|
computer virus
My pc has been acting strange lately, sometimes it takes about five miniutes to turn on once I enter my accout password, then when I turn it on I am used to getting a screen pop up that says "unable to establish a wireless connection" but it has popped up 59 times before. Its slow, and just doesn't act right.The memory on the hard drive is alot more full than it was a month ago. I use norton and avast and norton tells me I have 72 threats found and my perfomance is poor. Do I have a virus and how do I fix it. If I don't have a virus how do I remove those 'threats' and get my laptop back to normal? thank you for your time.
[ ]
Want to answer more questions in the Technology category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Computers?
There is definitely something wrong with your computer. 72 threats? Did neither of those programs offer a way to remove/quarantine the threats, or were you afraid to damage the computer more? Sometimes there are false positives and the 'threat' is something vital, so I wouldn't blame you for being paranoid.
I think that, with your level of computer knowledge, you might be best off taking your computer to a professional. Some stores like Office Max offer cheap or free computer checkups; they could tell you a bit more about what is wrong. They can also fix most problems, for a price. They aren't always trustworthy, so if something they says sounds suspicious, don't be afraid to get a second opinion. It's like going to the doctor: get a second opinion if you don't trust the diagnosis. But if you aren't confident in your ability to fix your computer, it's better to pay someone else than risk making things worse.
There's one question I must ask: do you have a firewall? In a nutshell, a firewall helps control traffic to and from your computer. It helps keep out unwanted things and helps you keep private information from getting out. If you don't have a firewall or it isn't working properly, strangers could steal your information or plant malicious software without you knowing. If you already have those dangerous programs in your computer, they could damage your firewall's ability to protect you.
I've never heard anyone recommend Microsoft's antivirus software before. I've never tried it so I wont dismiss Zane, but there are a lot of sites that test antivirus programs and compare them. PCMag has one example of this: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
But in addition to the programs you have, I wholeheartedly recommend Malwarebytes. It can catch things like spyware and adware that typical antivirus programs miss (but you should definitely keep an antivirus program because Malwarebytes doesn't catch those as effectively). It is free, trustworthy, and very effective for the things it is designed to catch. You can download it here:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Also, install Piriform's CCleaner:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
You can use it to get rid of unwanted programs (like AOL or the unwanted stuff installed on all new computers) and to clean out temporary internet files, cookies, and other unnecessary things taking up space. Cleaning out your temporary internet files, cache, and old cookies could really speed up your computer. CCleaner is also free and trustworthy (I've had it for years). Just don't try messing with the registry or anything marked for advanced users until you feel comfortable with it: removing the wrong thing could royally screw up your computer. But anything in the temporary internet files and cache is safe to remove.
A system restore could help, depending on when your problem started and how deep the problem goes. Some viruses can totally evade a system restore, and if the problems started months or years ago then a restore might not be an option. I would at least talk to a computer technician of some kind before restoring to a significantly older date.
Be sure to back up your most important files on a hard drive or at least a flash drive. If your computer gets worse or the only way to fix it is a full reinstall of your operating system, you will want to have things like family photos and personal writing backed up.
Also, you need to figure out how all these things are getting into your computer and plug the hole, so to speak. Do you use Internet Explorer? IE is notorious for its poor security. Do you have anything to warn you away from dangerous websites? Do you ever click on pop-ups or visit porn sites? I use Firefox with Adblock Plus and Web of Trust add-ons. Adblock hides about 97 percent of all advertisements, so I'm in no danger of clicking them by accident. Web of Trust shows a green, yellow, or red circle next to a link to show how trustworthy the site is; it also stops me with a warning before I visit any 'red' site. This is one of the best and easiest ways to protect yourself: avoid untrustworthy websites whenever possible.
Even if your main issue is poor performance, you need to fix this as soon as possible. You could have spyware on your computer passing your personal information to strangers. If you have tax records or buy things online, it's especially important to ensure your privacy. Like I said before, if in doubt take your computer to a professional.
I'm sorry if I've written something that was already common knowledge to you, but I wanted to include them in case you didn't know. Good luck fixing your computer!
]
If you are unable to establish a wireless connection then you aren't connected to the internet, A wireless connection will make your computer naturally slower as you are using another connection rather then your own.
Microsoft offers a really good anti virus:
[Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
I've been using this one for a few years and haven't had a problem at all.
Now doing this regularly is not recommended but try restoring your computer to an earlier date
Start-Program-Accessories-System Tools-System Restore this will bring your computer back the way it was to an earlier date. After doing so remove any free anti virus programs you have and download Microsoft.
Next try to defrag the computer again Start-Program-Accessories-System Defrag
This will defrag the files that are fragmented.
Good luck!
P.S. Stay away from porn sites they are known to create virus and hack computer information.
]
More Questions: |