capacitor-How To Test A Capacitor When Breakdown Under Load
Have you ever come across power problem where once you switch on the power supply and the fuse blow? You have checked all the components in the power (primary) and secondary section and all the components seems to be ok! Where is the fault? A fuse blown are usually caused by a shorted bridge rectifier, defective posistor, power transistor or FET, shorted primary winding of switch mode power tranformer, shorted secondary diode and etc. But in this article i'm gone to show you another secret of electronic troubleshooting tips.

How To Choose A Computer Case
Things to Consider When Choosing a Computer CaseIn the past, computer cases were all very similar? Clones of the same boring, beige box. With all of the choices available today, this is no longer the 'case', and people can use their systems' chassis as a means to express themselves and to set their system apart from the rest.

How To Save Big Bucks On A Laptop Computer
If you're a bargain shopper looking to get the most bang for your buck, you'll find no shortage of deals on the Internet.And that's particularly true in the fast-changing world of laptop computers, where you'll find three bargain sources right at your fingertips:1.

ATA vs SATA
Hard Drives: ATA versus SATAThe performance of computer systems has been steadily increasing as faster processors, memory, and video cards are continuously being developed. The one key component that is often neglected when looking at improving the performance of a computer system is the hard drive.

Routing, Routed, and Non-Routable Protocols
ROUTING PROTOCOLSA generic term that refers to a formula, or protocol, used by a router to determine the appropriate path over which data is transmitted. The routing protocol also specifies how routers in a network share information with each other and report changes.

Testing a Transformer- How To Accurately Test A Transformer
There is two types of transformers in the market- linear transformer and switch mode power transformer. The transformers design is different.

Setting up a Tape Backup Strategy for your Business
So you know a little bit about tape backup, but you're wondering how to set up a tape backup strategy for your business. Well, let's take a look at 3 simple steps to setting up a complete backup solution.

Learn About The Three Basic Types Of Computer Mouse
1) Mechanical: This is a type of computer mouse that has a rubber or metal ball on its underside and it can roll in every direction. Sensors within the mouse, which are mechanical, detect the direction in which the ball is moving and moves the pointer on the screen in the same direction.

Nvidia Geforce 7800 GTX Review
Nvidia has done it again, with it's newest video card, the geforce 7800 GTX. If money is no object and you demand the best, this is the video card for you.

A Review of Refurbished Toshiba Laptops
Toshiba offers a few of their refurbished laptops in the "Clearance Store" of their official website toshibadirect.com.

Just The Fax, M'am
For years, I smugly prided myself as a non-fax machine person. I felt it beneath my dignity to own such a technical contraption.

Where Can I Find The Best Case Mods Online and Save Money?
Are you captivated by the stunning Case Mods you've seen online but shell shocked at some of the prices.What is a case mod, some of you may ask? Have you every wanted to spice up that boring bland box you call your computer?Well you can and there are lots of people online with fantastic clever ideas on themes, gee whiz lights, sounds, and much much more.

Your Printer Is Out Of Ink -- Now What?
We've all been there. You're in the middle of printing out an important document and your printer suddenly stops.

Choosing a Tape Drive
Tape drives remain the leading technology used by organizations for backup and archiving. However, the plethora of tape drives on the market can make choosing the appropriate tape drive a confusing task.

Understanding Transistor Data and Replacement
If, for some reason, you can't get an exact replacement for the transistor that you want to replace, you can refer to one of the transistor substitution guides or book, and try to identify a "near replacement". Beware, however.

War of the Disks: A Close-in Analysis of the Hard Disk Drive vs. the Solid State Disk
Much has been written about solid state disks (SSDs) becoming the next big thing1 in the IT industry(1). But as to whether or not we have enough knowledge of how it will revolutionize the industry is a different question.

You Can Prevent Computer Slowdowns & Issues
Most people understand preventive maintenance like changing the oil in your car will help your car run better and last longer. The same principle holds true for your PC.

Printers: What Really Happens When You Hit "Print"
You just poured hours upon hours into a lengthy research paper. All that's left to do is print it out.

Digital Camera Prints - Getting the Most for Your Money
Digital cameras have really taken off in popularity in recent years. It's not uncommon anymore to see several people at an event with a digital camera.

The Benifits of Assembling Your Own Computer
Thinking about getting a new computer, but with all the choices out there are you getting a little overwhelmed? Well why not look into building your own computer? By building your own computer you can get all the options you really want, whether you need a graphics design machine, game machine or just a simple word processor. You can tailor the computer to your specific needs.