How to check a laptop for viruses: when do I need to check a laptop for viruses?

There is a category of users who believes that the virus can be picked up by anyone you want, but not them. Well, how could it be otherwise - after all, they are not interested in "adult" sites, unknown files do not download. In addition, in their opinion, the antivirus slows down the system. And they do not suspect the "existence of life" on the machines. This article will shed light on the issue of protecting computer and data.

When should I check my laptop for viruses?

The user should be wary if:

In the system, immediately after the start of the download, on your favorite sites, they are obsessively offering to buy or increase. And before this was not observed.
Programs do not start, some files do not open. Errors occur that are related to file checksum (CRC).
The laptop restarts on its own, starts to work more slowly, "slow down".
When working, windows often pop up with errors. And yesterday it wasn’t.
The browser itself opens windows, tabs.

It is recommended to periodically conduct a full check of an iron friend. This applies not only to laptops.

Next, we give a rating of programs that do not require full installation, but are good at identifying and removing malware. There are a large number of programs, but the sequence of verification is the same.

Important! Use exclusively “native” utilities from the manufacturer’s website. An easy way to identify dubious software is the presence of intrusive advertising. Authentic manufacturers make money on antivirus programs; they do not need extra extra money.

Three points that will save data

So, the verification algorithm is as follows:

We go to the site, launch the free online scanner (Virus Removal Tool or similar), save it to the hard disk, and do the installation. Before this, close all active programs.
Run, select the scan area. By default, it checks the key Windows files and processes that are loaded into RAM. We recommend expanding the scanning area - viruses can be located anywhere, for example, in My Documents. The working time depends on the completeness of the check, but the quality will be, accordingly, better.
We are waiting for the scan to finish, we are looking at the result. If malicious software is detected, the system will ask about further actions - delete, quarantine or restore (this applies to exe files that antiviruses often mistake for viruses).
- Recovery or treatment. In this case, the program detects a virus code, then the file can be used safely.
- Quarantine. If it is impossible to remove the malicious component, but the removal may lead to system crashes or the file is simply important. Automatic access to the file is terminated.
- Removal. If the file cannot be cured, it does not represent any value, then the program removes it.

The virus, like any disease, is easier to prevent than to treat and deal with the consequences later. We offer a list of quality, proven programs that deal with viruses, in order of priority.

Ways to check your laptop for viruses

To conduct a full check of your system, it is not necessary to buy and then download full-fledged programs. The developer offers a choice of online utilities that will cope.

Antiviruses

DR.Web (Cureit). Utility from one of the most famous developers. Detects, kills all known viruses, without installation, the databases are relevant at the time of download. Easy to use, there is nothing superfluous.
Kaspersky (Virus Removal Tool). A worthy alternative to the first. It destroys known viruses, there is no protection against them when surfing the network.
Avz. Less well-known, but even more interesting utility. It will find, destroy the modules SpyWare, AdWare (this is its main purpose), trojans, various worms (network, mail), TrojanSpy, etc. In addition, it will clean the machine from advertising spam, which is increasingly embedded in browsers. After installation, you just need to unzip the archive.

Useful Utilities

Utility ADW Cleaner. The above programs remove viruses, but are powerless before intrusive advertising, flickering banners - that they slow down, distract attention. The only negative is that there is no Russification, but the program is simple, you can figure it out.
Ad blocker. Recommended for installation. Blocks intrusive ads, unnecessary browser add-ons.
Advanced SystemCare. Cleaning garbage, temporary files, empty folders and other Windows. Since a lot of such "good" accumulates over time, the system begins to work more slowly. In addition to removal, it optimizes and speeds up the system.