One of the biggest questions you might ask yourself when you have problems with your computer or device is: “Do I have a virus?” The answer is maybe. Or maybe not. I know, right!
Figuring out the answer is a bit tougher than just seeing a potential problem and being able to say that it is a virus or malware immediately, especially considering the number of ways a computer can act that might be indicators of a virus or just of a physical or programming problem instead.
So here is some information that can help you determine the likely answer to the virus question and how to get that information.
What are some indicators of a potential virus? What else could these problems mean?
When we talk about indicators, we mean events or occurrences that cause us to believe that there is an issue. Much like when a car stalls for no apparent reason, you have to recognize those signs of a problem, then deduce the cause. With a car, it can be out of fuel, not getting enough air, or it might just be that you didn’t apply the throttle enough before switching gears, and it stalled out. So let’s take a look at what might be one of these virus indicators.
- Your computer crashes or stops operating (blue screen or frozen program screens)
- The cursor moves all over the place without your input
- Missing files or data
- You can no longer access your computer or some files
- Pop-up windows (on the desktop or in a browser)
- Changes made to your computer without your knowledge or permission
- Your computing device is suddenly very slow
The above list is not complete, but it gives you an idea of the various ways you might realize there is an issue to resolve.
Now, let’s break down what might cause the same problem but isn’t a virus. Why? Because you have to be able to resolve the issue, and if it isn’t a virus, it will likely require very different methods to do so. Don’t worry; there will be information coming later in this blog to help you resolve the virus problems as well.
- Computer crashes and frozen programs
- Can be caused by an updated operating system and program files that are corrupt or missing. Try attempting to recover to an earlier restore point, or uninstall the program, download it again and reinstall it.
- Weird cursor movement
- Could be a broken mouse or interactive device, or maybe a bad driver for it. Borrow a mouse from a different system and try it. If it works fine, consider getting a new one.
- Missing file/data
- Look in your deleted files bucket/folder. You could have mistakenly deleted them. If it isn’t there, you may need to do some more technical investigation.
- Computer/file access problems
- First, check your “Caps Lock” and “Num(ber) Lock” keys. Are they toggled to the on position? If caps lock is on, it will capitalize all letters, keeping you from entering the password correctly. If numbers lock is on, you have a number pad, which is ok, but if it isn’t, you aren’t getting the numbers you are expecting to be in the passcode; you are getting other symbols or characters instead.
- Are you entering the password or passcode that is the correct one for the computer or file you are trying to access? It sounds silly, but it happens all the time that folks are thinking about their work password/code and are trying to access their home system. Or vice versa.
- Pop-up windows
- Check your Internet browser settings. You may not have turned off the ability for sites to show pop-ups.
- Pop-ups on your computer CAN be harmless. Windows, for instance, uses some pop-ups to show that specific actions or activities are occurring on the system, like an update to a program or installation of a system file.
- Unauthorized/unexpected system changes
- Again, this can be appropriate and expected behavior during an installation or update. If you install a new program or an update, there will be changes to your system. You can usually find out what is changed or added to your system by researching the accepted update/installation. Look on the site you downloaded the file or update from for more detailed information.
- Slow system operation
- Look at your recent installation history. Have you installed a new program or application? Sometimes we install one only to find out that our system will not work very well afterward. Perhaps there isn’t enough memory for the program to run correctly or enough storage space.
- You may also want to research the software installed as it could just be poorly written. We recommend always researching before installation to ensure system requirements are met or exceeded and that it will work on your particular operating system. Not all Apple applications can operate on a Windows system without significant changes.
As you can see, what might initially seem like a virus or malware could be normal (though problematic) issues.
But what if it isn’t?
When we look at a computing device or system problem, it is sometimes best to begin by assuming that there is just a normal usage or programmatic error involved. However, after investigating, we find we can’t see a regular reason for the problem, and we must explore the potential that there is a virus involved.
**Note: If you are unsure how to accomplish any of these operations or whether you should remove a specific file, DON’T! Instead, you should hire someone (or ask a knowledgeable friend) to do it for you. Removing a file could cause your system to stop functioning or make it impossible for you to recover your data.
One of the first things to do is run a full scan using a reputable and well-known anti-virus/anti-malware software package. If we are confident that a specific file or program is the only problem, we can run an item-specific scan, but it is usually better to look at the whole system rather than just a small part. Programs can affect one or many files and data repositories in moments, so it is better to check that everything is in good condition.
Another thing you can do is to uninstall the suspected problem program or application. You can use the uninstall feature within the program, or use the operating system’s uninstall process instead. If neither of those options seems to work, you can usually find an uninstaller online that will do the trick. Yes, some programs and files just do not want to be removed!
Hire a professional IT repair/recovery technician to do the work. If you aren’t an expert at this type of work, or even if you are sometimes, it is potentially destructive to your system and data to attempt it on your own. Having someone who knows the ins and outs of dealing with a potential virus or malware can give you a better chance of getting back to working or playing on your affected system quickly.
What should you do
Avoidance is the best policy when considering the potential problems related to viruses and malware. Avoidance means, in this case:
- Use anti-virus/anti-malware software from a reputable source
- Scan well and scan often
- Don’t download or install software that isn’t known to you or you haven’t researched thoroughly.
- Look for reviews (on an IT review site)
- Search for others that have used the program that can tell you if they had trouble with it
- Don’t go to online sites that you don’t know about (or click on links in emails either)
- This is how things can go bad very quickly.
- Make sure that you go to the right site.
- Check your spelling and entry for site addresses
- Google[.]com, or Goggle[.]com?
- Never click on links in emails or messages! If you want to go somewhere, search for the site and make sure you have the right one before clicking on it.
- Check your spelling and entry for site addresses
- Be aware of what is happening on your system and who else might be using it.
Northstarr Recommendations
As IT and cybersecurity professionals, we have many information resources and expert knowledge related to threats, problems, and ways to avoid or fix them. We want to help! If you find you believe you might need that help, please reach out to us on our website by calling 888-767-2210 or by setting up an appointment to chat with us via our website.
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