You are working on an important project, and suddenly you are bombarded with pop-ups and strange behavior on your computer. What’s more, your files and apps are taking too long to load. Hesitantly, you then ask yourself, “do I have a virus infection on my computer?”
Based on the symptoms, the answer is often “yes.” Your computer might have caught a virus that is altering or slowing down its performance. Nevertheless, these aren’t the only warning signs of virus infection. There is much more that you need to be aware of to understand it and quickly take action.
This article will talk about the most common signs of a malware infection and how you can deal with it.
- Your Computer Is Slowing Down
“My computer applications take longer than usual to open and run slowly.”
It is a widely known fact that viruses slow down your operating system. Whether you are browsing the internet or simply accessing your local apps, your computer works frustratingly slower than usual.
- You Are Bombarded with Frustrating Pop-ups
“I get frustrating pop-ups with tons of advertisements and banners that open strange messages on my computer screen.”
Unanticipated pop-up messages are another indicator of virus attacks that can wreak havoc on your PC. Often used to steal user information without their knowledge, these viruses are quite difficult to remove from your system.
Additionally, these viruses often come bundled with other hidden malware threats that can have a destructive impact on your OS. They can be used to track your online activity and collect personal information and passwords.
Thus, it is always recommended that you never click on suspicious pop-ups.
- You Notice Changes To Your Homepage
“I find changes on my homepage that I don’t remember doing myself.”
A new toolbar, unusual behavior, and being redirected to a different web address are all signs of serious malware infection. It normally happens when you accidentally click on a pop-up window or link while visiting a website.
These behaviors cause the installation of unwanted software on your computer that can compromise your data.
- You Start Seeing Strange Error Messages
“Sometimes, strange error messages get displayed on my computer.”
Error messages usually indicate two things – either a malware infection or the presence of a bug in your system that should be fixed.
If you find an error message that shows corrupt or missing files, it could mean that your computer has been compromised.
- Your PC Crashes
“My laptop crashes while I play games or watch videos. It freezes and the blue screen appears.”
The notorious Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) showing up on your computer screen, and then telling you that the Windows was recovering from an unexpected shutdown, is caused by two things, either a technical issue caused by incompatible hardware or software or a virus infection.
- You Find Network Traffic Increasing For No Reason
“Recently, I find the network traffic hiking up whenever I start my computer.”
Your PC is likely under a virus attack, which is resulting in an unusually high network activity happening on your computer.
Check to find out if any of the following are happening:
- Your computer’s last window update.
- If there’s any program downloading data.
- If an application is updating at the moment.
- If there is a large download of anything you started and forgot about going on in the background.
If your answer is “no” to all these questions, prepare yourself for a computer virus repair.
- Your Computer Is Acting Unusual
“My computer is acting oddly, with unusual messages and random apps opening and closing automatically.” This is a common type of warning message that a virus infection displays.
Your computer may slow down its activity because of a malware attack if you find any of the following:
- Programs are opening and closing spontaneously.
- Your OS shuts down unpredictably.
- Strange windows open when your PC boots.
- Error messages show up when you try to access your drives.
How To Avoid Malware Infections?
Closely paying attention to your computer’s behavior will help you identify and prevent virus attacks. Always keep your OS, plug-ins, and browsers up-to-date, practice safe browsing, and always think twice before clicking on anything suspicious in the least, both offline and online.