Instructions

The presence of the virus can be primarily indicated by obvious signs. For example, messages pop up on the screen or unsolicited Internet pages open. You can encounter obvious manifestations of the presence of a virus if a Trojan program has settled on your computer.

In addition, you can guess that a PC is infected by hidden signs. That is, viruses themselves are inconspicuous, but you can find out about their presence if you look in the registry.

In addition, there are indirect signs of the presence of malicious software. This category of “symptoms” includes sudden freezing of a running program, the appearance of an unknown error message on the screen, and other manifestations.

To find a virus without antivirus, press the key combination Shift+Ctrl+Esc or Alt+Ctrl+Delete: the task manager will open on the screen (it has four columns). Look at the contents of the first column - “Review name”: here you will see information about ongoing suspicious or non-suspicious processes. Each PC user has a different set of basic processes, so make sure that there are no questionable additional operations.

Viruses often get into startup. To find startup files, open the Start menu, then click on the All Programs tab and select Startup. You can also find malware using Ccleaner or Auslogics software.

Open the system utility msconfig.exe: to do this, click “Start”, then click on the “Run” tab, and then write the name of the application to open. There is also a “Services” tab, which contains those system components that start when you turn on your personal computer. This list may also contain malware.

note

Viruses are no joke: be sure to install an antivirus.

Helpful advice

Before deleting a file, make sure that it is truly questionable.

Related article

Sources:

• Signs of a computer virus infection
• how to remove a virus without an antivirus

Are you familiar with the blue window blocking the entire screen asking you to send an SMS to unlock your computer? And the painful work on the Internet, when you don’t download anything, and the traffic counter is shaking up megabytes of some data? Or maybe the exe files stop running one after another? If yes, you need to eliminate the virus urgently!

Instructions

At the third stage, you may encounter the fact that the virus can “fit” into the program that you need. If the antivirus cannot remove the malicious program from the one you need, you will have to remove both. It is possible that a virus has infected the file you need. Usually there is no copy of such files. If in doubt, it is better to seek help from a specialist who can save your file. The files of the operating system itself may also be infected. In this case, there is a high probability that it is easier to reinstall the system than to delete it from its files. In this case, you need to copy all the necessary files from the hard drive and format it. These copied files also need to be carefully checked for malware and removed. Otherwise, another infection is likely to occur.

Video on the topic

Related article

Sources:

• virus removal for free

Computer viruses– one of the most common problems of the modern virtual world. They are constantly being improved, their properties, methods of penetration and impact are changing. Of course, they are fighting against them; there are a large number of quite effective anti-virus programs. But if a system file is infected with a virus, the antivirus can do little with it, since it is protected from changes to running Windows.

You will need

• - computer
• - Dr.Web LiveCD utility
• - blank CD
• - Internet access
• - basic computer skills

Instructions

Burn the image to a blank disk using any burning program (Nero, Alcohol 120%, etc.).

If even the folder cannot be deleted, try changing one of its names. Right-click the folder icon and select "Rename" from the context menu, then enter the new modified name. After that, try deleting again folder.

If you have performed the operations described above, but the folder is not deleted, use the free Unlocker utility. This program allows you to process files and folders that are blocked for the user. After installing Unlocker, right-click on the folder you want to delete and select “Unlocker”. In the program dialog you will see a list of system processes that prevent the folder from being deleted. End these processes and then delete the file.

Unlocker is capable of deleting files and folders that are in use, as well as access to which is denied. Unlocker also in cases where the drive is or is protected, when the file is being used by another program, and when directory sharing is broken.

Computer virus– a program that harms the computer. It can perform various actions without the user's permission. Including blocking the operation of a particular program or the entire operating system. You need to get rid of viruses as quickly as possible.

You will need

• -antivirus;
• - free healing utilities;
• - procexp program;
• -LiveCD;
• -hard drive with the OS installed.

Instructions

If it does not block work with the computer, run the installed antivirus. Set to scan all hard drives. Including removable or . If a virus is found, the program will offer to cure it, quarantine it, or delete it. If you are sure that you have not installed such a program on your computer, select the uninstall option.

There you will see the hosts file. Open it with notepad. Delete everything after the line 127.0.0.1 localhost. Save your changes. Then restart your computer. The virus will be removed. After that, just in case, check your computer with any antivirus.

