IT Support: Telltale Signs Your Computer Might Have Malware

Is your computer acting up, slowing down, giving you fits, or just seem to not be running as good as it once was? Your computer might be infected with a viruses or malware, and you’ll need IT support to help you reverse the damage.  If so you need to get it off fast, and Dave’s Computer of Bradenton and Sarasota IT Support can help with that! But you have to know what the warning signs are before you can determine if you have a malware problem, so be on the lookout for these warning signs:

System Crashes

One of the biggest signs that you need IT support due to Malware is when your system crashes. If your computer is lagging and running much slower than normal, or if there seems to be a lot of background programs constantly running, malware could very well be the reason for the slowdown and related system crashes. Unexplained crashing might very well be the most definitive way that people discover their computer have been infected with malware, and contact Dave’s Computers for IT support in the first place. Viruses and malware cause system crashes because they instruct the operating system to do things or perform tasks and follow rules that it cannot abide by – therefor forcing it to shut down unexpectedly.

Antivirus is Disabled

One of the primary objectives of malware is to infect computers and to do this, it will attempt to disable anti virus programs that you have installed. If your virus scan program has been shut off and you did not turn it off, then there is a good chance you are dealing with a virus or malware of some kind. Another warning sign of infection is when standard maintenance programs don’t work. Malware removal is possible but the longer it sits on your computer the tighter hold it can get, the more files and systems it can corrupt and the more damage it can do. Eventually there will come a point where the computer is no longer salvageable or worth the money and effort to clean and restore.

Changing Desktops and Icons

When your computer boots up and your desktop loads, take a moment to make sure that everything is how you had it last time you logged on. If the wallpaper or icons have changed or if things are rearranged, you might want to run a virus scan and check your computer for malware. Check the start menu and double check to make sure no new software or programs have been installed onto your computer. If the browser, home page, and search engine pages changes unexpectedly that can be another tell tale sign that your system might be infected.

Pop-up Ads

Pop-up ads are annoying when they appear on websites you are trying to look at but they are even more worrisome when they suddenly start appearing on your computer while you are trying to do every day routine things. If you get pop ups, especially those asking you to run diagnostics on your computer or to install some sort of anti virus programs, your system might be infected. If you get these pop ups, do not ever click on them or download anything from them. Close them and run a virus scan right away so you can find and remove the malware before it gets too deeply embedded in your computer’s systems.

Computer Straining With Simple Tasks

Computers make noises when they run and if you have had your computer system for any length of time you likely already know what it sounds like. If you suddenly hear different sounds especially what sounds like a groaning and clicking noise coming from your system when it is running and pulling up pages or running programs, consider it to be a cry for help. Another sign of issues that need to be looked into includes a computer that is seriously lagging and freezing all the time. Something that took a minute or two now takes more than ten minutes. The computer freezes after trying to load the same page for 15 minutes. You’re probably infected and need to check for virus and malware infestations.

Need IT Support for Malware? Contact Dave’s Computers

If you suspect that you have malware and need IT support, contact Dave’s Computers today at 958-428-9558.

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