Is My PC Infected?

9 Notes about Malware in 2009

Malware (malicious software) comes from websites, file sharing and emails. Malware comes in many forms such as viruses, worms, trojans, adware, spyware and hijacks. Malware can cause all sorts of PC problems including error messages, shut-downs, lock-ups, loss of data and most frequently, PC slooooooowness.

There is no single protection program that is effective against all malware. Instead, we must use a combination of multiple types of protection, along with safe computing practices, to give our PC's "Infection Protection."

4 Symptoms of Infection:

You see pop-up advertisements all the time.

Some malware will bombard you with pop-up ads that aren't related to a particular website you're visiting. These ads are often for adult or other websites you may find objectionable. If you see pop-up ads as soon as you turn on your PC or when you're not even browsing the web, you may have malware on your PC.

Your settings have changed and you can't change them back.

Some malware has the ability to change your home page or search page settings. This means that the page that opens first when you start your Internet browser or the page that appears when you select "search" may be pages that you do not recognize. Even if you know how to adjust these settings, you may find that they revert back every time you restart your PC.

Your Web browser contains components that you didn't install.

Malware can add additional toolbars to your Internet browser that you don't want or need. Even if you know how to remove these toolbars, they may return each time you restart your PC.

Your PC seems sluggish.

Malware can track your PC activities and deliver advertisements and can slow down your PC and even cause Windows to crash. If you notice a sudden increase in the number of times a certain program crashes, or if your computer is slower than normal at performing routine tasks, your PC might be infected with malware.

5 Steps for Infection Protection:

Verify that you are receiving and installing all Critical Windows Security Updates.

Verify that you have an anti-virus program that is up-to-date and regularly scanning your PC for viruses.

Verify that you have an anti-spyware program to supplement your anti-virus. I recommend Windows Defender, free from www.Microsoft.com.

Practice safe computing with websites, emails and file sharing on the Internet, especially anything free or relating to adult sites, gambling and games.

Restrict access to your PC by using passwords and user accounts.

After a PC becomes infected, it usually requires a trip to the PC S.O.S. computer lab to completely remove all traces of the infection. Most infected PC's have multiple problems and all these problems must be removed to ensure that your PC is stable and secure again.

If you suspect that your PC is infected, contact me immediately to prevent data loss and to remove the malware safely.

Contact me to get Infection Protection for your PC!