How to Remove Viruses from an Infected PC
Your PC may get infected very easily if you don't have a proper anti-virus programme installed on your system. The majority of viruses are harmless and probably won't cause any damage to your work. These are also almost always very easy to remove.
But there are also opportunistic viruses that won't let go that easy. And they can really do serious harm to your files, system and even hardware if not removed properly.
To clean your PC from virus infections, you can use anti-virus software. Some of the antivirus applications are free to download and use, but they don't deliver comprehensive protection and they are more likely to miss out an infected file than the commercial alternatives.
If you suspect a virus infection, here's what to do to clean your PC:
- Backup as much files as you can prior to executing virus cleanup. But remember, files you back up may contain viruses, so make sure you scan your archives before you unpack them once you're system has been cleaned.
- Run your favourite antivirus solution to detect and remove infections. We suggest using one of the commercial tools available in our security software section, but you are free to try any of the free alternatives that are available in our download section.
- If your Windows system is infected so badly, that you can't install any antivirus, you might want to try free Online Norton Security Scan. This is not so comprehensive and effective as a locally installed software, but it still can find most dangerous viruses.
- When all infected files are deleted or quarantined you might want to refresh your Windows installation to replace missing files. If you are lucky, this will complete with success. If too many files are permanently deleted, you'd probably have to install Windows anew.
- Unpack files that you previously backed up. Make sure there is resident protection (aka real-time protection) turned on, so that any threats are detected and stopped immediately before they can actually infect the system.
