Computer malware infections are now very common. If we take 10 random devices, even four devices may be infected by different malware, such as spyware, ransomware, adware and Trojans. Nevertheless, most people don’t understand their presence unless the big loss. As it happens, computer malware work so silently that you cannot know them in any manner. In the end, you will end up losing your data and privacy. Therefore, it is necessary to identify malware infected computers and try to remove the malware from devices.
In this article, we have a detailed tutorial on how to identify malware infected computers. There will also be some effective tips to remove dangerous malware from your computer — without much tensions or data loss.
How to Identify Malware Infected Computers?
This is a serious question with a not-so-simple answer. As we mentioned earlier, malware work so silently. You can’t look at your PC screen and say if there’s a virus. However, it’s about whether you are looking closely. Indeed, there’s a number of signs you can find in malware-infected computers. Of course, all these signs won’t be there in every device. Because, it finally depends on the type of malware you are infected with.
Signs of Malware Infection
First of all, watch out for the following signs, to confirm malware infection.
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System Crashes and Restarts
Restarts and Crashes are common after a malware has infected your computer. It’s because malware is constantly trying to change system settings and steal your information. If you are infected with serious threats like ransomware, the impact will be higher. As you know, this type of malware will be trying to encrypt your files as well as system settings. Due to all these silent actions, you will find that your computer crashes more often and restarts without any action your side.
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Unusual Internet Usage
This is common when you are infected by adware, spyware etc, which need to communicate with the hackers’ servers. As a result, you can see a dramatic increase of internet resource usage. To confirm the presence of viruses, you should have a look at advanced statistics. If you see more requests towards unusual URLs and servers, your doubt is right. It needs to be noted that unusual internet usage may be, at times, due to other stuff too. So, you should double-check before proceeding.
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Pop-Up Windows and Advertisements
Do you see more advertisements and pop-ups while browsing? Do you see them while exploring through local files? If you have an affirmative, your PC may be having some serious adware in it. We had covered about adware in previous articles. Such malware is used to show advertisements in infected computer and also to steal money. So, if you see annoying advertisements all the while, you can doubt the presence of malware infection.
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High-Intensity Hard Disk Usage
This is most often combined with heavy slowdown of your computer activities. If your PC is infected, you can see a lot of disk usage happening all the time. It’s because viruses try to replicate themselves and attack more devices. On the other hand, if you are infected with Trojan horses, the hacker may use your computer resources for launching DDoS attacks and related stuff. So, if you are running no programs and still see 100% disk usage, beware.
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Web Browsing Issues
This is the most seen symptom of adware and ransomware attacks. Web browsing will never be the same after you’ve been infected. You may be seeing a different home page, instead of Google or Bing. Similarly, you can face browser redirects once in a while. You may have entered www.facebook.com on the URL, but you visit something else.
These are the five major signs that your computer has been malware-infected. Therefore, if you see these symptoms in a device, you should be aware about the possibility. There are additional signs too, such as the scary warnings, constant PC slowdowns, unfamiliar icons on desktop, regular program freezing and battery drains in case of laptops.
So, if you are somewhat sure about the malware infection, you should do something to remove it from your PC and get a cleaner PC Using experience. Now, we will share some tips for malware removal in your infected PC.
How to Remove Malware from Infected PC?
Of course, you can depend on different methods, according to your convenience and situations. So, we are mentioning 3 effective ways here.
Method #1
This is pretty simple — use an antivirus software. If you have been using one already, it would have detected the presence of the virus or malware. And, if it didn’t, it’s the right time to shift into another antivirus. Also, if you are using a free-to-use antivirus, we really recommend the shift to premium sector. So, as you could have deduced, having an antivirus will help you detect and remove malware from devices.
So, once you are sure of malware infection, you need to update the virus definitions first. The antivirus suite will scan your PC for threats and quarantine them once found. This would fix most of malware infections, because popular antivirus tools are coming for removing adware, spyware, ransomware and other threats.
Method #2
In certain cases, antivirus suites may fail to detect and remove certain malware. In that case, you need to depend upon a dedicated anti-malware solution like Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. This tool is specifically designed for removing malware from computers, and it’s a trusted name for years.
According to users, Malwarebytes is much effective when compared to the many so-called antivirus programs. So, it’s one sure-shot chance to remove malware from an infected computer. These tools also come with link scanning options. In the long run, you won’t regret, we assure.
Method #3
This may not be convenient for all people out there. You can use online services for scanning and removing viruses from your infected computer. In the same way, if you cannot boot the OS due to infection, you can seek the help of Bootable Disk Antivirus programs. These can be booted as a different Operating System and used for removing viruses.
Concluding
Above, you have some effective ways to identify if your computer is malware-infected. We repeat, most viruses are silent and cannot be found unless you use a dedicated antivirus software or malware scanner utility. We have also mentioned a few methods to remove malware from your computer and you can choose one as per your needs. But, as the saying goes, it makes sense to use an up-to-date antivirus suite instead of all these time-consuming after-stuff.
