Malware Virus Removal

Follow our Malware Virus Removal Guide to know how you can remove virus or malware from your computer without losing any of your important data and without any hassle. The processes shown in this article are all tested and helped in malware virus removal, if in case you are still not able to solve the issues you can contact us.

Is your computer working slowly? Seeing an unusual behavior on the performance of your system? A lot of pop-ups have covered your computer or laptop screen and is refusing to leave? It’s because you’re infected by malware.

Malware is also known as Malicious Software which is coded in such a way to combat and bypass computer security system to steal personal details, infect, and damage your system. Simply put, any software created by Cyber Attackers or Hackers with the intent of causing harm such as stealing data, infecting a computer, damaging application, etc. can be called as a Malware.

Nowadays, most of the malware created by cyber attackers are designed to steal your data as bank login details, email password, essential documents, social network password, and many more rather than damaging your computer. The reason for increasing number in malware attacks to steal personal data of a user is because they can bypass easily and do their work in no time without leaving any footprints such as unusual system behavior, system crashes, and slow computer.

What are the most Common Types of Malware?

Don’t be surprised that if your phone is lagging and showing different types of ads which were not the case a few days ago, they are too vulnerable to malware and this is just one of the signs that your phone has been infected by malware.

There are many different types or classes of computer infections that have been around since the invention of the internet. As said earlier the prime motive of this malware is to cause you to harm in many ways from damaging your computer to stealing your details, the attackers design them according to their suitable motives. Here we are going to classify the most common types of malware and how they function.

Virus: A computer virus is also a type of malicious software (malware) coded in a way to replicate itself and deliberately to copy itself to other software in a user computer without their permission or knowledge. I Love You, Storm Worm, Code Red, and Melissa are some of the famous viruses.

Trojan horse: Known as Trojan and famous for misleading computer to trust as a genuine software Trojan spies on victims personal details and send the information to the cyber thieves. Zeus, Graybird, Beast, PGPCoder, and EGABTR are some of the most known Trojan horse.

Computer Worms: Worms particularly damage other systems on the same network while remaining on the infected system. To perform this task, the Worm replicates itself to spread to other computers. Some of the most common computer worms are Brontok, W32/IRCbot.worm, and Witty.

Ransomware: Simply put, a Ransomware is a type of malware which blocks access to your personal computer’s data and demands a ransom(a sum of money demanded or paid for the release of a captive) to return you the access. In most of the cases, a Ransomware comes through phishing email attachments. WannaCry, Bad Rabbit, Troldesh, and Locky are some of the examples of a dangerous Ransomware.

Spyware: The motive of a Spyware is to steal your details and sensitive information such as pictures, documents, email account ids & passwords, social networking accounts id & password, bank account details without your knowledge or permission. In some cases, spyware can also damage your system. Some of the examples of Spyware are CoolWebSearch, 180search Assistant, and ISTbar/AUpdate.

Adware: Adware contains the potential of damaging your computer by running unwanted and unsolicited ads on your browsers or system. Created to generate revenues for the cyber attackers, adware uses your computer applications to run the ads and potentially damage your system. Example of adware is 1ClickDownloader, A.Kaytri, 7search, and 4-you.net Search.

Rootkits: Rootkits are hidden & undetected malicious software which lets hackers gain access to your system or network. Adore, Knark, and DA IOS are some of the common and most dangerous rootkits.

Browser Hijacker: The goal of a Browser Hijacker is to change your Browser’s setting according to the Hijacker needs. Browser Hijacker can change your browser’s default settings, for example, home page, default search engine, bookmarks, etc. without your knowledge or permission. Babylon Search and ASK toolbar are some of the common Browser Hijackers.

These are the brief descriptions of the most common types of malware found these days, and one must be aware of how to avoid and remove malware threats. Updated anti-malware software can protect the computer from any threat from this malware.

