In the “old” days, a computer virus had an immediate effect so it was pretty easy to know if your computer had one. All of a sudden, nothing worked right.
But today, viruses are more sophisticated. They often are installed on your computer without your knowledge. They may wait there, dormant in the beginning, and then slowly taking over parts of your system. You may see signs of its presence but assume they are just inconveniences.
Meanwhile, bad things are happening to your system that can ultimately cause the loss of all your data, pictures, documents, contacts and bookmarks. And while virus protection software can help fend off many of these, there are an overwhelming number of viruses launched every day, and once in awhile, one of them will get through even to “protected” systems.
Obviously, you don’t want a virus. But how can you tell if your system has one? Look for these eight tell-tale signs that a virus could be present on your computer. If your desktop or laptop has even one of the following symptons, you should be alert; but if you have more than one, you should take immediate action.
8 Symptoms of a Computer Virus
- Your computer is slow to start up – slower than when it was new.
- Your email is behaving oddly.
- You’re having difficulty getting online.
- Some of your documents, photos, music, files or other data seems to be missing, or can’t be opened.
- Your computer’s peripherals don’t work well, or won’t work when connected to your computer.
- Your home page has changed, but you didn’t change it.
- Security warnings or other messages pop up, and then won’t go away.
- Your toolbar has disappeared.
Good news
If any of these sound familiar, the good news is, you don’t have to live the the frustration of these inconveniences, and you don’t have to replace your computer. Just get the virus removed. This requires a professional, for reasons we’ll explain in our next blog. If you want to learn more about Malware, we have a more detailed post here.
Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please give me a call for a free consultation at 206-935-9654.