How To Remove Computer Viruses Safely?

They say that to be able to win a battle, you must know your enemy. This is true as well when you are trying to remove a computer virus from your computer. Think of malware as your enemy in battle-potentially dangerous and difficult to defeat. To know what a malware is let us first define it. Malware is also known as malicious software; it is software designed to gain access to computers without the permission of the computer owner or user. Examples of malware are computer viruses, worms, trojan horses, rootkits, adware, spyware, and other annoying unwanted programs. But let us emphasize the most common kind of malware: computer viruses.

Computer viruses are harmful, irritating things that could eat up your entire hard drive. But do not fret, since there are simple answers to the question, how to get rid of computer viruses. If you suspect that if a computer virus, or any malware for that matter, has infected your computer, immediately run an antivirus program. An antivirus software has the capability to detect and delete any potentially unwanted programs. It can also protect your computer from any future malware infections.

Antivirus programs can be easily obtained online. However, not all are free; most antivirus software have to be purchased. If you can afford it, do not opt for the free software. This is because paid antivirus programs often have more features, have wider range of protection, and are more up to date than free antivirus programs. Also, when choosing the best antivirus software, take note of its consumer rating and read reviews by trusted agencies and publications.

Now that you have an antivirus software, you have to learn how it works. Look for the Help tab in the menu bar, and see if it there is Manual, FAQ or Support in the menu. You could also check the website where you downloaded your software and see if it has any FAQ or Help pages. Most probably there will be a guide or a manual that will help you understand how the antivirus program works. If you have learned enough, use the software to run a full system scan on your computer. Scanning will detect a virus or malware present in your system. Once a computer virus is confirmed, you will have the option to remove it from your system.

But sometimes deleting a virus through an antivirus software is not enough. There are stubborn viruses that resist deletion. Some viruses even block the antivirus software from running and scanning. If this is the case, you must read on the kinds of viruses. It is also preferred that you list down all the viruses and malware that your antivirus software includes in its reports. Also, try to contact antivirus software firms; they could help you in knowing how to get rid of computer viruses. If you know enough about a virus you could delete its files directly from your folders.

The last option, if the abovementioned suggestions do not work, is to seek the help of a computer technician. This is the only solution if the virus has spread to most parts of your system. What the computer technician will tell you probably is that you need to replace your hard drive with a new one or that you need to reformat your computer. If it is too late to save your system, you might as well just save your important files, if they are still retrievable. Just clean your system and start all over again.