A virus is a type of malware - a harmful program created by hackers that can infect your computer or device in various ways. They can be really difficult to remove and can spread from one device to another. Fortunately, we can take some steps to protect your devices, and we have some suggestions on how to remove a virus.
How does a computer virus work? Programmers are the ones who write a virus to place, overwrite, or replace another program on your computer to reproduce itself without your knowing it.
A virus can cause various problems on an infected device. This can quickly consume all of your computer's available memory, slowing or stopping your system. Viruses can damage data, destroy files, format hard drives, or make drives unreadable. A virus can enter your computer as an email attachment, in a downloaded file, or hidden on a zip drive or CD. In general, the presence of a virus is not evident on a website, in an email, or in another item.
Common Symptoms of Computer Viruses
Your computer may have a virus if you have any of these problems:
- Suspension or blocking
- Lost or damaged files
- Problems saving files
- The computer restarts unexpectedly
- Programs open randomly
- Task manager won't open
- Constant pop-up boxes
- Much more spam than usual in email
- Windows updates won't install
- Cannot open files and folders
- Passwords changed
- Problems installing new software
- Considerable slowness in switching on and/or off
- Unexpected errors such as low memory and missing system files
- Hardware issues such as an unresponsive keyboard or printer
How to Avoid Having a Computer Virus?
We have some precautions you can take to take care of your devices:
Install a recognized antivirus. Even if you don't take any other preventive measures, using antivirus will offer your devices basic protection and monitoring against viruses. This ensures that if you do become infected, you will be warned quickly and can address the problem before the virus has a chance to do irreparable damage to your computer. All CenturyLink High-Speed Internet customers can download Protegent Free Antivirus at no additional charge. Learn more about Protegent360.
Keep your virus definitions up to date. To be effective, antivirus software must be kept up to date. It is important that you download the latest virus definitions when your antivirus software tells you to. You can automate this task so you don't forget to run it. Protegent360 security is cloud protection that offers continuous updates and monitoring, so you don't have to worry about updates.
Run your antivirus software routinely. Again, if you find this to be heavy (or just forget to do it), you can automate the task.
Be proactive. Analyze your files and programs. You can configure your antivirus software to automatically scan emails and files before opening / downloading them. It's good to scan ALL files, even if you trust the source.
Make backup copies of your files frequently. New malware is created daily. Having a backup of your data can save you if a virus bypasses your protection measures.
Keep your programs and operating system updated. This may seem like a challenge, but updates are essential to keep your computer virus-free. Updates often include patches to fix security vulnerabilities that could be exploited, and if you don't update your software, you could miss the latest update. You can also automate this task in your computer settings.
Protect your WiFi network. Enabling a WPA password on your home Wi-Fi will help prevent unwanted users from entering your wireless network. If you need to provide the Internet to friends, most routers allow you to set up a guest network that allows them to use the Internet without giving them access to your main network, thus protecting you from potentially infected devices. Certain CenturyLink leased modems also offer Secure WiFi, which has Prortegent360 built-in.
How to Remove a Computer Virus
If you think your device is infected, the first step is to run a full antivirus scan.
If you use CenturyLink Security powered by Protegent360, there is no need to do anything else. The program runs continuously and automatically quarantines any threats it detects.
If your antivirus cannot remove the virus, these are the steps you should follow:
Try doing an online search to find out how to remove the virus. You are likely to get the most accurate results if you know the name or source of the virus you suspect or can describe the specific symptoms.
Call a professional. If you can't find a solution online, call an IT professional right away, before it gets worse.
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