“I think I have a virus”
Virus and malware removal, done remotely
Pop-ups that will not close, a browser that opens pages you did not ask for, a computer that suddenly crawls. A technician connects to your screen, finds what is running and removes it while you watch.
How to recognize it
- Ads or warnings appear even when no browser is open
- Your home page or search engine changed by itself
- New toolbars, programs or browser extensions you did not install
- The fan runs hard and everything is slow while you are doing nothing
- Your antivirus is switched off and will not turn back on
- Friends receive messages or email you did not send
What you can try yourself first
- Do not call the number on the warningA full-screen alert with a phone number is an advertisement, not a message from Microsoft or Apple. Close the browser. If it will not close, hold the power button until the computer turns off, then start it again.
- Disconnect if money or passwords are involvedIf you typed a card number or a password into a page you now doubt, unplug the network cable or turn Wi-Fi off, and call your bank from a phone before anything else.
- Run the scanner you already haveOn Windows open Windows Security, choose Virus and threat protection, then Scan options and Full scan. It is built in and free. Let it finish.
- Remove extensions you do not recognizeIn Chrome, Edge or Firefox open the Extensions page and remove anything you did not add yourself. Restart the browser.
- Check installed programs by dateIn Windows Settings, Apps, Installed apps, sort by install date. Programs that arrived the day the trouble started are suspects. Write the names down before removing them.
When to stop and call us
- The scan finds nothing but the pop-ups keep coming
- You let a stranger connect to your computer, or paid one
- The antivirus will not open, update or stay on
- Files have new strange extensions or a note demands payment. Turn the computer off and call
- It is a work computer with client or patient data on it
How a remote session fixes it
You buy an hour, open TeamViewer QuickSupport and read us the ID. The technician looks at what starts with the computer, what is installed, what the browser is carrying and what the scanner reports, then removes what should not be there and resets the browser settings that were changed.
Before the session ends we turn protection back on, install pending security updates and tell you plainly what we found and how it most likely got in. If the infection is too deep to clean safely in place, we say so and explain the options.
Questions
Can a virus be removed without bringing the computer in?
In most cases, yes. If the computer starts and can reach the internet, a technician can work on it through a remote session. If it will not start at all, call us and we will talk through the options.
Is it safe to let you connect while the computer is infected?
You start the session, you see every action on your own screen, and you can end it by closing TeamViewer. We do not ask for banking passwords. Change important passwords from another device after the clean-up.
How long does a clean-up take?
It depends on what is there, and we cannot know before looking. Sessions are billed by the hour with a one-hour minimum, and we tell you early if it looks like more.
Related problems
Help with this across Colorado
Remote sessions work anywhere with an internet connection. On-site visits are for business clients, by appointment.
Still reading? Just call.
(720) 222-0110Mon–Fri 8 AM–6 PM Mountain. For emergencies, call or buy a session any time and we answer as fast as we can.