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Here’s one of the scenarios you may not like, but which sadly, could happen to you any day. You’re working on an important project and suddenly, you start seeing annoying pop-ups showing up on your computer. More than that, it takes too long for your files or apps to load. You keep waiting until you start asking yourself: “Is my computer infected with malware?”

Unfortunately, the answer might be “yes” and your PC could be already infected with a virus or next-gen malware that is slowing down its performance.

This is one of the many warning signs that show your PC might suffer from malware infection. But there is so much more you need to be aware of and understand, so you can quickly take action.

In this article, we’ll show you the most frequent warning signs of malware infection on computers running Microsoft Windows and what can you do about it.

Use these quick links to easily navigate and see some of the most common warning signs displayed on a computer:

  1. Your computer is slowing down
  2. Annoying ads are displayed
  3. Crashes
  4. Pop-up messages
  5. Internet traffic suspiciously increases
  6. Your browser homepage changed without your input
  7. Unusual messages show unexpectedly
  8. Your security solution is disabled
  9. Your friends say they receive strange messages from you
  10. Unfamiliar icons are displayed on your desktop
  11. Unusual error messages
  12. You can’t access the Control Panel
  13. Everything seems to work perfectly on your PC
  14. You get the error on the browser
  15. You get suspicious shortcut files

Scenario #1: “My computer applications run slowly and they take longer than usual to start.”

If you’re dealing with this scenario, it could mean you have viruses on your computer.

I know, it’s so frustrating to see it working slowly.

It’s a known fact that one of the malware’s main activities is to slow down your operating system, no matter if you’re browsing the Internet or simply accessing your local applications.

What can you do?

First, you need to investigate the causes and try to understand what is going on.

Here are some of the most common issues that slow down your PC:

1. Your system’s RAM memory is low.

This might be caused by the high number of apps you’re currently using.

Windows Task Manager will help you see which programs use the most of your RAM memory.

Press CTRL+ALT+DELETE simultaneously, choose Task Manager and a list of the current apps you have open will be shown.

2. There is no storage space on your hard disk.

In this case, you need to check all your files stored and do a clean-up.

3. Your browser may be using too many computer resources.

You can see how your browser is performing in Windows Task Manager.

What can you do about your browser’s speed?

Remove unnecessary browser add-ons. Here is a list of Chrome extensions to increase your online safety – just make sure you pick out what you really need and don’t use all of our suggestions simultaneously. Or if you don’t feel like saying goodbye to your favorite extensions, just disable them so they don’t run on each webpage.

Delete excess cache. If you’re carrying along tons of cache and browsing history, this may be the reason your browser is so slow.

Close unnecessary tabs as you open new ones. Oh, the tabs clutter, we’ve all been there. I know, you may be tricked into thinking you may actually need to go back and revisit every tab you’ve opened in a browsing session. But let’s be honest, you most probably won’t need to do it. Just keep in mind you can always reopen your recent browsing history / recently closed tabs – well unless you’re browsing in Incognito/Private mode, but that’s a different story.

4. Your system may be fragmented.

Over time, files kept on a hard drive become fragmented. In simple terms, this means that parts of these files get stored in different areas of the drive and not next to each other. Thus, the storage space is used inefficiently and reduces your PC’s performance, making it harder for your operating system to open a file.

You can fix this by using the Windows disk defragmenter (Optimize Drives).

In Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7, the defragmenter tool runs automatically, so you most probably don’t need to worry about this.

5. Your Windows OS hasn’t been updated or you’re using outdated drivers.

Always make sure your OS is constantly updated. Unpatched systems can have vulnerabilities that can be exploited by malevolent actors, so make sure you’re always running the latest version of Windows.

If you have already thoroughly verified these possible causes and everything seems to work just fine, you can start considering a potential malware infection.

Scenario #2: “I keep getting annoying ads that are opening randomly or strange messages on my computer’s screen.”

Unexpected pop-ups which appear on your screen are a typical sign of a malware infection that wreaks havoc on your computer.

This form of malware is known as spyware and is designed to collect and steal users’ sensitive data without their knowledge.

In this particular case, the main issue is not only the numerous pop-up windows that affect your Internet browsing. It’s also quite difficult to remove them from your system.

These pop-ups are not only frustrating, but they usually come bundled with other concealed malware threats and can be far more destructive for your OS.

They could be disguised as legitimate programs and actually track your web browsing data or monitor your online activity to collect passwords and other personal information.

We strongly recommend you NEVER CLICK on a suspicious pop-up!

To keep your computer away from malicious threats, make sure you apply these security measures:

  1. Do not click on pop-up windows.
  2. Do not answer unsolicited emails that look strange. Always verify the sender’s email address and never open attachments or click weird links.
  3. Be very careful when you are trying to download free applications.
  4. Use a next-gen threat prevention solution that identifies online dangers and blocks them before they actually get the chance to infect your PC.

Scenario #3: “My laptop keeps crashing when I watch Youtube videos or play games. It simply freezes, then a blue screen shows up.”

So, you got the popular BSOD (Blue Screen of Death). Then it recovered and “told” you Windows was recovering from an unexpected shutdown.

There might be two things causing this type of issue:

  1. You could be dealing with a technical issue caused by a potential incompatibility between your software and/or hardware.
  2. It may be a malware issue.

If you suspect any technical problem, it could be caused by these issues:

Are different programs running on your PC that are in conflict?

Are there any orphaned registry keys that have not been removed that could eventually crash your system?

