Is your device infected with a virus?
Virus removal can be as simple as running the right software, but sometimes a much deeper clean is required.
Viruses and spyware can cause all kinds of performance problems for computers. Is your desktop running slowly? Have a laptop constantly plagued by error messages? What about friends complaining about emails they received from you which you never sent?
These are all symptoms of viruses and spyware and could indicate your computer has “caught” one or more of either. Early detection and removal of malicious software is critical.
The sooner they’re removed, the greater the likelihood you’ll avoid permanent damage to your files or even data loss (including personal information). It’s a tricky process but fortunately, we’re experts! Here’s what we’ll do to make sure your device is secure.
Provide malware removal help
We’ll run a virus scan to remove malicious viruses, spyware and rootkits from your computer, using specialist removal tools and software. These tools can sometimes mark legitimate software as harmful. That is something our experience can mitigate too.
Hackers are getting smarter and smarter by the day, and sometimes your over the counter software won’t catch it. Don’t stress – our expert team will tackle the issue on your behalf.
Repair any operating system issues caused by the virus
Viruses and spyware often create issues with a computer’s operating system like your device not turning on properly or even the dreaded Blue Screen Of Death (BSOD). Once virus removal is complete, your Tech Dood will run a system check and repair in case there are missing or damaged files.
Back-up and reinstall
If by some chance a new virus proves to be impossible to remove, there is a last resort option of back-up and reinstall. Using this option we will backup your data and wipe the computer or device clean, starting fresh with a new copy of the operating system.
If you don’t regularly back up your data, speak to us about our backup service. A fully backed up system can always be re-built from scratch, ensuring even the most stubborn of malware is removed.
Perform critical operating system updates
If your computer is infected, it may not properly download and install critical operating system updates as it usually would. Your Tech Dood will perform any necessary updates that it’s missed out on so it’s up to date and running efficiently.
Test operating system for proper functionality
After virus removal, your operating system will then be thoroughly tested to guarantee proper functionality. This is an important step in the process that ensures everything is running as intended. Our expert security technicians will take note of any issues at this stage and ensure they’re sorted out.
Install or update internet security software
There are different types of malware but it’s most likely that your computer “caught” its virus by visiting an infected website or from an email attachment. The best safeguard to protect your computer against this in the future is up to date internet security software.
We will check to see if you have internet security software already installed; if you do we’ll update it and make sure it’s working properly and if you don’t we’ll discuss the available options with you and install your preference. There are even some free tools we can help you with.
Ransomware
A much more difficult situation to remedy is a ransomware attack. In this instance, the malicious software will encrypt your files in a manner that cannot be recovered without the key. We suggest you never pay the ransom, as there is no guarantee they will provide the key or that the provided key will decrypt your files. Essentially, you can’t trust these people, they’re criminals. If your files aren’t backed up properly there may be no way to recover them.
There are two main defences against ransomware:
- Most antivirus software now includes ransomware protection, and
- A proper back-up process
At Tech Doods we suggest using both methods. We can help with both a back-up solution and with installation of antivirus software.