If there is a banner in the middle of your desktop that is preventing you from working, you need to log into your computer in safe mode. Then run any antivirus or healing utility. Remove any viruses found and start your computer as normal.

Go to this folder. Make everything invisible. Remove the virus and empty the trash. This option is only suitable for normal loading of the operating system. If you are logged into safe mode, the virus will be inactive. And, accordingly, you will not see him.

If it is not possible to perform any action, you need to start the operating system from another disk. Start the OS from the LiveCD. Run a full virus scan with an antivirus or cleaning utility. Remove the virus.

Connect another hard drive with the operating system installed. Launch the OS from it. Scan all hard drives using an antivirus or cleaning utility. Remove the virus.

Video on the topic

note

As soon as you realize that there is a virus on your computer, disconnect it from the local network, if there is one.

Helpful advice

Do not stop the antivirus until a full scan of all disks is completed.

Sources:

• How to get rid of viruses without antivirus programs

If you have been using your computer for a very long time without an antivirus program, but then still decide to install an antivirus, there is a high probability that your computer already has viruses that need to be deleted. Even if you have an antivirus program installed, from time to time you need to scan your system for viruses and, if found, remove them. The absence of viruses on your computer makes the system stable and guarantees the safety of your personal files.

You will need

• Personal computer, antivirus program ESET NOD32

Instructions

Further instructions for removing viruses will be given using the ESET NOD32 antivirus program as an example. You can download this antivirus from the official website of ESET. A completely free trivial version is available with a free trial period of one month.

After installing NOD32, the program icon will appear on the operating system taskbar. You need to enter the program menu. To do this, double-click on the program icon. In the menu that appears, select the “PC Scan” component, and in the next window, select the “Custom Scan” option.

Next you need to select scan objects. As scan targets, mark all hard drive partitions, RAM, and even computer virtual drives (if any). Now pay attention to the windows: “Scanning profile”. There is an arrow nearby. Click on it. A list of scan profiles will open. Select Deep Scan. Once all computer scan options have been set, click “Scan”.

Wait for the scanning operation to complete. A log will then open containing the scan results. There will be a list of viruses found. Opposite the type of virus there will be an arrow, clicking on which will open a list of possible actions. From the list of actions, select "Delete". Then click “Run” at the bottom of the window. After this it will be removed from the computer. In this way you can remove all viruses found by the program.

If among the infected files there was a file that is necessary for the normal operation of the operating system, you will not be able to delete it. After you select the “Delete” action, a message will appear: “Deletion is not possible.” The virus will be quarantined and isolated. While in quarantine, it will not spread and infect other files.

Video on the topic

Is the screen blocked by a warning from the FSB, or is advertising creeping in from all the cracks? There is no reason to panic - there is a reason to fight. What to do if you catch a virus - read the detailed two-step instructions.

Step 1: Safe Mode

The first step is to try to “immobilize” the virus by loading the system in safe mode. A system running in safe mode will disable all unnecessary drivers, services and programs at startup. In most cases, this also disables the virus’s mechanisms.

Depending on your situation, enter Safe Mode using one of the following methods:

We have already written about other features of the Windows 10 system recovery menu:

In all cases, the same thing will be launched: safe mode with Internet access. That's what we need.

Step 2. Scan with antivirus utility

The second step is to find and destroy the virus. If you have an antivirus installed, it is most likely either disabled right now or is not familiar with your virus - otherwise it would not have missed it. This means you need to use another one.

Therefore, launch any available browser (for example, Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge), search for it and download one of the following utilities. Or better yet, several at once and check the computer sequentially with each of them.

Attention! Don’t forget to check all the flash drives you have with the same utilities - the virus could easily get onto them.

Now exit Safe Mode. If you started via msconfig, run it again and uncheck the box Safe mode. After this, restart your PC, and Windows will start as usual - but clean and without a virus.

This, in the opinion of the average person, is a certain problem that prevents the computer from working. In reality, it is a malicious program that is embedded in the operating system. Some of them can copy themselves, infecting more and more files, while some simply interfere with the correct operation of applications and do not reproduce.

They also differ in the degree of danger to the system.

Collapse

• In this article we will consider the following questions:
• how to detect a virus
• computer protection

How to “calculate” a virus

A person learns about the presence of viruses in two ways.

The first is an antivirus signal. The second is problems, strange images and program crashes. You can also recognize a virus on your computer by looking at its location and type. Most often these are files with the .exe extension that launch some process that slows down the system.