Orphaned registry keys are pieces of data that have been left behind during the process of uninstalling several programs from your computer. They don’t only take up unnecessary space on your PC but can cause a serious issue for its proper functionality.

How to fix this:

  • Use the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe)that can be opened in the search bar of Windows. From there, you select the run command.
  • For malware infections:

Run a complete scan on the system with a good antivirus product. And make sure you’ll never get infected with malware by using a complete and all-in-one security suite, that catches threats before they happen.

Scenario #4: “I started getting this popup message <You’re running out of disk space on Windows (C:)>”

If you are receiving this warning message, it means there’s no free space left on a particular partition (in this case, C) on the main hard drive on your computer. More and more users are reporting this issue.

The cause? Here’s what Microsoft has to say about this:

This behavior can occur if the free disk space on your computer has dropped below the low disk space notification threshold associated with the Disk Cleanup utility.

How do I fix this?

First of all, you need to check if your physical storage space has been increasing lately or if some of your files disappeared or changed their names.

Second, make sure you delete all those old or unnecessary files that can lower your PC’s performance.

Third, this could be another sign of malware infection. There are so many types of malicious programs which use different methods to fill up all the available space in the hard drive and cause it to crash. For this, make sure you’re using an anti-malware solution that automatically performs scans and doesn’t let any viruses or threats reach your system.

Scenario #5: “For quite some time, every time I start my PC, I notice that the Internet traffic suspiciously increases.”

Chances are there is an unusually high network activity happening on your PC that could be the cause of a malware infection.

What can I do?

Check each of these items:

  • The last Windows update for your computer
  • Is there any program or application that’s downloading any data?
  • Is there any update for a certain app running at this moment?
  • Is there a large download that you started and forgot about, which may still be running in the background?

If the answer to all these questions is NO and you can’t find a cause for your increased Internet traffic, then this may be a sign of malware infection. In this case, you should use a specialized security suite designed to address advanced and new online threats.

Scenario #6: “My homepage has changed and I don’t remember doing it myself.”

If you spotted this unusual behavior or a new toolbar is showing out of nowhere, or you’ve been redirected to a different web address different from the one you’ve initially accessed, these could be signs of malware infection.

It usually happens when you visit a website and you accidentally click on a link or a pop-up window.

This triggers the unwanted software to download and install on your device. The effects are not only annoying but also malicious and can compromise your data.

What to do?

You can always manually change your homepage address from your browser’s settings.

But the actual cause of this behavior can be, unfortunately, rooted much deeper, and be a sign of a more serious malware infection.

So, the best way to avoid compromising your files, passwords, and payment details is by using complete, next-gen threat prevention and mitigation security solution.

Scenario #7: “My PC is acting weird because I get unusual messages that appear unexpectedly.”

That’s usually the type of warning message that makes you wonder “What’s going on with my computer?”

Here are some frequent warning signs to watch out for:

  • Suddenly, you see programs opening and closing automatically.
  • Your Windows OS is shutting down unexpectedly, without any reason.
  • You’ve noticed strange windows showing up when your PC tries to boot.
  • Windows tells you that you’ve lost access to some of your drives.

Although the root cause may be a technical issue, it could also be a warning sign that malware has taken over your computer and is slowing down its activity.

How to mitigate the impact of a malware infection?

Follow these steps:

  1. Keep your Windows system up to date.
  2. Use an anti-malware solution that’s doesn’t give threats the chance to enter your computer.
  3. Consider reinstalling your operating system. This 13-step guide will show you how to secure your PC after a fresh (re)installation.

Scenario #8: “I use an antivirus product and keep getting the message that <Protection is disabled>.”

If you noticed your antivirus solution doesn’t seem to work anymore or the Update module is disabled, then you should check out immediately for ways to fix this.

Did you know that some types of malware are sneaky and can disable your security solution?

Well, yes, they are designed to leave users without any defense and make it difficult to detect them.

If you already tried to reboot your computer, closed and opened the security solution and all your troubleshooting efforts seemed useless, you could take into consideration the malware infection scenario.

This is especially the case because it’s a known fact that traditional antivirus solutions can’t easily detect, block or remove next-gen and advanced malware (such as ransomware, adware, or financial malware).

Thus, you can get exposed to all kinds of attacks, and we strongly recommend enhancing your protection by adding multiple layers of protection.

Read these 10 reasons why second-generation malware evades antivirus detection.

Scenario #9: “My friends tell me they’re getting strange random messages from me on Facebook, which I didn’t send.”

If your friends recently got several strange messages/emails or suspicious links from you, and you didn’t send them, it’s likely that you’ve been infected with malware.

Here’s a good example of malware spreading via Facebook Messenger and tricking users into clicking on links they’ve received from one of their friends.

But first, check out your online accounts and see if those random messages were actually sent from one of your accounts. If something like this happened, take immediate action by following these security measures:

  • Log out from all your accounts. For most of our online accounts, we log in to multiple devices and we often forget to log out. So make sure to log out from your online accounts on all connected devices.
  • Use unique and strong passwords for all your online accounts. Always remember to change passwords! NEVER use the same password(s) for multiple accounts, because if you are hacked, all of them will be exposed and your valuable data will get stolen. This password security guide will help you master passwords like an expert.
  • Start using two-factor authentication RIGHT NOW. Do you want to increase your control over your accounts’ security? Then add this second security layer that will ask for an extra authentication step in the login process, along with your credentials.

