Computer Virus

How do you know if you have a virus in your computer?

How are computer viruses spread?

What software can be used against viruses and how does it function?

What can a computer virus do?

What virus infects program files like having an .EXE extensions?

What type of a virus infects data files?

rafaelaespejo29 wrote:

What are the symptoms if your computer have a virus?

1. Slower Internet and Processing
A slower computer doesn't necessarily mean you have a virus, but if it's a sudden enough change in speed, it may be worth checking out. Use a speed test to check your internet speed and use your computer's task manager to measure processing power. If either seem slower than usual, perform a scan with your antivirus software.

2. Unexpected Computer Behavior
Viruses can do all kinds of strange things to your computer. If your computer stops responding to clicks, decides to open files on its own, scrolls or acts as if a key's been pressed when it hasn't, you may be experiencing computer virus symptoms. Your computer shouldn't seem like it's thinking for itself.

3. Sudden Freezes & Crashes
Because viruses damage your hard drive, they can cause your computer to experience a catastrophic failure. If you're lucky enough that your computer still turns on after a crash, make sure to run antivirus software to determine whether a virus was the cause.

4. Error Messages
Your computer knows something is wrong before you do. One of the most noticeable symptoms of a computer virus is the sudden appearance of pop-up messages warning you about missing system or application files. Research messages by putting them in a search engine to see if you can diagnose a virus.

5. Advertisements
It's common to see ads as you browse the internet, but if you start seeing them when you're not actively browsing, that is a telltale sign of a virus. Do not click on these ads, even if they say they are for antivirus software.

6. Outgoing Emails
Viruses try to spread themselves by email. If you notice emails in your sent box that you didn't send, you probably have a virus. If you get an email from a friend that seems suspicious, they might have a virus. Do not click on any links or open any attachments in questionable emails.

7. Missing or Extra Files
Keep track of the size of your hard drive. A virus may install copies of itself or unwanted files on your computer. Viruses also delete files unexpectedly. When you start seeing something strange or missing, it's time to run a virus scan.

8. Hardware and Accessory Problems
If you suddenly have a problem with your computer's display, such as mixing pixels or color problems, this can be a sign of a virus messing with your system. A networked printer may also start acting up if it becomes infected.

Remember, your computer will not always show symptoms if it's infected. Always perform regular system checks and virus scans to make sure your computer is clean. Also, practice preventive care. Never click on unfamiliar links in emails or pop-up ads to keep your computer safe from exposure.

Lyka Janine Adap wrote:

How do you stop a virus once you discover you have one?

#1 Remove the virus
Step 1: Enter Safe Mode

Do this by turning your computer off and on again. Then, as soon as you see anything on the screen, press the F8 button repeatedly. This brings up the Advanced Boot Options menu. From there, choose Safe Mode with Networking and press Enter. For now, keep your PC disconnected from the Internet.

Step 2: Delete Temporary Files

While you're in Safe Mode, you should delete your Temporary Files using the Disk Cleanup tool:

Go to the Start menu
All Programs (or just Programs)
Accessories
System Tools
Disk Cleanup
Scroll through the Files To Delete list, and choose Temporary Files
Deleting these files might speed up the virus scanning you’re about to do and could even get rid of a virus if it was programmed to start when your computer boots up.

Step 3: Download a Virus Scanner

There are two types of scanners that can detect and delete computer viruses and malware: real-time and on-demand:

A real-time scanner, like AVG AntiVirus FREE, scans for viruses in the background while you’re using your computer.
An on-demand operating system scanner, like Microsoft Safety Scanner, needs to be run manually each time you want to scan.
Using both types of scanner might be necessary to remove the virus. So if you don’t have a virus scanner installed, this is the time to reconnect to the internet and download it.

Even if you can’t connect to the internet you might still be able to download Microsoft Safety Scanner because you started up your computer in Safe Mode with Networking.

Step 4: Run a Virus Scan

Run the on-demand scanner first, then your real-time scanner. One of them should be able to identify the virus and remove it. But running both scanners increases your odds of success.

If need be, remove a virus manually

Some viruses must be removed manually. You should only attempt this if you are experienced at using the Windows Registry and know how to view and delete system and program files. If you’re not sure, contact an IT expert who specializes in removing viruses.