In the first case, the virus is quarantined on the computer, where it waits in the wings. In the second, without proper measures, the program begins to copy itself, integrating itself into the operation of browsers and system components. If the user has concerns that the computer is infected, the easiest way is to use an installed antivirus. This is a reliable way to find out that there is a virus on your computer.

Sometimes he himself signals a problem

This message indicates that the program has neutralized the threat and that everything is fine with the computer. At the same time, if a message similar to this appears in the browser itself or flashes across the entire screen, then this is a sign of fraud. This is not an offer to get rid of the problem, but its imposition. One click on such a notification and even a “clean” computer is at risk. Fraudsters who develop such one-page sites then intend to force the user to spend money to solve the problem.

Your antivirus always stores reports on the operations and actions performed. They can be tracked by going to the special menu item “reports” or similar.

There will be information about the suspicious file and what the program did with it

The answer to the question of what to do if there is a virus on your computer is to run an antivirus and “clean” the machine. In some particularly advanced cases, reinstallation or system recovery may be required. This is an extreme case.

How to remove a virus without an antivirus

Users who work on the Internet without an antivirus have every chance of catching a malicious program. Following the instructions, they try to download and install the antivirus, but nothing works. The fact is that the operating algorithm of some malicious programs includes blocking its installation.

Everything ends at this stage

• Therefore, if an antivirus is not installed, there is only one way out - to use online services.

For example, you can remove viruses from your computer without an antivirus using the free ESET online scanner

• Another service is HouseCall, which allows you to quickly and effectively remove viruses from your computer without an antivirus. It leaves no traces on the operating system, but can easily find a Trojan on a computer.

In the settings, the user is free to choose both the depth of the scan and the subsequent algorithm for the utility to work with detected threats

Computer protection

Before installing protection on your computer, let's look at the most common computer viruses and their types.

1. Pharming is a variant of an attack that involves manipulating the host file. It is this type that redirects the user to third-party sites disguised as popular resources such as Yandex and Odnoklassniki. It also displays a message promising to save a person from the problem after entering a phone number or transferring a small amount to a certain account.
2. Software viruses. They have the ability to copy themselves. They join programs, disrupting their work. This type of computer virus looks like an additional file with an .exe extension that cannot be launched.
3. Worms. Almost the lesser evil. They do not become part of programs; they are distributed when exchanging files between users. This malicious component is very easy to eliminate.
4. Trojan. This is a program that performs destructive actions instead of necessary ones. They cannot spread on their own, which is why they differ from ordinary pests. You can infect your computer with a Trojan while surfing the Internet and downloading programs from dubious sources.

Why did your mobile phone suddenly begin to behave differently than usual, or even “take on” its own “life”? Perhaps because a malicious program has settled in it. Today, the number of viruses and Trojans for Android is growing exponentially. Why? Yes, because the cunning virus writers know that smartphones and tablets are increasingly being used by our fellow citizens as electronic wallets, and they are doing everything to transfer funds from the owners’ accounts into their pockets. Let's talk about how to understand that a mobile device has caught an infection, how to remove a virus from Android and protect yourself from repeated infections.

Symptoms of a virus infection on an Android device

• The gadget takes longer to turn on than usual, slows down, or suddenly reboots.
• Your SMS and phone call history contains outgoing messages and calls that you did not make.
• Money is automatically debited from your phone account.
• Ads that are not associated with any application or site are displayed on your desktop or browser.
• The programs are installed by themselves, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or the camera are turned on.
• I lost access to electronic wallets, mobile banking, or for unknown reasons the amount in my accounts decreased.
• Someone has taken over your account on social networks or instant messengers (if used on a mobile device).
• The gadget is locked, and a message is displayed on the screen that you have violated something and must pay a fine or simply transfer money to someone to unlock it.
• Applications suddenly stopped launching, access to folders and files was lost, and some device functions were blocked (for example, buttons could not be pressed).
• When launching programs, messages like “an error occurred in the com.android.systemUI application” pop up.
• Unknown icons appeared in the application list, and unknown processes appeared in the task manager.
• The antivirus program informs you when malicious objects are detected.
• The antivirus program has spontaneously deleted itself from the device or does not start.
• The battery of your phone or tablet began to discharge faster than usual.