Scenario #10: “There are these new, yet unfamiliar icons on my desktop that I don’t recognize.”

If you’ve been noticing unknown and new icons on your PC, you most likely downloaded by accident these sneaky programs called PUPs / PUA (Potentially Unwanted Programs / Applications). They are malicious programs that can do a lot of damage and expose you to data leakage, displaying annoying ads or pop-ups on the screen, or adding toolbars on your browser.

They often come together with suspicious software you’ve ended up installing. You may have accidentally given your consent to install additional tools that you didn’t notice we’re there.

But while good Internet practices can protect you against PUPs, it’s advisable to rely on proactive security software.

Scenario #11: “Sometimes, I see unusual error messages displayed on my computer.”

An error message like this one could indicate that there’s a bug in your system which needs to be fixed. Or it could be a warning sign of malware infection.

These types of error messages showing missing or corrupt file folders suggest that your PC has been compromised and its performance is affected.

Source: Microsoft Windows Dev Center

How to fix this:

  • Make sure you have the latest updates installed on your operating system and regularly check for security patches, applications patches, and drivers.
  • Use a next-gen anti-malware solution, designed to keep you safe from any unwanted threats.

Scenario #12: “It seems that I can’t access my Control Panel by clicking on the button.”

If you are facing this issue and your Control Panel does not open, it means that your computer is having a technical problem and is not functioning correctly.

How to fix this?

  • The first thing to do is to run a full scan of your PC.
  • Then, see if you can open the Control Panel in Safe Mode and follow these steps described here. It could also be another sign that your computer is vulnerable and exposed to potential cyber-attacks. After running a full scan with your antivirus product, use also a proactive security solution to keep your confidential information safe.

Scenario #13: “Everything seems to work perfectly on my PC. Is there any chance to be paranoid and still check out for malware?”

When it comes to data protection, it is essential to be a little bit paranoid and very careful, even if everything seems to look normal. Why? Because cybercriminals are creative and they can hide malware in the most unexpected places, leaving no visible marks and still infecting your computer.

Everything may seem to work perfectly normally on your PC until a boot on your system could silently wait for instructions to access and collect your most valuable data.

The best way to make sure you don’t have any malware taking over your system by installing a security solution that scans your machine in real-time and stops threats before they touch your PC.

Scenario #14: “My laptop is working very slowly and sometimes it gives the <Flash not working> error in the browser.”

We received the above message from one of our readers.

If you get this message too on your PC, it might be a good idea to disable Flash and try another alternative. Flash has lots of vulnerabilities that we talked about before.

Regardless of the browser you are using, in Firefox this could be a warning sign that your computer is malware-infected.

Here are a few useful tips that will come in handy: 

  • Keep your Windows system up to date and consider reinstalling your OS if this issue persists.
  • Do a full scan of all your files and apps installed on your PC using an AV solution, to see if it detects any malware.
  • Consider installing a proactive security solution to enhance protection for your computer and keep malware and other online threats at bay.
  • Also, make sure you reboot your PC if you haven’t performed this task in a while.
  • Have a look at the Task Manager function and see what programs run in the background that could slow down your PC performance. It helps you get an overview of what apps and programs take space and how much.
  • Make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Flash installed, but if you don’t have it, download it from here and follow the instructions. Remember to restart the computer after this procedure.
  • If you no longer want to have Flash Player on your computer, you can follow these easy steps and uninstall it.

Scenario #15: “I used an external USB drive and when I connected it to my computer, it was infected by a virus and suddenly all the files turned into shortcuts.”  

Here’s another warning sign showing your computer could be infected with malware. If you used an external USB drive or another external flash drive to copy information without scanning it before, this could explain the appearance of those shortcut files.

If all your images, files, and other documents show up as shortcut files and are not accessible, they could be infected with malware. These malicious files can compromise all your data from the computer, rename your files and create a lot of chaos and hassle.

How to fix this? 

If your files have been compromised, here are some useful tips and security measures to take:

  • Do a full scan of your USB drive and check out for possible viruses and malware. If the antivirus solution doesn’t detect them on your external drive, you should format it and clean the space.
  • Use the Command Prompt (cmd) on a Windows machine, while the USB drive is plugged into your device. To access it, go to the Start menu, type in “Cmd”, press “enter”, and you’ll see the “cmd.exe” under a list of programs. Click on it and you will be directed to the Windows command line from where you can recover the virus-infected. The process may take a while, but it will clean up your computer.
  • Make sure you add multiple layers of security and consider using a premium security solution to strengthen your protection.

Can you avoid malware infections?

Yes, you definitely can, if you’re paying close attention to these early malware infection signs and prevent them from happening.

Make sure your operating system, browsers, and plugins are always up to date because keeping your software patched can keep online criminals at bay.

Also, here’s a list of recommended articles to help you better survive a malware infection:

How to Easily Remove Malware from Your PC [Updated]

How to Protect Your PC with Multiple Layers of Security

32 Go-To Security Forums for Free Malware Removal Help

Make sure your network is safe and secure, and always think before you click on something. Also, remember to practice safe browsing and always access trusted online sources to easier prevent potential online threats.

Reminder: Knowledge and long-lasting education are our best weapons to fight against online threats, so it’s vital to learn and educate yourself and others to better understand how malware works on your system, and how you can mitigate its impact.