How to know if your Computer is infected by Malware (Virus)

Slowing down of the computer, Software crashing down, and unwanted ads displaying on your computer screen or browsers are the early indication that you might have been affected by malware. Sometimes there won’t be any issues in your system, and it will run perfectly fine, but there is some malware which is capable of stealing your computer or laptop data without leaving any footprints. This is the reason why you should always run a full system security scan from your anti-virus which will help in to detect potential malware threats on your computer.

There are many symptoms which might indicate that your system is affected and you quickly need to think about it. Here is the list of symptoms when a computer is infected by malware.

  1. The Computer is running very slowly, and you can’t keep patience anymore.
  2. Your computer doesn’t boots up correctly and is extremely slow while booting up.
  3. Auto Restart and Shutdown without any warnings.
  4. Unwanted software’s which you don’t remember installing appears on the desktop or home screen.
  5. Your computer anti-virus is not running even if you haven’t touched its settings.
  6. Multiple popups are appearing randomly on your PC screen.
  7. System and software crash unexpectedly.
  8. Warning signs like “update your antivirus” “your computer is infected” “90% Computer damaged, click to fix now” etc. from software you don’t remember to install.
  9. Your Computer browser is showing too many ads.
  10. You get redirected to websites you don’t intend to visit.
  11. While surfing the internet, you receive a popup which says your computer is infected and you need to call a number to fix the issue.
  12. Your default search engine is changed.
  13. Increase in the number of toolbars.
  14. Fail to open software’s which were running pretty good earlier.
  15. Internet not working properly or loss of internet connectivity.
  16. Your email is sending spam emails to your email list without your permission.
  17. Your storage space has unexpectedly got a lack of space.
  18. Computer games are lagging.
  19. Missing documents from your hard drive.
  20. Computer freezes too often.

The points mentioned above are the most common symptoms of a computer having malware. We always recommend our users to make sure to update their computer’s security (anti-virus and firewall) regularly and at least try to do a complete scan of your system once in a week to recognize that everything is unchanged on your computer.

If you are having any one of the issues which are mentioned above, then it is guaranteed that your system might have been affected by malware and you need to do a quick scan or contact someone who can guide you to remove the malware from your system.

How to Remove Malware from your Computer – Malware Virus Removal Guide

Now, coming to the most crucial part of this article “How to remove malware from your computer – Malware Virus Removal Guide.” Every malware in this world has one common goal which is to damage your system as much as they can and make your time harder to remove them. Here we are going to show you what things you need to do to malware virus removal from the computer or laptop. All you need to do is to follow this step by step guide, and you’ll be easily able to remove malware of any type from the PC or Laptop.

STEP 1: Backup all the important document from your computer

Make sure before you start doing anything on your computer please backup all critical files from your computer to an external hard disk. You can install a backup program from the internet which will help you to back up all the important data in no time alternatively you can choose all the necessary documents such as pictures, videos, contacts, and folders you want to keep and upload it on a cloud service, for example, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. which you can download it later. Other than this you can also use a USB pen drive or card reader which you have available to store all your backups.

STEP 2: Boot Computer in Safe Mode

First Method: –

  1. Turn on Computer or laptop.
  2. As soon as you press the power button you need to tap the ‘F8’ key from the keyboard repeatedly.
  3. You’ll see a screen Windows Advanced Options Menu, choose Safe Mode from up and down arrow key and press ENTER.
  4. You’ll notice SAFE MODE written on the four corners of your computer.
  5. Delete Temporary Files from your computer and run a full system scan if you have an anti-virus.

Second Method: –

  1. Turn on your Computer or Laptop.
  2. Go to run box by pressing the Windows Key + R from your keyboard at the same time.
  3. On the run box type msconfig and hit ok.
  4. Once you hit OK you’ll see a System Configuration box.
  5. Select Boot tab.
  6. Then choose Safe Boot in the Boot Options Menu.
  7. Select Minimal under Safe Boot.
  8. Click on Apply> OK> Restart
  9. You’ll notice SAFE MODE written on the four corners of your computer.
  10. Delete Temporary Files from your computer and run a full system scan if you have an anti-virus.