#2 Recover or reinstall any damaged files or software
Assuming the scan detected and removed the virus, you might need to reinstall any files or programs that were damaged by the virus.

This is where backups come in handy, and we strongly recommend you make them regularly.

#3 Improve your defenses
Keep your protection up to date

Updating your antivirus software will help protect your laptop or PC against viruses and malware. Keeping it up to date is critical because new viruses are being created all the time – so even if you bought your antivirus a month ago, it might need updating now. Check out AVG’s antivirus solutions – they install quickly and update automatically for effortless protection.

Make backups

Make regular backups of your files and store them on an external hard drive. This can help prevent the loss of important information should you get another virus. If you haven't been making backups before, now is a good time to start.

#4 Take proactive steps to prevent getting another one
Here are some quick and easy things you can do to avoid downloading a virus again:

Install the latest software updates for Windows
Install an antivirus program
Back up your data regularly
Avoid clicking on pop-up messages that claim to have detected a problem with your computer
Be wary of opening emails from addresses you don’t recognize, especially if they contain a link or an attachment
Getting rid of a virus or malware on a Mac
Many Mac users think they can’t get viruses or malware. This isn’t true, even though the amount of viruses and malware targeting Mac computers is lower than for PCs and laptops. We've got an in-depth guide to Mac security, but we'll give you a quick rundown here.

Some well-known examples of malware for Mac computers include:

MacDefender
MacProtector
MacSecurity
These names give the impression of being antivirus products but they are all malicious and designed to fool Mac users into submitting their credit card or Apple ID account details. Do not download them.

The two main risks Mac users might face are false alert messages and previously installed malware. If you see any kind of message while browsing the internet along the lines of “a problem has been detected with your Mac” – this is highly likely to be an attempt to get you to download malware.

Ignore the message. If you did download anything from the site, quit Safari (or whichever browser you’re using), go to the Downloads folder and drag any items in there to the Trash. Then empty the Trash. Avoid visiting the website again because it’s possible it has been hacked.
If you think malware has already been installed on your Mac – especially if you’re seeing pop-up messages asking for your Apple ID or credit card details – quit the app / software you think might be infected, launch your Activity Monitor and locate the app in question, or search for the malware named above. When you’ve identified the malware, click the Quit Process button and quit the Activity Monitor. Then go into your Applications folder and drag the unwanted software into the Trash, emptying it afterwards.
Finally, make sure all your software and apps are up to date and that you’ve installed the latest OS fixes and updates directly from Apple.
As with a PC, it is a good idea to add protection. Our software for Mac is designed to clean up your files, free up disk space, deliver automatic virus database updates, and manage your online privacy.

Final Word
It’s critical to have the latest antivirus installed if you want to stand the best chance of removing a virus or malware and keeping your computer safe and personal data protected. If you’re not sure when you last updated your antivirus, now is the time to check and update it.

Don't have one? Check out our antivirus options and choose the one that best meets your needs.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What is the most dangerous type of computer virus?

Perhaps the most virulent computer virus ever created, the ILOVEYOU virus managed to wreck PCs all across the world. Infecting almost 10% of the world’s PCs connected to the Internet, the virus caused a total damage of around $10 billion. The virus apparently got transmitted via email with a subject line “ILOVEYOU,” which is a radical human emotion that no one can ignore. To make it even more alluring, the email contained an attachment that read something like this: Love-Letter-For-You.TXT.vbs. The moment someone opened the file, the virus emailed itself to the first 50 contacts available in the PC’s Windows address book.Based on vbs(Virtual Basic Script), ILOVEYOU virus was created by Philippine’s Onel De Guzman and Reonel Ramones in 4 May 2000.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What type of a virus infects data files?

File infector viruses: these infect program files, such as applications, games or utilities. They are often memory-resident, meaning that once they have been executed they remain active in the computer's memory and can infect more programs. Examples include Jerusalem and Cascade.

example:
Jerusalem
Common name Jerusalem
Aliases
Arab Star
Friday 13th
Israeli
Classification Unknown
Type Computer virus
Operating system(s) affected DOS
Jerusalem is a DOS virus first detected in Jerusalem, in October 1987. On infection, the Jerusalem virus becomes memory resident (using 2kb of memory), and then infects every executable file run, except for COMMAND.COM.[1] COM files grow by 1,813 bytes when infected by Jerusalem and are not re-infected. .EXE files grow by 1,808 to 1,823 bytes each time they are infected. The virus re-infects .EXE files each time the files are loaded until they are too large to load into memory. Some .EXE files are infected but do not grow because several overlays follow the genuine .EXE file in the same file. Sometimes .EXE files are incorrectly infected, causing the program to fail to run as soon as it is executed.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What virus infects program files like having an .EXE extensions?