Not all of these symptoms are 100% indicative of a virus, but each is a reason to immediately scan your device for infection.

The easiest way to remove a mobile virus

If the gadget remains operational, the easiest way to remove the virus is to use the antivirus installed on Android. Run a full scan of the phone’s flash memory, and if a malicious object is detected, select the “Delete” option, saving the neutralized copy in quarantine (in case the antivirus detected something safe and mistook it for a virus).

Unfortunately, this method helps in about 30-40% of cases, since most malicious objects actively resist being removed. But there is also control over them. Next we will look at options when:

• the antivirus does not start, does not detect or does not remove the source of the problem;
• the malicious program is restored after removal;
• The device (or its individual functions) is blocked.

Removing malware in safe mode

If you can't clean your phone or tablet normally, try doing it safely. The majority of malicious programs (not just mobile ones) do not show any activity in safe mode and do not prevent destruction.

To boot your device into Safe Mode, press the On/Off button, place your finger on “Power Off” and hold it until the “Enter Safe Mode” message appears. After that, click OK.

If you have an old version of Android - 4.0 and lower, turn off the gadget in the usual way and turn it on again. When the Android logo appears on the screen, press the Volume Up and Volume Down keys simultaneously. Hold them down until the device boots up completely.

While in safe mode, scan your device with an antivirus. If there is no antivirus or it does not start for some reason, install (or reinstall) it from Google Play.

This method successfully removes advertising viruses such as Android.Gmobi 1 and Android.Gmobi.3 (according to Dr. Web classification), which download various programs to the phone (in order to increase the rating), and also display banners and advertisements on the desktop.

If you have superuser rights (root) and you know exactly what caused the problem, launch a file manager (for example, Root explorer), follow the path where this file is located and delete it. Most often, mobile viruses and Trojans place their bodies (executable files with the .apk extension) in the system/app directory.

To switch to normal mode, simply restart the device.

Removing mobile viruses via computer

Removing viruses on a phone via a computer helps when a mobile antivirus cannot cope with its task even in safe mode or the device’s functions are partially blocked.

There are also two ways to remove a virus from a tablet and phone using a computer:

• using an antivirus installed on a PC;
• manually through a file manager for Android gadgets, for example, Android Commander.

Using antivirus on your computer

To scan your mobile device files with an antivirus installed on your computer, connect your phone or tablet to the PC with a USB cable, selecting the “As a USB drive” method.

Then turn on USB.

After this, 2 additional “disks” will appear in the “Computer” folder on the PC - the internal memory of the phone and the SD card. To start scanning, open the context menu of each disk and click “Scan for viruses”.

Removing malware using Android Commander

Android Commander is a program for exchanging files between an Android mobile gadget and a PC. When launched on a computer, it provides the owner with access to the memory of a tablet or phone, allowing you to copy, move and delete any data.

For full access to all the contents of the Android gadget, you must first obtain root rights and enable USB debugging. The latter is activated through the service application “Settings” - “System” - “Developer Options”.

Next, connect the gadget to your PC as a USB drive and run Android Commander with administrator rights. In it, unlike Windows Explorer, protected system files and directories of the Android OS are displayed - just like, for example, in Root Explorer - a file manager for root users.

The right half of the Android Commander window shows the directories of the mobile device. Find the executable file of the application (with the extension .apk) that is causing the problem and delete it. Alternatively, copy suspicious folders from your phone to your computer and scan each of them with an antivirus.

What to do if the virus is not removed

If the above operations did not lead to anything, the malicious program still makes itself felt, and also if the operating system ceases to function normally after cleaning, you will have to resort to one of the radical measures:

• reset with restoration of factory settings through the system menu;
• hard reset via the Recovery menu;
• reflashing the device.

Any of these methods will return the device to the same state as after purchase - there will be no user programs, personal settings, files or other information (data about SMS, calls, etc.) left on it. Your Google account will also be deleted. Therefore, if possible, transfer the phone book to the SIM card and copy paid applications and other valuable items to external media. It is advisable to do this manually - without using special programs, so as not to accidentally copy the virus. After this, begin the “treatment”.

Restoring factory settings through the system menu

This option is the simplest. It can be used when the functions of the operating system and the device itself are not blocked.

Go to the Settings application, open the Personal - Backup section and select Factory reset.

Hard reset via Recovery menu

A “hard” reset will help deal with the malware if it is not removed by any of the above methods or has blocked login. To our joy, access to the Recovery menu (system recovery) is retained.