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Comments

If you’re seeing any of these warning signs, it’s time to run a malware scan on your computer. Better yet, invest in a good malware removal tool to keep your computer safe from future infections.1. Your computer is running slower than usual.2. You’re seeing more pop-ups and ads than usual.3. Your home page has changed without your permission.4. You’re seeing new toolbars or icons that you don’t recognize.5. You’re redirected to strange websites when you try to browse the internet.6. You’re getting strange error messages or pop-ups.7. Programs on your computer are crashing more often.8. You’re seeing strange or unexpected icons on your desktop.9. Your computer is making strange noises.10. You’re having trouble connecting to the internet.11. Websites you normally visit are inaccessible.12. You’re receiving more spam email than usual.13. You notice new and suspicious files on your computer.14. Your computer is acting abnormally.15. You can’t remember installing any new programs recently.If you notice any of these warning signs, it’s time to scan your computer for malware. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

This Information is very helpful amazing work by author

As you tell I observe my computer and some of the signs that occur in my system, like Pop-up messages of antivirus, files loads very slow and increasing temperature after only use of 1 hour. Is there any malware in my system?

Thank you very much. My computer was also infected by malware and thank you. I can figure out my problem.

Breakupsquotes.com on November 5, 2021 at 7:28 pm

Thanks for sharing this worth full article on laptop virus thats gonna help me out

my browser too much hangs and lots of vulgar content shows all the time. After using your methods and i successfully removed it
Any way you shared good info, Its really helps who don;t know much about computer.

These days the attack of malware is every where. From small companies to large gov / pvt organizations face the challenge of cybersecurity and malware. this blog clearly talks about the possible threats of cybersecurity and how to I identify it. Abhijit Paul

That’s really great! I think, my computer has also some problems with similar issues. We should use anti malware software for having a better experience.

Thank you for this information about knowing if a computer is infected or not. It is good to know that slow downs are a warning sign to pay attention to.

Thanks for mentioning that a virus can slow down our local applications in addition to our internet usage. My husband mentioned his laptop was running noticeably slower when he booted it up to check his email this morning. I’m glad I read your article and learned why it might be a good idea to take his laptop to a computer repair service soon.

Thanks for writing this Article. This was really very Helpful. With the help of this Article I got a lot of Information about Infected Malware in OS.

Sophos antivirus on July 31, 2020 at 10:19 am

This blog aware me about different programs which can become very useful for our friends and kids. Few websites provide combined courses and few of the are separately for single subject. Glad to get this information.

OK, it happens with me that all the files are turned into shortcuts after inserting a external drive. Then I had to reinstall my OS.

Its not my first time to visit this web page, i am visiting this web site dailly and take nice facts from here daily.|

Great!
Warning number 5 really clicked and when i looked in my computer for malware based on that warning I eliminated 2 malware.
Thanks

I am also facing these issues actually my laptop suddenly shut down and restart again this all is just started happening when my antivirus subscription expires.what to do just suggest me

I got a strange notification today on my Windows 10 laptop that some app was trying to access my microphone.
Your article was very informative BTW.

Happy New Year 2020 Images on September 10, 2019 at 6:04 pm

Your article is just amazing thanks for sharing.

Hi Bianca,
There is no denying that windows can be super buggy as it’s quite susceptible to virus attacks and malware infections. I had to take some documents files from my friend. He gave me a flash drive. I inserted it on my laptop, and my whole data become 1Kb or 0kb. I did not know what happened. I was like the virus has infected the drive. It was a blunder for me. I used an antivirus program to scan, but again I did blunder I wipe the whole data.
Anyhow I recovered by Stellar Data Recovery for Windows. It is easy to use and recovered my complete data than I took heaved a sigh of relief. Later I came to know it is shortcut virus and we can remove it by command prompt also. I was like … huhh. Jokes apart, but today, I read this blog and found more knowledge about malware. You describe so well. I am very thankful to you for such an excellent informative blog.

Thanks for Microsoft, after launch the window 10. No need to install any kind of antivirus and firewell for save Pc from Virus and infected threads

im the best antimalware you can find,but im so obssesed with the pc that sometimes i have false possitives.cant help it…nice article but next article tell them how to wipe with zeros with a bootable cd-wiping methods software and then format it,repair mbr and clean install of windows and above all make a back up image of the system in an external drive(before the infection happened),so they dont have to worry about wiping and loosing there data…best knowledge that every pc user must learn to do it alone and easy…really easy ,all the other ways to desinfect are much more trouble…but yes this article catches most of the usual problems but there are harder issues outhere,not very common but they sure exsist………………………….

Very informative article. Adware can be really annoying, I would recommend everyone to make sure to carefully read before checking any boxes while installing new software.

Thanks for sharing this article. I have an infected PC that was very slow. I think now i can figure out the issue

Today, i read that article then i came to know the reason about that how my PC was crashed due to viruses.

When I Chnage My Laptop harddisk ….My Laptop is Very SLow?

Hello Samir! Thanks for reaching out! This doesn’t necessarily mean your computer is infected with malware, but it’s a scenario you need to consider. Maybe you have too many useless programs running in the background that slow down your PC. Have you checked the programs that are accessing your hard drive? Have you updated your OS and other apps? Also, you should run a complete scan on the system with a good antivirus product. Hope these recommendations will help. Thanks and stay safe!

I was facing this issue last week on my PC. After reading your article i was able to figure out it was malware.

Really Good Article on Malware. I was struggling to find what is main cause of slow PC. Now i find it was a malware. Thank for your post

Many thanks for your feedback, Sunita! So happy to know this article helped you. Stay safe!