File or Program Viruses :- Some files/programs, when executed, load the virus in the memory and perform predefined functions to infect the system. They infect program files with extensions like .EXE, .COM, .BIN, .DRV and .SYS .

example: Sunday is a standard patched Jerusalem variant in the way it infects files. It is a directly modified version of the original Jerusalem.1803. It infects .EXE, .COM, and .OVL files. Like the original Jerusalem, infected files occasionally become corrupted.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

How are computer viruses spread?

Computer viruses usually spread in one of three ways: from removable media; from downloads off the Internet; and from e-mail attachments.

Although the Internet gets a bad rap as a source of viruses, you're no more likely to contract a virus from the Web than you are from packaged software. Still, scan everything you download, and update your antivirus software regularly.

E-mail is not the virus breeding ground it's made out to be, either. In fact, it's nearly impossible for a virus to be transmitted by plain-text e-mail. Most viruses can only spread via attachments — either rich-text e-mail or attached applications. Using antivirus software, scan attachments from people you know, and never open attachments from people you don't. If you're a Microsoft Outlook user, you can also select security preferences that keep e-mail-borne viruses from exploiting the close relationship between Outlook and the Windows operating system.

For information on specific types of computer viruses, check out Understanding Computer Viruses.

These precautions will minimize the risk of infecting your computer as well as keep you from spreading viruses onto others. If you find that your computer is infected, make sure to read Responding to and Recovering from a Virus for tips on recovery.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What software can be used against viruses and how does it function?

It is really valuable to have anti-virus software in your computer in order to prevent the trouble and disaster that might be caused by computer viruses. Anti-virus software we can get today is pretty sophisticated and effective. However, "virus writers are often a step ahead of the software, and new viruses are constantly being released that current anti-virus software cannot recognize.

The most important thing you can do is to update your anti-virus software as often as you can in order for the creators to inform you (the anti-virus software in your computer) the list of the most current viruses' codes and system. At the same time, it is also essential to backup your data and information frequently. It is almost impossible to predict the newest virus. That's what the virus writers do. Therefore, unfortunately, a brand new virus is found and cautioned after the virus is executed. Just in case YOU are the one who will be the very first victim of the newest virus, backing up your files and data is the wise and safest way to protect your information in your computer.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What type of a virus infects data files?

Although there are many different kinds of file infector viruses, most of them operate the same and take the following course of actions.

- Once a user executes an infected file, the virus copies the file and places into an area where it can be executed. In most cases, this would be the RAM.

- The malicious code runs first while the infected file remains quiescent

- The virus then copies itself in a location separate from where the infection occurred, allowing it to continuously infect files as the user functions other programs

- When the initial process is set in to place, the virus grants control back to the infected file

- When a user opens another application, the dormant virus proceeds to run again. It then inserts a copy of itself into files that were previously uninfected which enables the cycle to repeat consistently

File infectors can be both a nuisance, as well as a tremendous threat to your computer. For this reason, it is recommended to protect your system with anti-virus software that receives free updates for the latest virus definitions.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

If you think your computer has a virus,what is a good first step in solving the problem?

If you’re dealing with this scenario, it could indicate the presence of viruses on your computer. We know, it’s so frustrating to see it loading slowly. It is a known fact that one of the malware’s main activity is to slow down your operating system, whenever you’re navigating on the Internet or simply accessing your local applications.

What can you do? First thing, you need to check for causes and find the real problem. You might be able to do a quick repair job on your computer yourself.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

What virus infects program files like having an .EXE extensions?

