Identifying an Infected Pc and Solutions

The computer system may be infected from various sources ranging from infected pen drive plugged into the Pc to applications downloaded and installed, improper management of files and applications and others.

There are various ways to identify an infected Pc. An infected Pc may experience all of the following or some of the following.

• Windows take longer time than normal to load.
• The hard-drive indicating that there’s an operation going on and you do not remember running any of such.
• Desktop background changing itself automatically.
• Many pop-ups on a browser on clicking a link or opening the browser.
• Deletion of files with authorization from the PC user.
• Hiding files automatically.
• Unable to open an exe or Microsoft installer files.
• Irregular shutting down of pc.

The above is only a few of the many signs and symptoms of an infected system, depending on what you are experience. If you notice any unusual events on the PC, it is possible that you may have been infected.

To help protect the Pc from getting infected or to restore to normalcy an already infected system do the below listed.

• Install a trusted antivirus software.
• Run regular scan to check if the system has recently been infected and take necessary measures immediately.
• Download applications or software only from trusted vendors.
• Do not install more than one antivirus in your Pc.
• Make sure your Pc has a password because when connected to the internet viruses may attacked using the blank password field as point of intrusion.
• Do a system restore when you notice any error.
• Uninstall suspected applications and software.
• In a case when the above have been down and the virus persist a “wipe and reload” is recommend, this simply means to format the OS (operating system) and reload the Operating System. Before formatting make sure to backup important files.
• Secure your network using “Open DNS” we will talk about this and how to do this in a later post.
• Disable startup files that are not necessary.
• Reset your browser to its default or original settings.

Any of the above listed that is not properly understood should not be done. To do, consult a technician who is qualified, but for the reason that you are reading this now, you will not need to spend money consulting a technician as we will guide you through the steps in later posts.