Hey Andra, Yday when i was browsing some genuine site, my laptop gives pop-up that malware detected. I updated default anti-virus system, what should i look more for? Hope my system is secure. Thank in advance.

it was nice to know about malware and its dangerous

Thanks So much to such a good article on Malware. I have an infected PC that was very slow. With the help of your blog, I was able to figure out what was the main cause of that problem

Hi and thank you so much for your kind words! I am really happy to know this guide helped you. Thanks for reading the blog!

Mellisa Sharapova on April 15, 2019 at 9:30 am

Thanks for sharing this great content for Malware-Infected computer. This fruitful article help to detect Malware-Infection and easily fix as per your instruction.

From now I am going to install good antivirus software for sure. I am not going to infected by malware.

My computer was getting very slow since last few months. I have made some changes mentioned in this article. You know what happened? It worked. My desktop is running at a very good pace and i am smiling now. Thanks a lot

Hello there! Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂 We are happy to know this guide with possible scenarios explained helped you! Stay safe!

I’m getting ready pissed off with my laptop saying I have been infected with spyware and a virus I’ve tried everything and I don’t know what to do please help

You should try running a scan with emsisoft emergency kit.
It’s exceptional for removing spywares and other PUPs.

Lords Mobile Hack on April 6, 2019 at 4:04 pm

Operating system can cause your laptop to be infected and get hacked by malware, that’s why I choose mobile.

Thanks for updating this post again.. I have that whole tips.. I’m always updating my antivirus for safe pc. the malware attack…

awesome article. Now I understand that why my laptop works slowly .. thanks for sharing

i got better solution to this all problem run them first in the virtual machine and leave it, in couple of minutes if strange happening to VM. or an annnoying pop-up to your screen, or system fails thats it its a malware. This Is Best Solution For Me Thanks

Hi there and many thanks for sharing your experience!

Lucky Patcher Apk on March 10, 2019 at 8:14 am

Lucky Patcher app has affected my Android device does it contain some virus or malware?

Nice article, but how do you know if your website is infected with malware?

I am using Total AV but somtime i have to restart my PC as it become slower. Is there any Malware?

Star Cracked Software on February 23, 2019 at 8:31 am

I adore your websites way of raising the awareness on your readers. And not malware. thanks 🙂

how to remove malware in my computer.?

Hi Stella! Thanks for reaching out! We don’t offer malware removal services, but we put a list of security forums here https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/best-internet-malware-forums/ that will provide guidance and step-by-step instructions to better tackle your malware issues.

Useful and Informative, I was running heavy software and even after having high-end specs my pc was lagging and this article actually helped me a lot. Thanks

Hello, Sam! Thank you so much for your feedback! It means a lot! 🙂 Really happy to know it helped you.

I gotta look out for these signs since my laptop is too slow 🙁

Nice and very informative article few days before a trozan attacked on my pc , it is very dangerous for any pc, so be aware guys and use anti-viruses if u have important data in your pc. BTW thank you for a lovely article.

How many tyoes of virus heimal can detect?

Hello, Dosti! Thank you for reaching out! Our security suite can detect and block any type of viruses, including the most sophisticated malware, ransomware, and other online scams. You can find more details about our Thor Premium product here: https://heimdalsecurity.com/en/products/thor-premium-home

Hey, My PC is slow ..what Can I do for It?

Hey there! Thank you for reaching out! First of all, check out the Task Manager function to see what programs run in the background that could slow down your PC, and get a better understanding of what programs are being used and take space. If you have an antivirus installed in your computer, make sure you run a full scan and see if it detects any malware. Also, consider rebooting your PC, if you haven’t done this in a while. Hope these recommendations are useful and can help. Stay safe!

Keeping the OS Updated Will Sure help us in the security of the computer.Btw thanx for sharing very useful.

Happy Diwali Images 2018 on October 10, 2018 at 10:59 am

Sometimes when i visit any particular website my laptop fan start running fast and after while system shut downs. how can i fix this.

Great Post, Found your article interesting, but using open source software such as Linux, Fedora will be useful to avoid malware infection. But still smarty individual can create malware for Linux OS too. Auditing should be must done 🙂

Hi IOANA,
I have the same issue as you mention. I am using avast antivirus on my Pc.
Can you please tell me another free better antivirus name to delete all the infected files from my PC? I am looking for your answer.

Hello! Thank you for reaching out! There are a lot of options out there, but you can check out this article we wrote on the blog on how to choose the best antivirus that suits your needs: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/what-is-the-best-antivirus/ Also, I recommend to check out our new security product, Thor Premium Home, which has unique threat prevention and next-gen antivirus in a complete and all-in-one package: https://heimdalsecurity.com/en/products/thor-premium-home You can test it for free for 30 days and see how it works. Thank you!

I think most people catch malware because they download pirated songs and movies online or when they forget to uncheck Add-ons with free software installers. Very useful guide.

d update your operating system from time to time. Latest version of OS allows you to do the updating automatically although may take a bit of time but it worth the effort.

very detailed post…
what do u think if someone experience any of these, should he/she reinstall the windows or go for the fix? which one is the better solution?

in my laptop image icons are changed from a few days and the text font also seems different….could it be due to malware?
thanks in advance.

very detailed guide…sometimes my laptop crashes but when wifi is OFF it doesn’t and other times ports stop working. could it be due to malware?