Executables (.exe files) are programs to do some computational work in computer. Executables may be window programs to interact with user.
Virus is malicious piece of code, which modify the process of executions or stop or wait till some time to execute malicious code or hijack identities, spoil hard disk etc.
Virus can be independent executable program, can be run directly. or it is embedded in another executable and runs that piece of code as time comes for that part of execution of main program.
Not all executables (.exe) are viruses. But, executables may contain viruses(or piece of malicious code)

A file-infecting virus is one of the most common types of virus. Typically, it infects files with .exe or .com extensions. When the infected file is accessed or executed, it may be partially or completely overwritten by the virus. A file-infecting virus can also spread across the system and over the network to infect other systems.

Crystaline Lovely wrote:

How are viruses transmitted?

11 Ways Computer Viruses Are Spread

It is baseed from the Blogsite of Stephen Mulberry

It is the worst nightmare of every computer user: you wake up one day and realize that you have a virus, and you don’t know quite how to get rid of it. Most people these days understand what a virus is and how harmful it can be, but they are still somewhat unsure how computer viruses spread. The truth is that there are dozens of different ways in which a virus can spread from computer to computer, but let’s take a look at the most frequent ways in which people run into viruses, spyware and Trojans on the Internet.


1. Email attachments. The world became familiar with the phenomena of email attachments carrying viruses thanks to Microsoft’s Outlook Express automatically opening every attachment to every email you received a few years back. Now that email clients no longer do this, the infection rate from email attachments is significantly lower, but it can still be a common problem. The golden rule is that if you don’t know what an attachment is, don’t open it. To this day, many email users never open attachments, no matter what. You don’t have to take such drastic steps to protect yourself, however; simply use common sense when opening attachments in your email.

2. Rogue Websites. It is depressing to know that you may become infected with spyware or a virus by doing nothing more than simply visiting a website, but it is true. Many adult websites, gambling websites and other less than trustworthy websites will attempt to automatically access your computer when you visit them. They often install adware bugs that will cause a flurry of pop ups to appear on your screen. This adware will often allow for other programs with even more nefarious purposes to be installed and before you know it, your computer will be swamped. To stop these rogue websites, adjust the settings on your antivirus software and firewall so that no outside connections can be made and no programs can be installed without your express permission.

3. Networks. If your computer is connected to a home network or if your work computer is part of a larger network, you may find yourself with an infection through no fault of your own. Someone else on the network downloaded a bug by accident, and within minutes, the entire network could be infected. There isn’t much you can do to stop these kinds of infections, short of having your network administrator ensure that everyone’s antivirus software is up to date so that the invading bug can be removed as quickly as possible.

4. Infected Boot disks. Now that hard drives are obscenely large, the overwhelming percentage of us don’t bother to use boot disks anymore, but a virus can still be spread if an infected disk is in your hard drive and you attempt to restart. When you start your computer, your machine will always check your drives to see if a disk with boot information is present. If one is, your computer will likely automatically attempt to boot from the disk and not from your drive. If a virus is present, it will often be activated and you will become infected. Always know the origin of any disk you put into your drive.

5. Phishing Schemes. Learning how computer viruses spread is important to keep yourself, and your personal information, safe online. Phishing schemes are one of the chief ways in which people end up with their identity stolen and a computer fill of viruses. A phishing scheme starts when you receive an email from a website claiming to be your bank or credit card company. You are asked to click a link and log in, but the truth is that you’ve just given away all of your personal information. Often times, when you visit these sites, spyware, adware and viruses are automatically installed on your computer (see Rogue Websites, above). Your lender or credit card will often send out a real notice that let’s you know that a phishing scheme is going around. The smartest thing you can do is to simply call your bank or credit card company if you receive an email saying there is a problem with your account instead of blindly following links in your email.

6. Infected Software. One of the great things about the Internet is how many free games and programs there are out there, but these free programs often come at a price. Too many rogue websites intentionally infect their freeware (like Kazaa) with trojan viruses so that you unknowingly infect your computer every time you download a free game or piece of software. The key here is to only download freeware or shareware from a trusted source like CNet that always ensures your safety.

7. Hackers. The Internet today is a much more law abiding place than it was ten years ago. Not only did most people not have antivirus protection and firewalls that could stop incoming attacks, most people didn’t even know what they were. Today, people understand the value of good online protection, but hackers can still pose a problem if you allow your protection software to lapse. The best way to beat hackers is to ensure that you have a firewall and up to date antivirus software.

