Q&A for How to Remove a Virus

Return to Full Article

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    What kinds of antivirus programs are there?
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    So there real-time scanners and live-time scanners. Real-time scanners are always looking at what you're doing and they're constantly blocking potentially dangerous things from happening. Live-time scanners are kind of like gatekeepers. They do simpler scans periodically and check for malicious programs.
  • Question
    What's the best free antivirus for Mac?
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    There actually aren't a whole lot of great antivirus programs for Mac that are free. There are a few options out there that are okay, but they aren't going to offer the protection you need.
  • Question
    Can you just delete a virus?
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    It really depends on the virus, but just deleting a file is rarely going to remove anything. Use an antivirus or malware program to quarantine the virus and purge it from your computer.
  • Question
    I have an Apple iPad that says I have two viruses. What should I do?
    ture znipp
    Community Answer
    Do not trust pop-ups that say that. It is most likely just spam, trying to trick you into downloading something.
  • Question
    What shouldn't I do if I have a virus?
    Community Answer
    Don't go into any personal accounts or legal documents that require passwords, including social media sites!
  • Question
    How can I remove a virus from my phone?
    ture znipp
    Community Answer
    That depends on what phone you have. If you have an Android phone, download an antivirus program from the Play Store. If you're on an iPhone, there aren't many things you can do. The only way to get rid of a virus is resetting your phone to factory settings.
  • Question
    What should I do if I have a virus on my computer and I already logged in to a personal account, such as an email? Should I immediately log out?
    Community Answer
    Log out and remove the virus from your computer, then change your account password. You can also change your password on another device.
  • Question
    What do I do if my computer says it has a virus, and the virus says to pay in B with line for the fix tool?
    Kristian818
    Community Answer
    You got a ransomware virus. Seek out help as there are decrypters for some ransomware viruses. DO NOT PAY as they doesn't care about you.
  • Question
    I have a virus on my tablet. How can I get rid of it?
    Community Answer
    Install an anti-virus app and try to remove it. If that doesn't work, you may need to do a factory reset.
  • Question
    How do I remove a virus from a Mac?
    Community Answer
    Run an antivirus scan from the App store.
  • Question
    I have an adware and browser hijacker that is super annoying. I would do a factory reset but I cannot because of important files I don't want to lose. I cannot backup my drive because I do not own a separate hard drive. What should I do?
    Kristian818
    Community Answer
    It could be removed. Either reach out for professional help or try asking in a help forum.
  • Question
    How can I tell whether my email accounts are free of computer viruses or hacking?
    Community Answer
    It can be difficult to tell if they do have a virus or if they are being hacked. If you are getting or "sending" unfamiliar emails, change your password and security questions immediately. Even if you're suspicious, take ten minutes to change them to make sure you are safe. Keep your anti-virus/anti-malware apps up-to-date and ensure that routine scans are running.
  • Question
    What do I do if I can't find Disk Cleanup?
    Aasim
    Top Answerer
    If apps that come preinstalled with Windows are missing, then you will have to perform a repair upgrade. To do so, boot off of installation media and choose "Install now," then choose "Upgrade."
  • Question
    My iPhone keeps showing me a pop-up that says I won something. Is this a virus?
    Community Answer
    This is most likely caused by bad web pages, so if you notice this happening frequently with particular web pages, I would recommend just avoiding those. You can also try a factory reset, which might help.
  • Question
    A legitimate app in my phone has the Hummer Trojan. How do I fix this?
    R2_d2000
    Top Answerer
    If an app has a Trojan in it, then it is not legitimate. You can download an antivirus app from the Play Store, and then run a scan to remove the Trojan.
  • Question
    How do you get rid of a virus on a Kindle Fire?
    R2_d2000
    Top Answerer
    You can do a Factory reset . A factory reset will delete everything, including the virus, and then reset your tablet back to the way it was when you bought it.
  • Question
    I have a virus that does not let me access the web. I hacked through it to get here, but then it blocks my computer, and can't get rid of it. The admin account doesn't work and neither does safe mode.
    Kreg
    Community Answer
    The easiest way to remove it is to reinstall Windows. Once you have deleted everything in the computer that was making the thing you called the virus, the computer will be safe again and you should be able to access the Internet again. Then delete the executable file that was the virus.
  • Question
    When should I run an antivirus scan?
    Aasim
    Top Answerer
    If you suspect you have a virus, then that is a good time to perform an antivirus scan. A lot of malware does not trigger right away; instead they have a payload that triggers at a specific time. For example, some Trojans may not start joining a botnet or recording your activities until a long while after installation.
  • Question
    My Mac said that I have three viruses. Is it it true?
    R2_d2000
    Top Answerer
    Probably not. You likely saw a scam ad which was pretending to be an alert from your Mac. But to check, you can follow the steps for Macs in this article if you are concerned.
  • Question
    I have a virus on my Windows computer and can't even access the users choice screen that first loads when I turn my computer on. How can I solve this?
    R2_d2000
    Top Answerer
    It looks like you're going to need to reinstall Windows. You can follow the steps in the third method of How to Reinstall Windows to see how to do this.
  • Question
    When is it suggested to perform these steps?
    R2_d2000
    Top Answerer
    It is recommended that you perform these steps if you think that you have a virus. But you can do them at any time if you'd like. They won't hurt anything.
Ask a Question

      Return to Full Article