What chance a virus infected computer? Surveys have in the past suggested that only a 1/3 of people keep their anti-virus software updated regularly and therefore run a very high risk of suffering a virus infected computer. In fact one in 10 have no anti-virus software installed at all. With so many anti-virus programs freely available there really is no excuse for avoiding a virus infected computer by having at least a basic level of protection on your home computer. Microsoft offers a free option (not as good as it once was) known as Security Essentials as does AVG. Sure it is well worth spending a little cash on a more complete solution but if you can’t afford it minimal protection is definitely better than none.
The above programs will protect you from many of the known threats but what do you do if your computer is behaving strangely and you think it may have a virus? Well the most important step is to stop wondering and start scanning.
Provided you can start up your computer and get online you should try the excellent Trend HouseCall solution which is free and highly effective virus infected computer tool. It can identify and remove common threats, viruses, and spyware returning your computer to health in no time at all.
However, if you can’t start your computer or get online you shouldn’t worry too much as it is rarely necessary to rebuild your computer. In such a situation you will need the help of an IT specialist who can scan the drive externally and repair any problems.
Of course if the hard drive has failed then it may need to be replaced and any data could be lost. However, you can still use a data recovery service (which can be quite expensive) if you don’t have any backups and you are desperate to recover as much data as possible.
If you have a backup then it is simply a case of restoring it to a new drive. If you haven’t tested the restore procedure works keep your fingers crossed as now isn’t the time to discover that the restore fails for whatever reason. You can read more about data backup here.
Need help fixing a virus infected computer? Then call us on 01258 858466 to discuss your requirements.