8. Instant Messaging. It is difficult to find a computer in this day and age that doesn’t have at least one instant messaging service installed on it. Unfortunately, these programs are often targets of hackers who see an easy way to trick people into clicking links that lead them to rogue websites. Common sense can keep you out of trouble, however. Only chat with people you know and never follow links to sites that you don’t recognize. You should easily be able to keep Internet worms, viruses and other bugs at bay.

9. Fake Anti Virus Software. This is one of the most frustrating ways to become infected with a virus or worm. There are dozens of anti virus and anti spyware programs you can download for free on the Internet and a surprising number of them actually do exactly the opposite of what they claim. The product websites make outrageous claims that their product can protect you from a whole range of threats, when, in reality, their product will only make things a thousand times worse. Only download antivirus programs from trusted sites or from websites that you know are completely legit.

10. From Mobile Devices. A recent story in the newspaper should serve as a wake up call for anyone who is getting ready to plug in a mobile device into their computer for the first time. A family purchased a digital picture frame from a local store and when they attempted to install the software that came with it, they inadvertently infected their computer with a virus. There really is no way to stop such an infection from happening, since we all buy peripherals that work with our computer, but we can ensure that we have the tools ready to go if an infection should happen. Keep your anti virus software up to date at all times and you should be able to wrestle control back from any Internet bug.

11. Friends and Relatives. Often times, we are sent viruses through our email from people that we know and trust. The social networking site Facebook has had to battle this very problem when their serves get a bug and automatically send out emails to everyone on the system that are infected. Often times, these emails are extremely generic sounding and come with suspicious attachments, but people often open them anyway since they have come from a friend or from a site they trust, like Facebook. Remember, if you get an attachment with an .exe extension or a .dll, don’t ever open it.

Learning how computer viruses spread is the best way we can put an end to their reign of terror online. It is only with the right knowledge and the best antivirus software that Internet users everywhere can beat online bugs for good.

Thankyou Crystalline, for asking!

basic way of knowing if infected ng any virus yung PC ko?

How do you prevent a virus?

How would I know if I'm dealing with a virus?

Adriel Hilario wrote:

How would I know if I'm dealing with a virus?

Issue
Determining if your computer is infected by a virus or malware
Symptoms may not be malware-related
The examples listed below are common symptoms of malware, but your computer may exhibit many of these symptoms for legitimate reasons unrelated to malware, such as software or hardware incompatibilities or system instability.

Solution
Symptoms of malware affecting currently installed ESET products:
Your ESET product is disabled for no reason and cannot be restarted
A threat is discovered or the red ESET Threat Detected window keeps appearing
You receive frequent alerts from your ESET Personal firewall about an unknown program
You receive pop-up alerts from rogue antivirus programs claiming that you are infected with multiple viruses

Symptoms of computer malware that affect the Internet:
You may receive the error "Internet Explorer could not display the page" when attempting to access certain websites
Your web browser (for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome) freezes, hangs or is unresponsive
Your web browser's default homepage is changed
Access to www.eset.com is blocked
You get redirected to web pages other than the one you intended to go to
You receive numerous web-browser pop-up messages
Strange or unexpected toolbars appear at the top of your web browser

Malware symptoms that affect system performance:
Your computer runs slower than usual
Your computer freezes, hangs or is unresponsive
There are new icons on your Desktop that you do not recognize
Your computer restarts by itself (but not a restart caused by Windows Updates)
You see unusual error messages (for example, messages saying there are missing or corrupt files folders)
You are unable to access the Control Panel, Task Manager, Registry Editor or Command Prompt.
An infiltration is blocking access to the Control Panel, Task Manager, Registry Editor, and Command Prompt - what should I do?

Any more questions, Adriel? Comment down below.

Fact about computer virus
Three ways you can get a virus
There are only three ways you can get a virus: i) by executing an infected program ii) booting from an infected diskette iii) opening an infected email attachment. Strictly speaking i) and iii) are pretty much the same, but most people think of them quite differently, so I will too. hree ways you can get a virus
There are only three ways you can get a virus: i) by executing an infected program ii) booting from an infected diskette iii) opening an infected email attachment. Strictly speaking i) and iii) are pretty much the same, but most people think of them quite differently, so I will too.

Is there a chance that i can make a virus by myself?

Is it true that the antivirus developers is the one creating virus

While im browsing the internet a notification pop out
That my device is affected by virus should i follow their instruction to install an antivirus or not?