Computer problems are getting worst because people trust free software to fix parts of the operating system that only a paid software can fix. One example is the Registry file. A free software not only is unable to do the job, it will also put at risk your operating system. Some free software may be linked to some crook people that live upon advertising income or theft of personal data. You may incur into a large group of hackers that will make your PC ready to accept Malware or Adware. As a matter of fact your computer will be slow even if you run a free antivirus or a paid antivirus, the real problem will never be found. This type of crazy search for free software caused a shift into the MS-Window company policies that drove them to give away the free Windows 10, an OS that is not backward compatible, it takes hours to install, it fails often during the installation and it will slow down your computer. Such band of thieves are looking forward to make useless old computers and to force people to buy new and faster PCs that in a matter of months will be slow again and they will run just like a 486SX of the old times. The registry file, if not taken care of, will act like an open door for Malware and Adware. The software engeneers working on the software upgrades will provide upgrades that will be either faulty or they will slow down your PC. Then why Microsoft did not provide his own application to repair the registry file that is so much crucial for the good operation of the Operating System? It’s up to them to provide the answer to this question.

Hello and thank you kindly for your message! So happy this article was useful! We’ll keep posting more, so stay tuned!

Thank God my Pc is safe i dont have any of these signs my system is works fine as new what i have is
bit defender
adblocker
website checker and more similar chrome extensions.
adwcleaner
all porns websites are block by ISP provider
thats all.

Hello,
So I get an e-mail stating:” I am well aware XYZ one of your password, …… I actually placed a malware on the xxx videos (pornography) web site and you know what, you visited (which is not true) your web browser started functioning as a Remote control Desktop having a keylogger which provided me with accessibility to your display and web camera (Which is not true since I don’t have a camera and this is a work desk top) …… so either I send this video to all your contacts or give me $7000 via Bitcoin etc.
Now I know these are all lies but how does he/she knows one of my passwords?
Thank you .
PS: I really want to reply and say hey I’m a porn star, send the video to as many people as possible, I need the fame 🙂

I am using an HP laptop, My laptop configuration corei5 processor and 8GB ram but my laptop too slow. # days ago i came to the post and follow your instruction but i cannot get the result.

Great guide Ioana. IMO every internet user should have a malware scanner. Many people don’t realize that paying a little amount for a good malware scanner can save them much more than that in the long run.

This may be the best article I’ve ever read online on how to. Thank you very much for putting this together! It’s a must bookmark and your vibe is so real. much kudos and thank you again!

I faced many problems from Virus with my computer before. Now I figure out what exactly happening and fixed already. Thanks for your precious article.

Hello and many thanks for your feedback! Happy to know it helped you.

My laptop working very slow and sometimes it gives the “flash not working” error (on browser), should i change my browser or laptop or to add new anti virus?

My advice… when your computer gets out of whack it’s best to clean install Windows (i.e. delete all data on your boot drive and installs Windows to it). this can be a little time consuming but it’s worth it and after that’s done and your video card drivers etc are updated then just being careful on what you do online will keep your chances of infection to a minimum.

also, I would not even install Flash at all as it’s a security risk as most sites nowadays don’t need Flash installed to play video on them like YouTube etc works with HTML5. don’t install Java and for a PDF reader I would use SumatraPDF which is more secure.

Uhhh! The Computer viruses are spreading like cheese and butter :/ … And which Antivirus software will u recommend?

Hello, John! Indeed, an antivirus product is needed to keep your computer safe and this guide might help to choose the right one for your needs: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/what-is-the-best-antivirus/ However, you should know that an AV offers only a layer of security and can’t fight against advanced malware like ransomware. You’ll need to complement your antivirus with an anti-malware solution. Read this article to find out what our product Heimdal PRO can do for you: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/heres-why-you-need-another-layer-of-security-to-your-antivirus/ Thank you!

Hi Andra came across your article when looking for causes of my computer slowing down. As you have mentioned in your post, it is when I surf the internet that i feel it has slowed down considerably. I have cleared cache and browsing history and tried all that… I also have a paid anti virus software installed… I don’t know what else to do. Can you please give some suggestions.

How we can find the virus such as ransom ware or financial malware in our computer, and gaming PC what are signs we must aware of?

Hello, Sam! Thank you for reaching out! Nobody wants to see its computer infected, so you need to protect it with a security product (like an antivirus or anti-malware) and keep your data safe. It might help reading this article presenting the most frequent signs of malware infection: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/warning-signs-operating-system-infected-malware/ and this one which provides a guide on how you can remove malware: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/malware-removal/ Hope this helps!

Hi! mam.
on my laptop i am getting popup of a text in arabic with yellow background, and some files are automatically get added on my desktop such as harf file,yahood named image.
What is that , can you help me out plz.

Hi there! Thank you for reaching out! If you are getting unwanted pop-up windows on your computer, you might be infected with malware. We suggest doing a scan of your PC to see if you got any viruses/malware. Also, to avoid spyware and its impact on our systems, keep in mind these security measures: don’t click any suspicious pop-up windows and be careful when downloading free applications. Hope this helps.

Hey, just recently few computers in our office seemed having a same issue… well, my PC would work fine, I would open few applications on my desktop such as, outlook, MS word, chrome, Media players etc…. suddenly the pop up came and all the open applications on my desktop were all gone at once…. the pop up window was written in Spanish ” El Sistema etc… ” and I close the error window and restart all the application again… and after some time, it happens again……. the icon of the error window seemed look like something like word document or word pad or something….. anyone having the same issue? or anyone know about this? I search the internet but I can’t find anything related to it…. I really need your help….

hi!
sometimes when I’m listing to music the sound suddenly goes ttttttttttt……. for a very long time
I also cannot move the mouse in the screen

I was in doubt if there is any virus in my windows desktop, but later i realized after these steps i had no antivirus. Thank you for the guide.