STEP 3: Full System Scan from Anti-Malware Software Malwarebytes

1. Download and Install Malwarebytes

2. Agree with Terms and Conditions and Install Malwarebytes

3. Run Full System Scan

4. Let Full System Scan be completed

5. Export the results

STEP 4: Run a full system scan from Hitman Pro Malware Removal Tool

1. Download Hitman Pro

2. Install Hitman Pro

3. Run a Quick Scan

4. Save or Export the results

STEP 5: Run a Scan from Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool

1. Download Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool (MRT)

2. Install MRT

3. Click on ‘NEXT‘

4. Choose Full Scan and Click on Next

5. Let the scan be completed and then click on Finish

These are the best anti-malware applications for malware virus removal from your PC or Laptop. We assure that after installing any one of the software which is mentioned above will fix all malware virus removal issue from the Computer. Please make sure that you restart each and every time you run a full scan from any of this software on your computer.

There are few anti-malware alternatives as well if you want you can try or in case your problem is not been fixed by these free tools. Some of the best anti-malware software are: –

  • Webroot Anti Malware Solutions with Antivirus, Antispyware & Firewall Protection | Firewall
  • AVG Free Virus Scanner & Malware Removal Tools
  • Bitdefender TOTAL SECURITY 2019
  • Norton Free Anti Malware Tool to scan and remove malicious software on your PC
  • ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool
  • McAfee Antivirus Software, Internet Security, Spyware and Malware

How to Protect your Computer from Malware

The best way to protect your computer from malware is to make sure you keep the OS and all the security system up to date. If you do not update the security program of your computer, frequently the chances are that your system might get infected with malware which is very hard to remove and can do severe damage to your system. It is recommended that at least once a month you should update your antivirus or any other security you’ve. As the proverb says “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” here we are going to tell you how to protect your computer from malware and viruses.

  1. Have an Anti-Virus or Anti-Malware Program on the computer

An antivirus program assures all rounded safety for the computer because most of them come with virus or malware protection along with an additional firewall which can block not only spam websites but also viruses. Having an anti-virus program be it anti-malware, anti-spyware, or any other security program.

  1. Keep your Computer OS and Antivirus Programs Up to date

Keeping your Computer OS and Antivirus Programs Up to date is one of the easiest ways to protect your computer from malware. Keeping your system and software’s updated means, you get all the latest features very early, and security patches are automatically installed making your computer safe & secure simultaneously.

  1. Install a Firewall

A firewall acts as a gateway between your computer and network controlling all the data passing through. Firewall masks your IP address so that a hacker cannot get much information about you and stuffs you are doing online. If you are not much technical savvy then Firewall is a must for you, not only it protects your network from potential threats it also provides enhanced privacy.

  1. Never open attachments from unknown emails without screening them

Ever saw an unknown spoof email from your work or your university that claims to be important. Well, those are phishing emails which are designed by hackers to mimic actual emails for stealing a user’s data. Always screen your emails and make sure they are legit before downloading any attachments from that particular email.

  1. Use an Ad blocker and Pop up Blocker on your Browser

Installing an Ad blocker and Pop up blocker extension in your internet browser might save you from malware, viruses, phishing, and scams. Ad blocker removes all the unwanted ads you don’t want see and protects your privacy and data by not allowing the advertisers to track your internet surfing details. Not only this Ad and Pop up Blocker also enhance your browsing experience by speeding up page load times and reduce mobile data.

Conclusion

The numbers of malware threat are rising in numbers every year, from WannaCry to Cryptojacking as technology evolves the malware threats are also evolving and mounting damages. If you are serious about your computer’s data then there’s no excuse of not having an anti-malware or anti-virus application installed on your computer, scan the computer regularly to ensure that it is not infected, and always keep updating your PC software’s.

If you are still having an issue and do not know malware virus removal technique from the computer or laptop, then please contact us. PCASTA certified computer technicians provide free diagnosis and solutions for all the problems related to Computer, Printers, Routers, and Emails. Once you are connected to our technical department, you don’t need to worry anymore about your computer problems. Our technicians will go out of their way and try to fix your issue without taking much of your time.

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