Viruses and malware are malicious programs that can damage, steal or change data on your computer without your knowledge. Viruses and malware can spread in various ways, one of which is when you download files from the internet.
How to Deal with Viruses and Malware when Downloading Files
How to Recognize Viruses and Malware?
There are several signs that can indicate that your computer is infected with a virus or malware, including:
- Your computer becomes slow, frequently freezes, or restarts itself.
- Unusual or unwanted error messages, pop-ups, or advertisements appear.
- Your files, folders, or programs disappear, change names, or change size.
- You cannot access or change your security, firewall, or antivirus settings.
- You notice suspicious activity in your online accounts, such as emails sent without your knowledge, or purchases you didn’t make.
How to Prevent Viruses and Malware?
To prevent viruses and malware from entering your computer, there are several steps you can take, including:
- Use a trusted antivirus and always update the virus database regularly.
- Avoid clicking links or opening email attachments from unknown or suspicious sources.
- Download files only from trusted and safe websites. You can check a website’s reputation by using tools such as [Bing Site Safety] or [Google Safe Browsing].
- Check the file type, size and extension before you download it. Don’t open files you don’t recognize or that have strange extensions, such as .exe, .bat, .scr, or .vbs.
- Scan the files you download with an antivirus before you open them or run them.
How to Remove Viruses and Malware?
If your computer is already infected with a virus or malware, you can try removing it in the following way:
- Enter safe mode on your computer. Safe mode is an operating mode that limits the programs running on your computer, so that viruses or malware cannot operate or hide themselves.
- Run your antivirus and scan your entire computer system. Delete or quarantine all files detected as viruses or malware.
- Clean your browser from unwanted or suspicious extensions, toolbars or add-ons. You can also restore your browser settings to default.
- Restart your computer and check if the problem is resolved. If not, you may need to restore your computer system to a previous restore point, or reinstall your operating system.That’s the article about How to Deal with Viruses and Malware. Hope it is useful.