I have a virus on my computer, how do you get rid of it?

Question

The virus turned my whole entire desktop white and it slowed the computer quite a bit and every 10 seconds avast will say it detected a virus but it won't delete it. So if anyone has a solution to fixing this please tell.

Answer 1

You need to run your anti-virus in Safe Mode (tap F8 as the computer boots up and choose to boot to safe mode). If you do not have an updated anti-virus program always running, you need to get one. Install only one, but you can get AVG, Avast! or AntiVir for free.

Ideally you should run a virus removal program in Safe Mode (without networking) and reboot and repeat the scan and reboot until there is a cycle where no virus is detected.

The idea behind the Safe Mode is that the operating system would only load your essential programs and drivers to the memory and hence there is a “high” chance that the virus-infected file is on the drive but not loaded into memory. This would enable the AV to clean it easily and the next reboot/scan would detect nothing. There could still be a small possibility that one of the drivers or programs that are loaded by the OS in the Safe Mode is infected. That’s why you need to keep rebooting and rescanning to make sure you’ve found them all.

Answer 2

Download the free version of Superantispyware.  Finds viruses and spyware without any conflic to your own antivirus.  Update and run and in depth scan.  Free you must update daily on a manual basis or purchase and get auto. updates.

Mind Doctor, France.

Answer 3

It certainly sounds like you have been infected with some kind of malware. Unfortunately, if you find one infection, it is highly likely you have another one. A virus, trojan or worm are all different types of infections/malware and there are some great FREE programs that can help you.

First, clean up (delete) your cookies, temp files and temporary internet files. I prefer to use Ccleaner (available at www.filehippo.com) to do this, rather than the built-in DISK CLEANUP, as I feel it does a much more thorough job - for example, it will clean out the index files on your next reboot.

If you want to use Disk Cleanup, you can find it if you:

- Double-Click on My Computer to open it up

- RIGHT-click on your C: drive

- Choose PROPERTIES and then click on the DISK CLEANUP button

- When done, reboot your computer.

Delete these files daily or run Ccleaner every day right before you shut your computer down.

2 - You should also have a good anti-virus program to help protect your computer. AVG FREE is an excellent anti-virus program, which can be downloaded from www.download.com. You might also choose Avast or Avira, both also free programs from www.download.com.

3 -Since NONE of the anti-spyware/anti-adware programs are 100% accurate in finding and removing spyware, you need at least two programs which you will run one after the other, not at the same time.

There are three excellent free ones:

--Spybot, Search and Destroy

--Ad-Aware

--Spyware Blaster

All are available FREE from www.download.com

You will need to download, install, update (and IMMUNIZE in Spybot) and run them, one at a time. Be careful with the NAME of these programs - there are "look-alikes" with very similar names, that are in fact spyware themselves! Reboot after you install each one!

After this current infection is cleared up, be sure to run both of the above programs at least once a week if you are on the internet frequently and/or like to download music or files.

NOTE: Some infections prevent your from downloading the above programs. You may have to use a clean computer to download the programs and copy them to a thumb drive or CD. Then transfer the install files to the infected computer and run.

--Occasionally you will not be able to run these programs without being in SAFE MODE. To get there, reboot your computer and tap the F8 key, repeatedly until a menu comes up. You want to choose SAFE MODE WITH NETWORKING.

4 -You should also have a good firewall to help protect your computer. Zone Alarm makes a totally free version (watch you don't download the 30-day free trial of the paid version). You can download this from the manufacturer at www.zonelabs.com