Logging into Recovery works differently on different phones and tablets. On some, for this you need to hold down the “Volume +” key when turning on, on others - “Volume -”, on others - press a special recessed button, etc. The exact information is contained in the instructions for the device.

In the Recovery menu, select the option “wipe data/factory reset” or simply “factory reset”.

Flashing

Flashing is essentially reinstalling the Android OS, the same extreme measure as reinstalling Windows on a computer. It is resorted to in exceptional cases, for example, when a certain Chinese virus is embedded directly in the firmware and has been living on the device since its “birth.” One of such malware is the spyware android spy 128 origin.

To flash a phone or tablet, you will need root rights, a distribution kit (the firmware itself), an installation program, a computer with a USB cable or an SD card. Remember that each gadget model has its own individual firmware versions. Installation instructions are usually included with them.

How to avoid virus infection of Android devices

• Install mobile applications only from trusted sources, refuse hacked programs.
• Update your device as system updates are released - in them, developers close vulnerabilities that are exploited by viruses and Trojans.
• Install a mobile antivirus and keep it always on.
• If your gadget serves as your wallet, do not allow other people to use it to access the Internet or open unverified files on it.

If you've seen a message saying a virus has been detected or your computer seems slow and unreliable, this guide will walk you through the process of fighting the infection and removing malware.

While many viruses and other malware are designed to simply cause chaos, more and more malware is taking advantage of organized crime to steal credit card numbers and other sensitive data.

Was there a message like "A virus has been detected?"

If you saw a SOS message that says a virus has been detected, then this is a good thing. Your antivirus has noticed the virus and will likely remove it without warning.

These kinds of messages do not mean that you have ever had a virus on your computer. You could download a file containing a virus and the antivirus will remove the file before it could cause problems. Or, malicious files on an infected web page could be noticed and ignored.

In other words, a “virus detected” message that occurs during normal computer use does not mean that your computer has been infected or that the virus never did anything. If you see such a message, you are probably visiting infected web pages or downloading harmful files. Try to avoid doing this in the future, but don't worry too much.

You can also go into your antivirus program and check its quarantine and view additional information about the virus and what actions were taken.

If you are not using an antivirus

If you are not using an antivirus and your computer has become slow and unreliable, it is possible that you have a virus. This can also happen if you are working with older antivirus virus detection databases.

If you have not installed an antivirus, you should try to install one immediately. There are many free antivirus products you can download, including Microsoft Security Essentials. An antivirus should ideally be able to clean up viruses and fix your problems after installation. If your antivirus cannot fix the infection on your system, read below in the section on dealing with more troublesome infections.

If you think that your antivirus does not deal with viruses

If you already have an antivirus installed, but you are sure you have a virus and it is not detected, you can get a second opinion from a different antivirus product.

There are many different providers of antivirus one-time scanning tools available - for example ESET Online Scanner. You download these programs onto your computer and do a quick scan without a lengthy installation process. You can't have multiple antivirus products installed at the same time and have conflicts between them, so this allows you to scan with one-time scanning tools, bypassing the hassle of uninstalling your current antivirus.

If the scanner alerts you to a problem, then you can remove viruses with the scan tool. If you have a virus, but your current antivirus cannot handle it. You can remove it and install another antivirus product until the process is completed.

Dealing with a more problematic infection

Some viruses and other malware like to burrow deep into your system, making them difficult to detect and remove.

Booting into Safe Mode may help. In Safe Mode, Windows won't load third-party software (including viruses), so you can run your antivirus program without virus interference in the background. To boot into Safe Mode, restart your computer, press F8 before the operating system loads, select Safe Mode from the boot options menu, and then press Enter. Run your antivirus program in safe mode and reboot after you've cleaned up. (If you don't see the boot menu, restart your computer and try again - you may not have pressed the F8 key at the right time.) If you need to access the Internet in Safe Mode, select Safe Mode with Networking from the trunk options menu.

If the antivirus does not work after starting in safe mode, you can try booting from an antivirus scanner CD. When loaded into rescue CDs, the antivirus receives a clean environment to work in. This will help scan your hard drive while the virus is dormant, making it easier to deal with infections that are difficult to remove. We previously reviewed BitDefender, Avira and Kaspersky rescue disk help to remove viruses from your computer.