My laptops keyboard is misbehaving sometimes.Sometimes mouse pointer is not working or sometimes some keys are not working. I have an antivirus software but i haven’t update its database. Its license is not expired. what should i do?

Robert Wrightson on July 13, 2017 at 1:28 am

I suspect a person I know affected my mac with malware, it is slow and I have incessant pop ups. I have a pending criminal petition against this person but need evidence that he has hacked my computer, is it possible to find evidence of that on my mac? Thank you.

What to do with all those cyber muggers? My email got blocked by one of such (My Faster PC) and they asked me for $200 to fix the problem. Is anything the FBI can do to fix those con jerks?

Contact Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP. I too, was a recent victim.

arnold mathew brown on June 11, 2017 at 8:36 pm

How we can find the virus such as ransomware or financial malware in our computer, what are signs we must aware of?

do we need some other kind of antivirus to rip off from these viruses? if yes how much Heimdal gives security for these?

Hey Andra, Yday when i was browsing some genuine site, my laptop gives pop-up that malware detected. I updated default anti-virus system, what should i look more for? Hope my system is secure. Thank in advance.

Hi John! I’d recommend you use this guide to look into the issue more thoroughly: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/malware-removal/

my home computer is really slow but we have really good internet.

Mam/Sir, I would like to know Is there any powerful Total Security which is more effective than Malwarebyte to remove malwares and also my chrome browser keep showing these search engines “initialsite123” and “launchpad.org” and it’s so annoying, please help me how to remove these viruses??

Thank you!

Found this while searching for a solution… but my issue is not on here. For the past week or so, every time we get on a search engine (we have google chrome, firefox and microsoft edge) (on a three-month old PC) it works at first, and then stops working…ALL of them! I ran free versions of malwarebytes…nothing, and superantispyware …cookies. I looked at programs in the control panel…nothing unusual popped up. When I restart the computer, I am able to get on the search engines. Using another device, I looked up possible solution, and for google chrome, it said to clear browsing history. I did, and that seems to have helped (I am on this site now!). I will try the same with the other search engines. But it seems that there should be something I need to clear off the computer. Any ideas?

Hello there! What I would do is also run a cleaning session with CCleaner. Maybe that can help.

This is a good list. Some of these problems took me back a while. That IE toolbar picture is crazy haha. I think one of the most common one’s I see is the browser homepage being changed.

Another thing that catches a lot of people is the “Malware” that they install when installing another program. Spamming the next button can get you into trouble if one of those next buttons has a checked box that makes you agree to install something else. These have got me a couple times before as well.

I think we all fell for these at some point, just like you said, Dave. I’m glad you enjoyed the article and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!

Hi,my phone crashes on an app does that mean I have a virus also it says I have a virus and tells me to click on it do i

My phone has same issue, and other than that, my PC too gets hang up after 5 min usage. don’t know if both device are having virus attack.

Hi Andra. I have a quick question. If a pop-up appears on screen that says you are currently being hacked, should I trust those pop-ups if they aren’t from my anti-virus software? Thanks!

Thank you, very useful article.
My Laptop got slow when i uses any browser can you tell me what to do.

hi, in all my browsers( Mozilla, Google Chrome, Internet explorer) when i try to open “www.google.com” or “www.gmail.com ” it gives me an error stating that ” your connection is not secure” pleases pleases help me to fix this, idont know what to do.

Hi there! Unfortunately, we can’t help with specific issues. Please verify your software and hardware for issues.

Are you currently a student using an account created by the school or your network administrator? (You may be the administrator) If so, log out of that account or start browsing in guest mode. That way, you can browse whatever you want. The same thing happened to a friend of mine. Oh, and another fix, do you currently see, or have. SafeMode enabled anywhere? If so, disable it. If there is no option to disable it, contact your network administrator or provider. Hope this helped!

I have a problem with my PC. I tried to download something and now something called arcing pops up and says it has stopped working. What should I do. I have a HP windows 10 laptop

Hi Alexander! We don’t provide assistance for malware infections for individual users, but you can certainly find help here: https://heimdalsecurity.com//blog/best-internet-malware-forums/. It seems that you’re infected with adware: https://heimdalsecurity.com/glossary/adware

I’m using McAfee and Heimdal on my HP Laptop. My internet connection is 3G & have some speed problem. So patches are not updated many times. Should I need some more security software? Please suggest.

Hi there! I think that your internet provider may be the cause here. However, you can always send us an email at support@heimdalsecurity.com if you think we can help.

The disk continues to exhibit excessive activity even when you don’t use it…
I scanned with Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (updated) but the Heuristic Search
didint seek anything… anysuggestion?

Many things could cause this behavior, Roy, not only malware. It really depends on the hardware and software you use. Maybe someone from these forums can help: https://heimdalsecurity.com//blog/best-internet-malware-forums/

Can a malware still don’t show these signs and lurk in the system?

We actually have a guide dedicated to just that: https://heimdalsecurity.com//blog/what-is-the-best-antivirus/

Can someone please help? I was on my laptop looking at a website and all of a sudden this thing popped up and it said: Your laptop has been hacked and blah blah blah and I don’t remeber the rest and I don’t know if it’s real or not. Please help.

