Computer viruses from the time of the first operating systems cause computer users a lot of problems. It is not surprising, because some types of threats can completely disable both the software and hardware components of a computer, laptop or mobile device. There seems to be no ambiguity with the operating systems and the programs installed in their environment, but many may object to how the equipment used fits in here? Everything is simple. It is enough to recall the threats that once affected computer monitors, focusing the supply of maximum energy to one area or point of the screen, which is why the screens instantly burned out and could not be repaired. But all this, I hope, is already in the past.
However, modern viruses have changed quite a lot and are also capable of much - even steal confidential user information. So let's see how to check a laptop, a stationary computer terminal or a mobile device for viruses using the tools available on the market for such software. But first, you need to determine the main symptoms that can signal that a virus has settled in the system.
When should I check my laptop for viruses?
In general, installing an antivirus is the very first and necessary step after installing the operating system. Everyone knows that. However, it should be noted that not all such programs are able to withstand the effects of modern threats. Some of them can disguise themselves so well as official software or infect files in such a way that revealing the presence of their executable code is not always possible. Sometimes, however, users themselves ignore warnings, for example, when clicking on an insecure link in a web browser. But the Internet today can be called one of the most extensive breeding grounds for all kinds of threats.
To identify the main types of viruses in the system is sometimes quite simple. Due to their effects, the following symptoms may occur:
- reduced performance due to excessive loads on the processor or RAM;
- incorrect operation of the operating system;
- the inability to launch installed programs or call some system functions;
- frequent errors on the hard drive;
- blue screens of death;
- activation of unknown or doubtful processes observed in the “Task Manager”,
- constantly pop-up ads, substitution of search engines and start pages in browsers, as well as redirection to resources of dubious content;
- the inability to access the Internet or network environment;
- spontaneous shutdown or reboot of a computer device;
- permanent reset of system settings and parameters;
- spontaneous installation of programs or the appearance of unauthorized downloads, etc.
Naturally, it is possible and necessary to deal with this manifestation of viral activity, but in most cases only advertising threats belonging to the Hijackers, Malware and Adware classes can be neutralized manually.
Of course, some of the symptoms presented in the list may also occur in case of malfunctions of the operating system itself or installed equipment, but such situations are characteristic of viruses to a much higher degree.
Basic methods and means of verification
Speaking about how to check a laptop for viruses, you first need to decide which method or using which software such a check will be performed. It is the choice of the appropriate security software that largely determines the effectiveness of scanning, removing threats or disinfecting infected objects. Typically, the following applications are used to perform verification:
- full-time scanners aimed at preventing the penetration of threats or scheduled scanning;
- portable utilities of all directions that do not require installation on an infected hard drive;
- programs with built-in bootloaders, launched before the start of the operating system;
- specialized, highly targeted utilities for detecting specific types of threats.
As already mentioned, both visual means for detecting threats and manual removal of viruses can be used. How to check if there are viruses on the laptop in these ways?
The easiest way is to identify suspicious processes in the “Task Manager” with the names of processes consisting of a meaningless character set, determine the location of the file responsible for the process on the hard disk, terminate the active virus process and delete the corresponding files and directories (if possible). But this helps very rarely, since viruses know how to disguise themselves as system processes (for example, as the svchost.exe process or other services), and it is not always possible to determine that this is a virus. Therefore, it is better to give preference to special software, the developers of which today you can find quite a lot.
Using regular antiviruses
Regular antiviruses are good because they mostly prevent the penetration of threats of any type, from any space and from any medium. Most of these software products have built-in protection against infection. But they do not always cope with the duties assigned to them.
However, if there is nothing more at hand, you can first start a standard scan (often called SMART) or an in-depth scan with self-selection of objects to be scanned. As for the choice of scanner, it is better to initially install only official versions (preferably paid or shareware). From free software, it is best to give preference to the products of Kaspersky Lab, Doctor Web, Panda Cloud antivirus, etc. But everyone who praises Avast is better not to use, because there are enough complaints about its work.
Some shareware antiviruses like some packages from ESET need to be activated every thirty days. This is somewhat inconvenient, but keys and licenses can always be found in the public domain on the Internet. It goes without saying that for most of these programs, instructions are provided in the help system. How to check a laptop for viruses in practical terms? Just set the desired type of scan, select the desired action when a threat is detected and wait for the results.
Portable utilities
The advantage of portable applications is that they do not need to be installed on the hard drive, and even run from removable media in the form of conventional flash drives, memory cards, optical or external USB HDDs.
You can check your laptop for viruses using these programs in the same way as with regular scanners. The only difference is that when you run any such utility, you should initially update the anti-virus database.
How to check before loading the system?
Some viruses are capable of hitting the system deeply enough, settling even in RAM and constantly keeping their unloadable modules in it, which may affect the loading of the operating system. Among the boot programs recorded on external devices, the most preferred are utilities under the general name Rescue Disk.
The most powerful, according to the vast majority of experts, is considered such a utility from Kaspersky Lab. It has a graphical interface similar to Windows, it allows you to select the desired language and perform a scan of absolutely everything that is possible (including in-depth scanning of RAM). The only condition is to set the device with the recorded utility in the BIOS / UEFI parameters first to boot.
How to deal with advertising viruses?
Now let's look at the manual removal of viral applets. You can check your laptop for viruses and get rid of them using the following sequence of actions:
- identification of the virus process in the "Task Manager" with the determination of the location of files and folders;
- uninstalling the advertising applet (if it is visible in the programs and components section);
- manual or software removal of residual virus components from the hard disk and from the registry;
- restoration of the search system and the start page of the browser or a complete reset of the browser settings;
- removal of doubtful browser panels, if any;
- delete posts in the path to the browser file through the properties of the shortcut;
- system reboot.
Note: sometimes interference with the registry may be required before the virus is removed, and it is better to use special uninstall programs to remove the main application and its possible residues. In the absence of access rights to files and folders, the Unlocker utility sometimes helps.
How to scan a phone for viruses through a laptop?
With mobile technology, you can do exactly the same as with stationary systems by installing the appropriate software on the device.
But if we talk about how to scan a tablet or smartphone through viruses for a laptop or a smartphone by connecting them, for example, via the USB interface, it should be noted that the internal and removable drives of the device will be displayed in Windows as ordinary removable drives, if debugging was previously enabled USB Verification tool - at the choice of the user.
Last tip
Of course, these are only the basic and most commonly used methods that allow you to scan a laptop, desktop PC or mobile device for viruses. There are many more special programs designed for specific threats.
In the end, it remains to add that it is not recommended to install applications such as SpyHunter that are so widely advertised on the Internet in any case, since it will not be possible to remove the found threats without buying the full version of the package, and getting rid of the program itself will be even more difficult and problematic than from the same advertising viruses .