Viruses attack all computers, and it is advisable to make sure that any and all systems in the officeplace have proper antivirus software installed. The best tools on the market come from Symantec (Norton) and MacAfee.

If you computer is not protected, your chances of getting a virus are very high. As soon as you think or know you have a virus (or any other malware) you should take action directly. The following steps will show what to look out for and how to get rid of the problem.

Signs that you may have a virus.

• Slow computer, and/or slow internet connection.
• Strange pop-ups or web browser redirections (beyond those expected from dodgy websites).
• Program failure, or inexplicable errors (even after a fresh install).
• System functions unavailable (eg: Control Panel, Task Manager, Internet Explorer).
• System giving a “RPC error”, giving a window with a 30 second countdown to a restart.
  Excessive internet cap usage, i.e high internet traffic on your computer.

Steps

1. Run your virus-scanner, but beware, many modern viruses can circumvent (or hide from) anti-virus programs. Quarantine anything suspicious.
2. Make sure you are using a reputable antivirus.
3. If you dont have proper antivirus software you can try to use the following free tools:
   Install MalwareBytes Anti-Malware and update it. Don’t scan for malware yet.
   Install SUPERAntiySpyware and update it. Don’t scan for malware yet.
4. Reboot into Safe Mode – Restart your computer and press F8 before Windows loads.
5. Press F8 several times if you need to. Select Safe Mode from the resulting menu. Safe Mode disables much of the startup routine (including some common Malware hiding places).
6. Run your Malware Scanners – Run both the scanners sequentially, deleting any references found.
7. Booting in Safe Mode is especially important if the malware is difficult to remove normally.

Warnings

It is always safer to call on a computer expert to perform procedures that you are not sure about. There is always a chance that you could disable your system and lose valuable data.

Removing malware often takes hours, days, or even weeks. Be sure you have plenty of time available.

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