So sorry to hear about your issues, Leen. I can’t tell by the details, but I’m sure you can find help on any of these great forums: https://heimdalsecurity.com//blog/best-internet-malware-forums/

I can’t open some website, it said “What can I do to prevent this in the future?

If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices.”

my computer suddenly gets distorted example the time in the right appears on the left behind the widows start menu and when my mouse rolls over icons they change pictures to other icons what is that whats wrong with my computer is it really because i didn’t upgrade to win10 and then reformatted my computer after all support for win7 stopped?? OMG I’m going nuts I reformatted my computer 5 times now.

Sorry, Teeri, but this looks like a problem you’ll have to contact Microsoft about (at first). Maybe you can use one of these forums to find help: https://heimdalsecurity.com//blog/best-internet-malware-forums/

Hey i just bought a new gaming pc it has good ram and stuff but i installed a program that was claimed to be safe after using it i get a low framerate in games and my pc got too slow how it used to be ! i tried ti install Avast but it gives an error that file was corrupt or it was banned to be installed in my pc ! please help 😀

really good post! Now i have a clear idea about viruses.

Can adware affect my bank account

No, but it can pave the way for other malware to infect your PC. Read more here: https://heimdalsecurity.com/glossary/adware

mine keeps opening random tabs

Is computer malwares or virus can affect ups or other hardware attached?

Yes, it can, especially ransomware.

i brought a new pc,and now the antivirus shows me it has expired.
my sytem has been also slowed down ,it takes long time for the windows to boot.
and recently when i downloaded office 2016 from the net the sytem showed malware detected and asked me to restart the system.
i have got mccafee antivirus in my system
what should i do.
can u help me to figure out this problem?

We do not offer this kind of assistance, but maybe you can get some help here: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/best-internet-malware-forums/

hi we have a net cafe and we have 5.5mbps internet connection then suddenly we experience low internet connections yesterday i conducted a speedtest we found out that our internet subscriber give only 1.22 mbps so we call thier attention thier technician arrive and test everything when they use their device a laptop the connection is fine its 5.5mbps but when our computer its only 1.22mbps they said that maybe some of our computer have virus they said thats the reason why whe have slow internet connection?is that possible? what would i do?we have 11 computers here…pls help me…..

We do not offer this kind of assistance, but maybe you can get some help here: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/best-internet-malware-forums/

when i open google or any sites on any browser .my antivirus shows a malware is blocked but my computer is very fast no pop-up messages are displaced .Is there anyone who can help me

Thank you for this information about knowing if a computer is infected or not. It is good to know that slow downs are a warning sign to pay attention to. This would be a problem because it could end up influencing the hard drive. Something to consider would be to seek professional help as soon as a problem is suspected.

Thrilled we could help, Jade! I hope you never have to deal with such an issue.

i got better solution to this all problem run them first in the virtual machine and leave it, in couple of minutes if strange happening to VM. or an annnoying pop-up to your screen, or system fails thats it its a malware.

Lineisy Kosenkova on August 26, 2016 at 8:55 am

Interesting. I have tried some scanning tools but most of them give you more malware. Do you know of any safe scanning software?

You can try browsing this list for a ton of helpful things: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/free-cyber-security-tools-list/

Patricia LongIsland on July 29, 2016 at 10:30 pm

I have a very unusual problem. There is one and only one website that I sometimes access where my letter U does not work at all. I try to leave a message or make comments and everywhere a letter U should be, there is nothing, not even a space. It’s like I just misspelled a word. Therefore, any message or comment I try to leave does not make sense. I have absolutely no other problems with my computer. Do you have any suggestions? Also, I use Google Chrome for Internet access. Thank you.

Hi Patricia,

This sounds very strange indeed. I couldn’t tell if it’s a hardware or a software problem, so I recommend you ask someone to take a look at it, because we don’t offer tech support and it’s difficult to offer specific advice from afar.

Best of luck!

I have had the very same issue mentioned above.. although it seems to have now gone away.. it was with Facebook messenger.. most frustrating as you can’t even type a Capital U to around the issue.

I believe it’s was Facebook but have been Viber ?

Marhasak DM Manurung on June 10, 2016 at 3:12 pm

when I connect my laptop to internet, everything on my computer are running slow. can you help me how to fix it?

Hi there,

Unfortunately, we don’t offer technical support. Please contact a company that provides this kind of services.

many possible why your PC so slow,one of that too many background process please your task manager what kind of apps eating your ram,processor, and hard disk space.
and terminate it,
if your PC, an regular apps become hungry of process power and ram sucker this the sign your PC infected of a malware, you run an anti-malware like malwarebytes

Anda @ Travel Notes & Beyond on April 19, 2016 at 7:30 am

How funny to run into a Romanian. I am a Romanian myself and I was researching an issue that I have with comments. Since a few days ago when I try to submit a comment on a blog, the computer is warning me that I am sending it on a form that is not secure. I have no idea what that means. Should I not send it? Does my computer have malware?

Hi Anda,

Sorry that I only saw your comment now.

Our website is protected with SSL. Do you still have this issue? If so, we’ll look into it to make sure everything is in order.

Both Disqus and the Heimdal blog are safe to use, so maybe it was a temporary issue.

Thank you for your feedback!

and also check your internet connection, some problem laid to the internet provider

funny how I ran into a Romanian author 😀

Updating operating system may improve the reliability speed and security of our computer. It is essential to improve and update your operating system from time to time. Latest version of OS allows you to do the updating automatically although may take a bit of time but it worth the effort.

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