Computer viruses can be so severe they destroy your entire machine. If you’ve ever experienced a virus, you know how disruptive it can be. A quick response is the best way to limit how much damage it does.
To respond quickly, you need to know the signs of a computer virus to look out for so you can. Keep reading to learn more.
1. Blue Screen of Death
If you’ve never experienced the blue screen of death, count yourself lucky. If you have, you know that this means that your computer has crashed and if it’s really bad, you won’t even be able to get into your computer to figure out what caused it.
The blue screen of death is often a case for computer repair experts.
2. Computer Running Slowly
This is probably the most common sign of having a computer virus. Does it take forever for your computer to boot up in the morning? Are webpages and software loading excruciatingly slow? If that’s the case, you might have a virus.
Before you diagnose your computer with a virus, make sure there aren’t other things slowing it down. You could also be running out of RAM, running out of hard drive space, or have damaged hardware.
3. Lack of Space
When a virus, or malware, infects your computer, it often fills your hard drive with suspicious files that can take over your computer. If you suddenly find that you are out of space on your computer but your legitimate files and software shouldn’t take up that much space, your computer may be infected.
4. Suspicious Activity
If you notice that your computer is doing things when no programs are running, there might be a virus behind the scenes. If your camera appears to be on without you turning it on or your external modem is always running, do a virus scan to see if anything has infected your machine.
5. Pop-Ups, Unwanted Programs, and Unwanted Toolbars
Chances are, you’ve experienced the endless popup messages when accessing a website. Although these aren’t as common as they once were, it’s a sign of a virus that usually comes with downloading new software or a program from the Internet. Same with unwanted programs and toolbars.
Free downloads are notorious for trying to sneak extras onto your computer, which can slow it down or contain viruses. When you’re downloading anything, make sure you pay attention to ALL of the files that will be downloaded.
6. You’re Sending Spam Email or Messages
Are you getting messages from friends or family saying that they are receiving suspicious messages from your email account? Maybe you notice that your email account is sending mass emails to everyone on your email list or your social media accounts are sending spam direct messages to your contacts.
This is a likely sign that your computer has a virus.
7. Disabled Security Software
Unfortunately, not all computer security programs are perfect. If you actually have anti-virus software installed but discover that it has been disabled, you might have malware which works to disable your security programs.
Signs of a Computer Virus You Should Not Ignore
If you experience any of these signs of a computer virus, don’t ignore them. The longer you let the viruses linger on your computer, the more damage they can do.
Our IT services can help you protect your machines and keep viruses off of your business’s computers. Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you and your business.